The southern Appalachians are rich in folk magic and witchery. This book explores the region’s customs and traditions for magical healing, luck, prosperity, and more. Author Byron Ballard—known as the village witch of Asheville, North Carolina—teaches you about the old ways and why they work, from dowsing to communicating with spirits.
Learn the deeper meaning of magic hands for finding, haint blue doors, and herbs and plants for healing. Discover hands-on tips for creating tinctures and salves, attuning to the phases of the moon, interpreting omens, and other folkways passed down through generations of those who call the Blue Ridge Mountains home. Part cultural journey and part magical guide, this book uncovers the authentic traditions of one of North America’s most spiritually vibrant regions.
Praise:
“Be prepared to be transported as Byron Ballard expertly weaves stories and practice, blending tradition, and modern magical innovation all at once.”—Laura Tempest Zakroff, author of Weave the Liminal
“Part history, part folklore, and part spellwork and ritual, Byron Ballard shares with us the rich customs of her forebears, from women’s kitchen magic to burial practices to the use of herbs and stones.”—Patti Wigington, author of Herb Magic and Badass Ancestors
“H. Byron Ballard takes us on another engaging journey into the mountainous rural United States where the worlds of magic, phantoms, and old traditions continue to flourish well into the twenty-first century.”—Christopher Orapello, coauthor of Besom, Stang & Sword, artist, and cohost of the Down at the Crossroads podcast.
Format: 5 x 8 paperback, 224 pages.
