Welcome to my blog. Figured this could use a refresher since my practice has changed a lot since coming back to the craft.
đČ I grew up in the woods of NJ, US, lived in New England for a decade, and now reside in NYC. I feel most connected to shady swamps, salt marshes, hilly regions, fern groves, and conifer forests. You can find homages to these places throughout this blog.
âšI am comfortable with the term 'hedge witch' and do not follow one specific tradition. I am a solitary practitioner and work mainly in the liminal with plant spirits, energy currents, psychospiritual healing, angelic ritual, and the divine. While I am deeply spiritual and honor + work with various deities, usually from Heathen and Celtic paths as well as angels, my cosmology is pantheist/animist and I do not consider myself religious. More information can be found here if you're curious.
đ„ I have German and Italian ancestry recently focused around NYC and like to explore its connection to my practice, both distant and recent, through paganism and folk practice.
đŸ Fun facts: I like to bird, garden, and go on very long walks throughout the city or the woods. Enjoy cooking and collecting unique cookbooks. I used to work on farms. I'm a triple earth (denny's earth trine grand slam) with venus/mars fire placements. My friend likened it to centralia; I prefer to call myself a flaming pile of dirt.
Note: This is not a tradfem, terf, folkish, new age, or conspiracy welcome space. Anyone who uses my content for these agendas will be blocked.
Note: Mental health and environment is really important to me these days and I need to keep my experience on this platform beneficial, creative, and strictly supportive of healthy outlooks. I also want to keep my tumblr focused on witchcraft. Because of this I've had to curate what sort of content comes across my dash. Please do not take it personally if I unfollow or do not follow back.
Past Welcome Post (as the artist formerly known as ferngullyhedge).
I don't think Tolkien is a good fantasy writer because he scored the highest at some objective Best Fantasy Book Test that every fantasy writer has to take, I think he's a good fantasy writer because he created a world based on things that he was interested in. I feel like a lot of fantasy writers think that they need to create a whole language for their world because Tolkien did and obviously his books are the best so they have to emulate him, but Tolkien did that because he was a linguistics nerd. I think the lesson to be learned from him is not that you have to include elves and deep history and new languages, but that you have to write endlessly about the things you are a huge nerd about and use those things to create your fantasy world
April is a "5" Universal Month [4 (April) + 1 (2026) = 5] in a "1" Universal Year. "5" months tend to involve a lot of tension and strife, as they break up the perceived solidity of the "4" month that comes before it. This is in line with this month, which is dominated by a major stellium of Mercury, Mars, and Saturn, who will meet up in conjunction with one another at 07° Aries towards the end of the month. Things are going to feel complicated and acutely personal all month long.
The Set Up
We begin the month with the Sun, Saturn, and Neptune in Aries, Mercury and Mars in Pisces, Venus and Uranus in Taurus, Jupiter in Cancer, and Pluto in Aquarius. By the end of the month, the Sun will have entered Taurus, Mercury and Mars will enter Aries, and Venus and Uranus will enter Gemini. All planets will be in direct motion this month.
The Nitty Gritty
April looks much easier than February or March, but we still have to contend with Saturn in Aries, as it is Aries season. This Aries season is not going to Aries like we want it to; the natural cardinality of the Ram is significantly slowed down by the weighty presence of Saturn.
At a glance, it may seem like this is the absolute antithesis of Aries season (Saturn is detrimented in Aries, after all), but if you look deeper, Saturn energy is good, solid springtime energy. If you do not plant any seeds, there will be no harvest. Boom, Saturn energy unlocked. This is your sign to work WITH Saturn in Aries energy, not struggle against it. The work you put into your own life will be rewarded. The results may come slowly (Saturn energy...), but they are coming.
The Lights: The Sun and the Moon
We begin the month with a strong full moon on the 1st at 12° Libra. This Moon is well appointed because Libra is ruled by Venus and Venus is in the sign of her domain, Taurus. The Sun will still be widely conjunct to Saturn (06°), which will tone down the energy somewhat. This supports magic working with the Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra, Venus, or Saturn. Libra is the sign of the other and relationships, but with Saturn so tightly involved, I would avoid any relationship magic unless you are very serious about that partnership.
Energies will be heightened throughout this lunation (especially in the evening, when the full moon goes exact in the US), and it could create some domestic troubles, especially in partnerships where one person isn't holding up their end of the bargain.
We should note that the Aries Sun is already in a tightening square to Jupiter in Cancer (exact on 4/5), so I wouldn't call this lunation "lucky" by any means. More necessary.
The Sun will remain mostly unaspected all month. It makes a conjunction to Chiron at 26° Aries on 4/16 and then a major stellium with the Moon and Chiron during the new moon at 27° Aries the next day on 4/17. This is a day to step carefully. For some (especially those with planets in late Aries or Libra), this may bring back situations that arose during our total solar eclipse in Aries in the spring of 2024. There, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Chiron were conjunct. Chiron has been holding on to any aches and pains from that eclipse season. This is a chance to clear out anything that feels really stuck, and also an opportunity to set intention with Aries energy that isn't as inhibited by Saturn's presence.
On 4/19, the Sun enters Taurus. This is a mixed bag. Normally, this isn't great because the Sun is exalted in Aries, but, as I said above, Aries season can't Aries like it's supposed to this year. We might not get any more spring in our step until we've entered Taurus season. First they sleep, and all that...
Things are growing, and we ARE getting somewhere. It just may not feel like it for most of the month.
Our Taurus Sun will square off with Pluto in Aquarius on 4/25, but most people won't notice it.
Saturn in Aries
Saturnian energy is going to take center stage all month, at least through 4/19-4/20. This is our first Aries season with Saturn in Aries, and shit is about to get real. There is no avoiding Saturn if he comes knocking - sooner or later, even the most avoidant person needs to pay the piper.
The big flex is knowing what you owe and having your dues ready.
We can see this Aries season as a karmic tax season. I don't mean that new-agey, woo version of karma (oooh, what comes around, goes around) either. That's not astrological karma. Astrological karma is more like the pendulum swing: what goes out, must come back. You are born into a certain time, to a certain group of people, and that time and that group of people have karma. It was all of our karma to live in a time of a global pandemic - with its good, its bad, and its ugly. It is our karma to have to deal with the aftermath of the lockdowns, the misinformation, and the very real collective trauma that is still unfolding.
If you are not hiding under a rock, you can probably see that all of us - the collective We - need to have a great reckoning. Climate change tipping at the point of no return, fascism on the rise, disaster after disaster after disaster, yet another war over oil. All of these things have the potential to "come due" in the month ahead.
It's important to note that Saturn is not a personal planet. Yes, some people will have a personal reconning while Saturn is in Aries, but this is also - more accurately - going to be a collective reconning.
It will be more personal for people with the luminaries (Sun and Moon), personal planets (Mercury, Venus, or Mars), or Saturn in Aries. But it will have a social impact, and those most sensitive are always affected by this.
We are in this shit (Saturn in Aries) until April of 2028 - this is a long-haul transit; the expected value of slow-moving Saturn. The energy of this is going to be most pronounced during Aries and Libra seasons, but we'll get some pressure during Cancer and Capricorn seasons as well.
We note here that the cardinal signs have been on blast since early 2020, when we had a major planetary stellium in Capricorn; this is the continuation of a theme.
If you have Saturn in Aries, this is your Saturn return. You need to pay attention to everything Saturn does in your sign, but watch especially for when it conjuncts your natal Saturn (this may be up to 3x). If you have a luminary or personal planet in any of the cardinal signs, you might want to stay attentive as well. You will feel this the most when Saturn is within 05° aspect (conjunction, square, or opposition) to your planet.
Depending on your personal relationship to Saturn and what is going on in your life, major Saturnian transits can range from mildly challenging to back-breakingly difficult. It's wise to remember that Saturn brings the hammer of consequence, but rewards are consequences, too. Saturn doesn't have to be the bad guy - we humans paint him in that light.
Stellium: Mercury, Mars, and Saturn 07° Aries 4/19-4/20
Mercury and Mars have already been conjunct with one another twice this year, once in early Aquarius and again during Mercury's retrograde in Pisces. Now Mercury passes Mars for a third time in spunky, aggressive Aries. Mars is even in his domain in Aries! That's what I would normally say about this aspect.
Mercury and Mars are our two fastest planets. Mercury is literally fast, moving around the Sun 3-4x a year, while Mars's fiery energy is quite quick on his feet (and most especially Mars in Aries energy!). These two combined feel like nearly literal combustion, the wind running through the flame and sparking more!
Saturn is a Hard Stop. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
As you might guess, this won't end well for many people. Your goal should be to make sure that you are not one of those people. It might not be possible. Saturn is definitely not always within our control.
I am painting this cosmic STOP sign through this missive; it's your choice whether to heed the warning.
Where are you rushing too fast in your own life? Saturn in Aries can be kind of sneaky; it can trick us into thinking that if we just run fast enough and hard enough, the Storm won't catch up. Aries (and to some degree all of the cardinal signs) have the bad habit of disassociating through action.
Never stop moving seems like a sound strategy until it doesn't. If you never stop moving, you probably didn't stop to smell the flowers, and you missed the sensation of wind in your hair as you stood quietly at the peak, and you probably weren't present at your person's birthday party or on the phone with your Mom.
With such a strong planetary presence in Aries, we are all likely to feel a lot of pressure to keep going and keep moving this month.
The big flex is to step away from that collective pressure and find a place of rest. It might not be possible.
Carve out any space you can for yourself this month. Do slow things. Eat real food. Take a walk on the beach or go forest bathing. Do what will soothe your heavy heart.
This is going to be hard for many people. Do the best you can with what is coming up for you. Help others if you've got the energy.
I'm not particularly fond of any Mars-Saturn conjunction, so I'm a little bit grateful for Mercury's help here. Mercury's a great verbal negotiator, and their trickster vibes can defuse tense situations.
Our Personal Planets: Mercury, Venus, and Mars
We should all rejoice as between 4/9 and 4/24, Venus and Mars will both be in the signs of their domains (Taurus and Aries, respectively), which is a great boon for relationships of all kinds and helps the general "vibes" of the Gen Pop. We are finally seeing the planets shift back into their standard roles, with Mars as the aggressor and Venus as the diplomat. This supports all types of magic designed to support diplomacy, aggression, and all types of relationships that fit the standard M/f dynamic. (Don't disregard Mars' strong stellium with Saturn and Mercury around 4/19 and 4/20, though)
Overall, our planetary placements this month look like a major improvement. Mercury finally leaves their post-retrograde shadow and then finally Pisces (the sign of both their fall and their exile). Venus is in Taurus until 4/24, and Mars enters Aries on 4/9. Communication may get a bit on the aggressive side (Mercury in Aries), but otherwise, getting along with other people should be relatively easy, especially in comparison to how it has been since February.
Other than the major stellium mentioned above, none of our personal planets make any significant aspects this month.
Looking Forward
May looks much better than the preceding months. The two big astrological notes of the month are double full moons on 5/1 and 5/31 (not a blue moon because they don't occur in the same sign), and a square between our Gemini Sun and the lunar nodes demarking the halfway points between eclipse seasons.
The Details
4/1 - Full Moon 12° Libra
4/3 - Mercury in Pisces trine Jupiter in Cancer (3), Venus in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius
4/5 - Sun in Aries square Jupiter in Cancer
4/9 - Mercury exits its post retrograde shadow 22° Pisces, Mars enters Aries
4/13 - Mars conjunct Neptune 02° Aries
4/14 - Mercury enters Aries
4/16 - Sun conjunct Chiron 26° Aries, Mercury conjunct Neptune 02° Aries
4/17 - New Moon 27° Aries
4/19 - Sun enters Taurus, Mars conjunct Saturn 07° Aries
4/20 - Mercury conjunct Saturn 07° Aries, Mercury conjunct Mars 07° Aries
4/23 - Venus conjunct Uranus 29° Taurus
4/24 - Venus enters Gemini
4/25 - Sun in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius, Uranus enters Gemini
4/26 - Mercury in Aries square Jupiter in Cancer
4/28 - Venus in Gemini square the lunar nodes
Do you like my work? You can support me over on Ko-Fi by tipping me or signing up as a monthly supporter. I also have open spots for astrology commissions right now!
Welcome to the 1st real week of April, which is one big nothingburger, astrology-wise.
The only substantial transits of the week are Mercury finally exiting its post-retrograde shadow and Mars entering Aries, both of which occur on Thursday.
Remember: Mars is in his domain in Aries, so Mars magic will be supported, overall, throughout this Mars transit.
That said, the minute Mars enters Aries, he will form an ascending conjunction with Neptune and Saturn - the Neptune conjunction goes exact next Monday (mostly NBD), the Saturn conjunction is actually a stellium which will also include Mercury that goes exact on 4/19.
That is a very VERY big deal and is our one significant transit of the month.
That is a glaring STOP sign. Mars in Aries is a foot permanently on the pedal.
This is your local astrologer reminding you to watch your acceleration from 4/9 to 4/19.
(this post has been brought to you by a 6-day vestibular migraine - sorry it's not more involved, but words are hard to come by at the moment)
there is a level of seduction that exists beyond the body. something less tangible, and perhaps more potent. anais nin understood this idea about how desire does not begin with touch but with language, perception, and the sharp electric pull of a mind that challenges and excites you. in her journals, desire is not just a physical hunger but a hunger of the intellect, an unraveling of thought before an unraveling of the body. to be drawn into someoneâs mind, to feel their thoughts press against your own, can be more intoxicating than any physical closeness.
What is folk magic? Why is there such a boom in modern resurgence? Whatâs the big deal and why do people talk like itâs so deep? Well, folk magic is that deep. An array of magical practices rooted in the preservation and stewardship of cultural, regional, familial, ancestral, traditional use of magic as a means of tending and serving ourselves and others â folk magic may have the humblest of roots, but those roots run deep and the crafts that have grown from those roots have always been a vehicle of change for individuals in need, a way of providing care and mutual aid to those with no other means of accessing such things, and, yes, in many practices, folk magic is also a means of pursuing and distributing justice for those for whom the systems of justice were not built to serve.
In this piece, weâll explore the meanings and applications of folk magic and other associated terms, the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding folk magic in modern day, common problems plaguing the folk magical community at large, and the modern resurgence in the practice of folk magical crafts, as well as the importance of keeping folk magical crafts alive and thriving. Bear in mind, this piece is not a how to. Rather, this piece is more of a why for.
What is Folk Magic?
The Peopleâs Magic
Folk magic applies to living traditions passed down (traditionally this was done orally, through familial links, or through informal apprenticeship/mentorship arrangements) through time and generations, bearing a significant connection to a region, community, or people. Thus, folk witches are those that practice magic or healing (most often non-ceremonial magic) rooted within the traditional customs of a specific region, religion, ethnicity, culture, or community with which the practitioner has connection. While folk magic has existed in practice for longer than we can ever know, it is adapted over generations and centuries to meet the needs of a changing world and community. Though itâs adaptable and changeable, folk magic practices still maintain connection to and use of many of their âoldâ or traditional ingredients, tools, and beliefs, giving us a great number of folk magical practices that ride the line between old ways and modernity.
Folk magic is versatile, a broad field of magical, spiritual, and/or medicinal practice that belongs to no one belief, creed, tradition, or rule set. Simply put, folk magic is the peopleâs magic, magic that was always intended to be accessible to all, no matter their station or class, as opposed to High Magic and Ceremonial Magic, which was, historically, only accessible to the elite.
Folk magic as a term can be applied to a diverse range of magical practices and customs, coming from every corner of the world, and differing from region to region, culture to culture. Thus, what folk magic entails and what it looks like varies. Some crafts, even within different countries, share similarities in methodology, terminology, or belief (this is commonly due to cultural exchange and influence brought about by diasporic communities), but itâs often the case that even within one area you may find a variety of folk magical crafts. In the Southern United States, for example, there are a number of methods and practices that all fall within the realm of Southern folk magic, but the terminology, individual customs, herbal allies, and toolsets may (and frequently do) change from state to state and even from region to region within one state. Mountain magic, for example, will often differ from the magic of the plains, which differs still from the magic near the rivers, and so on, yet all may share ties and have been influenced by similar/the same Indigenous regional ancestors and/or diasporic groups from other lands.
Because folk magic is the peopleâs magic, it is often more accessible than Ceremonial and High Magic, using simpler methods and local plant allies, and relying on beliefs and customs of relevance to whatever particular region it hails from and the cultures within that region that have influenced the lore and customs there. Healing work, safeguarding crops, protecting cattle, bringing in business and bounty, reading omens and divining, communing with spirits, blessing homes, binding and baneful works â folk magic can be used to meet a wide range of needs, the needs of the common people; and folk craft practitioners (some of whom may never call or consider themselves a witch, as witchcraft was often seen as something different from folk craft across many cultures throughout history) come in just as wide a range, many bearing traditional terms and names for their individual crafts and ways while others have embraced the title of witch.
Folk Magic Around the World
No one can tell you definitively what folk magic, as a whole, looks like or what it entails, because that answer will change across communities and cultures. Anyone who claims otherwise is misrepresenting the concept of folk magic itself while also, whether deliberately or without realizing, erasing countless folk traditions around the world. Practices that one could identify under the umbrella of 'folk magic' exist and have existed throughout every culture in the world, and further back than we will ever know, though some will dispute this.
It goes by many names. It takes many shapes. And much of it isnât something that the majority voice wants to acknowledge as being a folk magical tradition (this is largely due to Christian hegemony in action within witchcraft, magical, and spiritual media and communities, which weâll explore in more depth in the section on Christian hegemony in modern folk magic).
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but some examples Iâd like to provide of folk traditions around the world that can be (and in many cases are) deemed as magical tradition (while many will not use the term witchcraft) include (though is by no means limited to):
the Cunning Folk and Wise Folk of England, Scotland, and Wales;
Cornwallâs Pellars;
Swedenâs Klok Gumma and Klok Gubba;
the Tháș§y BĂłi, Tháș§y PhĂĄp, BĂ Äá»ng, and Tháș§y PhĂč Thủy spiritual mediators, healers, and charmers of Vietnam;
the Granny Healers and Granny Witches of Appalachia;
the Babaylan herbalists, diviners, healers, and faith healers of the Philippines;
the Nganga spiritual healers and diviners of Central Africa, Haiti, Brazil, and the Southern US;
the Pow-Wow practice of the Pennsylvania Dutch and Northern Appalachian peoples;
These customs are folk traditions, many are defined as being magical or mystical, and all are, by definition, forms of folk magic, though the terms witch and witchcraft are still taboo terms in some of these cultures and practices (and some cultures identify witchcraft as something separate from folk magical, mystical, and healing practices),so practitioners would never be defined as being witches.
There are countless other folk magical crafts and practices, far too many to list them all, but the point of this list is to illustrate that there is no one way that folk magical traditions look, no one way folk magic is practiced or perceived, and no one region, religion, or culture from which the world of folk magic was birthed. While much of what youâll find in terms of resources online and in publication is now heavily saturated with Christian folk magic, it is incorrect to perpetuate the claim (which an unfortunately large number of people are convinced of) that folk magic is itself Christian in practice or in origin. There are, indeed, many paths of Christian folk magic, but it is quite simply not the case that all folk magic has Christian roots or has been Christianized, and that is a dangerous and offensive misrepresentation of folk magic as a whole.
A Source of Confusion: Folk Magic, Folkloric Witchcraft, Traditional Magic, & Traditional Witchcraft
One source of confusion, particularly in online spaces, is in regard to the terms âfolk magic,â 'folkloric witchcraft,â 'traditional magic,â and 'Traditional Witchcraft.â Iâd like to take a moment to give a very simple, barebones rundown of what these terms mean and the crafts to which they can be applied, in order to clear up some of the misunderstanding.
FOLK MAGIC & TRADITIONAL MAGIC
Firstly, folk magic and traditional magic (not to be confused with Traditional Witchcraft, on which Iâll touch in but a moment) are general, umbrella terms. They are not applied to one specific craft but rather are used to classify or describe a wide range of practices. Itâs like how the term math applies to the general field of mathematics, but there are countless mathematical methods within that field, this is how the terms folk magic and traditional magic are also used.
Folk magic is, as Iâve said before, a magical craft shared by a common folk of a particular region, ethnicity, religion, culture, etc; while traditional magic is a term that is sometimes used to describe practices that are simply systems or crafts of magic that a) are, like folk magic, generally rooted in particular regional beliefs or practice, and/or b) usually have origins in practices (which can sometimes be folkloric roots or even folk magic roots) that pre-date the founding of Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft. While traditional magic isnât as commonly used as folk magic, youâll still hear or see a fair few practitioners defining their practice as a traditional magic practice, and none of them do so with the intention of confusing traditional magic with Traditional Witchcraft. Indeed, many may not even be aware that Traditional Witchcraft is a separate term with its own meaning.
Thatâs where the confusion comes in â the term traditional magic is often conflated with the system of Traditional Witchcraft, which has led to the issue of Traditional Witchcraft being misrepresented as a form of folk magic, as traditional magic has been, by some, used interchangeably with the term folk magic (albeit far less commonly than folk magic is used). Simply, traditional magic and Traditional Witchcraft are two different terms that, understandably, have led to confusion and, in some cases, inadvertent misrepresentation.
TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT
Traditional Witchcraft (sometimes also called Traditional Craft) applies to specific systems of magical practice, typically initiatory, and often Neo-Pagan or Neo-Druidic, though there are some antitheist, agnostic, and Luciferian practices within the broader realm of Traditional Witchcraft. A more specific definition for Traditional Witchcraft given by Dr. Ethan Doyle White, a religious studies scholar and noted author on esoteric subjects, follows â
ââŠa broad movement of aligned magico-religious groups who reject any relation to Gardnerianism and the wider Wiccan movement, claiming older, more âtraditionalâ roots. Although typically united by a shared aesthetic rooted in European folklore, the Traditional Craft contains within its ranks a rich and varied array of occult groups, from those who follow a contemporary Pagan path that is suspiciously similar to Wicca, to those who adhere to Luciferianism.â
The term Traditional Witchcraft is typically applied to a variety of systems, most of which were founded from 1950-1970. Systems and practices such as the Sabbatic Craft, Cochraneâs Craft and the Clan of Tubal Cane, and crafts that fall within the realm of the Crooked Path, to name just a few, are all considered schools of Traditional Witchcraft.
Because much of Traditional Witchcraft falls in the line of Ceremonial and High Magic, some feel that it not only doesnât fit with folk magic but, at its core and roots, sits in opposition to folk magic, which is the magic of the common people, not the magic of the elite, not magic locked away behind hierarchies, initiatory systems, and the like. There are, however, some practitioners of Traditional Witchcraft who also practice forms of folk magic as well and who may identify with both labels.
FOLKLORIC WITCHCRAFT
Folkloric witchcraft is another general term than can be applied to a number of practices. Any practice with roots in folkloric belief or symbolism can be described as folkloric witchcraft, which means there is a lot of overlap across practices as to what falls under this classification. Because of the broad array of crafts to which this term applies, folkloric witchcraft has accidentally ended up adding to the confusion of what is or isnât folk magic.
Folk magic can often be considered folkloric witchcraft, as can some forms of Traditional Witchcraft and traditional magic. Often, the term folkloric witchcraft isnât purposely misused or misapplied, but can end up confusing and misleading some readers unfamiliar with the great variety of crafts to which this term can be applied.
To summarize â
Folk magic and traditional magic are used interchangeably by some practitioners and writers.
Some traditional magic may also be folk magic or find roots in folk magic, but not all traditional magic does.
Traditional magic and Traditional Witchcraft are two different terms often confused for each other.
Traditional Witchcraft is applied to systems of magical craft (most often initiatory and ceremonial) usually founded from 1950-1970 and is not a form of folk magic.
Folkloric witchcraft is a descriptive term that can be applied to any magical practice (be it contemporary, ceremonial, folk, traditional, or Traditional) that is rooted in, reliant on, or heavily influenced by folkloric beliefs, symbols, figures, and/or tales.
Christian Hegemony in the Realm of Modern Folk Magic
Iâd like to preface this section by stating very clearly that there is nothing wrong with being a Christian folk witch. There are many folk magical paths woven through various Christian traditions, each rich with its own style and culture largely influenced by the regions in which they take their roots as well as in their Christian beliefs. Christian hegemony, though, cannot be denied within witchcraft and occult spaces, and this is a particularly relevant issue in folk magic communities. This section focuses on Christian hegemony in action, what it is, and how it directly impacts diverse and minority communities.
There are many of us who have heard the term Christian hegemony used, particularly within political spheres, but who may not have a clear understanding of what exactly it means aside from the broader definition of 'Christianity being utilized or weaponized as a means of enacting control over a situation, populous, individual, etc.â To be far better detailed, Christian hegemony can be defined as â
ââŠthe everyday, pervasive, and systematic set of Christian values and beliefs, individuals and institutions that dominate all aspects of our society through the social, political, economic, and cultural power they wield. [âŠ]
Christian hegemony as a system of domination is complex, shifting, and operates through the agency of individuals, families, church communities, denominations, parachurch organizations, civil institutions, and through decisions made by members of the ruling class and power elite.
Christian hegemony benefits all Christians, all those raised Christian, and those passing as Christian. However, the concentration of power, wealth, and privilege under Christian hegemony accumulates to the ruling class and the predominantly white male Christian power elite that serve its interests. All people who are not Christian [âŠ] experience social, political, and economic exploitation, violence, cultural appropriation, marginalization, alienation and constant vulnerability from the dominance of Christian power and values in our society.â -per Challenging Christian Hegemony
Christian hegemony absolutely impacts witchcraft and always has in a number of ways, but what does this look like in modern witchcraft communities? Well, Christian hegemony is enacted within the witchcraft community in a variety of ways â holding all practitioners to standards of practice and behavior either admonished or supported by the general Christian narrative; speaking over non-Christian practitioners; partaking in practices, symbols, customs, etc. that were stolen from non-Christian practitioners and have now been claimed as Christian; upholding theft by Christians from non-Christian practices (theft of practices, texts, symbols, etc.); erasure of non-Christian/non-Christian influenced beliefs and practices⊠The list really is endless and, unfortunately, Christian hegemony remains a pervasive problem within the broader witchcraft community.
But how does it impact folk magic in particular? One need only scroll through a community board or a comment section on any article or post pertaining to folk magic to see for themselves the inferring that all folk magic has a Christian connection, and, in more extreme cases, the active push and insistence that this is the case and the accusations of inauthentic practices or stolen wisdom hurled toward non-Christian folk magic practitioners.
Unfortunately, youâll find plenty of practitioners claiming that folk magic is strictly Christian and that the term itself applies solely to Christian magic, and that non-Christian practitioners using the term folk magic are interlopers and usurpers of customs that they âdonât have any right or claim to.â That simply isnât the case. Folk magic is bigger than any one religion, and the term is a general identifier, a classifier of a type of magic, not a name that is applied to one particular belief set. Some folk magic is Christian or Christianized, but some is not. For instance, there are forms of Jewish folk magical practices, Pagan folk magical practices, Buddhist folk magical practices, non-religious folk magical practices, and a wide array of other non-Christian paths of folk magic. To say or believe otherwise is to actively participate in the erasure of non-Christian beliefs and practices.
Christian hegemony may seem to those who donât suffer the negative impacts of it little more than an annoyance, but when a decently large portion of the witchcraft and occult communitiesâ Christian/formerly Christian but still maintaining Christian programming/Christian-influenced voices actively seek to push non-Christian/not Christian enough practitioners out, to speak over or âforâ non-Christian practitioners, to âborrowâ from non-Christian customs and beliefs and claim them as their own, and/or to actively promote the narrative that âfolk magic = Christianâ, we then have traversed far beyond the realm of annoyances and into the realm of harmful and dangerously problematic behavior, the ramifications of which (i.e. erasure and exclusion of/theft from minority voices and communities within witchcraft spaces) nearly never impacts the majority of the Christian community while greatly and negatively impacting already othered and marginalized peoples.
Again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Christian folk witch, and there are many folk magical traditions rooted within Christianity and practiced throughout various Christian-majority regions. Simply writing and speaking about Christian folk magic, practicing it, sharing your love and pride in your practice, educating about it â none of this is Christian hegemony. The problem comes when one represents Christian folk magic as the standard for folk magic, when one perpetuates the claims that other forms of folk magic all find their roots in Christian folk magic or have âborrowed fromâ Christian folk magic, when one partakes in the erasure of, theft from, or talking over practitioners of non-Christian folk magical crafts, or when one cannot unlearn their Christian biases and continues to judge others by those biases or hold others to those standards â these are all very commonly seen forms of Christian hegemony in action within the modern day folk magic community.
Iâll wrap up this section by stating that to attempt to represent all folk magic as being connected to or birthed from any one religion is wrong and offensive. When we do so, we not only disregard so many within the witchcraft community and practitioners outside of the witchcraft community all around the world, but we also disregard and erase the histories of countless cultures, peoples, and communities outside of our own.
the Modern Resurgence
Itâs no secret (nor is it much of a surprise) to see such a large amount of genuine and sincere practitioners finding their way back to folk crafts. You may ask why, and the answer (in my opinion) is a long one. The condensed version though, I believe, is that the rise in the return to folk craft is due to a number of factors (political, economic, and sociological) both in and outside of the witchcraft community.
Over the last 10+ years, the interest in connection with oneâs authentic roots has grown. DNA testing services for ancestry and genealogy purposes have profited massively off this interest, and a number of networks and organizations have popped up online that aim to help others learn how to research their familial backgrounds, as well as to learn more about the histories and cultures from which one hails.
These trends exist within the witchcraft community as well, and such topics have long been at the forefront of many magical community spaces, in part leading to the broader magical communityâs slow crawl toward realizing and addressing unethical tendencies and problematic foundations within many popular practices and systems within the world of witchcraft and within groups who overlap with the broader witchcraft community. Some who have left behind these magical systems and their communities have had to start from the bottom in learning an entirely new craft, and many have opted for taking on folk magic going forward.
Seeking Connection:
Delving into folk magic requires connection â connection to community, region, or ancestors; connection to the world around you; connection to oneself â and, indeed, strengthens connection and understanding in practitioners. Whether learning about folk magic leads to learning about oneself, or whether learning about oneâs background leads to folk magic, the end results can be a fulfilling and empowering thing, and can make for a beautiful, wholly authentic practice.
A decent chunk of practitioners finding their way to folk magic over the last few years have done so in an attempt to better connect with and embrace their own cultural histories and heritage, or to keep alive practices and customs associated with their cultural or familial backgrounds. There are also those who utilize folk magic as a means of ancestral connection or even ancestral veneration, keeping and tending a craft being no different or perhaps more effective than keeping and tending a shrine or grave.
Folk magic as a means of connection is any and all of these things â a vehicle for learning, understanding, and forging deeper connection, and a means of stewardship for cultural and familial history.
The Pursuit of Decolonization & Ethical Practice:
One reason weâve seen such a surge in interest in folk magic amongst younger generations is due to the ability such generations have to address difficult topics such as cultural appropriation, decolonization, and intersectional community building, conversations which, doubtlessly, have led many to understand and acknowledge problematic behaviors of their own, such as appropriation of other cultures or lack of knowledge in their own cultural backgrounds leading to ignorant actions towards others, and to attempt to address these issues and unlearn such behaviors; but also leading many to recognize problematic and harmful beliefs, practices, and behaviors across the world of witchcraft and within many popular magical and occult practices.
While many work to decolonize witchcraft on a large scale, some choose to start close to home, looking at their own connections to practices that are built on harmful frameworks or maintain and contribute to harmful, unethical issues within the witchcraft community. Some call this willful introspection and unlearning an act of decolonization, and many attempts to decolonize oneâs own mind, lifestyles, beliefs, and behaviors have led to seeking knowledge about oneâs background, oneâs ancestors, and the cultural world and behaviors of said ancestors.
For many practitioners of witchcraft and magic on such journeys, those roads have led them to discovering, studying, or taking up folk magic accessible to them through their own backgrounds or regional connections, as they find folk magic and building a craft around culturally rich beliefs and customs to which they are connected to be not only more authentic a practice for them, but to be something they feel is more ethical for them take part in, as well as being a means of healing (ancestral healing, cultural healing, etc.), all of which furthers their pursuit of attempting to unlearn colonialist narratives, behaviors, and ideologies that have influenced many magical and occult practices and communities.
The Importance of Folk Magic & Embracing Newcomers
Folk magic is so much more than âjust another magical pathâ or âjust another witchcraft style.â Folk magic is a means of keeping history alive, of keeping ancestral wisdom alive and in practice, of forging and enacting class solidarity through accessible, anti-elitist, anti-hierarchical practices, and of standing against a world where diversity is not valued, standing against a witchcraft community in which the mainstream would much rather we get in line with whatever commercialized, watered down, syncretized amalgamation of magic theyâre currently selling, because theyâd rather us shut up and pay up, buying into their insistence that magic is a pay-to-play system that can only be accessed through their products, their services, their connections.
To be a practitioner of folk magic is to walk the paths of historian, environmentalist, community advocate, healer, charmer, protector, crafter, and so much more all at once. Folk magic practitioners are keepers of the old ways, working to meet the needs of todayâs folk, and paving the way, keeping the fires going, for future generations of folk witches, all through authentic, adaptable practice that feeds the soul, cures what ails you, and makes right whatâs wrong.
To those already practicing and keeping folk magical traditions, I commend you for your work and dedication. And to those who may be taking their first steps on the path toward folk magical practice, I welcome you. So long as you come with genuine intentions, with willingness to do the work and to protect the sacred, youâre welcomed, wanted, and needed. I wish you well on your journeys.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING:
The majority of this post is the author's own opinion and interpretation based on experience in this field of witchcraft and magical community, and on the author's own research. Readers are welcome to conduct their own research on such topics and histories and come to their own conclusions.
'African Traditional Religion' - Lugira, Aloysius Muzzanganda
'An Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft' - Hutchinson, Francis
'Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic' - Wilby, Emma
'Cunning-Folk: Popular Magic in English History' - Davies, Owen
'Des RemÚdes Aux Traiteurs: An Introduction to Folk Medicine in French Louisiana' - Lançon, John Adrian
'Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Conjure' - Anderson, Jeffrey E.; Prof.
'Italian Cunning Craft: Some Preliminary Observations' - Maglicco, Sabina
'« Je jongle au Bon Dieu quand je traite » : Verbal and Herbal Healing in Francophone Louisiana' - Gavot, Dana David
'Mojo Workin': the Old African American Hoodoo System' - Hazzard-Donald, Katrina; Prof. / Dr.
'Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in 16th and 17th Century England' - Thomas, Keith
'Rituals of Resistance: African Atlantic Religion in Kongo and the Lowcountry South in the Era of Slavery' -Young, Jason
'Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore' - Milnes, Gerald
'the Soul Book: Introduction to Philippine Pagan Religion' - Demetrio, Franciso R. / Cordero-Fernando, Gilda / Nakpil-Zialcita, Roberto B. / Feleo, Fernando
'Traiteurs' - Gavot, Dana David
'Vietnamese Supernaturalism: Views from the Southern Region' - ÄĂ”Ì, Thiá»n
'Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teaching from the Philippine Ancestral Traditions' - Virgil Mayor Apostol
'The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present' - Hutton, Ronald; Prof.
