Folkloric American witchcraft and the multicultural experience A crucible at the crossroads

Via Hedera

Book - 2021

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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Subjects
Genres
Folklore
Published
Winchester, UK : Washington, USA : Moon Books 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Via Hedera (author)
Physical Description
ix, 165 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 157-164).
ISBN
9781789045697
  • Acknowledgements
  • Preface: The Approach of This Work
  • 1. This American Witch
  • 2. The Witch Defined
  • 3. The Sources of American Witchlore
  • 4. Witch Blood
  • 5. Tricks, Projects, Fortunes, and Charms
  • 6. Hags Riding with Familiars
  • 7. A Green Heart
  • 8. Ancestral Challenges
  • 9. Forging a New Path
  • Footnotes
  • Sources
  • Recommended Reading
  • About the Author
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

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. (Mar.)

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