Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic

CORY THOMAS HUTCHESON (Central Pennsylvania) is the cohost of the popular podcast New World Witchery. He has a doctorate in American Studies with specializations in folklore, religion, and ethnicity from Penn State. He is a contributor to the Oxford Handbook of American Folklore and Folklife Studies and American Myths, Legends, & Tall Tales, and he has written for popular occult publications, including Witches & Pagans. www.corythomashutcheson.com

"A love letter to North American Witchcraft, this book is a must for folk magic apprentices, practitioners, and connoisseurs. Cory Thomas Hutcheson reminds us how the magic of the land and the people in North America is found on every corner, in your mother's blessing, at the ocean shores, and everywhere in between. This is the magic of resistance, tradition, and survival…Immerse yourself in the rich origin, history, and traditions of folk magic in North America guided by local experts, folklorists, and magic practitioners, such as H. Byron Ballard, Brandon Weston, J. Allen Cross, and more."—Rev. Laura González, Pagan educator and creator of the English/Spanish podcast Lunatic Mondays (Lunes Lunáticos)"This new and exciting tome covers many of our major American folk magic traditions on topics such as divination and spirit communication. Each section is presented by a recognized authority and/or scholar within the tradition. Traditions like Conjure and Powwow are treated in a respectful, thorough manner to provide an insider's perspective that will be accessible to the novice as well. Anyone who wants to explore these often hidden, magical sides of American folk culture would do well to immerse themselves in Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic. I have been involved in American folk magic academically and personally for almost fifty years and I find that I have benefited greatly from reading it. The chapters are exciting, affirming and will expand your knowledge and vision of our world and your life within it."—Jack Montgomery, author of American Shamans"Rich, engaging, and incredibly diverse, this book gives us irreplaceable and enlightening glimpses into every folk magic you can imagine from the South to the North and all the way out West. A must-have book for any folk practitioner."—Frankie Castanea, AKA Chaotic Witch Aunt, author of Spells for Change"This collection of American folk magic is so expensive and so diverse, it's a must have for every practitioner...I love the many authors with different backgrounds whose voices share their history, their practices, their magic within this tome without crossing the boundary into closed cultures. Many Americans feel somewhat lost trying to get in touch with our ancestry across vast oceans, but that's not always necessary. So many of these ancestors brought that magic with them here and it changed and adapted to new lands. This book gives a platform for these legacies to be carried on in a single publication and the opportunity for readers to seek more from the contributors within."—Marshall, The Witch of Southern Light, cohost of Southern Bramble: A Podcast of Crooked Ways

• ContentsDisclaimer xixAcknowledgments xxIntroduction 11. New England and the Maritimes 72. New Holland and Deitscherei 473. The Upland South 1074. The Deep South 1495. The Midlands 1856. Plains West 2297. El Norte 2638. The Left Coast 291Roads Less Traveled: A (Sort of) Conclusion 331Bibliography 333Index 355