Appalachian Folk Magick

When looking at historical and modern Witchcraft practices, people often look to Western Europe, the British Isles, and Greek and Roman mythology. But as we know, some version of Witchcraft exists in almost every culture. And modern practices are as diverse as the world is. One area of the United States that has a long and storied history of folk magick is Appalachia.

Stretching from the Catskill Mountains in New York to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia, Appalachia is a cultural region in the eastern United States. The area includes parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and all of West Virginia. Though some metro areas fall into the Appalachian region, typically, when folks are referring to Appalachia, they are referring to remote, rural areas of the mountains. Hillfolk, not city-folk, are the true Appalachians.

The region has its own lore and myths, stories that get passed down and embellished. But it all lends to the specific flavor of the region and ties into how unique the magick of the area is. From mysterious mountain creatures to moonshiners’ narrow escapes, the lore covers everything from the seemingly mundane to the decidedly supernatural.

The Hatfield and McCoy families have become legends throughout the United States. However, their lengthy blood feud that stretched generations happened in Appalachia and was known throughout the region. Living near the Kentucky-West Virginia border, the families were at war for almost 30 years.

The Bell Witch is another Appalachian legend. John Bell cheated a woman in a land deal, and she returned to haunt the man and his family for years.

The Brown Mountain Lights, which we’ve written about here in Wicca Magazine, are another Appalachian myth and an ongoing mystery of the region. Big Foot, the Moon-Eyed People, the Flatwoods Monster, the Mothman, and the Wampus Cat are a few more well-known myths of the area.

Though the practices may look or feel similar to other traditions, each has its own unique Appalachian spin. The magick women of the mountains would help neighbors in many ways. Sometimes with dowsing to decide where to dig a new well. Sometimes with using magick to help them make important decisions about farm equipment. She holds more power than the men let on—but they still consult with her on many matters.

Without doctors nearby, these women were the local healers. They used their knowledge of the local plants, combined with some chanting and ritual, to treat the illnesses and injuries of their family and neighbors. Even if a doctor was near enough for a visit, the cost was often more than they could afford. These healers would set fractured and broken bones, treat fevers, and ease the pain of the dying.

Women helped women in the mountains, whether it be serving as a midwife and assisting through pregnancy and childbirth or an herbal remedy to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. When a woman was in labor, the local healer would come with her bag of roots, herbs, leaves, and flowers. She’d use her herbal knowledge to assist in a safe delivery. Both during labor and after the delivery, a protective charm that combined Bible verses with local lore would be said over mother and child.

Divination was done in many ways and for many reasons. But it was the women you went to see for it. The resident Witch (though she’d likely never be called that, certainly not to her face) would be consulted about everything from business decisions to one’s love life.

As we mentioned, you’ll see hints and roots of folk magick from other areas of the world in the mountain mafic of Appalachia. And not all the traditions in the region are the same. In Pennsylvania, where there was a higher concentration of German immigrants, you’ll see different traditions and superstitions than you might in the mountains of Tennessee. With families branching out and moving, marriage could lead to a woman learning new traditions and passing down a mix of knowledge, blending the magick of two areas of the region.

Some traditional magick used in the mountains included chanting over a burn victim and using smoke to chase the fire out. Tea made from catnip or red alder kept infants from breaking out in hives. A colicky baby would be soothed with stewed down calamus root. At a time when work had to go on, or lives would be lost, flu symptoms were treated with sulfur in the shoes.

Some superstitions of the area are well-known and widely practiced, like throwing spilled salt over your left shoulder, avoiding black cats, and not walking under ladders. But others aren’t as widely known. Here are a few:

If you’ve ever been to the south around New Year’s, you’ve probably seen folks eating black-eyed peas and collard greens with pork on New Year’s Day. This brings luck, money, and good fortune for the New Year. Another New Year’s superstition is not washing clothes on New Year’s Day for fear of washing a family member out.

When it comes to clothes washing, keep a penny in your washer. And don’t wash your clothes on Sunday.

Weather on your mind? When a bad storm is approaching, put a 2-edged ax into a stump facing the storm to ensure it goes around you. You’ll know rain is coming if cows are lying down or leaves have turned upside down.

An itchy nose means company is coming. Dropping a fork indicates a woman is coming to visit. A dropped knife denotes a male visitor.

Some that kids in the region still practice to this day include holding your breath when passing a cemetery, or you’ll be the next to die. Also, hold your feet up when crossing a railroad track so you don’t lose your boyfriend.

Babies on the brain? Don’t cut your baby’s hair before their first birthday, but make sure they fall off the bed before turning one. Run a chicken over your baby to keep it from getting chicken pox. If a pregnant woman sees a dead person, her baby will have a birthmark.

Never leave a rocking chair rocking on its own—it’ll invite spirits.

Though most folks in the mountains will go to the doctor today, the tradition of local healers lives on. As more people return to their roots, Appalachian folk magick is finding a resurgence in certain areas, with local Witches (because some will call themselves that today) working hard to keep the knowledge from dying out. Because even if you know that red alder prevents hives in an infant, do you know why? Do you know the stories that go with the remedy? The chants? The modern mountain women of Appalachia know. You can’t practice Appalachian folk magick without also immersing yourself in its history and culture. The two are too inextricably tied.