Appalachian folk magic refers to the traditional magical practices and beliefs that have been passed down through generations in the Appalachian region of the United States. This system of folk magic is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the people who settled in this area, including a mix of European, African, and Native American influences. One of the key aspects of Appalachian folk magic is its focus on nature and the natural world. Practitioners believe in the interconnectedness of all things and the presence of spirits in the natural elements. They often use herbs, roots, and other natural materials in their magical practices, drawing on the power and energy of the Earth. Appalachian folk magic also places a strong emphasis on healing and healthcare.
Appalachian folk magic also places a strong emphasis on healing and healthcare. Traditional healers, often referred to as "granny women" or "witch doctors," use a combination of herbal remedies, prayers, and other rituals to cure ailments and bring about physical and spiritual healing. Divination is another important aspect of Appalachian folk magic.
Byron Ballard keeps Appalachian folk magic practices alive
Known as Asheville’s village witch, Byron Ballard practices what she calls “hillfolk hoodoo,” a form of Appalachian folk magic. Ballard came by hoodoo naturally, growing up in a poor community in the mountains of Western North Carolina where hoodoo was practiced. She laments that the practice is disappearing: “Local hillfolk are no longer practicing hoodoo, but it’s within living memory. There’s a kind of sadness that the culture of the hillfolk is fading.”
Hoodoo is different from voodoo, she explains, even though the words sound alike. Voodoo originated in Haiti and follows the West African Yoruban religious tradition. Hoodoo, on the other hand, is a nonreligious practice with cross-cultural roots. It grew out of the interactions of three cultural groups — the Scots-Irish who immigrated to Western North Carolina, the indigenous Cherokee and the Pennsylvania Dutch (Germans) who migrated to the area through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.
Ballard goes on to say that immigrants from Europe, fleeing religious persecution, settled in isolated mountain coves that gave them the privacy and freedom they sought. Theirs was a hardscrabble way of life, but it gave them independence, she says. In the 1930s, when the textile mills moved into the area, the culture began to shift from agricultural to industrial. The money was better, but it took away the independent streak of the mountain people, who were selling just enough of their cash crop to buy coffee and other goods they couldn’t grow. With contact from outside people, their folk practices began to erode, she continues.
“I call myself a forensic folklorist,” says Ballard, “because I’m excavating the practices from older generations.” She aims to preserve what she can of the traditional folk practices, and her book Staubs and Ditchwater is the result of her research into her Southern Highlands roots and its practices.
Although Ballard admits she is attempting to dispel the “hillbilly” and “redneck” stereotypes in her book (she prefers “hillfolk” to “hillbilly”), she nevertheless reclaims them: “I am totally a redneck. I grew up wild and poor in the country … understanding that violence is a way to solve problems. I am stubborn and willful, and I hate authority. I’m always having to suppress my tendencies toward violence.”
As the hillfolk culture is thinning, Ballard says, it is also becoming gentrified by “outlanders” — the affluent people who move into the area. These outsiders are hungry for folk traditions that feed them spiritually and are willing to appropriate any of the practices for their own benefit, she says. But she calls this process of stripping away pieces of the local culture by outsiders “cultural strip-mining.” The culture itself gains nothing and is in fact left weaker by the exchange, she says, comparing it to mountaintop removal and clear-cutting.
Ballard confesses that she is torn about whether it’s better to let the cultural practices die with the people who practiced them or pass them on to the larger world, which may be able to use them for spiritual and environmental purposes.
Although she’s “excavating” a dying culture, she is also actively practicing it, relying on what she learned as a child. Like the “cove doctor” of her forebears, Ballard’s carrying on the tradition of “workings,” or magical spells, to help people heal or get what they want. She gives an example of a working she might do to help someone get a job: “It could require dressing a candle with particularly potent oil and having the person burn it while focusing on their intention to get a new job.” Ballard adds that she tells the person to keep looking for a job meanwhile. “This is definitely a belt-and-suspenders type of magic,” she says.
Most people who come to her for help want healing work, she notes. “Healing is a big thing. The culture we live in is diseased. Hoodoo can help on a one-to-one basis.” She uses herbs, or “yarbs,” for the healing of many physical ailments, noting that they are often more effective than allopathic remedies. Ballard tells the story of her daughter, who saw many doctors to get rid of a wart. None of the treatments she received was effective. Finally, she tried bloodroot, an indigenous herb, and the wart went away.
Many people in the mountains are known for doing disease-specific healing, Ballard reports. “I had a great aunt who could rub a wart or a mole between her fingers, and it would disappear,” she says. “The whole time she would say something like, ‘I don’t know why people think I can do this,’ and in three days it would be gone.” A characteristic of folk magic, Ballard continues, is that practitioners deny they have the ability to do the healing — perhaps out of humility, acknowledging that the power is merely passing through them. She points out that other hillfolk use a different remedy to remove warts — wrapping the affected area in a dirty dishrag, then counting or saying the Lord’s Prayer, followed by burying the dishrag off the property.
Ballard says we often don’t know why traditional folk remedies work. She gives the example of catnip tea, which is given to infants to prevent hives. One theory about how it works, she explains, is that after some of the tea is given to the child, the mother drinks the rest of it. Since it’s a soporific, the mother is more relaxed, which helps her milk production. As a result, the child is healthier from being better nourished.
Often Ballard is called upon to do love spells, but she always refuses. “The problem,” she says, “is that they work. And sometimes the person asking for the spell ends up not being as interested as they thought they were, or they draw a person to them in an unhealthy way, such as stalking.”
Although hoodoo is not a spiritual or religious practice per se, Ballard notes that it can often involve a spiritual or religious overlay. She says that although there are religious-specific pieces, such as reading a part of the Bible to stop the flow of blood, hoodoo works regardless of the lens that’s used. “Religion can be an important part of the cultural practice,” she says, but “utilizing the earth energy is what works. It just depends on how you access it. … Hoodoo is about using earth energies in the quest for personal agency. It’s all about moving your position in the world to where you want it to be.”
Ballard points out that folk magic practices were developed by cultures in the Old World that lacked a sense of agency. “When you live in a feudal system, you don’t have a lot of access to justice or healing,” she says. “Their practices became a form of peasant medicine and psychology.”
When folk magic practices were brought to southern Appalachia, they took hold there as well because they helped provide a sense of personal agency and justice for impoverished mountain dwellers. “The ability to access justice is thin unless you have money and time,” she says, “and the hillfolk had neither.”
Acknowledging the issue of class and economics in the discussion of folk magic “honors the people who developed and practiced it, who are either our literal blood ancestors or … our spiritual and practice ancestors,” she says. “It honors them to say they were not people of great means for whom personal agency was easy.”
Ballard continues the tradition of using hoodoo to bring about justice. “I don’t work for peace. I work for justice,” she says. “I believe, and I think tribal people in Europe believed, that when you have justice, peace is a byproduct of that.”
Ballard teaches local courses about hoodoo. Information about them can be found on her Facebook page, Asheville’s Village Witch, or at myvillagewitch.com.
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About Susan Foster
Freelance writer passionate about wellness and spirituality, clinical psychologist, avid hiker and reader. Follow me @susanjfosterphd
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“I call myself a forensic folklorist,” says Ballard, “because I’m excavating the practices from older generations.” She aims to preserve what she can of the traditional folk practices, and her book Staubs and Ditchwater is the result of her research into her Southern Highlands roots and its practices.
Practitioners may use tools such as tarot cards, playing cards, or pendulums to gain insight into the future or receive guidance from the spirits. They may also use omens and signs from nature to interpret messages and make decisions. Protection and warding off evil is a common theme in Appalachian folk magic. Practices such as laying down protection charms or creating magical barriers are used to keep negative energies or spirits away from individuals, homes, or possessions. This is often done through the recitation of prayers or the use of specific rituals. However, it is important to note that Appalachian folk magic is not a homogenous system and can vary greatly from practitioner to practitioner. Each person may have their own unique blend of beliefs and practices based on their family traditions and personal experiences. Overall, Appalachian folk magic offers a rich tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and practices that reflect the cultural heritage of the people in this region. It serves as a means of connecting with the natural world, nurturing physical and spiritual health, and seeking guidance from the unseen realms..
Reviews for "Appalachian Graveyard Magic: Rituals and Spells at Resting Places"
1. John - 1 star
I found "Appalacian folk magic" to be highly disappointing. The writing style was dry and lacked any engaging qualities. The characters were one-dimensional and underdeveloped, making it hard for me to feel invested in their journey. Additionally, the plot was slow and didn't pick up until the very end, leaving me bored throughout most of the book. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and captivating read.
2. Sarah - 2 stars
Unfortunately, "Appalacian folk magic" fell short of my expectations. The concept of combining Appalachian folklore with magic intrigued me, but the execution was lacking. The pacing was inconsistent, with long stretches of tedious descriptions and slow plot progressions. The author also failed to create a connection between the characters and the reader, making it hard to care about their outcomes. While I appreciate the attempt to bring a unique cultural aspect to the story, it simply didn't deliver a satisfying reading experience for me.
3. Emily - 2 stars
I was really excited to read "Appalacian folk magic" as I'm a fan of folklore and magical realism, but this book failed to capture my interest. The writing style felt disjointed and fragmented, making it hard to follow the storyline. The characters lacked depth and development, which made it difficult to connect with them on any level. There were moments of potential, glimpses of the rich Appalachian setting and magical elements, but they were overshadowed by the overall lackluster execution. I was left disappointed and would not recommend this book to others.