I genuinely don’t understand how you shared the Appalachian folk magic post and said it’s open for anyone, but, if you don’t have Appalachian roots, how is that different from taking any other closed cultures practice and claiming it as your own. As a second generation American with a mash up of eastern European genetics, I’d feel just as odd attempting to practice Appalachian granny magic as I would hoodoo. Care to explain what determines this besides someone just declaring it is or isn’t ok?
It’s very common all across Tumblr and also here on my blog to talk about practices that are open/closed/semi-closed based off of what is known about it, and then if people are misinformed or I am misinformed then IMO it’s important to be corrected and/or have more discussion. If someone of Appalachian heritage who practices granny magic was informing me of reasons why they feel uncomfortable with me saying it’s “open,” and they feel that it’s very much closed or semi-closed, then I would be very happy to listen to their perspective, fact-check myself with more research, and then change how I describe that practice if needed. I feel like it’s incredibly important to admit when I’ve got my perspective or information wrong and make adjustments. I want to work as hard as I can not to engage in or perpetuate any form of cultural appropriation. When someone takes the time to help with this, it’s greatly appreciated.
I’m not infallible, and that’s why I am very glad when people let me know if I’ve misspoken or misstepped and try to educate me on a practice or culture they are a part of just like I try to do for other people about my practices and cultures. When we’re willing to reach out and also willing to listen, we can all grow as a community in that way. I always want to be part of that on both sides. But rather than coming from that perspective of trying to inform or correct me as someone who practices Appalachian granny magic and who’s from Appalachian culture, you are coming at me on anon with a rather accusatory tone even though you say that you’re not a part of that specific culture based on your heritage. There’s nothing wrong with your questions, they’re important questions to ask and think deeply about. I’m pointing out that the attitude isn’t appreciated or necessary, anon.
I did not grow up in the Appalachian mountains (or even anywhere rural), so I cannot speak for that culture and as I already mentioned, if someone who is a part of that culture feels differently about it then I’d be very interested to hear their perspective and learn more. That being said, I’ve done my best to research from reliable sources and do my due diligence to understand where Appalachian folk magic comes from and whether or not it’s appropriate to recommend it as open to anyone to learn and practice regardless of their ancestry or background. “Open,” by the way, doesn’t mean a free-for-all grab whatever you want out of context. I mean it in the sense that anyone regardless of their background can study it and can learn to practice it from appropriate and authentic sources. I think a basic respect for any culture and any tradition even if it’s “open” should include these considerations.
Appalachian folk magic primarily comes from Irish, Scottish, and European folk magic traditions brought to the Appalachian Mountains by European immigrants. It is a primarily Eurocentric American folk magic tradition. It is important to note that there are other influences too such as influences from hoodoo in it. There are places where they overlap with each other, but they also developed historically in very different contexts. Hoodoo was originally developed by black African and African-descended slaves as a means for survival, personal agency, and cultural preservation in the midst of hundreds of years of horrific and inhumane treatment. Appalachian folk magic as practiced by white European immigrants and their descendants did not develop within the conditions of slavery. Despite some of the overlap and cultural exchange between these traditions, the historical and racial dynamics that contributed to the development of each one are vastly different in nature.
Cultural appropriation by definition is when someone borrows aspects from a non-dominant culture in ways that are not welcomed or permitted by that non-dominant culture. The term typically isn’t applicable to religions, traditions, or practices that are mostly related to or derived from dominant cultures. In theory, this would absolutely be the case for Appalachian granny magic given that it is primarily based in British, Irish, and Scottish folk magic. Now, sometimes there may be exceptions to this general guideline for various reasons, which is why I decided to search for authentic sources on Appalachian granny magic written by people who are legitimate practitioners from that culture. Here’s what I found, which to me seems to indicate very clearly that Appalachian folk magic is indeed an open practice.
First of all some background from folklorist and historian Anthony Cavender who wrote Folk Medicine in Southern Appalachia based on oral histories and archival sources from the nineteenth century to the present.
“To some observers, past and present, the distinctiveness of Southern Appalachian people is situated not in ethnicity, for it would be problematic to argue that they are a distinct ethnic group, but rather in the commonly accepted belief that they were victimized by culture lag due to geographical isolation” (Cavender xiii).
“There never was nor is there now a variety of folk medicine unique to Southern Appalachia. To be sure, one can identify nuances of difference in comparison to other Euro-American populations. The fundamental folk medical beliefs used by Southern Appalachians to explain the cause of illness, however, are not peculiar to them. The same beliefs have been well documented among Euro-American populations in other parts of the country as well as among African Americans” (Cavender xiii).
Mountain Magick: Folk Wisdom from the Heart of Appalachia is written by Edain McCoy, who is a descendant of the McCoy family from Kentucky. The description of her book says,
“In today’s magickal community, Anglo-Celtic religions seem to be the most popular. Even if you are following a British or Irish tradition, you should not overlook the rich folk magick as revealed in Mountain Magick. Many of the people (and their traditions) in this area come from the Scottish and English immigrants who settled there as long ago as the mid-1700s. That is why you will find information on how to integrate the Appalachian folkways with your magickal lifestyle” [x].
Rebecca Beyer is the blogger of Blood and Spicebush, who was born in Appalachia and also researches, writes about, and teaches Appalachian folk magic. She makes it clear that her concerns are for cultural appropriation within Appalachian folk magic of indigenous cultures (as there are some Native influences) and from POC (due to hoodoo influences). She writes,
“I tell my students whether we are studying Medieval herbalism or Appalachian folk charms against ghosts, that some things are not meant for us. I was born in Appalachia, but raised all over this country, and that means that those things to which I am privy are different than those things that are privy to someone who was born and raised here in these mountains that I call home.
I do not mourn that, for what good would that do me. It is a reality to live in the sometimes-discomfort of realizing we all have access to different things and have different work to do. Living in shame or envy is not the answer. Just as we face the privileges afforded to us by our whiteness, class and/or ability, we must closely and lovingly examine the traditions we engage in for spiritual gain as well… We can do it without spiritual picking-and-choosing in appropriative ways that cause harm to indigenous folks and POC” [x].
I hope these sources and my explanations thoroughly answer your question, anon. In short, my stating that Appalachian granny folk magic is an open tradition is not about whether or not I have Appalachian heritage but ultimately a part of a broader discussion about cultural appropriation, the dynamics of dominant and non-dominant cultures, the history of how this Eurocentric tradition developed compared to other American folk traditions, and most importantly the voices of actual practitioners of Appalachian folk magic who do have a right to that culture and have chosen to teach and share it with others.
So with that, I invite anyone who has more information to please join in the discussion! I hope that I am correct in my understanding of this tradition being open, but if not then I am very open to feedback and learning more.
