Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing

by Brandon Weston

Overview

Discover the Healing Power of Plants and Prayers

Bring traditional methods of healing and magic into the modern world with this impressive book on Ozark folk magic. Providing lore, verbal charms, healing plants, herbal recipes, magical tools and alignments, and more, folk healer Brandon Weston sheds light on the region's secretive culture and shows you how to heal both yourself and others.

Ozark Folk Magic invites you to experience the hillfolk's magic through the eyes of an authentic practitioner. Learn how to optimize your healing work and spells according to the moon cycles, zodiac signs, and numerology. Explore medicinal uses for native Ozark plants, instructions for healing magical illnesses, and how modern witches can feel at home with Ozark traditions. Combining personal stories and down-to-earth advice, this book makes it easy to incorporate Ozark folk magic into your practice.

Includes a foreword by Virginia Siegel, MA, folk arts coordinator at the University of Arkansas

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738767253
Publisher:	Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Publication date:	01/08/2021
Pages:	278
Sales rank:	226,383
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Brandon Weston (Fayetteville, AR) is a healer, writer, and folklorist who owns and operates Ozark Healing Traditions, an online collective of articles, lectures, and workshops focusing on the Ozark Mountain region. As a practicing folk healer, his work with clients includes everything from spiritual cleanses to house blessings. He comes from a long line of Ozark hillfolk and is also a folk herbalist, yarb doctor, and power doctor.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Introduction 1

Part 1

1 Mountain Heritage 25

2 Ozark Traditional Healing 35

3 The Healer and Their Work 59

4 Gaining the Power 81

5 Basics in Ozark Healing 105

6 Herbal Healing Methods 131

7 Magical Healing Methods 141

Part 2

8 Healing Plants and Magical Ingredients: An Introduction 169

9 Healing Plants 173

Apple 175

Asafetida 176

Blackberry 177

Black Pepper 179

Bloodroot 180

Buckeye 182

Burdock 183

Corn 184

Dandelion 186

Dittany 187

Dogwood 188

Elderberry 191

Garlic 193

Ginseng 194

Horsemint 197

Mullein 199

Onion 201

Passionflower 203

Pawpaw 204

Peppers 206

Plantain 207

Rabbit Tobacco 209

Redbud 210

Red Cedar 212

Sassafras 213

Spicebush 216

Sweetgum Tree 218

Tobacco 219

Witch Hazel 221

Yarrow 222

10 Animals, Tools, and Magical Supplies 225

Animal and Human Parts 226

Axes 229

Beads 231

Beans 232

Coins 233

Eggs 234

Hag Stones 235

Knives 236

Lightning Wood 237

Nails 238

String 238

Water 239

Conclusion: Modernizing Folk Magic 243

Bibliography 259

Editorial Reviews

"This is an honest, clear look at American witchcraft and folk magic, veering far away from the fantasy realm magic, which is sadly entwined within the modern imagination."—Marcus McCoy, blacksmith at Troll Cunning Forge and editor of the Verdant Gnosis book series

"Brandon takes you on a remarkable journey into the Ozarks, giving a well documented and unique vision into the mysteries of Ozark medicine, myth, and magic. Brandon, a healer from this bio region, is able to interpret the stories he's collected, giving cultural context...The information gleaned from this process is invaluable and a real treasure to ensuring these traditions will not be forgotten and are understood. He provides a strong foundation and thorough overview of the magical considerations that formulate this system and how the modern practitioner can incorporate it into their praxis today."—Catamara Rosarium, convenor of The Viridis Genii Symposium and proprietor of Rosarium Blends

"Weston's piece is both reference book, recipe book and working book all in one. Insightful and personal, his insider perspective and lived experience as an Ozark person combined with his astute academic mind make for a useful and pleasurable guide to the folk magical ways of the Ozark region...This work not only provides the reader with the ability to see how people made do with what they had in the past, it provides the valuable service of preserving this cultural knowledge in such a way that it is still useful, practical and most importantly, connective for the people interested this region today."—Rebecca Beyer, founder of Blood and Spicebush

"Those of us who practice these old and peculiar traditions always welcome new and experienced voices writing about folkways that are little known but cherished still. Brandon Weston's book is one of those—a gem of discovery for historians, folklorists and humble healing folks. This is a solid addition to any library."—H. Byron Ballard, teacher and author of Staubs and Ditchwater

"Brandon Weston is a true folklorist and brings valuable firsthand experiential knowledge to his presentation of Ozark folk traditions. A valuable read for both its preservation of American folklore and its intimate insights on a vibrant, living folk tradition of magic and healing. This work stands as an important modern contribution to the study of American folk traditions and is a must have."—Matthew Venus, artist, folk magician, owner of SpiritusArcanum.com

From the Publisher