Hedge What? Hedge Why?

Hedge Schools began as a way for rural Irish people to gain a basic education. Reading, writing and maths were taught and if the teacher had the interest or aptitude, they could also teach history, Latin or whatever else took their fancy. The equivalents of Hedge Schools have existed throughout history, from the Krifó scholió in 15th century Greece and Pit Schools of enslaved African Americans, they came into being when people could not access formal learning.

Paganism is being taught everywhere by everyone. Never have the Mysteries been more accessible and in plain sight! At a time when the greatest light is shining on all kinds of information, from how to grow your hair longer to learning secrets from fairies via blissful gatherings in summer fields, so the Shadow has become ignored. It too is in plain sight and will become more grotesque in order that it may be taken note of.

Most Paganism as it is practised today is fairly useless to anyone who isn’t already happy, healthy, well off and fairly well connected. Most Pagans gain their understanding of Paganism from books, some of which are absolutely dreadful. The majority of individual Pagan teachers have learned that being popular is entirely dependent on making people feel good about themselves at all costs. Their identity and often their income depend on it.

There’s a fine and important line between unconditional affection and not giving a damn which is most obvious in the way that children are brought up. Parents set loving boundaries and endure occasionally being disliked because they don’t want their children to turn into brats. Paganism, in whatever form it takes, has boundaries of behaviour based on traditions of loyalty, generosity, reciprocity, honour that are seldom discussed outside of Heathenism. It’s good to encourage a person to find their own way through life, but again there’s a thin line between that and the equivalent of putting them out on the street to fend for themselves.

Patronising? Potentially. And a Patron is someone who takes an interest in, watches over and protects someone. In this relationship there is, of course, the potential for smothering and abuse of power, which also occurs just as forcefully in groups where no one takes a particular interest in, protects or watches over anyone or anything at all.

Hedge school aims to make these dynamics open and clear as possible, to foster relationships of clarity and honesty, where being robust is of equal value to flinching sensitivity and where both attributes can work side by side rather than becoming mutually exclusive. We aim for genuine, careful teaching of tried and trusted magical ways of being, supporting individuals through that process face to face. Small groups, intense work, deep processing, thorough understanding.