Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience is an exploration of the folklore, magic and witchcraft that was forged in the New World.
Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience is an exploration of the folklore, magic and witchcraft that was forged in the New World.
Folklore & mythology, Paganism & neo-paganism, Witchcraft
Witchcraft and magic in America is an inherently multicultural experience and the folklore of our ancestors from every country converges here at a crossroads. It’s a complicated history; one of uncertainty and fear, displacement and enslavement, merging and migration. Our ancestors may not have agreed on how they saw the world or the magic that inhabits the world, but they shared a very real fear of Witches. Hags, Devils, charms and spells; witchery is rooted in our deepest superstitions and folklore. The traditions of people and their cultures stretch and intersect across the country and this is where the unique traditions of American witchcraft and magic are born.
As practitioners seek to revive and reconstruct the paths of our ancestors, we’ve begun to trace the interconnected roots of witchcraft folklore as it emerged in the Americas, from the blending of people and their faiths. For multiracial practitioners, this is part of our identity as Americans and as witches of this country.
Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience is an exploration of the folklore, magic and witchcraft that was forged in the New World.
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Occultist and folklore blogger Hedera debuts with an illuminating history of folklore and witchcraft in the United States. Hedera identifies three major cultural influences—European, Indigenous, and African—as well as beliefs that came together through “adversity, theft, enslavement, expansion, love, war and liberty” to form the American concept of witchcraft. The book is organized into sections that cover beliefs relating to witches, including their relationship to the devil (a conceit informed by Christianity), and the use of spells, tricks, and charms. For example, the use of “pillow charms” (objects placed under the pillow to inspire clairvoyant dreams or bring good luck) comes from German immigrants, while “conjuring” has roots in African American folk magic. Hedera also includes information on how to honor witchy holidays, such as by creating a “dumb supper” (food left for the dead) for Halloween or performing “holly leaf divinations” around the winter solstice. Any reader interested in the origins of the occult will enjoy this guide to American witchcraft. ~ Publishers Weekly Review
“Via Hedera has given the witchcraft community a treasure trove that should light a fire under every witch to learn, act, and grow. It’s rare and so refreshing to come by someone who weaves magic, historical context, and personal experience into a package that reaches so deep into the history of American Witchcraft. Via Hedera provides a context for folkloric witchcraft that is necessary reading for anyone interested in the practice. Liminality isn’t just a topic to cover in this book, it’s lived experience that informs every sentence written. Race, colonialism, multiculturalism, and syncretism are all apart of folkloric witchcraft and instead of shying away from those subjects Hedera dives straight in and shows how the history of these “difficult subjects” have directly impacted witchcraft in the modern era. Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience provides an impeccable resource for history, practice, inspiration, and ongoing conversation that is integral to folkloric witchcraft and witchcraft as a whole.” ~ Aaron Oberon, Author of Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South
Via Hedera is one of the most important voices in American folk witchcraft today and this book is a must read for anyone interested in the subject. Combining carefully researched historic folk magic and contemporary issues and practice, this book speaks to what modern American folk witchcraft is and can be. Truly essential reading. ~ Morgan Daimler, author of Fairycraft and Travelling the Fairy Path
Via Hedera has written the sort of deeply thoughtful yet instantly accessible book I wish I had written. I am thrilled, however, that it is her inimitable voice we get from the page as she unpacks the folklore of North America with a deft hand and shows how richly the veins of magic run here. She fearlessly invites us to make magic using the tools at hand, rather than seeking exotic and esoteric magics from elsewhere. Anyone who has felt the tug of an old story saying “there’s more here than you think” will find themselves scribbling in the margins page after page...this is a remarkable book from a remarkable talent, and an absolute must-have for folkloric witches everywhere. ~ Cory Hutcheson, New World Witchery, author of Fifty-Four Devils: The Art & Folklore of Fortune-Telling With Playing Cards
Via Hedera is a wealth of knowledge on American folklore traditions. I enjoy reading her blog and I was delighted to hear that she has written a book. This book is packed full of lore and history, and should have a home in your magickal library. ~ Loren Morris, Primitive Witchery
Via Hedera. The woman is a creative force of nature, harnessing the imbas only shared with poets and artists throughout time. Her curiosity has led to incredible insights for me. Her research is a very real contribution to American and New World Witchcraft. Her artistic vision is a wonderment, as Via Hedera brings to life devas and spirits from the verdant current to the forefront with genuine integrity and sensitivity. I have been honored to call her peer and friend, only to also become a patron of her work. If this book is anything like the sample I read, I have no doubt it will be added to my private collection. ~ Fawn Hexe, Psychopomp Groupie Podcast
This is great, it is giving people a historical and cross cultural experience of american witchcraft and inspiration for their future in witchcraft. ~ Marcus McCoy,Verdant Gnosis Volume 1, House of Orpheus, Troll Cunning Forge
