Appalachian folk magick?

[SwissCelt]

Any thoughts on this? I'm looking for information far beyond the writings of Edain McCoy and Silver RavenWolf. I don't suppose there are any here who practice this?

[Earthcup]

Hi Swiss! :wave:

So far I haven't found anything except the Foxfire series and Cherokee healing books from this area. You can find some stuff in novels every now and then.

I tend to use Appalachian magic when I feel it's a "native problem/native cure" or I'm planting.

[Rick]

Is this the same/similar to Pennsylvania Dutch magic?

[Mithrea]

*CRINGING* Okay, sorry but to talk about Ravenwolf and McCoy as Appalachian really ruffled my Appalachian feathers. I am going to be very calm and not have what my MawMaw calls, "a real duck fit."

:D

There all better.

What exactly do you want to know? There really isn't a resource for this because it's sort of all handed down and not shared too often. I think it's mostly because we don't always recognize it as magic because it's soooo ingrained in us.

However, most of Appalachian Magic focuses on the healing properties of plants or what most refer to as "weeds." It also involves alot of talking to plants. In other words, it's very Green. And most practitioners are referred to as wise woman or granny healer.

I have a friend that is doing her MA in Appalachian Religion. I will see what she can dig up for you! :) Meanwhile if you have anything more specific, I will do my best to answer.

Also, here is a good book: Blackberry Cove Herbal: Healing With Common Herbs in the Appalachian Wise-Woman Tradition (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1892123207/qid%3D1021144364/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F0%5F1/104-4638573-7060734)

I highly recommend it because I found alot of things in that my Paw Paw passed down to me.

[Earthcup]

What part of Appalachia are you from Mithrea? I'm in the mountains of North Georgia myself....

I haven't seen that book but I'll look for it! I don't like Silly Ravingwolf or McCoy either. :ugh:

I got to see documentary about the last Granny Woman in our area a few years ago. She had "kotched" most of the town and was an extraordinary woman.

It's a shame the way we're losing the wisdom of our elders. I'd give anything to have a chance to talk to my great-grandmother. I should sit down with my Grandmother and learn from her but we get along like oil and water. :rolleyes:

[Mithrea]

I am from West Virginia. It's only been since I started studying Wicca that I began to recognize the things my Paw Paw does as "magic." And it's only been since I went to graduate school and studied Appalachian Culture that I really became aware of the uniqueness of the Granny tradition.

Edain McCoy apparently has Appalachian roots. Unfortunately, it's been my impression of her writing that it is sorely lacking in real research and academic neutrality. I feel that the bulk of her writings only serve to reinforce unfounded stereotypes. Silver Ravenwolf also claims to be descendant from Pennsylvania Dutch traditions of PowWow. However, people I know from Pennsylvania who come from other families that practice PowWow, never recognize what she describes as being what she claims it to be.

One of the strangest things I notice about Appalachian folk religion is the strange blend of American Protestantism and something more connected to the earth that, in my area, comes from our Scotch-Irish heritage. My PawPaw, for example, attended church every Sunday. But when people needed a cure for an illness or wanted to know what there baby was going to be or wanted to talk to their dead relatives, they came to members of my family or similar families. My Mom is known to be gifted with "The Eye." She has prophetic dreams and so have I but my gift is more connected to the spirits of plants. My PawPaw was very interested in the spiritual properties of rocks. I don't mean crystals or gemstones either--just rocks.

Divination is done with things like needle and thread, fruit, stones and regular playing cards. Magical work is usually done in meadows and along creek banks; on large rocks and *sometimes* but rarely, in graveyards. Magical tools are very simple and ordinary. That's probably why I don't like very fancy tools. I prefer a Swiss Army Knife to an athame ;)

I think is a real shame that Protestantism has worked very hard in the last thirty years at least to stamp out the naturalness of Appalachian religion. I don't really know how it has happened but I think it has it's roots in the churches set up for coal mining families a hundred years ago.

Incidentally, has anyone every studied the snake handlers? We have a snake handling church near where I live. Pretty cool :D

[Mithrea]

Ooh! I just found a fab link: Appalachian Granny Magic (http://www.witchvox.com/trads/trad_afmt.html)

It has more accurate info than most of the stuff I've read on the web *despite* the resources ;) Actually, the more I read it, the more impressed I am with it. Bless Witchvox. I love them. :heartthro

Also, I have heard before that the persecution of witches in Europe happened partly because of male doctors trying to pushing women out of midwifery. That has sort have happened here through state regulation. However, many midwives have integrated themselves into West Virginia mainstream medicine. Most of the people I know still go to them over your average ob/gyn.

[Earthcup]

:ugh: I'm not a big fan of Ginger Strivelli and her Appalachian magic group, partly because she has McCoy as required reading, partly because I've found some of her comments to be bigoted and crude IMHO.

As far as I know, I'm part of the only generation in my family to be born in hospitals. Even so my parents were delivered by doctors who made house calls, and ruined my dad's hearing(forceps).

My grandfather and great-grandmother were the "magical" people in my family. He planted and planned medical care "by the signs" and got very upset with me for having minor surgery without consulting him first. I had it in the wrong sign. :D

He and his brothers made a lot of home remedies as well. My sister was sick as a baby once and the medicine wasn't working. My uncle brought her some homemade wine and told my parents to give her a few drops every few hours. She was much better the next day and completely well in 48 hours. Wish I knew what was in that stuff...

My great-grandmother had an extremely accurate system for predicting delivery dates. She pegged my bitrh date but the doc was off by several days.

*reminds herself to find out what she can about that system*

My mother has strong intuitive gifts, she'd never admit to it though, and my brother and sisters have inherited it from her. My brother surprised me the other day by "knowing" something he shouldn't. My dad, perhaps without meaning to, instilled a strong reverence for nature in me. He believed in a good relationship between a person and the land, "the man is the land".

Appalacian religon is fascinating. I haven't been able to study it the way I'd like but I plan to take time to research it someday. I've been reading about Cherokee culture and it's influence on Appalachian religon and seen examples in my family's beliefs.

[Mithrea]

Wow Earthcup, it sounds like our families have alot in common. It's interesting that you mention the Cherokee connection because I was just pming someone and talking about how that has affected my family. My Great-Grandmother was 1/2 Cherokee and was adopted into a Scotch-Irish family but still had contact with her Cherokee mother. Her father was 1/2 Blackfoot Apache (?) I don't know much about that part of my heritage though but I think that must have affected my Grandfather's practices at least a little.

The area where I live was called The Valley of Death by the Native American's of this area because it is so much warmer down in the valley and was very hard to trek across. The mountains that surround the Kanawha Valley keep out normal weather patterns. It's truly like another world and the people are very unique because of the isolation the mountains created.

[Earthcup]

How amazing! We call the area I live in Valley Above The Clouds. It's like a different world when you cross the gap. I've often crossed the gap to find snow or heavy rain when it's sunny and bright everywhere else! I think I heard it was the highest community in the state.

I'm also very close to the home of the Nunnehei, or Cherokee Spirit People, and have actually heard their music. It's phenomenon that's been around since before Columbus and very surreal!

My mother is 1/16th Cherokee but all Irish-American! I still haven't gotten in touch with the relative with the information on my Cherokee ancestor(she sells Amway :blushake: ). I can see the influence on my grandmother and mother though. They both thought feminism ridiculous while being the backbone and breadwinners of our family.

Any books by JT and/or Michael Tlanusta Garrett are excellent and the book Cherokee Women is very good as well. There's a book on Geronimo, "Meet Me On The Mountain" I think, that is wonderful.

If you ever get the chance to go to the Eastern Reservation in NC go see the Village, Museum and the play "Unto These Hills". It's a life changing experience! ;)

[Mithrea]

Wow! Amazing. Thanks for the info, Earthcup. I will be in North Carolina in July because my sister is moving there. :D

[SwissCelt]

Hi, Mithrea!

Don't worry- I only mentioned McCoy and SRW because I didn't want conversation to go that way. I also remember what happened when a certain friend of mine gave her opinion, with which I agree, on McCoy... :rolleyes: Nope, no need to rehash that flamewar.

Anyway, everything I've heard so far about AFM sounds precisely like the traditions my family has held... right down to your comment, Mithrea, that "I think it's mostly because we don't always recognize it as magic because it's soooo ingrained in us." Bingo! And like you, Earthcup, I was the first generation born in a hospital. Even my mother was birthed with a midwife. I was told that it was because of the lack of doctors in rural southeastern Ohio at the time. *grin*

Along those lines, one problem I have with Strivelli is that she tends to separate AFM from the Appalachian culture, as though those who practiced folk magick were rebelling against the (largely Christian) local community. Nothing could be further from the truth. My grandmother taught me everything I know about folk magick. My grandfather (her husband), meanwhile, would have been a Presbyterian minister had he completed his collegiate studies, and taught me everything I know about Christianity. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I see the two as wholly compatible.

As far as what exactly I want to know... I think it's already answered. :thumbsup: I was hoping to find people who were familiar with the tradition. Looks like I found a couple... (well, OK, I already knew you, Earthcup)

[materra]

I appreciate the leads on good information. I come from old mining and logging hill country along Lake Superior. It is interesting how many similarities there are between some of the things you say and my upbringing. Astonishing actually. I am going to have to "study on it" BB.

[Earthcup]

I was never able to contact Strivelli's group myself. Their e-mail didn't work. So I bought McCoy's book.. ick and that didn't give me a good impression of the group. Then Strivelli's comments and attacks, while acting as a PUC spokeperson, on people I know just made me loathe the woman completely.

I loathe very few people completely.. :D

She and McCoy want to make it seem as though Paganism and Witchcraft thrived in Appalachia. No Witchcraft, just folk lore and magic. Every healer I have ever heard of was a devout Protestant, save one.

I'm not sure about that woman's religon, she was a hermit and even the Creeks and Cherokee classified her as a witch, though a helpful one according to legend. I keep meaning to see what I can dig up on her.

There was no Paganism in Appalachia, even the Cherokee were monotheists. There was a Scots/Irish/Cherokee belief in spirits in the land, plants and animals though. It seems at odds with the practical Protestantism of the area but it worked together pretty well.

They've just opened a Folk School in my town and I'm hoping they're going to give classes on Appalachian folk lore, magic, healing and religon! *crosses fingers*

[materra]

My family tradition came with Protestantism and seemly without conflict as well. Yet there was always an otherness because it was known my Mother found water and such. Regardless of what I have adopted into my beliefs it is rooted in this folkish family tradition. I had no idea that there are others for whom these traditions existed. Just knew my immediate family and what we did in my small community. (You could see one of these traditions described in "Table-Tilting Divination" in Divination if you are interested.) It is only since finding Mysticwicks that I have learned of others who have knowledge of and an interest in the older ways. Thanks to all.

[SwissCelt]

Let me know if this folk school has a website, Earthcup!

[Mithrea]

I second that Earthcup; sounds fascinating!

Materra, I have read your post on table-top divination. I found that very interesting. Like I said over there, it had a vaguely familiar feeling. I almost feel like I have seen this done before but I can't pick out the actual memory.

I think it's interesting how we have been drawn together like this and I'm pleased to hear that you guys have similar takes on our Folk hertiage. It makes me love MW even more.
:heartthro

[Eeluna]

I'm from the Appalachian region, and I began reading this with puzzlement. Why didn't I know anything about the folk magic of this region? Then slowly it dawned on me. I do know some things. It's just like Mithera mentioned--It's so much a part of our lives that we don't even think about it in that way. My family always planted by the signs. My uncle had a reputation as being able to cure warts. I saw him do it years ago. I was young, but its seems to me that he spit on the wart and rubbed it in while saying something. My grandmother dowsed for water before drilling a well. Then there's all those sayings that I always dimissed as superstitions when I was younger:

If you get a sty in your eye, you can cure it by peeing in the road.

If a woman swallows a watermelon seed, she'll get pregnant.

To cure warts, steal somebodies dishrag and bury it. When it rots the warts will be gone.

I never, ever, considered this stuff part of our magical heritage, but reading this thread has made me realize that it is. It's also made me want to start writing all this stuff down. I'm gonna talk to my family and see what they can remember. I know there's a lot more that I just can't recall right now.

[Mithrea]

I have to admit Eeluna, I had seen your location and wondered if you would have anything to say about this. I've been thinking about for this for a while and am still remembering things every once in a while. We should all pool our information and all write a book together! :D

[Earthcup]

I don't really know enough to contribute but it would be cool to have an excuse to interview relatives and elders in the community.

The folk school in my town opened last year and as far as I can tell it mainly consists of gospel sings and bluegrass jam sessions. lol

There's on just north of me in NC that is truly awesome though. I want to take blacksmithing and storytelling classes there one day...

The very cool John C Campbell Folk School

http://www.folkschool.com/

Folkways Center in Dahlonega, GA

http://www.folkwayscenter.com/

[Earthcup]

*still has a fear of swallowing watermelon seeds* :lol:

[Mithrea]

I have a friend that absolutely refuses to eat Watermelon at all for fear of accidentally eating a seed! :)

[Earthcup]

I tend to see how far I can spit them... not very ladylike but then watermelon is an outdoor food.... :D

[Lavender]

It was really interesting reading about your collective heritage. Thanks for sharing all that. :)

My grandmother used to say the same thing about watermelon seeds too. But she was Chinese. :D

[Earthcup]

I think everyone thinks that about watermelon seeds! :D

*is getting hungry*

[SwissCelt]

Ah yes, the watermelon seed controversy... :D Not sure if that's exclusively Appalachian, but it is among the folk wisdom of my grandmother. Though I'm not sure she believes it nearly as much as some other things.

Some of the truest magick of my family comes in the form of dreams and "hunches"- nothing as tangible as spells, but what we'd consider communication with the Divine in the same realm as spells. My grandmother, for example, has been able to tell with each of her grandchildren's dates, which of them would eventually marry to become her grandchildren-in-law immediately upon meeting or even hearing of them. Some of these, of course, were pretty much no-brainer statements, but other times we thought she'd fallen off her rocker.

Speaking of rockers, ever hear this one: A chair must never be rocked without an occupant, or else a death will soon occur in the family. Then there's the one about setting an extra place at the table for surprise visitors, either mortals or spirits. This is a two-edged sword, though: You might not want the visitors who might arrive!

I'll keep posting these "rules" as I remember them. It's odd- they were presented to me as the very rules of life, on the same level as social graces and manners. Yet as I grew older, I tended to forget them as silly superstition and "old wives' tales" (and being male, there was a certain sexist disdain that I foolishly attributed to such things as well). Now, though, it seems so important that I recollect them.

[Earthcup]

I have an ability to predict marriages and births myself. Not sure if it's inherited or what...

I haven't heard the rocker one but I have heard of the extra place at the table. My grandfather mentioned it as "foolishness" but I was a little shocked because I did that several times when I was little.

I remember my grandmother telling me about different omens. Your hand itching means you'll get a letter or money, your nose itching means someone is coming to visit, your ears itching means someone is talking about you.

My grandfather always planted in the waxing moon, light of the moon he called it. You always had surgery in the sign opposite the area you were having surgery. For instance, dental work was done when the moon was in Pisces, the feet.

I still keep a Farmer's Almanac by my bed...:D

[SwissCelt]

Originally posted by Earthcup
I remember my grandmother telling me about different omens. Your hand itching means you'll get a letter or money, your nose itching means someone is coming to visit, your ears itching means someone is talking about you.

Yes! That was another one! Hands (palms, usually) meant money; while the right hand meant you'd be receiving some, the left signified that you'd have an unexpected expense. I think the same went for the ears, too: Right means they're speaking well of you, left means they're speaking ill. Along those lines, there is a veritable roadmap to the omens foretold by the appearance of warts on the body (certain areas would signify different events), but I don't remember what. I do remember that each finger held a different omen.

In my great-grandmother's "cookbook" (actually, it's more what might now be considered a BOS), there's a recipe for cough syrup that included pitch tar! :ahhhh: From the part of Appalachia where petrochemicals are natural (across the river from WV and about 20 miles from PA), I wonder if this was a veiled use of the earth element.

Praying manti should never be killed or tormented. Now whether this is folk wisdom or just some 1970's eco-sensibility, I don't know. There is also something special about Forget-me-nots, a kind of wildflower. Hopefully someone can fill us in as to what. Then there was something about making grass (crabgrass works best, actually) sing by holding it between your thumbs and blowing. This was probably not magickal, though, just a neat trick.

Ah, memories...

[Mithrea]

SwissCelt, I wonder what a wart on your little toe means!? I just had one pop up on mine a couple of weeks ago. Nasty!

I'm pretty sure the thing about a praying mantis was because it looked like it was praying and was therefore somehow a Holy Bug ;) That's another example of how the folk "religion" or "magic" went hand in hand with Protestant churches. Of course my family believes that if you kill one, a member of your family will die within the year as payment.

The thing about grass I could never do right although my family and friends can. I would say that represents our inherent connection to the earth more than anything else because we know how to get everything we need from--even music :)

[materra]

My family tradition was very similar. There are a few variations on the palm, nose and ear tradition. For example: burning ears meant some one is talking about you.

The grass trick? Pick the widest blade of grass you can. Stretch it very tightly between both thumbs. It must be very tight as the grass acts like a reed in an instument. You then blow between your thumbs and it makes a very loud and high pitched note. My Mom taught all of us kids how to do it..for a safety measure. The noise was unmistakeably a "Made" noice. If you were lost in the hills and woods where I grew up, searchers could use the noise to find you. It was a pre-whistle safety measure. It spared your voice and it was loud!

One of the ones I recall about bugs was we were not to kill spiders as it would then rain soon after.

[Eeluna]

I've definitely heard the 'hands, nose, ears' thing all my life. Praying mantises were always considered sacred around here too.

I found a book at the library yesterday called "Mountain Heritage" edited by B. B. Maurer. It is specifically about West Virginia and includes a lot of info about the people who settled this region, their culture, language, arts/crafts.

I found it fascinating. I never realized that so much of the language I'm familiar with is of Scottish origin. Because this region was isolated for so long, a lot of the Old English words are still mixed in with our everyday language. In fact one of the authors calls it "a Scottish flavored Elizabethan English".

The section on culture was equally fascinating. As I read it, I again realized how much a person takes for granted. Even in this world of T.V. and the internet, there are a lot of things in my life that are unique to the Appalachian region, and I didn't understand that the rest of the world was different. I'm inspired now to learn more about culture and language.

There's not really anything about magick in this book. There are a few herbal remedies and a large section on folksongs and dance that was fun to read.

[Paeten]

I find this AFM fascinating. I love going to the mountains and communities whenever I can. I love the old remedies and folk lore. Every time I am there I feel it is where I belong. That somehow I got misplaced and I need to stay. I always cry on the way home.

I think all rural areas have these kinds of folk magic. I live in Illinois but in a very southern rural area and we still have midwives and the,"lady" everyone goes to for ailments and needs.

[WandererInGray]

Originally posted by Eeluna
I found it fascinating. I never realized that so much of the language I'm familiar with is of Scottish origin. Because this region was isolated for so long, a lot of the Old English words are still mixed in with our everyday language. In fact one of the authors calls it "a Scottish flavored Elizabethan English".

I've read in a couple of places that if you ever wanted to hear what Shakespeare's plays sounded like in the original dialetic....go to the Appalachians.

Fascinating discussion, guys....*smiles*....I love hearing other people talk about their interests.

[MammaStar]

I would just like to add my thanks for this thread as well. When I first read it, it was like a lightening bolt! *YES THAT'S IT!* type feeling. I never lived in Appalachia, I was born & raised right here, 30 miles north of NYC. But I've ALWAYS felt more comfortable living along the river and wandering the hills. I wished when I was a kid though, that I paid more attention to the things my Grandma did. I remember things about planting, a little bit here and there and of course the hand itch thing often.

But thanks again guys for this all. I'm off to investigate more.

[SwissCelt]

With Memorial Day fast approaching here in the US, it's appropriate that I remember the significance death holds to the Appalachian folk. Growing up, I spent many a Memorial Day in the hilly graveyards of Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia with my mother and grandmother, ostensibly to do genealogical research but also to become connected with the family; to know the kin who came before and know that as their souls have passed onward, their flesh has become one with the soil we trod.

And tread lightly, we did. I was taught to heed the land six feet from a grave marker; if possible, I was told to refrain from walking on that patch of ground. If impossible, then I was to walk reverently, quickly, and quietly across the ground, with a prayer in my heart asking forgiveness of the families whose kin's grave I trespassed.

What I learned on those spring days is the meaning of death. It is a part of life, yes, but a part of our lives. Those who went before us leave important lessons for us to find, to reflect upon. We should be grateful for the knowledge they impart to us.

Most of all, Memorial Day is a holiday of introspection. I wouldn't go so far as to declare it a kind of Appalachian "sabbat"; the holiday itself is far too new to have any real historical meaning to our culture. However, I'm sure our ancestors took time to look inward, to look at the past and learn how it shaped our present selves. What better time for us modern folk to do this than Memorial Day?

[Mithrea]

I agree with everything you said SwissCelt. I also, have similar experiences with graveyards. I am fascinated by them and everywhere we go I take pictures of them and visit the people there. Of course, cemetaries on a sloping hillsides are much more beautiful to me than flat ones. I've also noticed that in flat areas, there seems to be one large cemetary serving a large area of land while in these hills, there are literally thousands of small graveyards that are more exclusive to one or more families. There are almost ten in my area and I would say well over one hundred in my county. I think, (but I don't know) that the hills make it darn inconvenient to carry a dead body to some far off cemetery. So, instead, they just carved out a piece of farmland and did kept them close by. This also made it much easier to visit them on those special days of the year and emphasized our close connection to "our" land as well. Even in death, you belong to the land you worked in life.

While my family now does these things on Memorial Day like everyone else, interestingly enough, they always did the same types of things on Birthdays. My Grandmother honors her dead family members on her own birthday and theirs also. She visits their graves at those times of the year she is reminded of the cycle of her own life and the life around her. She visits her Mother's grave, eyeballs six feet out from the head stone and sits down and tells her mother all that's happened and that she misses her. Lately, their "conversation" has turned to how soon it will be when they see each other again. She also sometimes takes pictures of her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to show her Mother and sometimes she buries pictures and other small items or charms around the headstone area as gifts.

Of course the bad part is that the hilly nature of my ancestors cemetaries now mean that my Paw Paw can't visit them anymore. He can barely walk on flat surfaces. This year, they sent their brothers and sisters in their place.

[Hærfest Leah]

Reviving a really old thread here.....I've become interested in Appalachian magic lately. A lot of the things mentioned in this thread I'm familiar with, the rest not at all.

I was raised in East Tennessee in Jefferson County at the base of the Smokey Mountains. My family migrated from Virginia & North Carolina to Hamblen, Hancock & Claiborne counties in the past 200 years, an area my grandfather (the one who passed away in December) called Poor Valley. There is some Cherokee Indian & Melungeon in my blood although you sure can't see it in me. My elementary school use to take field trips to the Cherokee Reservation, I haven't been there in years.

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

Reviving a really old thread here.....I've become interested in Appalachian magic lately. A lot of the things mentioned in this thread I'm familiar with, the rest not at all.

I was raised in East Tennessee in Jefferson County at the base of the Smokey Mountains. My family migrated from Virginia & North Carolina to Hamblen, Hancock & Claiborne counties in the past 200 years, an area my grandfather (the one who passed away in December) called Poor Valley. There is some Cherokee Indian & Melungeon in my blood although you sure can't see it in me. My elementary school use to take field trips to the Cherokee Reservation, I haven't been there in years.

I'm glad you did revive it :) I'm interested in appalacian magick and lore too...as i live in the appalacians...although the northern part of 'em, in the Green Mountains. I founda site about appalacian magick, but have since lost it in one of the times firefox ate my bookmarks :( But i haven't been able to find anything relating to my area at all, just down south, and what i'm really looking for its vermont area lore & info. however, i think the penn-dutch things are very intersting as i'm part penn-dutch myself, and family on both sides of my, um, family, lived in penn...alot stilld do actually. My grampa on my dads side of the family used to give the amish rides to town apparently.

[PoisonIvy]

Reviving a really old thread here.....I've become interested in Appalachian magic lately. A lot of the things mentioned in this thread I'm familiar with, the rest not at all.

I was raised in East Tennessee in Jefferson County at the base of the Smokey Mountains. My family migrated from Virginia & North Carolina to Hamblen, Hancock & Claiborne counties in the past 200 years, an area my grandfather (the one who passed away in December) called Poor Valley. There is some Cherokee Indian & Melungeon in my blood although you sure can't see it in me. My elementary school use to take field trips to the Cherokee Reservation, I haven't been there in years.


My family settled Claiborne County TN. My grandpa owns part of the mountain there. The gaps in that mountain are named for people in my family.

Don't tell me that I've found another long lost relative Seapearls.:lol:

I learned quite a bit about home remedies,astrology,gardening,"signs" and "wives tales" from my granny. Rest her soul.

[southern_fried_wicca]

I have to say I am glad this thread was revived too. I do not spend alot of time on this forum and was glad to see somethign on Appalachian magic, while mine is not old I mix magic and ritual with modern homesteading, with my roots. My family is mostly scotch-irish and from the appalachians, I have one ancestor who was a "cancer" doctor back at the end of the 18th century.

Someone commment on Shakespeare and the southern accent. It is correct. The southern accent is made up of immagrants from Shakespeare's part of England, and a lot of scottish and irish influence.

[Cindlady2]

Interesting thread! :)

[Meadhbh]

My family has used/uses both the Appalachain and Ozarkian (sp?) branches of folk magic. To be broad about it has a lot to do with herbs and the phases of the moon as well as weather magic and divination.

[SoulFire]

Any thoughts on this? I'm looking for information far beyond the writings of Edain McCoy and Silver RavenWolf. I don't suppose there are any here who practice this?

Yes, I was Ozark born and raised. See my older post and others' on the subject at: Ozark Witchcraft (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showpost.php?p=2913097&postcount=5). Obviously, the Ozarks are a different mountain range, but the folklore is similar. Cora Anderson, the cofounder of the Feri Tradition, is from the southern Appalachians.

[southern_fried_wicca]

There have been many examples given of folk magic but there is one I feel stands out above the rest and persists in many cultures today. Dowsing.

Teh art of finding something, especially water is still regularly practiced. I fully believe in it and use it at my job, I believe there is some sicence and magic to it.

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

dowsing is the method of choice for many ppl in my area (vermont) to find new wells. A friend of the family got a new well afew years ago and had a dowser over to find a suitable spot for it. And i must say, its a nice well...the old one was spring fed and generally rand out of water for a time durring the summer....they haven't run out of water since the new well though :)

[Lolair]

Any thoughts on this? I'm looking for information far beyond the writings of Edain McCoy and Silver RavenWolf.
I stumbled on these while searching for an article, I had no idea there were so many published books on US folk-magic! There are many more than this, but most are by the same author - to see more of their titles just click on the author's name link on Amazon.com

Books:

Ozark Magic and Folklore (http://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Magic-Folklore-Vance-Randolph/dp/0486211819) by Vance Randolph (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-2980201-8505444?%255Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Vance%2520Randolph)
Ozark Folksongs: British Ballads & Songs (http://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Folksongs-British-Ballads-Songs/dp/0826202977/sr=1-7/qid=1171824347/ref=sr_1_7/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
The Devil's Pretty Daughter and Other Ozark Folk Tales (http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Pretty-Daughter-Other-Ozark/dp/B000H09UFO/sr=1-21/qid=1171824427/ref=sr_1_21/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Witches, Ghosts and Signs: Folklore of the Southern Appalachians (http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Ghosts-Signs-Folklore-Appalachians/dp/0890920060/sr=1-1/qid=1171824500/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore (http://www.amazon.com/Signs-Cures-Witchery-Appalachian-Folklore/dp/1572335777/sr=1-6/qid=1171824500/ref=sr_1_6/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Buying the Wind: Regional Folklore in the United States (http://www.amazon.com/Buying-Wind-Regional-Folklore-Phoenix/dp/0226158624/sr=1-11/qid=1171824500/ref=sr_1_11/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Articles:

Nakedness In Ozark Folk Belief (http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8715%28195310%252F12%2966%253A262%253C333%253ANIOFB%253E2.0.CO%253B2-Y)
Ozarkian and Haitian Folk Medicine (http://www.webster.edu/%7Ecorbetre/haiti/misctopic/medicine/ozark.htm) by Bonnie Thomas-Stevenson
Gardnerian Wicca and American Folk Magic (http://www.wiccanway.net/teach31.html)

[Hærfest Leah]

I stumbled on these while searching for an article, I had no idea there were so many published books on US folk-magic! There are many more than this, but most are by the same author - to see more of their titles just click on the author's name link on Amazon.com

Books:

Ozark Magic and Folklore (http://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Magic-Folklore-Vance-Randolph/dp/0486211819) by Vance Randolph (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-2980201-8505444?%255Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Vance%2520Randolph)
Ozark Folksongs: British Ballads & Songs (http://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Folksongs-British-Ballads-Songs/dp/0826202977/sr=1-7/qid=1171824347/ref=sr_1_7/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
The Devil's Pretty Daughter and Other Ozark Folk Tales (http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Pretty-Daughter-Other-Ozark/dp/B000H09UFO/sr=1-21/qid=1171824427/ref=sr_1_21/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Witches, Ghosts and Signs: Folklore of the Southern Appalachians (http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Ghosts-Signs-Folklore-Appalachians/dp/0890920060/sr=1-1/qid=1171824500/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore (http://www.amazon.com/Signs-Cures-Witchery-Appalachian-Folklore/dp/1572335777/sr=1-6/qid=1171824500/ref=sr_1_6/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Buying the Wind: Regional Folklore in the United States (http://www.amazon.com/Buying-Wind-Regional-Folklore-Phoenix/dp/0226158624/sr=1-11/qid=1171824500/ref=sr_1_11/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Articles:

Nakedness In Ozark Folk Belief (http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8715%28195310%252F12%2966%253A262%253C333%253ANIOFB%253E2.0.CO%253B2-Y)
Ozarkian and Haitian Folk Medicine (http://www.webster.edu/%7Ecorbetre/haiti/misctopic/medicine/ozark.htm) by Bonnie Thomas-Stevenson
Gardnerian Wicca and American Folk Magic (http://www.wiccanway.net/teach31.html)

Thanks for these books I'll check them out, the articles don't spring an interest for me tho.

[Nitefalle]

You guys should get a sub-forum in Paths, for US Folk Magic, or Granny Magic, etc.

[Teresa]

You guys should get a sub-forum in Paths, for US Folk Magic, or Granny Magic, etc.

I agree!!! I would settle for folk magic. It doesnt have to be a specific type.

[Tanya]

this is an amazing thread!!

I am totally re thinking my "Do Do's" teachings in light of this larger context. She was born in Garrett Co. MD in the 1890s and taught my grandmother, mother and me about 'forest magic'.. (herbs, fairies, wild animal lore, magic places) and 'farm magic" (garden herbs, animal charming, healing and happy houseworkings). I always thought we held a rather isolated family tradition through her, and now I see she is falling into a context of these ideas.

i've bought a copy of the first book metioned and sent it to my mother.. I know she will steal it from me if I don't let her just have it first :)

as far as dowsing... yeah... who doesn't dowse for their well?.. i never thought much of that as magic.. but my family witched their well... we all independently came to the same spot... drilled and hit water easy.

[Hærfest Leah]

My family has been in the US since it's start and I know their must be some folk magic in there more than the few things I've heard of. I guess we'll never know. My family never mentioned the word magic as I was growing up.

[southern_fried_wicca]

I love the idea of a sub forum! Lets pester the admins!

My family(all the lines that I have traced anyway) has been here since prior to the revolution or during. The most magical side would be my father's scotch-irish ancestors, who near where I currently live in the southern apps. of SW Virginia. Its amazing how even in magic, America provided to be a true melting pot of cultures. And many unique strains of magic where created here by those meldings.

[southern_fried_wicca]

Here is a question for yall.

We use this term : Appalchian/Ozarkian Folk Magic. To use a term implies some sort of definition behind it. How would you define Appalachian/Ozarkian Folk Magic? How is it different from other forms of magic? Is just the area? There must be something that gives it a unique flavor?

This may be difficult to answer, the definiation is elusive and usually goes unspoken. But when I think of the term I see an image in my head of home and making do with what you have. I think A/O FM can be stepped in ritual, but not the fancy type or can be done on the fly. I would say its main characteristic is its plain down to Earth approach to magic. Spells are aimed more towards home and family/friends.

Well that is a start to my definition, I would love to hear yalls and see how they affect everyone else's.

[Darbla]

This might interest some of you:

Magical Apple Doll Spell
*
In Appalachia there is a charming folk art custom of making apple dolls. These dolls lend themselves to many magical uses. A few nights before an autumn Full Moon, peel a red apple, then carve a face into it. As you do this concentrate on your magical intent. It may be used as a protective house talisman, or as a love charm. Hang the apple by a wire to dry for about three weeks, and don’t disturb it or the enchantment will be lost. The face will take on its own characteristics as it dries. Use as a poppet, or attach the apple to a stick and dress it with scraps of cloth to create a folk doll. Keep the doll to protect your home, or release the spell at Yule by burning the doll in a holiday fire.
.
By: James Kambos

[southern_fried_wicca]

Yup apple dolls and corn dolls have been in this area since the begining. Living isolated in the late 17 hundreds here does not give you much access to stores or even mail. So with kids you have to improvise. For that matter living anywhere isolated and poor you have to improvise toys for children. I am not sure but I bet you can trace apple dolls back farther and across the Atlantic. But the immagrants definately brought it with them.

Thanks for sharing. I have a ton of apple trees and I think I might try my hand at some dolls this year! A great activity for Mabon.

[Meadhbh]

Here is a question for yall.

We use this term : Appalchian/Ozarkian Folk Magic. To use a term implies some sort of definition behind it. How would you define Appalachian/Ozarkian Folk Magic? How is it different from other forms of magic? Is just the area? There must be something that gives it a unique flavor?

This may be difficult to answer, the definiation is elusive and usually goes unspoken. But when I think of the term I see an image in my head of home and making do with what you have. I think A/O FM can be stepped in ritual, but not the fancy type or can be done on the fly. I would say its main characteristic is its plain down to Earth approach to magic. Spells are aimed more towards home and family/friends.

Well that is a start to my definition, I would love to hear yalls and see how they affect everyone else's.

Really for the most part I find it lacks formal rituals. The few examples that come to mind right now are: When giving a wallet as a gift there most be mone there already, giving some one an emplty wallet as a gift will cause them to loose money, same things goes for borrowed plates and food. If a woman is in labor nothing with a clasp or tie can be on her and her hair must be unbond. There are certain flowers that can be made into chains on May 1st to keep away the Shinning Ones. There is also a focus on divanation. If a raven circles a house some one who live there will die. If you see a large black dog with glowing red eyes that is an omen of death. There are more children born in storms and fill moons than any other time. And there are folk healing like hot whiskey with lemon and honey is good for a cough.

[SoulFire]

Here is a question for yall.

We use this term : Appalchian/Ozarkian Folk Magic. To use a term implies some sort of definition behind it. How would you define Appalachian/Ozarkian Folk Magic?

First, the Appalachians and the Ozarks are two separate mountain ranges. The Ozarks cover mostly south-central Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and northeast Oklahoma. The Appalachians span from southeastern Canada down to central Alabama.

Therefore, when speaking of the two regions, I would not say "Appalachian/Ozarkian" as if they are the same. (Sorry to nitpick.)


How is it different from other forms of magic? Is just the area? There must be something that gives it a unique flavor?

I think A/O FM can be stepped in ritual, but not the fancy type or can be done on the fly.

I am not sure what you mean by your last sentence.


I would say its main characteristic is its plain down to Earth approach to magic. Spells are aimed more towards home and family/friends.

Well that is a start to my definition, I would love to hear yalls and see how they affect everyone else's.

Having been raised in the Ozarks by my great-grandparents who practiced folk magic and healing, I would have to say that it is definitely family and survival based. It tends to be simpler and practical also. Earlier generations tended to be very superstitious. Some of the stories you hear/read about Ozark witches verge on the miraculous, such as legends of witches "milking dishrags" (which hearkens back to Germanic stable lore), healing burns (with no scarring), stopping blood, and teleporting. I think there is almost a medieval tone to the folklore of both regions. Ozark witchcraft tends to be much darker than Wicca. There is no Rede, no Threefold Law, and no organized theology. Though some may use the Bible as a magical text. Ozark witches are not above cursing someone if they deserve it. Finally, Ozark witches are highly secretive; they will not divulge their spells to outsiders. They are somewhat insular in this way. These are some of my thoughts at the moment.

B*B,
SF

[southern_fried_wicca]

Hello Soulfire


First, the Appalachians and the Ozarks are two separate mountain ranges. The Ozarks cover mostly south-central Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and northeast Oklahoma. The Appalachians span from southeastern Canada down to central Alabama.

Therefore, when speaking of the two regions, I would not say "Appalachian/Ozarkian" as if they are the same. (Sorry to nitpick.)

I am sorry my comment was not to say the regions are exactly the same. I meant only that the two regions have similar attitudes and ways of life. And in my opinion are likely to develop similarly. There are more factors that go into this, such as what immigrants went where and what traditions they brought with them.



I am not sure what you mean by your last sentence.

I mean ritual as in a method of doing things consistently and possible for generations. I do not think appalachian witches ever dressed up in robes, and lit lots fo candles to perform magic.



Having been raised in the Ozarks by my great-grandparents who practiced folk magic and healing, I would have to say that it is definitely family and survival based. It tends to be simpler and practical also. Earlier generations tended to be very superstitious. Some of the stories you hear/read about Ozark witches verge on the miraculous, such as legends of witches "milking dishrags" (which hearkens back to Germanic stable lore), healing burns (with no scarring), stopping blood, and teleporting. I think there is almost a medieval tone to the folklore of both regions. Ozark witchcraft tends to be much darker than Wicca. There is no Rede, no Threefold Law, and no organized theology. Though some may use the Bible as a magical text. Ozark witches are not above cursing someone if they deserve it. Finally, Ozark witches are highly secretive; they will not divulge their spells to outsiders. They are somewhat insular in this way. These are some of my thoughts at the moment.

B*B,
SF

I see nothing in your comments that really differentiate from practices in Appalachia. Again this is not to say they are exactly the same, just enough similar living conditions to keep them close. The practice of magic is family based and is derived completely from a lack of certain things that other people would consider essential, medicine for example. The practical nature of it and the harsh and isolated conditions also would mean as you said no rede, no law of three. What was done was done of neccesity(sp?)

[Meadhbh]

Your right there is no rede. But Wicca seems to be about the only magic system that has one. Most other paths agree you should do the right thing, but that sometimes there are steps that need to be taken that aren't so nice. Life isn't happy and wonderfull all the time and neither are people and their actions. Wicca is very much influenced by the church which where you most likely get the ideal for the rede.

[SoulFire]

Hello Soulfire


I am sorry my comment was not to say the regions are exactly the same. I meant only that the two regions have similar attitudes and ways of life.

Well, that I would have to agree with. Thanks for clarifying.


I see nothing in your comments that really differentiate from practices in Appalachia. Again this is not to say they are exactly the same, just enough similar living conditions to keep them close. The practice of magic is family based and is derived completely from a lack of certain things that other people would consider essential, medicine for example.

I wasn't meaning to say that the practices are necessarily that different, but merely that the regions are different. Some people DO confuse the Appalachians and the Ozarks. I only described the Ozarks because that is where I am from, so that is what I am most familiar with and have knowledge of firsthand. :fpipesmok

B*B,
SF

[~Owl~]

First, the Appalachians and the Ozarks are two separate mountain ranges. The Ozarks cover mostly south-central Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and northeast Oklahoma. The Appalachians span from southeastern Canada down to central Alabama.

Therefore, when speaking of the two regions, I would not say "Appalachian/Ozarkian" as if they are the same. (Sorry to nitpick.)



I am not sure what you mean by your last sentence.



Having been raised in the Ozarks by my great-grandparents who practiced folk magic and healing, I would have to say that it is definitely family and survival based. It tends to be simpler and practical also. Earlier generations tended to be very superstitious. Some of the stories you hear/read about Ozark witches verge on the miraculous, such as legends of witches "milking dishrags" (which hearkens back to Germanic stable lore), healing burns (with no scarring), stopping blood, and teleporting. I think there is almost a medieval tone to the folklore of both regions. Ozark witchcraft tends to be much darker than Wicca. There is no Rede, no Threefold Law, and no organized theology. Though some may use the Bible as a magical text. Ozark witches are not above cursing someone if they deserve it. Finally, Ozark witches are highly secretive; they will not divulge their spells to outsiders. They are somewhat insular in this way. These are some of my thoughts at the moment.

B*B,
SF

Actually, I was thinking about raising this topic up with SoulFire, since I know his background, which is fairly extensive in folk magic and Ozark lore.

I'm glad he saw this and was able to respond to it. :)

[Darbla]

An article on "Appalachian Granny Magic":

http://www.iamawitch.com/article.php?story=20060516132527159

[southern_fried_wicca]

I read the article for the most part it seems nice, but it is a little onesided in saying "the appalachians witches believed this or did this.." It really depended on the family IMO.

There are a few other points in there I disagree with, but those are my hang ups. What did yall think of it?

[Meadhbh]

I agree it was way to generalized. It seemed like the author was trying to hard to write appalachain magic as branch of wicca. That being said there were some good points and things I had already heard before. I would say it was a medicore read but could have been worse.

[Hærfest Leah]

Well, that I would have to agree with. Thanks for clarifying.



I wasn't meaning to say that the practices are necessarily that different, but merely that the regions are different. Some people DO confuse the Appalachians and the Ozarks. I only described the Ozarks because that is where I am from, so that is what I am most familiar with and have knowledge of firsthand. :fpipesmok

B*B,
SF


I'm from the Appalachians and I only lived in south-central Missouri for 3 years. I didn't get enough of a taste of the Ozarks to be able to tell how different or alike they are. I'm not much help on compairing them other than Missouri reminded me of home.

[Hærfest Leah]

This magazine looks quite informative....

Folk Medicine in Southern Appalachia
http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-6904.html

Edit: You can read it online here...........(Google Books)
http://books.google.com/books?id=83To12NoFa4C&dq=Folk+Medicine+in+Southern+Appalachia&pg=PP1&ots=wH2xI9_RiC&sig=7qlNHdHD3pVDFWFDaPNOwvQiqpE&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fsourceid%3Dnavclient%26ie%3DUTF-8%26rls%3DGGIC,GGIC:2006-36,GGIC:en%26q%3DFolk%2BMedicine%2Bin%2BSouthern%2BAppalachia&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title#PPP1,M1

I came across this Journal too......

THE JOURNAL OF APPALACHIAN STUDIES
http://www.appalachianstudies.org/jas/

[Lady Valkyrie]

I am from West Virginia. It's only been since I started studying Wicca that I began to recognize the things my Paw Paw does as "magic." And it's only been since I went to graduate school and studied Appalachian Culture that I really became aware of the uniqueness of the Granny tradition.

Edain McCoy apparently has Appalachian roots. Unfortunately, it's been my impression of her writing that it is sorely lacking in real research and academic neutrality. I feel that the bulk of her writings only serve to reinforce unfounded stereotypes. Silver Ravenwolf also claims to be descendant from Pennsylvania Dutch traditions of PowWow. However, people I know from Pennsylvania who come from other families that practice PowWow, never recognize what she describes as being what she claims it to be.

One of the strangest things I notice about Appalachian folk religion is the strange blend of American Protestantism and something more connected to the earth that, in my area, comes from our Scotch-Irish heritage. My PawPaw, for example, attended church every Sunday. But when people needed a cure for an illness or wanted to know what there baby was going to be or wanted to talk to their dead relatives, they came to members of my family or similar families. My Mom is known to be gifted with "The Eye." She has prophetic dreams and so have I but my gift is more connected to the spirits of plants. My PawPaw was very interested in the spiritual properties of rocks. I don't mean crystals or gemstones either--just rocks.

Divination is done with things like needle and thread, fruit, stones and regular playing cards. Magical work is usually done in meadows and along creek banks; on large rocks and *sometimes* but rarely, in graveyards. Magical tools are very simple and ordinary. That's probably why I don't like very fancy tools. I prefer a Swiss Army Knife to an athame ;)

I think is a real shame that Protestantism has worked very hard in the last thirty years at least to stamp out the naturalness of Appalachian religion. I don't really know how it has happened but I think it has it's roots in the churches set up for coal mining families a hundred years ago.

Incidentally, has anyone every studied the snake handlers? We have a snake handling church near where I live. Pretty cool :D

I too am from West Virginia... southern West Virginia... around the New River Gorge area. I was born and raised in that area. Later in life I moved to Holmes County Ohio where it's nothing but Amish and Mennonite. Then I moved to Central PA where there are also a lot of Amish and Mennonite. In retrospect... in spite of my grandma's (I haven't called her MawMaw since she was alive many years ago :( ) fanatical fundamentalist christian ways (extreme apostolic, pentecostal, tongue talkin', holy rollers) she practiced a lot of the Appalachian Folk Magick without even realizing it was "magick" or "Witchcraft." Her "powers" came from "Jesus" and "God." Since my own parents were not religious in the least bit it was her ways that influenced me the most. I ended up following in the fanatical fundamentalist christian way for a little over 10 years of my life. However, the more I researched and learned about the occult the more I realized that I had always blended witchcraft (folk magick and kitchen witchery) with my Christian ways. I eventually started questioning the Goddess' place within the Holy Trinity. When I became exposed to the Amish of Ohio and PA and I learned of PowWow that was it... I had evolved into what I am today... a Christopagan who practices Kitchen Witchery... and loves the roots of Appalachian Folk Magick.

[weaverwoman]

This is something that I am very interested in! I grew up in Northeastern Alabama in the foothills of the Appalachians,. I saw AFM or granny magic practised my entire life and honestly this is how I became interested in Magic and Witchcraft. Here are a few examples of how I witnessed it:

I had an Aunt who read tea leaves and cards.
When I was a baby I got thrush, my MawMaw took me to a healer (I think her might have been the 7th son of a 7th son) who ate some kind of herb and breathed in my mouth, it cured the thrush.
My Great-Great Grandma (or Maw as we called her) doused for water and was a known healer around her community.
Everyone did and still does plant and harvest by the moon phases.

There is more but I won't go on.

I know it has been mentioned but I find it interesting that all of these people, for the most part, identified themselves as Christians this was just the way of life. A practical everyday magic. My Granny would take me to church on Sunday morning and then take me through the woods to look at herbs, explaining what each one could be used for and when to transplant it, when to harvest it. I learned so much from her) To this day, even though she is a Christian I consider her a Greenwitch or Hedgewtich. When I brought books about Wicca over as a teen and said "This is like what you've been showing me" She didn't dismiss me she listened to me. She understood the similarities. Didn't mean for this to turn into a love note to my granny, but she is an amazing woman. :hugz:

[AutumnWitchie]

I always loved visiting my paternal great grandparents up near Ashville when I was growing up. Grandpa Dockery always kept several bee hives and never wore anything for protection other than a net over his face. He, my grandfather, and my dad were all snake wranglers. They could all hadle rattlesnakes really well. In all the years my grandfather handled rattlesnakes with his bare hands he never got bitten. Grandma Dockery had a green thump and always planted by "the signs". Her gardens never failed. She could tell you what to use for whatever ailed you. Grandpa Dockery used to go dig 'sang(ginsang) on a regular basis. He never took anyone with him because he didn't want his places found and overdug. Grandma Dockery had certain things she always did while cooking. You were never to stir a pot counterclockwise, always clockwise....something I still do. When she added salt, she always threw a little over her shoulder. So much information lost to time.

[Hærfest Leah]

I recently found out while doing genealogy research that one of my gr gr grandfathers knew about herbs and carried a book with him, an herbal I guess. And then my gr gr gradmother, his wife Catherine, a cousin I spoke to on the phone whose now 80 said that when she used to go to her grandmothers house that they would go out in the woods (this is in what was known as Poor Valley in East Tennessee) and Catherine would gather lots of herbs and roots to bring home. She couldn't remember what Catherine used them all for tho but they ate some which she said were very good.

I also ran across this page recently that includes lots of remedies and beliefs at the bottom. I printed it for my Grimoire.

Appalachian Granny Magic
http://www.iamawitch.com/article.php?story=20060516132527159

[Fairy_Princess]

Sound like my Grandma! My dad's mom anyway, I was raised in WV untill I left home just before I turned 17. Though to be honest, I've never wanted to go back to WV, I spent several years in PA after that and have lived on the west coast for the last 5 and half years.

[Meadhbh]

And mine as well. When I was little I stayed with her quiet a lot. We spent a lot of time in the summer in the woods and such learning about plants what have you.