#ozark magic and folklore

[the-trans-folk-witch]

A Warning to new witches

Reading makes you smarter. But reading does not mean you are smart. This applies to those who read occult texts as well. Just because it is about magic and witchcraft, does not mean you are smart to read it. Be discerning of authors, publishers, and wording. You should not judge a book by its cover but you SHOULD judge a book by its title. be cautious of books using words like ____ Magic(k). The overuse of adjectives to describe types of witchcraft are purely used to make books attract crowds who follow trends. An example would be "Lunar Magick" which is a title to over 200+ books on amazon. They use these names to get your money for very little information. Most of these self published books are plagiarized or just watered down versions of actual grimoires with a historical basis. Be perceptive. And if you struggle to discern if a book will be good or not, ask me! I try to read the shitty throw away books just so I can help educate my mentees on what to NOT do. Know your enemies including bad authors. (Matt auryn is one of these bad authors. No matter how popular "psychic witch" is.

[pagan-stitches]

The “Good God” Bird

John James Audubon

“Pileated Woodpeckers were sometimes called “Good God Almighty,” or “Good God” birds for short, perhaps because this was a common reaction to seeing one of these large birds flying by. All parts of the woodpecker were once associated with magic, and some even said the bird itself was a witch in disguise. According to the folklore, eating the meat of the bird could heal a person of any ailment; others claimed it was bad luck to ever even harm one, let alone kill it. Even today, workers who specialize in magical rituals will use feathers and claws from the woodpecker. One healer I met had a preserved woodpecker mounted on a hat he wore during some of his rituals.”

—Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers, and Healing by Brandon Weston

“The great pileated woodpecker, rare in most sections of the country, is still fairly common in the Ozarks. Most Ozarkers call it a woodhen, but it is also known as “God Almighty” or “Lord God Peckerwood,” doubtless because of its large size; it looks like a big teal duck, or a crow. This bird is supposed to have some supernatural powers, and I am told that various portions of its body are highly prized by witches and goomer doctors [an individual who has the power to remove hexes, and disempower witches].”

— Ozark Magic and Folklore, Vance Randolph

From the Peterson Guide. My copy, inherited from my folks, has been to hell and back. I will forever be a Roger Tory Peterson gal, preferring illustrations with strong field markings to photos.

I’ll never forget the first time I identified the bird. I thought at first a crow was swooping over, but I’d certainly never seen a crow with white patches on its underwings. And neither of our local crows sounds anything like this:

[felicitypdf]

when a youtube video of niche knowledge references a book you've already read... huge galaxy brain moment

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Hello!! I was wondering if you have any book recommendations for Appalachian folk magic? Especially for a beginner, I’m familiar with our local “old wive’s tales” but I’d love to learn more!!

Hello there! I have answered this question before but I have some new resources so I'll list them here!

It really depends on which part of Appalachia you are looking at! And if you want to dig deeper the ancestral roots of the family you are looking at. For example my family has a lot of Welsh and British influence because that was our family source so a lot of those beliefs lingered and changed throughout the years!

Someone from Pennsylvania would likely have a lot more German roots for their practice. But despite the root differences for the folklore these practices stem from they do still share a lot of connecting points!

But having babbled all of that here are my favorite books on AFM specifically. (Mind you Christianity takes a super huge part in the practice so a lot of bible and doing things in threes for the Trinity is involved!)

Authors to check out:

H. Byron Ballard- A pagan who also practices AFM, from the NC side of Appalachia, a lot of people hate her writing style which is a bit ramble-y. I also dislike the term she uses for her own practice but that is a super simple and small complaint honestly. I own all of her books on the subject, which should say something.

A NOTE ON H. BYRON BALLARD: I no longer support her work after discovering she is a TERF. I will no longer be suggesting her as an author to follow.

Jake Richards - From Eastern TN like me! A lot of what he talks about are things I have seen before, and he breaks down complex concepts like burn blowing into something relatively easily understood. HOWEVER HAVING SAID THAT the author is partially Melungeon, so he does have some Hoodoo mixed in from his grandmother's side iirc? He does label these things in his works and explains that they are not for everyone which I do appreciate.

Rebecca Beyer - While vaguely Wiccan toned, which I attribute to her publishers/raising, she's a transplant to Appalachia and if you're looking for herbal information on Appalachia and to wax poetic about how even with a ton of people settling there SO MUCH of the natural herbs and plantlife still survive, read her work! Her work on foraging safely and environmentally is so SOOOOO good.

Brandon Weston - For Ozark Mountain range/German/Dutch Appalachian work! He has written quite a few books on the subject and all of them are a treat!

Roger J. Horne - For how to dig into folklore and apply it to your own practice! This author is pagan and does blend in some traditional work with the Appalachian but I do enjoy his work and how he applies folklore. This author is also FROM Appalachia which is nice to see.

INDIVIDUAL BOOKS TO READ:

Appalachian Folk Healing by Jake Richards - A republication of a very old book on remedies and 'spells', while kitschy and stupidly worded, after all it was a popular book created just for sales reasons, some of these remedies are things I remember having done to me! Good for both a giggle and actual information. TW for mentions of animal parts, hunting, illnesses, the G slur, period specific phobias and racism.

Albertus Magnus - These books all supposedly written by an ancient guy, were actually mildly common on traveling salesmen's trucks and wagons. So as a result a lot of people in Appalachia had access. Like the book above it is very stupidly worded and definitely of their time. Same TW as above.

Pow-Wows or Long Lost Friend - Another Pennsylvania Dutch book! Very good and very clear.

Southern Folk Medicine - A book that breaks down a lot of common medicinal beliefs in the South which does include Appalachia! Sadly not just Appalachia but a very good book regardless. THIS BOOK MADE ME UNDERSTAND THE THEORY BEHIND BLOOD ISSUES MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE EVER HAS.

Moon Eyed People - A collection of Welsh folktales that brewed within Appalachia from Welsh immigrants. Very good book imo!

Granny Buck's Dibs and Dabs - This book is so worth the price tag! One of the more expensive books in my collection, but I'm fine with that. Granny Buck covers a lot of topics and I can feel the accent through the wording!

Signs, Cures, & Witchery - More German Appalachian stuff! This book and it's interviewees are from the Kentucky side of the mountains!

Witches, Ghost, and Signs - This book is based more in the Southern Appalachian area! Georgia, SC, NC, and TN specifically! Lots of folklore here, but does mention some not so great bits of the lore, but that is expected.

The Foxfire Books - What began as a school project exploded into a collection of true to life stories and idioms from Georgia elders within the mountains. SO SO GOOD OKAY? For everything. How to plant, hunt, make musical instruments, anything from the mountains? They cover.

[midwestbramble]

Book Reviews and Recommendations

This will be a running list of books I’ve reviewed and which ones I recommend according to topic. This way when people ask I have an easy place to point them.

Right now I’m posting one review a week of a book that’s already on my shelf. Eventually all the books I’ve recommended will have a review linked as well; for now if you have questions about one feel free to ask. This post will continue to be updated.

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Content:

Book Reviews

Book Recommendations

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Book Reviews

Alive with Spirits

America Bewitched

American Brujeria

Aradia

Astral Dynamics

Backwoods Witchcraft

Besom, Stang, and Sword

Betwixt and Between

Black Dog Folklore

The Black Toad

The Book of Celtic Magic

A Broom at Midnight

By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn

The Crooked Path

Deeper Into the Underworld

Demons and Spirits of the Land

The Devils Dozen

The Devils Plantation

Doctoring the Devil

Doreen Valiente: Witch

The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology

Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk

Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone

Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience

Folk Witchcraft

Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft

The Forge of Tubal Cain

The Four Elements of the Wise

The Green Witch’s Garden (coming soon)

Llewellyn's Complete Guide to North American Folk Magic

Mastering Witchcraft

Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism

Under the Witching Tree

Witch Blood Rising (coming soon)

Witches Among Us

A Witch’s Ally

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Book Recommendations

For Beginners:

*Look at the history recommendations as well and the cultural literacy section

Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente

Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn <- start here

Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

The Witch’s Path by Thorn Mooney

Ancestor Work:

Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

Animal Spirits:

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman

Astrology:

The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology by April Elliott Kent

Crafts:

The Green Witch’s Grimoire by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Potions, Elixirs, and Brews by Anaïs Alexandre

Cultural Literacy in Modern Witchcraft:

Aradia by Charles Godfrey Leland

Doreen Valiente: Witch by Philip Heselton

Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot

The Rebirth of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente

Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Transcendental Magic by Éliphas Lévi

Witches Among Us by Thorn Mooney <- good for outsiders

Death Work:

Morbid Magic by Tomás Prower

Druidry:

The Book of Celtic Magic by Kristoffer Hughes

Elements:

The Four Elements of the Wise by Ivo Dominguez Jr.

The Little Work by Durgadas Allon Duriel

Faeries:

Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk by Morgan Daimler

Feri (not to be confused with faeries):

Betwixt and Between by Storm Faerywolf

Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft by Storm Faerywolf

Folklore:

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman

The Devils Plantation by Nigel Pearson

Folk Magic:

American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross

Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards

Doctoring the Devil by Jake Richards

Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic

Ozark Folk Magic by Brandon Weston

Ozark Mountain Spell Book by Brandon Weston

The Powwow Grimoire by Robert Phoenix

Trolldom by Johannes Björn Gårdbäck

Working Conjure by Hoodoo Sen Moise

Green Witchcraft:

The Green Witch’s Garden by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Plants of the Devil by Corrine Boyer

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

Under the Bramble Arch by Corrine Boyer

Under the Witching Tree by Corrine Boyer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

Wortcunning by Nigel Pearson

Hearth Witchcraft:

The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin

Hedge Riding/Spirit Flight:

Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce

A Broom at Midnight by Roger J. Horne

History:

America Bewitched by Owen Davies

Demons and Spirits of the Land by Claude Lecouteux

Harry Potter and History by Nancy Reagin <- unaffiliated with JK Rowling

A History of Magic and Witchcraft by Frances Timbers

The Return of the Dead by Claude Lecouteux

The Tradition of Household Spirits by Claude Lecouteux

The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton

The Witch by Ronald Hutton

Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies by Claude Lecouteux

Holidays:

The Hearth Witch’s Year by Anna Franklin

Samhain by Diana Rajchel

Yule by Susan Pesznecker

Protection:

By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn by Althaea Sebastiani

Hex Twisting by Diana Rajchel

The Reclaiming Tradition:

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Scientific Studies on Magic:

Real Magic by Dean Radin, PhD

Spirit Work:

Alive with Spirits by Althaea Sebastiani

Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

A Witch’s Guide to the Paranormal by J. Allen Cross

Traditional Witchcraft:

Besom, Stang, and Sword by Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire

The Black Toad by Gemma Gary

A Broom at Midnight by Roger J. Horne

The Crooked Path by Kelden <- great for beginners

The Devils Dozen by Gemma Gary

Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience by Via Hedera

New World Witchery by Corey Hutcheson

Plants of the Devil by Corrine Boyer

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon

Traditional Witchcraft by Gemma Gary

Treading the Mill by Nigel G Pearson

Tubelos Green Fire by Shani Oates

Under the Bramble Arch by Corrine Boyer

Under the Witching Tree by Corrine Boyer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

The Witch Compass by Ian Chambers

The Witches’ Devil by Roger J Horne

The Witches’ Sabbath by Kelden

Wortcunning by Nigel Pearson

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[ceciliathecabinwitch]

Overly Long Look At This Blog

Who Am I

Cecilia/Lia, tbh I don’t care much what you call me except for variations of CC (please don’t)

Prefer they/them pronouns but any are okay

Pisces Sun, Aquarius Moon, Virgo Rising

Not a new to witchcraft, just new to talking about it on the internet (long time lurker tho)

Not Wiccan

Tbh I don’t really have a name for what I am so I use some different ones kinda randomly

I literally live in a cabin in (actually next to) the woods and I take my position as weird witchy woods person very seriously

I live in the Missouri Ozarks (in the foothills) and I like to connect my craft to that

Also some limited pantheon/deity stuff, mostly Roman and Germanic/Norse, but more as like…a face for greater things than an actual 1:1 experience

Unfortunately culturally Christian, and while my craft mostly avoids that unless it’s folk stuff or research stuff, I can’t deny that it probably influences/biases me in some areas so…yeah (I grew up Methodist and also have very mixed feelings about the denomination specifically, but this isn’t the time to get into that)

I also don’t like saying what “type” of witch I am per se, but I do like to categorize the different types of magic/work that I do and I think that makes things easier for tags

Some variation of an animist

I’m an adult and I have a tendency to be pretty blunt about what’s going on in my life and that might sometimes include adult stuff (not in like a porn way, just in a very open way) and also curse a lot so uh yeah idk just if occasional batshit posts about sexuality/substances/taxes/whatever are going to bother you then you might skip along idk

Weird self development bs while I try and become a more functional human being

What Is This Blog

Primarily a place to have ideas and inspiration written out as well as progress of stuff I’m working on

Maybe eventually mini tarot reading because I’m working on building that up but idk yet

Probably some writing stuff, though it’ll be largely related to nonfiction/magical writing

Probably a lot of aesthetic reblogs

Probably a lot of reblogs in general tbh

Probably gardening/plant stuff

Maybe some recipes/spells that I’m working on just to have them concentrated in one spot

Lots of divination in general tbh

Some astrology stuff/magical timing stuff

Folklore/Fairytales/Cryptids/etc (these aren’t all the same I just have too many bullet points already)

Elemental stuff

Probably some fiber arts

Weird personal beliefs about different things (will be tagged appropriately)

Probably some queer shit idk

Maybe some occasional art, we’ll see

Uhhh

As a general rule I don’t think DNI’s work super well and will probably just block people I don’t like but I’ll just cover the bases of racists/homophobes/sexists/transphobes/you get the gist

Other than that just don’t interact if you’re from northern missouri and we’ll be all good (/j)

That’s a giant wall of text but that’s about it. Always down for messages and asks and what have you

Mostly here to make some friends right now ig

[sayjoisme84]

Visited some local shops in Westfield ny today.

Got some books about Ozark folklore/magic by Vance Randolph, unfortunately I had to look up where the Ozarks were in the US. It was embarrassing. A book of embroidery from Danube from a tiny vintage book store.

They came from Mumpsimis books.

For some reason there was a copy of the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. No idea what it was doing in an antique store. Did not get the book on sensible cruising but I’m sure there’s a joke somewhere. It’s about sailing.

Westfield Village Antique Center.

In a different shop/art gallery I found some drinking horns. At the Living Glass Gallery, that’s where I got the leafy hair clips.

Don’t remember where the earrings, Turtle and maneke neko. But the turtle is for Hermes. Every time I shop in Westfield I find something for Hermes.

I also got a cyclemen from Tops

[occultdetective]

My Review of Magic at the Crossroads

Growing up with grandparents reared in the Ozarks, a common phrase heard was “Speak of the Devil and in walks the imp”. They were Campbellites and Baptists, hill folk and migrant workers. As dirt poor as you get, and they were infused with the sort of folklore, backwoods herbalism, and superstition that, when blended with “the good book”, well, the devil tends to come up a lot. The image of the…

[grunkletony]

Cable Channel Cartoon I would like to see.

I would really like to see Dana Terrace and Alex Hirsh take on this project but really any alumni of Gravity Falls and The Owl House would be great.

Set in Emerald, Wisconsin: “Teenage Warlocks and the Magic Pony Apocalypse”.  Both the writers and the characters use “Way of the Horned God” by Dancing Rabbit; “The Ozark Mountain Spellbook” by Brandon Weston; and “Spirit Walking” by Evelyn Rysdyk.  Writers and artists will take turns reading to each other from “The Oz Books” by L. Frank Baum; “The New English Bible with Apocrypha” by Oxford and “Wisconsin Folklore” by James P. Leary, once per week while the other writers listen with their eyes closed imagining themselves as the protagonists in the story.  Cast and crew may join in later as the series progresses.  It’s okay to spend most or all of the first season foreshadowing the magic pony invasion.  Each season of the show is to be 26 episodes long.  The series is portable and can be moved from one cable channel to another.  The magic pony invasion lasts for 13 years from 2025 to 2038.  Don’t rush the conclusion.  It’s okay for the boys to grow up and mentor younger teenagers.  I’m thinking a group of five boys.  It’s okay to start with just three and add more as the story progresses.

Options: 1. One of the boys asks why Michelangelo’s Moses has horns.  An older relative blames St. Jerome’s translation of the bible and points out that if he had been consistent Jesus would have had horns after meeting with Moses and Elijah on the mountain in Michael 17.  The boys start praying to Jesus of the two horns.

2. One of the boys overhears an older relative talking about the book “When God had a Wife” by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince.  The boys start praying to Mary Magdalene Avatar of Wisdom.

3. As a homage to “Stranger Things” have the boys play “Ponyfinder” by Silver Games LLC.

4. Make one of the boys Trans.  Transitioning from girl to boy.  Hire a writer who has undergone the process themselves.

5. Make one of the boys Muslim.  Hire a Muslim writer.  If you go for the Muslim option include Surat’s from the Koran in with chapters from the Bible, etc.  For example: Wisconsin Folklore; Genesis Chapter one; “the Wizard of OZ” Chapter one; 1Esdras chapter one; 1st Surat.

Options can be added in or dropped as the story progresses.

[paytonslitreviews]

Literature Review of “O Ugly Bird!” by Manly Wade Wellman

Manly Wade Wellman’s 1951 short story “O Ugly Bird!” is the first of a series of what are known as the John the Balladeer stories. Set in Appalachia, “O Ugly Bird!” tells the story of John, a wandering minstrel who stumbles upon a small mountain village and quickly makes the unfortunate acquaintance of what John describes as a “hoodoo man” called Mr. Onselm and his terrible bird companion, the titular Ugly Bird. John learns Mr. Onselm has been controlling the townspeople into indulging his every wish lest he use his mysterious powers against them, with town farmer Mr. Bristow recalling an incident in which Mr. Onselm permanently “dumbed” a woman for withholding a cake from him. John’s arrival in the backwater town brings about the end of Mr. Onselm’s control in the village. Threatened by John’s presence, Mr. Onselm gathers several men to get rid of John at the town’s store, with the Ugly Bird arriving mid-altercation. Armed with only his guitar strung with silver strings, John grapples with the men before smashing the guitar into the Ugly Bird’s head. At this, Mr. Onselm immediately drops dead, and the Ugly Bird subsequently melts into the ground before disappearing entirely.

"O Ugly Bird!" is an example of Appalachian fantasy, a sub-genre that explores fantastical elements against the backdrop of the Appalachian setting, often including religious and cultural characteristics intrinsic to the region. Manly Wade Wellman, a prolific author of weird and speculative fiction, masterfully weaves elements of horror, folklore, and the supernatural in this short story, drawing inspiration from his own experiences after relocating to North Carolina as an adult. Wellman's storytelling prowess and his ability to create a sense of unease and wonder make "O Ugly Bird!" a compelling and enduring work of fiction that continues to captivate and intrigue readers to this day.

Set in North Carolina, specifically in the Ozarks, the tale introduces us to John, an intelligent and observant young man who becomes fascinated by an enigmatic witch-man and, as the title suggests, the "ugly" bird that serves as his magical companion, playing a similar role as the common animal familiar. As the story unfolds, Wellman skillfully builds an atmosphere of foreboding, mystery, and tension between the characters.

One of the most striking aspects of "O Ugly Bird!" is the vivid and immersive sense of place. Wellman's depiction of the Southern Appalachian landscape, complete with a pervasive sense of isolation, creates a unique and palpable backdrop for the events of the story. The descriptive imagery as well as the first person point-of-view the story is told in serve to transport the readers themselves into the story and its setting. Wellman's evocative writing immerses the reader in the rich Southern landscape, where folklore and superstition are prominent.

Folklore and superstition play a significant role in "O Ugly Bird!" The story is steeped in Southern folklore and the belief in the supernatural. The townspeople are all aware of Mr. Onselm’s abilities and have a deep-seated suspicion of him and the Ugly Bird by the time John arrives in the town, and John is quick to come to his own conclusion that Onselm is a “hoodoo man,” alluding to how deep beliefs such as these run in the region. Wellman weaves his characters and their beliefs into the narrative, blurring the line between reality and the supernatural. The power of superstition, folklore, and the mystical is a central element in the story, and it adds depth to the narrative.

"O Ugly Bird!" is a tale of ambiguity and uncertainty. Wellman leaves the nature of the bird and the events that unfold open to interpretation. The story is filled with symbolism and metaphor, making it a thought-provoking piece of weird fiction. The Ugly Bird itself serves as a symbol of the unknown and the unexplained. It represents the aspects of the universe that continue to elude human understanding. The nature of the Ugly Bird is never truly revealed as the reader is seeing the events of the story as John himself, who doesn’t know the truth about the bird. We know only that the bird an intelligent extension of Mr. Onselm himself and when injured with silver, both man and bird die. Given this, we are left to make our own assumptions. Wellman's storytelling allows readers to draw our own conclusions about the true nature of the bird and the events that transpire, maintaining an air of ambiguity that encourages readers to ponder the nature of the supernatural.

Wellman, Manly Wade. “O Ugly Bird!” The Big Book of Modern Fantasy, edited by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer, Vintage Books, 2020, pp. 46-54.

[lailoken]

"In some clans, when a baby boy is born, a sister of the babe's father comes to the house, looks at the child, and then burns the first hat she finds. No matter whose it is, nor how valuable, she just picks up a hat and throws it into the fireplace. Many people laugh at this and pretend to take it lightly, but it is never omitted in certain families. I know of one case where there was some doubt about the child's paternity, and the hus-band's family were by no means friendly to the young mother, but despite all this one of the sisters came and burned the hat; she did it silently and grudgingly and most ungraciously, but she did it. This practice is never discussed with outsiders, but it is sufficiently known that a series of funny stories has grown up about hats being burned by mistake, strangers' hats missing, doctors leaving their hats at home, and so on."

—

Ozark Magic and Folklore

by Vance Randolph

[the-trans-folk-witch]

Folk Catholicism: An Anthropological study

rushed my book!!!

[pagan-stitches]

Hag Stones in Ozark Folklore

Question prompt in Roger J. Horne’s Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner:

What sorts of natural objects do witches use in [local] folklore?

“Many of the old settlers say that it is good luck to find a rock with a hole in it, but that such a stone found in running water is super lucky. At several homes in the Ozarks I have seen little boxes containing stones with holes in them, placed under the porch or the wooden doorstep. Near Marvel Cave, in Taney County, Missouri, the Lynch sisters who own the cavern used to have a lot of these stones strung on wire; when Nancy Clemens and I visited the place in 1936, Miss Miriam Lynch took down one of these and gravely presented each of us with a lucky stone. Some say that yhe lucky stones keep off witches and evil spirits; others tie one of the stones to a bedpost in the belief that it somehow prevents nightmare. Near Harrison, Arkansas, children are told that it is goid luck to find a round stone with a hole in it, but that such a stone must be thrown away at once and never carried in the pocket.”

—Vance Randolph, Ozark Magic and Folklore

Hag stones are said to be formed when snakes burrow underground and, coming across a rock blocking their path, spit out a poison that burns a hole through the rock, allowing them to pass in peace.

Worn as an amulet they protect against illness and malign magic. Hung outside the door they offer protection.

Many believe that the hole is a gateway into the world of spirits and Little People. Medicinal broths and brews can be poured through the hole and the medicine will pick up blessing from the other world as it passes through. Some healers peer through them as they examine their clients.

—Brandon Weston, Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing

[haremask]

One hillman of my acquaintance treats boils, ulcers, and the like in this wise: he reaches behind him, picks up a stone with-out looking at it, and spits upon it. Stirring the saliva about with his finger, he repeats the words :

What I see increase,

What I rub decrease,

and with that he rubs a little on the growth, which is supposed to disappear in a week or so. All this must be done, however,when the moon is waning; if it should be attempted before the full moon the sore would grow larger and larger instead of wasting away.

Vance Randolph, Ozark Magic and Folklore

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

I’ve got another series of virtual classes coming up at Catland Books NYC! For more information and to purchase tickets, follow the links below.

January 8 - Ozark Folk Magic 101 @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

A general overview of folk magic rites, rituals, and spells, from an Ozark point of view. A great class for beginner witches and folk magicians as well as seasoned practitioners wanting to brush up on their foundational practices and considerations. Specific areas that this class will cover include:

Foundational Ozark worldview and the relationship between humans and magic.

Interactions between the Human Realm and the Otherworld.

Magical considerations that form the basis for Ozark rituals e.g. auspicious timing, locations, and repurposing household objects for magic and healing.

Materia of Ozark folk magic with a focus on plants and non-plant-based ingredients, tools, and other items.

Each topic will include practical guidance as well as rites and rituals specially formulated for this class.

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

January 15 - Ozark Bible Magic @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

Along with the almanac, the Bible was often the only book owned by Ozark hillfolk until the modern era. At one point in our past, the Bible was the source not only of spiritual teachings, but also a combination reading primer, divinatory system, and spell book.

We will be looking at the position the Bible has held in Ozark traditions of healing and folk magic. In many cases, hillfolk families might not have had a spiritual connection to the Bible but still recognized the text as a valuable text for working magic in the world. We will be looking at verses and passages that have long histories of use in the Ozarks for specific purposes like healing, protection, retribution (or cursing), as well as love and money magic. We’ll also look at rituals that have developed amongst hillfolk using these biblical texts as well as using the Bible itself as a divinatory tool as well as a protective amulet.

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

January 22 - Twelve Houses of Healing @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

The figure of the “Man of Signs” or “Zodiac Man” serves as a foundational guide for most traditions of Ozark healing and magic. This figure was often committed to memory, but could also be found in the home almanac (and it is still printed in the major farmers’ almanacs today.) In Ozark healing theory, the primary effect of illnesses (physical or magical) is that they force the Twelve Houses of the body and their associated signs out of balance. This creates disharmony and manifests as bodily symptoms. Bringing the body back to equilibrium is therefore the main goal of the traditional healer. The main tools in their satchel are divinatory methods aimed at finding the exact location (Zodiac House) where the illness or hex is rooted in the body. Knowing this then provides a plethora of correspondences that can be “countered” as part of the healing process.

We will be looking specifically at the role of the twelve bodily houses in the healing process, how healers and magical practitioners diagnose these houses, and methods for correcting imbalances in the houses using elemental and zodiac correspondences.

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

January 29 - Ozark Plant Magic @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

The Ozark region is prized for its biodiversity and at times throughout history has even been targeted by researchers and herbalists alike because of its many healing plants. In this class, we will look at the most important plants for Ozark practitioners, both for their medicinal and magical values. We’ll examine how the relationship between practitioner and plant spirits have developed into the modern area. And of course, we’ll take a look at specific traditional herbal remedy recipes from the region as well as a few spells using amazing mountain botanicals like the “Holy Trinity” of Ozark plants: red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.).

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

February 5 - Ozark Love Magic @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

A controversial area of magic, even amongst traditional folk healers and magicians. In the Ozarks, love magic was once as necessary as work for healing and fortune. Today, love magic continues to pique the interest of those looking to folk magic practitioners for help. Ozark hillfolk have both inherited as well as developed a rich relationship with magical practices aimed at the heart. Everything from divination rituals to locate your true love, to fashioning love-drawing (or sex-drawing) amulets, to ritual methods of healing, binding, and breaking relationships.

We will look at Ozark love magic divided into three main categories of 1) divination 2) amulets, and 3) ritual work. We will be looking at specific spells and methods from both the much older folk record as well as how modern practitioners have approached and evolved love magic today.

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

February 12 - Ozark Witches: Fact & Fiction @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

Witchcraft has occupied a controversial position in the Ozarks since the first white settlers came to the region in the early 1800s. For many, there is a firm separation between the role of the witch, who is said to always do harm, and the healer, who is said to always do good. Many other magical practitioners of the past and present have occupied a much more neutral area and have used their gifts to both give and take away. For these individuals, the role of the healer or gifted individual in the community is likened to nature itself, which exists outside our human conceptualizations of “good” and “evil.”

We will examine the many sides of this complicated story, from the point of view of proud witches themselves to the old tall tales and legends about broom-riding grannies and child-stealing hags. We'll try and separate some facts from the fiction and even throw in a spell or two you can use at home.

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

February 19 - Ozark Graveyard Magic @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

The graveyard has always been an important part of Ozark folk magic traditions. In the old days, this was where a witch could be born from an ordinary human and where the “veil” between worlds was constantly thin. Graveyards aren’t just for the spooky ritualist, however, and have traditionally been a site for the work of Ozark healers as well. For many mountain practitioners, historic and modern, healing work includes not just serving the living but also the dead. These shades often figure as guides, guardians, patrons, and ancestral helpers in many healer stories as well as aids in the process of healing or “elevating” the restless dead as well.

We will be examining Ozark folklore situated in the graveyard as well as look at some of the many ways healers and other magical practitioners have incorporated this all-important work with the dead into their own lives and rituals.

All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

February 26 - Ozark Spirit Archetypes @ Catland Books (Virtual)

Time: 6-8pm (Central) 7-9pm (Eastern)

Location: Virtual

Purchase Tickets Here

Ozark verbal charms and prayers often invoke archetypal figures as helping spirits in the work at hand. These archetypes are seen as being far more predictable in their correspondences than individual spirit entities, who often have their own goals and desires that might not align with the magical practitioner’s. Some of these spirits are metaphorical individuals, for example, invoking the figure of Prosperity in a ritual seeking aid for the success of a business or job. Others are figures found throughout Ozark folklore like the character of Clever Jack (of beanstalk fame.) And it is these folkloric archetypes that we will be examining in this class, seven in particular: The Fortunate One, Clever Jack, Green Thumb, The Aunty, Mother Mary, Silver Eye, and Old Scratch.

​All classes are recorded. A link to the recording is sent out to the ticketholders the day after each event. These links stay active for 30 days.

[midwestbramble]

Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic Book Review

I'm a fan of Corey Hutcheson's work with the podcast New World Witchery as well as his book by the same title (review coming some time not soon), and the fact that this book is edited by him with sections written by other authors I have enjoyed reading, it's one I wanted to check out. I especially wanted to see what it said about my own region, the Midwest. So hold on tight and go on a journey through North America with me (yes, Canada and Mexico included).

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Content:

Synopsis

What I Liked

What I Didn't Like

Overall Thoughts

Conclusion

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Published 2023

"Drawing on the expertise of twenty-four renowned practitioners, this book features contemporary folk traditions from all over North America. Diverse as the landscapes they thrive on, these authentic practices will expand your worldview and inspire you to enrich your own spirituality. Explore the history, tools, and spiritual beliefs of many different paths of folk magic from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. You'll tour the continent's rich and varied cultures region by region, taking an insider's look at more than twenty traditions, including:

Appalachian Mountain Magic

Brujeria

Curanderismo

Detroit Hoodoo

Florida Swamp Magic

French Canadian Sorcellerie

Irish American Folk Magic

Italian American Magic

Melungeon Folk Magic

New England Cunning Craft

New Orleans Voodoo

Ozark Folk Magic

Pennsylvania Powwow & Braucherei

Slavic American Folk Magic

Southern Conjure"

-from the back of the book

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What I Liked

Each chapter covers a region of the North American continent (though admittedly most of it is the United States). The beginning of each of these chapters talks as though Corey Hutcheson were giving you a physical tour of North America. He explains the sights, the traditions and the people that discuss their traditions and region/heritage within the chapter. Between each essay are sections Hutcheson has written himself about the region called "Field Notes." These were nice little flavors but I especially enjoyed "Was There Witchcraft in Salem?" as well as the section on "Chain Letters." However each section did give the region just a little bit more.

The essay on Italian American folk magic had good advice on talking with folk communities about their practices without setting off any alarm bells or getting the side eye. Many folk cultures don't see their way of life as "magic" so having a way to actually speak to people can be helpful.

The two essays on the Pennsylvania Dutch were very good. I was happily surprised to see a discussion of German-American folk culture and language suppression during WWI (it also happened during WWII). German ancestry is the largest self-reported ancestry in the United States. Knowing that many people may feel disconnected from familial practices due to the issue of family members having to make themselves "more American" may be the issue. I know my own German-American side of the family had to do this during the wars. I was especially intrigued by the Urglaawe essay for Pennsylvania Dutch folk practice as it talked about dual faith with Germanic deities, as well as a 12 gender expression in Hexerei.

The essay discussing Florida was good fun. I loved learning about the Opossum Queen (which he spells Possum, but that's a completely different animal not found in North America). I also loved the way Aaron Oberon (author of Southern Cunning (review also coming not soon)) talked about the way the folkloric devil makes an appearance in local landscape as well as the reverence for the alligator found in Florida.

Some traditions of folk magic have multiple people writing about them so you get a variety of different perspectives. Hoodoo is one that gets lots of coverage and one essay on Hoodoo in Detroit reaches out to other practitioners to add in even more. I liked that the author for that essay did that, I feel like it showed she really cares for her community.

I do like that Hutcheson explained that the areas he calls the Midwest, as well as the Plains West, are more secretive about our magic. It's a hard area to get people to talk about and I think it has a lot to do with most peoples' practical natures. We see how people treated the Appalachia's and the Ozark's as backwards. There's plenty of magic and spirits here, we just don't talk about it much with outsiders.

There are many more sections that I enjoyed but again I would end up rehashing much of the book.

The book ends with good recommendation for next steps in your North American folk magic journey. Such as looking at the folk cultures around you and what you may find. Using the examples given in the book for what sorts of things to look for. You never know what you might find if you keep your eyes open.

There is a great bibliography at the end of the book as well as recommended reading at the end of each chapter, along with places to visit (usually in large cities).

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What I Didn't Like

I'm not really a fan of how the regions are split up, especially near the Mississippi. Detroit (Hoodoo) and Chicago (ATRs) don't really encompass the same feel as Wisconsin, Iowa, Ontario and Nebraska, even if their sections weren't focused on only African diaspora (which can certainly be found in these other areas); while the Ozarks are almost a region unto themselves. Same with Minnesota not having the same thing going on as Wyoming or Alberta and Saskatchewan. It's very clear where Hutcheson has more contacts and it's not in, what he calls, the Midlands and Plains West (which was abysmally small; the Slavic Folk Magic section talked about states that were put in the Midlands section but has found itself in the Plains West because otherwise there would only be one essay on Mormonism there). There's not sections for the Rocky Mountains, Hawai'i, or Alaska. Nor is there anything really for Canada outside Quebec. "El Norte," which includes Sonora all the way down to Michoacán, only talks about Curanderismo (which was fascinating, but they were in places like California, USA; Brujeria is in the "Left Coast" section). While some of these issues were addressed and acknowledged, the book probably shouldn't be called "Complete." Especially as much of the book only touches on popular folk magics.

The book starts with New England and the Maritimes, which is not an issue. I do wonder, with this section, why we are asking a Cunning Man from England to write on New England Cunning, however. Even the author of the essay quickly mentions his confusion. I also find that the Irish American beliefs around luck are common throughout the US and not just in New England. Which just annoys me a bit as Hutcheson claims that the Plains West section is shorter because it would get repetitive, however things are so incredibly repetitive for the east side of the Mississippi.

There are other complaints about different essays, mostly verbage, such as one author using the term "Judeo-Christian." But mostly my complaints have to do with organization and what areas are considered part of what region (a common debate in the US to be fair), as well as the Lower 48, US centricity of it all. I'm also just annoyed that there is really nothing on the folk magic that I live everyday in my region for the rural Midwest (though admittedly I don't know who they would talk to).

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Overall Thoughts

If you're not sure where to start looking into Folk Magic for North America, mostly the United States, then this will help you get your feet wet and point you in the right direction. The only essay that isn't written by someone who actually practices the tradition is the one on Mormonism. This was a fun walk through the folk magic and religions that are covered by the book, and even if you've read the books by these authors, they give you something totally new. Even if there were a few annoyances along the way.

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Conclusion

If you want to read this book, it can be found on Amazon, Google Books, Thrift Books, Llewellyn (the publisher), Abe Books, Bookshop, Main Point Books, the Maryland Digital Library, and many many more.

Reviews:

Foreword Reviews