This comprehensive guide to North American folk magic covers more than twenty diverse magical traditions that have taken root on the continent. You will discover the Northeastern maritime practice of 'buying the wind,' the Mexican Curanderismo method of energy cleansing with candles, the Irish- American custom of making fairy houses, and much more. Drawing on the expertise of twenty-five renowned practitioners, this book explores authentic magic from New England to the West Coast and everywhere in between. Learn about Appalachian folk magic from H. Byron Ballard, Voodoo from Lilith Dorsey, Ozark folk magic from Brandon Weston, and Brujeria from J. Allen Cross. Filled with history, tools, and spiritual beliefs, this new entry in Llewellyn's Complete Book Series showcases the rich and varied magical traditions of North America.

Featuring nearly 500 samples of folklore, including stories, artifacts, rituals, and beliefs, New World Witchery is one of the most comprehensive collections of witchcraft and folk magic ever written. This treasure trove of witchery is designed to help you integrate folk traditions into your life and deepen your understanding of magic. Folklore expert Cory Thomas Hutcheson guides you to the crossroads of folk magic, where you ll learn about different practices and try them for yourself. Explore chapters on magical heritage, divination, flying, familiars, magical protection, spirit communication, and more. This in-depth, accessible book also provides brief profiles of significant folk magicians, healers, and seers, so you can both meet the practitioners and experience their craft.

"Ye are twenty-five cards. Become twenty-five devils Enter into the body, into the blood, into the soul ." So begins a nineteenth century Italian charm making use of a small deck of playing cards. This brief-but-richly drawn book explores the practice of divination by playing cards-known as cartomancy. It reveals the "secrets in plain sight" which hide within the pips, kings, queens, and jokers of a standard deck. Explore one method of divination in-depth as you meet the "fifty-four devils"-the symbolic spirits of each card-and learn about invoking ancestral blessings for card readings, the folklore of playing cards, and how to relate fairy tales to a spread along the way. -From the back cover