You might remember my enthusiasm for the book “New World Witchery” by Cory Thomas Hutcheson. It was a fascinating look at folk magic as it is practiced in America. It’s an academic exploration written by a practitioner. Loved it!
I was thrilled to learn that Llewellyn put Hutcheson in charge of “Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic: A Landscape of Magic, Mystery, and Tradition.” Honestly, I assumed he would be the author of the whole book, so imagine my surprise when I learned that although Hutcheson contributes ample content for this book, it also features a who’s who of magic makers. A few examples:
J. Allen Cross, who you may remember from my review of his book “American Brujeria”, contributes an essay titled “Saints with Scissors: American Brujeria.” Starr Casas, well known author of multiple books on the topic of southern conjure authored a piece called “The Making of a Starr: Working Old-Style Conjure.” The author of “Backwoods Witchcraft” (another book that has been featured on this website), Jake Richards, wrote the article “The Poor Man’s Play: Appalachian-Melungeon Folk Magic.” When everything is said and done, over 20 magical practitioners with diverse backgrounds contribute essays ranging from academic, biographical, and hands on how to. The book covers the geography of North America in the following sections: New England and the Maritimes, New Holland and Deitscherei, The Upland South, The Deep South, The Midlands, Plains West, El Norte, and The Left Coast.
So, is “Llewellyn’s Complete Book of North American Folk Magic” that complete? The beauty of most magical traditions is their ability to migrate and evolve, and none more so than folk magic. What I’m trying to say is, it’s as complete as it can be and an amazing resource for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of North America’s folk magic traditions.
You can learn more here.
Get your own copy here. (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
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