Hagstone Witchery is a path of practical traditional magic that frames the witchβs craft as an ongoing conversation with the spirit world, one that is designed to evolve and change alongside the practitioner. Rooted in animism and the Spirit Theory of Magic, it emphasizes a living relationship between the witch and their craft. While the witch is the source of their own power, their magic is worked in collaboration with spirits such as Initiators, familiars, guides, and guardians.
This tradition draws heavily on European folklore and folk custom, as well as historical sources that offer insight into early modern European beliefs about witches, cunningfolk, and their craft. While it incorporates elements of structure inspired by published works in the Traditional Witchcraft movement, Hagstone Witchery is not lineaged through the legacy of Robert Cochrane or any formal initiatory groups. Its βtraditionalβ quality lies not in lineage, but in its commitment to folklore, early modern belief, and folk practice as its primary sources of knowledge, method, and inspiration.
Witchcraft of the Hagstone Tradition is not an ancient or archaic path; it is not even an βoldeβ path. Rather, it is a contemporary framework for practicing old-style magic in a modern world. It does not seek to redefine witchcraft as a whole or to challenge the legitimacy of lineaged traditions such as formal Traditional Witchcraft or Wicca. Instead, it offers another way among many for living a magical life. It provides a spirit-centered, folklorically-inspired approach to practical traditional magic, grounded in the use of everyday tools and practiced in the hearth and home, forests and fields.
The Hagstone Tradition began as a teaching tradition, a framework I developed specifically to mentor aspiring practitioners of practical traditional witchcraft. Over time, it has evolved, weaving itself into my personal practice and into the magical work my wife and I do together. What began as a way to teach the foundations of spirit-based witchcraft without revealing the private, personal elements of my own craft has since taken on a life of its own. Today, it serves not only as a personal path for many of my students, but also as an organized framework for learning and practicing solitary magic.
The Hagstone Tradition is named for the hagstone, a naturally holed stone, most often found near running water. In European folklore and magical practice, the hagstone is a powerful charm prized as a protector against harm, a tool for divining hidden truths, a gateway for communing with spirits, and a key to uncovering the gateways into the Realm of the Uncanny. It is an object of liminal nature, both ordinary and extraordinary, simultaneously natural and magical.
The hagstone serves as the emblem of Hagstone Witchery not only because of its folkloric associations, but because it captures the spirit of the tradition itself. The Hagstone Path emphasizes the use of found, practical, and commonplace tools rather than relying solely on formal or ceremonial instruments. The hagstone is a reminder that the most powerful tools of our craft are often humble, tucked away in our homes, given to us by our great-aunts, found on walks though the forest. Like the path it represents, the hagstone stands at the edge between worlds, inviting the witch to look deeper, listen closer, and cross the threshold with purpose.
My name is Anoka. I have been a practicing witch since 1999 and a professional educator since 2017. I started my witchcraft journey with a close relative as my mentor. My introduction to witchcraft came in the shapes of charms and cures from an ancestral cunning practice. When I starting exploring beyond that mentorship (in books and online communities), I found myself suddenly unsure of where I fit and what direction to go in. I knew I wasnβt a Wiccan and had no use for Wiccan-influenced practices, but there was very little community at the time for non-Wiccan witches. I began weaving my magic in the shape of cottage and hedge witchery and waiting for everything to fall into place.
Almost a decade into my relationship with my personal practice, I got the feeling I had lost my way, that I had lost my craft in the search for community. I decided it was time to go back to my roots. My mentor being no longer available to help me, I went offline, I purged my book collection, I gutted my grimoire and I started over. I went back to my notes on the practice I had learned from my mentor and began the work of tracking down its origins. I used folklore, symbolism and jargon to follow my magic back in time. I learned a new language. I learned a second new language. I started studying another. I tracked down the missing pieces and put them back togetherβand then I felt like myself again.
I am now an Old-Style Traditional Witch and Independent Pagan, building my magical and faith practices entirely from my own research and interpretation. I cofounded Crowsbone Curiosities in 2017 and was the official Cottage Witch of the Crowsbone blog (under the name Johanna Wooden) until the shopβs closure in 2024 (due to international shipping issues). I created the Thorn & Thread blogring as well as the Spindle & Scroll Discord community in 2024 as a way to cultivate community for witches looking to escape the demands of social media witchcraft. I have continued to mentor others in the study and practice of witchcraft, and now use my experience as a professional educator to create accessible, affordable witchcraft resources with scaffolded instruction and hands-on opportunities for practice and growth.