North American Folk Magic (DEEP DIVE) w/The Redheaded Witch

In this video, I discuss with Leah Middleton @theredheadedwitch folk magic in North America - from the Appalachian mountains to the Pacific Northwest.

You can find Leah on Instagram here:

Order her book "The Beginner Witch's Handbook" here:

Find me on Instagram @IvyTheOccultist

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Timestamps:
00:00 Disclaimer
02:00 Introducing Leah
07:07 How do you define folk magic?
11:02 North American Folk Magic - Setting The Stage
13:29 Appalachian Folk Magic
36:30 Controversial Aspects Surrounding North American Folk Magic
51:37 Controversial Aspects Surrounding Tradition: How old is old enough?
59:30 Pacific Northwest Folk Magic
01:08:53 Discussing "The Beginner Witch's Handbook"
01:18:27 Witch vs. Cunning Folk
01:26:27 What are some challenges you had when writing this book?
01:27:54 What do you think you did really well with this book?
01:30:02 What other work inspired you?

[IvyTheOccultist]

Timestamps:
00:00 Disclaimer
02:00 Introducing Leah
07:07 How do you define folk magic?
11:02 North American Folk Magic - Setting The Stage
13:29 Appalachian Folk Magic
36:30 Controversial Aspects Surrounding North American Folk Magic
51:37 Controversial Aspects Surrounding Tradition: How old is old enough?
59:30 Pacific Northwest Folk Magic
01:08:53 Discussing "The Beginner Witch's Handbook"
01:18:27 Witch vs. Cunning Folk
01:26:27 What are some challenges you had when writing this book?
01:27:54 What do you think you did really well with this book?
01:30:02 What other work inspired you?

[That_rebellous.]

I’m biracial from Potawatomi Nation and of European descent and I can understand both sides and as I see it, more so as being native, the land doesn’t belong to us or our ancestors, we belong to our mother. In loving and respecting our mother I believe no matter where you live or move to you can connect to the her. I love this discussion and how aware and respectful you ladies are. Thank you.

[Genasinsight]

I just want to join in! I believe the land raises us. I have a really strong connection with where I grew up. I was taught about local flora and fauna, and I had many opportunities to hike and camp. I am really secure with that. Othala, the rune, can help you connect with the land. Making offerings to the land spirits also help, and I did have an angry Native American spirit come at me and I apologized for my ancestors and gave a tobacco offering...that experience definetely made me feel like a guest...but where I live specifically, is so welcoming to me. I think the land spirits in this area noticed me. This area was also home to Victorian spiritualist types, who probably opened doors and nurtured the unseen. I have also felt unwelcome on hikes, there's an "edge" in the air, like you're being watched. I make offerings asking permission when I hike now. Showing you care about the land and the spirits who dwell there makes a huge difference in my opinion.

[funkytrunkfashion]

I actually had the pleasure of hiking the entire 2, 193 miles of the Appalachian trail 2 years ago! And yes, Georgia to Maine. It took 5 1/2 months of my life!
Anyways, thank you for this video!

[kjmav]

My family is from Northern Appalachia. You don’t hear much about us. We have our traditions, too. My grandmother was a butter churned and had all sorts of superstitions. Never thought of it as folk magic until more recently, but full on—that’s what it is. A lot of western Irish influence.

[kimberlyhull]

Growing up as a Native American, my family lives on the reservation in North Carolina and let me tell you some of the stories are crazy

[andreamarksberry]

Thank you for the dive into Appalachian Folk Magick! I am from this area and also have been estranged from my family and so have missed out on knowledge that could have been passed down to me. I totally understand the grief this brings. I’m starting to dig into this topic and the history of this area myself. I’ve definitely got a lot to learn but it feels amazing to understand more about what my people have gone through, the struggles and sacrifices they made for me, the ways they overcame their struggles and how they lived. It’s helped me appreciate my ancestors so much more and feel so connected to them! I will do my part to pass on the history and knowledge to my children and grandchildren in hopes it doesn’t die out more than it already has!

[melaniecastle]

I feel we can practice ancestral folk magic from the past and honor the current land we live on at the same time. Cultures have traveled and mixed for ever. As have folk practices. I live in New Zealand but my ancestors came from Devon England. I have a deep connection to both places.

[KristinaSocha]

I know that Native Americans believe it is very important to connect with your roots. Also I have read that witches typically utilize the folklore of the land you live. So as a fledgling in the craft my goal is to combine or merge them as much as I can. So of course it's ok to dabble in Irish magick or German magick and local Native American (if you have that ability) magick. It's also ok to introduce yourself to the gods/goddesses of your ancestry and try to have a relationship with them. Whatever calls to you.

[karmas]

Omg... it's soooo looong... yay!!! I'm manifesting my forever home and west Virginia has been calling. I love a good synchronisiti

[CoralTheWitch]

I really LOVED this interview with Leah! This is my favorite interview you’ve done! It’s because, I can relate to her. My family comes from the Appalachian mountains in Virginia. Our family has moved around because my dad was a superintendent of schools in several areas. My mom and dad were some of the first people in their families to finish high school and attend college. Unfortunately, I never new my grandparents on either side of my family because they were dead before I came along. However, my magic practice, even though I’m an eclectic Witch, relies heavily on hoodoo and working with herbs and other natural materials. The way Hoodoo came to be was that the African Americans who had escaped slavery hid in the Appalachian Mountains and mixed with the white folk already living there. The Africans mixed their VooDoo with the white folks. That’s why HooDoo relies on both African spirits and the Bible. I’m definitely going to purchase Leah’s book! She is a great storyteller and speaker!

[ButterflyHummingbird]

So grateful for this interview! My heritage is largely Scots-Irish, previously known as the Ulster Scots, who found a country very similar to home in the Appalachian region. I’m new to the practice and I’ve been feeling very drawn to working with my ancestors, some of whom were no doubt Appalachian Folk witches. And FYI, the Pacific Northwest extends south thru the three North Coast counties of Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino. These three Northern California counties are also known as the Emerald Triangle, the fertile region where most of the U.S.’s marijuana is grown. This area is famous for the Ancient Redwood trees that are nurtured by our moist climate and look so mystical with the pockets of misty fog nestled in patches of trees. What a wonderful place to practice magic!

[nekito]

Somehow i found this video and brought me so much calm. Im from the Caribbean and sometimes i feel deep connectedness, but also a deep disconnect with my practice/surroundings. But at the end of the day my feelings come down to, that im grateful for this video and that feeling that you are not alone in this road. Thank you again to both for this beautiful information. ❤

[AmandaPelland]

I thoroughly enjoy your longer videos, nothing wrong with shorter ones of course. It's wonderful information!

[kathleenroberts]

This was so wonderful! Leah was delightful.and although I am an old witch, I want to get her book and read it.

[TheOwsNestHomeschool]

Ivy, I have been do captivated by yr channel! Thank you sooo much for making a youtube 🖤 when I seen u had a folk magic topic I was so excited! Us folk magic witches don't have a big community compared to other paths

[drain]

I’m late to this by a while but I love this!! I’m primarily an Ozark/Appalachian practitioner (I have ancestors from both) as well as practicing “medicine” from my tribe. There’s a difference between indigenous medicine and witchcraft but if you were to boil it down completely they’re similar spirituality wise. Both sides of my ancestry are from southern appalachia so I definitely agree with leah on it being very “deep” there. They’re some of the oldest mountains in the world and they’re a very very spiritual place. Anyway loved this video and am loving your content! 😊

[thewitchofthewilds]

Amazon just delivered the order that had llewellyn's complete book of North American folk magic! Perfect time to finally watch this.

[Hp]

Hi, I’m a Coast Salish native from Northern Washington, who also has some settler ancestry.
I think the key is honoring the difference between open traditions vs closed traditions.
In my tribal region, some information and traditions are open to anyone, but many are not.
I know that’s not what some want to hear, but it’s not an opinion from me, it’s the teaching that I carry from my elders.
Long winded explanation incoming, but I hope to give some context, so it’s not just “nope, white people are not allowed”

One factor that isn’t always considered is that we hold our traditions closely because colonizers tried to eradicate them entirely.
My ancestors’ children were stolen, as young as 4 or 5, and taken to boarding “schools” hundreds of miles away where they were force-converted, their culture stripped from them, they were beaten and sometimes killed for even speaking their languages, much less for practicing their traditions.
That’s not ancient history my great-grandmother’s generation and some of my great aunts and uncles were taken. Some members of the stolen generations were too traumatized to ever participate in their traditions again, and their trauma has rippled down to my parents generation and my own.
For us, reclaiming our closed practices is a way to honor all that was nearly lost.

[brickgarden]

When the Cherokee were being moved to Oklahoma, my great-great-great (I think it’s three greats) grandfather hid several families of Cherokee on his wooded land in western NC. The land, though now with less acreage, is still in our family. I’ve always felt a VERY strong connection to the spirits of the land and to the people who hid and lived there all that time. We still find arrowheads in the creek, and if you walk far enough into the woods on a clear night in summer, you can hear distant drums. Living so close to the reservation I was raised on the legends and tales of the Cherokee and so, even though I’m not native myself, they’re still a part of me. We grew lots of vegetables on the property and the land was always good to us. So while I’ve embraced my Celtic heritage as I grew older, the spirits of the land are still a part of me, even though I don’t have a drop of Cherokee blood in me as far as I know. But I have a massive appreciation for their culture and I feel like the spirits consider me a friend. All my long walks through those woods throughout my life I always felt safe and watched over. So I do incorporate some of those spirits into my practice, since I know them so well. I hope this makes sense 😄