Summer Reading: Backwoods Witchcraft

Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure and Folk Magic from Appalachia by Jake Richards found its way to my desk after I came across the title while researching folk horror short story collections. Unlike those stories I initially sought, Backwoods Witchcraft is presented as a non-fiction account of the author’s own childhood growing up in Appalachia. Richards uses anecdotes, recollections and stories from his youth serve as the vehicle through which to share the charms and conjures he believes still work today.

In many ways your enjoyment of the text as a whole rests on how open you are to a friendly conversation on things that appear to be beyond belief. To his credit, Richards’s conversational style makes it a much easier sell than you might think. Reminiscent of the Justin Wilson Cajun Cooking television shows I enjoyed watching on PBS as a child, I easily accepted the invitation to enter his world. I regularly watched Wilson’s show on PBS for much the same reason I enjoyed Richards’s book; both “hosts” sprinkled in regional stories and history along with their “recipes”. Just as I never actually prepared any of the dishes Wilson colorfully prepared on his show (though as an adult I will not turn away Cajun food), in all likelihood I will not be attempting to remove warts using Quartzite as Richards’ Papaw showed him how to. Given the author’s friendly, conversational writing style, Backwoods Witchcraft reads as if you are sitting at the dining room table chatting over a cup of coffee. Richards anticipates many of the queries an outsider might have, and as a result the text works as a fascinating piece if backwoods Americana. “The stories and tricks,” as the author notes on page 33, “are passed down in families and communities, routinely offered as wives’-tale cures, or simple reminiscing of things that helped folks get along in their daily life.” Whether from Louisiana, Appalachia or Western New York, it’s these stories that bind each of us to our respective communities. Richards’ extends his own sense of belonging and community to include the reader.

For a book subtitled “Conjure and Folk Magic,” it was curious how much of the mystical qualities of stones, waters and individuals was dependent on Richards’ Christian faith. Digging deeply enough into any charm or cure and you’re likely to find a strong reliance on the brand of Christianity practiced by the residents of Appalachia. For example, when instructing the reader about gazing (a means of divining the future with a bowl of water), Richards shares that the ceremony begins with recognition of the “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (136) Whether the reader believes the power suggested in the stories will depend greatly on one’s orthodoxy of beliefs in tenants of Christianity. Both rely on faith to have an impact. Richards Christianity is one deeply intertwined with Native American tradition and an appreciation for the power of Nature. This eclectic heritage makes for a type of Christianity that is both diverse and, in some instances, almost New Age. While one charm may have Richards invoking the Holy Trinity, the next is just as likely to point out the positive attributes of leaving pumpkins on the porch to keep the haints at bay.

Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure and Folk Magic from Appalachia by Jake Richards is a very accessible look behind the veil of a unique set of American traditions. Unavailable at my local library, I purchased my copy from Aamzon.com, and I suspect that, much like a reference book, as I come across unfamiliar traditions and concepts in other reading, I will find myself returning to the table for a follow-up chat with Richards’s book.