The story
* (type of witch): Circa 1990s. From hedge (“boundary”) + witch, where the boundary is that separating this world from the spirit world, which is traversed during hedge riding. Possibly coined or popularised by Rae Beth (1990), Hedge Witch: A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft, London: Robert Hale, →ISBN. * (fantasy): Circa 1980s. From hedge (“third-rate”) + witch. Compare hedge priest, hedge wizard.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.