“In the black furrow of a field
I saw an old witch-hare this night;
And she cocked her lissome ear,
And she eyed the moon so bright,
And she nibbled o’ the green;
And I whispered ‘Whsst! witch-hare,’
Away like a ghostie o’er the field
She fled, and left the moonlight there.
~Walter de la Mare, 1873-1958
“Rabbits and Hares have long been associated with magick and the ability to walk between the worlds and commune with the faeries. This is because both are most often seen at those magickal ‘tween times of dusk and dawn when it is safer for them to be out and about. During the day they stick close to home, which is usually a hidden burrow or, as with the North American Cottontail, in thickets or dense brush. Their ability to dart quickly amidst the shadows as they walk between the earthly realm and the spirit realm, often disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye, makes them privy to hidden knowledge and wisdom. It is no wonder rabbits and hares have often been witches’ familiars.”
