The Magic Of Nature: Witching Outdoors

There’s nothing quite like finding the perfect spot outdoors to do magic. Witching in the woods, hidden in a secret urban grove of trees, or getting completely lost in the back country is a singular magic all of its own.

We asked a few witches we know, where they love to do their outdoor witching. We have to admit, we love their answers.

Jenya T. Beachy – Witching In The Redwoods

There are so many gorgeous spaces in my life for ritual, indoors and out, but one of my absolute favorites is a lovely spot in Delaveaga Park in Santa Cruz, next to a little spit of the Branciforte Creek. Us local Pagans have been doing public rituals in this place for nearly 25 years and the land is an old friend.

Whenever we head into the Redwood Grove, there is a strong sense of welcome from the no-legs, 2-legs, 4-legs, many-legs, winged and furred kin. The branches of the Redwoods seem to reach around to encircle us. We often have that beautiful synchronicity of a bird call or a gust of wind at exactly the perfect moment in the ceremony. It’s a perfect place to remember ourselves as just one branch of the family tree.

Jenya is a dear friend and inspiration to The Witches Next Door. She’s an author, priestess, teacher, and witch. You can find more of Jenya’s work at Dirt Heart Witch and her website

Phoenix LeFae – Witching At The Beach

Many years ago a friend shared with me a magickal place on the California coast that he dubbed “The Ultimate Picnic Spot”.  This magickal place is about an acre of land, nestled between Highway 1 and a steep cliff side falling into the Pacific Ocean. The cliff overlooks two different beaches, one to the north and one to the south. The Ultimate Picnic spot is a wild place, not a park, not maintained, and a little bit dangerous to access.

Before taking me, I was asked to promise not to take other people to the land unless I trusted them. I have honored the promise I made twenty years ago, only taking the folks that I knew would revere and honor the land as much as I did, which hasn’t been very many people.

Over the years I’ve participated in rituals all over this cliff. I’ve called on spirit allies there during rain storms. I’ve done banishing rituals there during windy blustery days. And I’ve spent more than one hot summer afternoon eating cheese and crackers while drinking wine. At the Ultimate Picnic spot I’ve sung songs to the setting sun and drummed to welcome the rising moon. And I know I’ll keep doing magick there for many years to come.

Cyndi Brannen – Witching In The Grotto

I am a wanderer of woods and shores, of heights and depths. I love wild places where my only companions are spirits and creatures. I’m fortunate to live in a place full of magic. Choosing one location within wonderfully witchy New Scotland is a challenge.

My favorite magickal location is right on my property. This is my private witching space that I call The Grotto, a most special location at the entrance to a small cave that’s home to various small creatures. I’ve constructed a house of twigs around the opening to the underworld. This is where I work my witchery most often and leave offerings for Hekate that the animals consume. It is the energetic center for all things associated with Keeping Her Keys.

The glorious High Head where I often perform my Dark Moon rituals honoring Hekate is my second favorite location. This granite formation stretches up from the sea about 250 feet. To me, this represents the crossroads of land, sea and sky. Granite is a plutonic rock, very much of the underworld and full of delicious energy. The spirits of the First Nations peoples that traditionally inhabited this shoreline watch over me as I perform my workings. These spirits are as much part of this sacred location as the geography, the same as all the outdoor places where I weave my magick.

You can read more about Cyndi’s home at  She’s Called Nova Scotia: The Magic of the Place I Call Home and her love for wild witchcraft. Watch Cyndi atop High Head talking about Hekate and the Dark Moon here.

Cyndi is an amazing writer and writes one of the blogs The Witches Next Door always read. To find more of her work visit Keeping Her Keys.

Gwion Raven – Witching On The Street

It’s so very hard to choose my favourite magical place outdoors. There really are so many. I have places where I engage in ritual, other places where I do spellwork, and still others for quiet contemplation. Kayaking on the Russian river is up there. The serenity of my boat moving along with the current and how the inhabitants of the water interact with me in their environment is spectacular. But I can’t kayak every day. I do walk a lot though. I walk to the grocery store, through my neigbourhood, on the walking trail behind my house. Walking the pavement connects me to the seasons, the sights, and smells of the place I live. I know where the owls hunt and which berries the robins prefer to eat. I also know where the crossroads are and the places I can leave offerings for the Good Folk of this area.

Annwyn Avalon – Witching By A Well

My favorite place to work magic is, no surprise, near water. While I do love working at the beach it’s the fresh water springs that hold a special place in my heart.

I have been lucky in my life to be able to visit many Sacred Wells both here in the US and abroad. I fell in love with Sacred Springs as a young girl growing up in Florida. Practicing magic, at the well’s edge, as an adult shaped my practice. The Chalice Well, White Spring Temple and Sulis Temple in Bath are places I’ve fallen in love with. I’ve had amazing ritual experiences at each place which are etched into my soul forever. It can be heartbreaking though, wishing to work at these sacred places but unable to jump on the long flight to visit.

Moving to Oregon provided a unique opportunity for me to connect deeply with spring water as it is easy to access and there are several known and hidden springs in the area. There is something so magical about hearing the trickling of the water and the whispering of water spirits. There is so much magic in these watery places to be harnessed and used by respectful witches who are connected to water.

Annwyn, if you can’t tell, is a Water Witch. If you’ve ever thought about creating a ritual for water, in water near water, because of water, we recommend reading Annwyn’s musings at The Water Witch

Sacred wells, redwood forests, caves, rivers, beaches, and even the neighbourhood are all excellent places to do your witching.

Where do you witch?