Laying The Foundations: Part 1

     A few days of thinking and soul searching have been done since the last post. While I had thought I had a basic direction for how posts should unfold and be written, my eagerness got in the way. So, I took some time to rethink and reposition myself a bit and came to an answer.

     I had initially thought to just throw things out about the practice and my studies and just categorize them as I go. Better sense took over and I decided that before anything can be taught, groundwork has to be laid. You don't build a house on the sand and all that...

    So I have decided that I am going to begin by laying some groundwork and foundations before I cover anything too deep. Not only will this help you, dear reader, but will also allow me to revisit some ideas and concepts to hopefully get a better grip on this thing. So in this installment I am going to lay out some bare basics not only about the practice but myself as well. 

A bit about the Author

     I guess the best place to begin is to state that I am self-taught. I did not have a grandparent who secretly taught me any of this at their kitchen table nor did anyone appear to teach me any of this. In fact I was raised between the Free-Will Baptist and Pentecostal sects of Christianity during the Satanic Panic. Anything resembling all this was forbidden to talk or even think about.

No, Ladies and Gentlemen, this all began with a desire to peer behind the curtain of Christianity and see what really was under the surface. I began with studying the lunacy of the Satanic Panic and the rise of groups like PTL and televangelist scammers. However I stumbled down a rabbit hole when I began looking at more 'Orthodox' versions of the faith...more on that later.

    For the most part I walked this path alone and while there were various people who appeared and pointed me certain directions none of them stayed long and moved on to other things. Many of them would be shocked at where I have come to from their advice.   

    I came upon the traditions of the Ozarks, Appalachia and the cunning folk of Britain by a related folklore study and it was years before I would actually chase that particular rabbit. That being said, I want to plainly state that; I am in no way an authority or expert on any of this. I just happen to be someone who has devoted several years of study into various connected subjects and arrived where I am now. 

    Christianity but not that Christianity

   After my initial studies I found a desire to dig deeper into Christianity as a whole and see just what was under the surface. The current Evangelical Churches have done a good job of removing many things that were part of the faith for centuries. The mythology, legends, mysticism, rites and rituals of early Christian sects have been gutted and only a few of them even exist in the most basic of forms today; if anything did survive it was so watered down and bastardized that it is not recognizable any more. 

    There was surprise, joy and some skepticism in what I found as I dug into all of these things and found not only a faith that was just as dynamic an complex as what the ancient mystics in Greece and Egypt had thought of but that this faith was right in front of me all the time. There was much more under the surface than I had ever known and I was thrilled to find it all. 

    It was in this course of study that I found two things that would alter the course of my whole life: Christian Mysticism and Celtic Christianity. These two things would form the foundation of everything to come after and are still cornerstones of my life. In fact, everything that I have learned from then to now were and are looked at and on through those lenses and probably will be for the rest of my life. 

    My daily life includes using techniques from both to get through the day and to continually improve myself. The so-called three-fold path of Purification, Illumination and Unification have been a driving force for years as well as the mystic idea of transformation. As well, Celtic Christianity seems to lend itself to these ideas almost naturally and they make a good fit. 

    Deeper studies into Folk and Esoteric Christianity followed as well as times where my faith would be shattered by a discovery only to find that it helped me grow. Somehow, against all odds, I divorced myself from Evangelical and Fundamental Christianity and on the other side I found that my faith had grown and not died. I was still a Christian but...not a believer in what could be called mainstream Christianity. In fact I have become quite allergic to it all. 

    While Christianity is the central pillar of my practice and my chose belief system; it is quite possibly not a Christianity that you would recognize in the Midwest...nor is it even remotely like the 'Christianity' of certain red hat cults.

    One Last Thing

    We have to come to a point that the rubber meets the road and what is going to be said must be. This is not some feel good, happy manifesting, love-in. It's nowhere near fluffy bunnies and unicorns on rainbows. This path requires real work, a somber and sober look at who you really are and what you could be. There is risk, there is real danger and there is no room for doing any of this half way. 

    Yes there are great rewards out there. There are things you can and will see that will overjoy and give you feelings of hope you never felt before. This also has the potential for you to connect to something much larger than yourself. But it is serious and required serious work. Do not enter into this lightly and do not think that this is a path to get what you most desire out of life, it's not. 

Until next time, take care and Be Blessed.

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What it Looks Like

    I think the best thing to do at this point is get a glimpse of what my practice looks like. Sometimes the best way to share information is to just get to it. So, let's pop the hood on this thing and see what it looks like inside. 

    The heart of this practice, as it is in Appalachian and Pennsylvania Dutch practices, is Christianity. For me that is the Via Media approach of the Episcopal and Anglican Church. I myself am what can be considered a High Church Episcopalian bordering on Anglo Catholic. Basically that's 10 dollar words to say I enjoy the rites and rituals of a more 'Orthodox' and liturgical Christianity. While this is not required it is my path and you will find many things in this tradition line up more with the so-called Orthodoxy than it does the Evangelical Churches (1). 

    As well I have included a healthy dose of Mystical and Celtic Christianity (including Neo-Celtic Christianity) as it meshes well with the above and makes, at least for me, a more solid foundation for everything else. The inclusion of Celtic Christian ideas also stems from my belief that 1) the Anglican and Episcopal Churches are descendants of the Celtic Church and 2) That Appalachian and Ozarks cultures are Celtic Cultures. 

    With this being rooted in Christianity and its Celtic expressions that means there is a focus on a few things that those from other traditions may not be familiar with. Veneration of saints is a big part for us. St. Brigid is venerated by us as the patron for our house, is one example and St. Michael for protection and dealing with troublesome spirits being another. Observance of certain Holy Days and seasons are another. For example the Seasons of Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent and Eastertide are all seasons we observe as well as others throughout the year. 

    There are also some other non-liturgical days we observe to mark the change of seasons where we live. Obviously all Solstices and Equinoxes have some observation as well as a few others throughout the year. If you are interested in this I would suggest picking up The Celtic Wheel of the Year by Meg Llewellyn to help you get a feel for it. 

    Other things coming from various traditions we have picked up is the honoring of ancestors and the honoring of certain spirits. We highly believe that God speaks to us through everything and some angels and helpful spirits will take animal forms to communicate with us. As well, we feel our ancestors are still around us and will guide us. We also honor their legacy and help. While we do not worship any of these be they Saint, Angel or Spirit we honor them and consider them allies. (2)

    My practice consists of mainly prayers and personal rites to petition for a certain outcome. I understand that outcome may not happen or may not happen the way I expect. For the most part it looks like a very official set of prayers with motions such as crossing oneself and certain hand positions for prayer. Most to all of which comes from Christian Tradition. However there are times when those prayers may be accompanied by the creation of a charm or sigil to give the prayer a physical form or items to be used during the prayer to help underscore the seriousness of the request. There actually is a long history of this in Christianity and Judaism and I suggest learning this. 

    Now for something that will be a bit controversial in this day and age. First off we have deal with some tough truths. The first is that this is a Christian Practice no matter your denomination or tradition and you are doing the practice a disservice if you try to divorce the two. Second is that there are times you will be making charms and sigils. Third is that spirits, angels and such are real and you will be dealing with them. Fourth and final for now is divination is a part of this thing. 

    So concerning that. I hear the Bibles being turned and verses are being loaded in the chamber. Save your comments not only on this but all of it as they will fall flat and be ignored. I'm not going to debate this. Later on I may explain the whys and wherefores but I have no interest in having a theological debate on any of this. You're literally going to be wasting your time. 

    That said, divination was a thing then and it is a thing now. Typically it was pendulums, some form of dowsing and various other practices such as reading thrown apple peels. The idea of divination, for me is to determine the will of God in a situation so that I can make a plan of action. It is most definitely not fortune telling though that has happened in the past with other practitioners. 

    From what I can gather playing cards were also used as well as maybe Lenormand Cards. Tarot was just not available and rarely used by many of the early Cunning Folk here. In all honesty I have yet to see any Tarot cards in this area that date earlier than the mid 20th century. I am not saying they don't exist I just have not seen them or heard stories of them being used.     

    So yes, I do perform some forms of divination but that is usually more for me and my family over others and it is always to determine the will of God in a given situation and to find the appropriate course of action. So far I have not had to do much for any outside my circle of family and friends but that may change. 

    As for tools of the trade I do have a few that I have bought but a good amount of those are items from my home or what I have found on hikes or salvaged from certain places. Most of the people here in the past were poor and had to use what they had on hand. Many things were done at the kitchen table or on the homestead with regular household items. In fact, I am going to say that unless you just want to buy something, or feel compelled to, you need not buy a single special thing to use in the practice. You more than likely have everything you need in your kitchen. 

    But what about books and such? Ok, personally I have a pretty decent sized library dedicated to this. It includes books on various subjects ranging from Celtic Christianity all the way to Hermeticism. This is not only a practice for me, it's also a hobby and a passion...though my wife would say it is an obsession. You really only need a Bible, preferably one with the Apocrypha included but any Bible will do. 

    My core three books are an NRSV Bible with Apocrypha, The Book of Common Prayer and St. Augustine's Prayer book. Nine times out of ten I that's all I need. The older practitioners just used a King James Bible and did amazing things. Now, usually those Bibles had notes, incantations, prayers and such written in them and also notes on what verse to use for what situation. These days a Bible and a patient and careful internet search can tell you what you need to know and in the time we have I will  also be posting what I have found for you to use. 

    Well friends, I see we have went a little long. So I am going to close here but I will be back with more to say and hopefully teach. Thank you for reading. 

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(1) Evangelical here is the classical meaning where it just means Protestant. It is in no way related to modern American Evangelicalism. 

(2) The Episcopal Church also believes the Church exists in 3 forms. 1. The Church Militant: which is the Church on Earth. 2. The Church Expectant: which is the Church awaiting entry to Heaven and 3. The Church Triumphant: which is the Church in Heaven. Members of all three are just as alive as you or I and even though we do not see them they are still around. 

Hello and Welcome

   

     Ozarks folk practices or Ozark Folk Magic is part of a family of practices and superstitions that are related to the practices of Appalachia, the Pennsylvania Dutch and other practitioners that emigrated to America from Europe. It falls under the umbrella of American Folk Magic but is, in my opinion, a distinct practice. Unfortunately a lot of the practice has died off and very little is left of the actual practices except for what was preserved by Vance Randolph in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, even what he collected can be questioned as Ozarkers do sometimes tend to bend the truth or outright lie to outsiders. 

    There have been recent attempts to revive the practice but with varying results and sometimes questionable motivations. I felt that now was the time to throw my hat in the ring, so to speak, to hopefully get a working 21st century practice that is both rooted in our traditions and relevant to the modern era. The first hard truth to this that we have to face is that that the Ozarks of the 19th century...hell, even the Ozarks of the 20th century is dead and gone. 

    I now realize I have been rambling a bit so let me reign this in. 

    The Ozarks, Appalachian and Pennsylvania Dutch practices are descended from what was called Cunning Folk or Cunning Man practices in Europe (Germany specifically) and the British Islands. Those practices more than likely stretch back to pre-Christian days but have become so rooted in Christianity that it is impossible and disingenuous to separate them now. 

    The Cunning Folk did many different things and operated as doctors, diviners, helpful magicians and so on. They seemed to know a bit about everything and were very helpful to have around. However many were suspicious of them and their abilities. Sadly more than a few were accused of being witches and were persecuted or killed. Many came to the American Colonies and worked there but again ran afoul many of the Churches and fled. Some to Appalachia and later to the Ozarks. 

    You can draw a line from the Ozarks to Appalachia back to the British Islands and see that this is part of a larger tradition. Unfortunately that line breaks in the 20th century as practitioners became fewer and fewer. The rise in education and being more accessible to the outside world was a part of it. Fundamentalist and Evangelical churches were another part. Pentecostal healers and preachers just didn't like having competition and neither did the doctors coming into the area. Children of Cunning Folk, or whatever you want to call them, also didn't want to carry on the practice. Some saw it as superstitious nonsense others, sadly saw it as devil worship.

    From what I understand, it was around the 1950s or so that the practice was pretty much at an end and was only on life support up until recently. And when I say recently I would say in the past 15 or so years that interest returned in the subject. In some ways you can say that the practice of Ozarks Folk Magic, the Granny Women, Goomer Men, Power Doctors and other names for it went extinct 70 years ago. 

    As I said, interest in the subject has returned but with few, if any, of the original practitioners left and not many surviving records we are in some ways starting over. It seems Appalachia fared better than we did and not as many of their traditions were lost due to the relation between the Ozarks and Appalachian people we can fill in the gaps a bit with what they are doing. 

    As I said before, my plan is to create a new practice rooted in the traditions and spirit of the past but relevant to the 21st century. This includes bringing in new ideas and ideas from similar traditions to fill in the gap. This also means that some things will have to be rebuilt whole cloth. It is a journey that has been years in the making and one I hope you will join me on.