Long mischaracterized as wicked women who consorted with devils, the term “hedge witches” dates back to medieval Europe and describes women who lived at the outskirts of towns (often marked by a hedge), and who utilized their knowledge of plants for herbal remedies.
I’ve always been drawn to witches— from loving stories of Baba Yaga so much I wanted my own mortar and pestle at age 6, to a degree in art history exploring representations of gender in art. (Trust me, talk to me for more than five minutes and I’ll go off on a tangent about the witch as feminist archetype!) When I reached my 30s, I found myself at a crossroads: healing from trauma* and increasingly dissatisfied with capitalist grind culture, I made the life-changing decision to leave the career path in which I had invested a college degree and the better part of a decade’s labors, and in turn started a deep-dive into what radical self-care really meant for me. I began to pursue things that brought me joy— slowing down, making something by hand, connecting with the long tradition of herbalism and the archetype of the witch.
As a second-generation herbalist and a fourth-generation practitioner of European folk magic, I believe there is something both inherently satisfying and quietly revolutionary in becoming learned in the practical arts, and in using something lovingly crafted by another person. Guided by a belief in slow-living for radical self-care, I founded HWB in early 2018.
My astrological chart features some heavy Cancer placements (sun, rising, Venus, and Mercury!) … all of which is to say that I am something of a water-witch, and have been a big fan of bath time since I was a wee babe! I also love good coffee, used bookstores, and my cats. I’m an avowed feminist, proudly queer, and childfree by choice. I also consider myself a “forever amateur,” and proudly so— I am always learning and improving my craft! Currently, I am enrolled with the Herbal Academy, thanks to the generous support of the Maxine Quigg Women in Business Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation, and I am a member of the American Herbalist Guild. You can follow my magical journey and peek behind the scenes of HWB on The Grimoire…
xoxo,
Kate
…daughter of Susan, daughter of Mary, daughter of Lillie, daughter of Martha, daughter of Lucinda, daughter of Emily, daughter of Emeline, daughter of Martha, daughter of Julia, daughter of Mary, daughter of Hannah, daughter of Mary, daughter of Mary, daughter of Jane, daughter of Isabella, daughter of Aliciæ, daughter of Margaret, daughter of Sarah, daughter of the earth…
* Content Warning (SA, IPV, PTSD)
As a survivor of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, and as someone living with and in treatment for PTSD, my work is very much informed by my lived experiences and a belief that the personal is political. I will occasionally share about these topics in an effort to destigmatize narratives around these topics, but I promise to always give a CONTENT WARNING!