New World Witchery

CORY THOMAS HUTCHESON (Central Pennsylvania) is the cohost of the popular podcast New World Witchery. He has a doctorate in American Studies with specializations in folklore, religion, and ethnicity from Penn State. He is a contributor to the Oxford Handbook of American Folklore and Folklife Studies and American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales, and he has written for popular occult publications, including Witches and Pagans. www.CoryThomasHutcheson.com

• ContentsList of Exercises/Practical Work xiiiChapter One: The Crossroads—An Introduction and Guide to This Book 1FIRST RITE: NAMINGChapter Two: Are You a Good Witch?—Defining and Categorizing New World Witchery 13SECOND RITE: INITIATIONChapter Three: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son—The Call to Witchcraft and Magic 35Chapter Four: Killing the Moon—Initiation Rituals 53THIRD RITE: CASTING THE SPELL Chapter Six: Hair, Milk, and Blood—Cursing Magics 91FOURTH RITE: SECOND SIGHTChapter Seven: Wonders, Signs, and Tokens—Divination and Fortune-Telling 111Chapter Eight: Bloody Sod and Silver Spade—Treasure-Hunting Magic 131FIFTH RITE: FLIGHTChapter Nine: Salting Her Skin—The Witch in Flight 149SIXTH RITE: CHEWING THE ROOTChapter Ten: Hidden in Plain Sight—Everyday Magical Ingredients 169Chapter Eleven: Roots, Stones, and Bones—Gathering Magical Supplies 187Chapter Twelve: Ladders, Dolls, and Bottles—Crafting Magical Objects 211SEVENTH RITE: THE FAMILIARChapter Thirteen: The Witch's Companion—Creatures and Witchcraft 233Chapter Fourteen: The Dark Man in the Woods—Diabolical Rumors and Rites 249EIGHTH RITE: HALLOWING THE GROUNDChapter Fifteen: A Scratch above Her Eye—Defending Home and Hearth from Witchery 265Chapter Sixteen: The Devil’s Tramping Grounds—Magical Spaces and Places in the New World 281NINTH RITE: CALLING THE MOONChapter Seventeen: Topsy-Turvy Days—A Calendar of Bewitched Days 301Chapter Eighteen: At Dawn on the First of May—Magic by the Hour 323TENTH RITE: WORKING THE CHARMChapter Nineteen: Devils’ Books and Letters from Heaven— The Written Word and Witchcraft 343ELEVENTH RITE: NECROMANCYChapter Twenty: Those Are My Boys—Friendly Spirits in Folk Magic 361Chapter Twenty-One: The Witch's Ghost—A Haunted Legacy of Magic 377TWELFTH RITE: INVISIBILITYChapter Twenty-Two: Dangerous Games—Folk Magic in Contemporary Times 393CODACoda—The Thirteenth Rite: Witches in the Popular Imagination for Better or Worse 409Bibliography 415Index 433

"A whimsical and extensively researched journey into the lore and folk practices of the New World...This is, in every way, a love letter to lore and easily one of the most fun and fascinating books about witchcraft I've ever read."—Josh "Bones" McWilliams from the Cursed! and Hex-Files podcasts"Filled with hundreds of examples of American folk magic and folklore, no better word than 'trove' would describe such a manuscript as this, as it's truly filled with valuable information on the magical heritage of North America."—Jake Richards, author of Backwoods Witchcraft"A wonderful combination of culture, history, and ethnography culminates in a valuable guide to the world of healers, spirits and magical approaches to living."—Tony Kail, anthropologist and author of A Secret History of Memphis Hoodoo"Deep and extremely thorough, New World Witchery encapsulates the diversity of American folk magic as a distinct multifaceted contribution to the history and execution of witchcraft."—Christopher Orapello, cohost of the Down at the Crossroads podcast and coauthor of Besom, Stang & Sword"Hutcheson has crafted a definitive, yet accessible, book exploring the history and practices of North American witchcraft and magic. Trust me, you need this book on your bookshelf."—Judika Illes, author of Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells"[This book] provides just the right blend of magic and folklore that we need to navigate the complex streams of modern Witchcraft."—Lilith Dorsey, author of Water Magic"A veritable goldmine of history, folk magic and occultism, New World Witchery is the finest contribution to the study of witchcraft in the United Sates yet."—Via Hedera, author of Folkloric Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience"Overflowing with hundreds of pieces of folkloric knowledge, it is an unparalleled resource for traditional witches seeking to ground their practices in New World lore."—Christine Grace, co-host of the Betwixt and Between podcast"This is an exceptional manuscript. Well written, readable at a number of educational levels and I like the organization of topics...I predict that this will become a classic in the genre."—Jack Montgomery, author of American Shamans: Journeys with Traditional Healers"Hutcheson has given us a perfect compendium for the time: well-organized and beautifully written...[This book] is filled with history and strange delights and invites the curious mind to go both farther afield and deeper."—H. Byron Ballard, author of Roots, Branches, and Spirits"[Hutcheson] lays a sumptuous banquet of folk tales and witchlore before us, collected carefully over years of respectful research and written for this modern age, combined with page after page of lord-get-your-hands-dirty practical workings."—Tara-Love Maguire, co-author of Besom, Stang, and Sword and co-host of Down at the Crossroads podcast"Cory Hutcheson has gifted us with a wide-ranging and in depth look at the witchcraft and magical traditions of North America...The book is a dream and a charm all of its own."—Aidan Wachter, author of Six Ways: Approaches and Entries for Practical Magic"[Hutcheson's] gentle, magical voice takes the reader through one of the most expansive and thorough examinations of North American folk magic I've ever seen. It is a masterwork."—Fire Lyte, host of the Inciting a Riot podcast"A perfect blend of history, folklore, practice, and path-crafting that any magical practitioner can benefit from. Cory writes with a warm and conversational voice that is a pure joy to read."—Laura Tempest Zakroff, author of Weave the Liminal