The Great October Book Giveaway - Folk Magic

So many thanks to everyone who joined me for the October festivities this year! I had a wonderful time and am thrilled that folks still want to play along each year. I've drawn the last names (Aly, Gay, Shelby, and Mara have all been sent emails) and I'm wrapping up the final books to head out to their new homes.

I hope these last two months of the year are good to you and yours. Stay well and safe, and thank you again for gathering around the fire with me.

xoxo Jen

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The salt shaker was on its side, little pebbles of the stuff scattered around it. Without thinking I pressed my fingers into the crystals and then flicked them over my left shoulder. Then I laughed and whispered "sorry, sweet devil," as I also happen to have a soft spot for the fellow, which that particular action was meant to thwart. There were a number of times while cleaning, that I did something which might seem strange to others but was unconscious or natural to me. Singing charms while sweeping. Drawing symbols on the doors with saliva or blessed water. Tucking a coin somewhere. Muttering a piece of a psalm. None of it on its own would be considered 'magic' necessarily. But all together, these actions weave together an enchantment to keep my living space safe and healthy.

My grandmother was not a witch. She was a 'good Christian woman' who raised seven children, grew roses like no one else, and kept my grandfather mostly in line. She could also heal a bee sting with a potato, cure whatever ailed you with food from her kitchen, and keep away pests and unwanted solicitors from her door with an ever-present box of Borax. I have never had any doubt that she was magic. 

Folk magic is, just as the term implies, the magic of the common 'folk' in a family, an area, or a culture. In many cases the people employing those charms, ways, or songs might not label it as magic. They may consider it a gift from their land or their god(s), a gift passed through a familial line, or simply a learned skill. It was most often what was done to protect a family or home, heal what was harmed, and bring things or people closer (or push them away). Folk magic was, and oftentimes still is, a tool of practicality or necessity. 

It is so much more than this, of course. And that is why I am leaving it to these next brilliant authors to introduce us to their studies, practices, and experiences of folk magic. I know you'll learn a great deal from them.

I have four books that present folk magic in beautiful, fascinating, practical (and sometimes painful) ways. Once you've read these books, you'll surely spot magic everywhere, and want to dig into your own familial and cultural history to track it down even further.

Our first book is one that will keep you busy, but the time spent here will bring nothing but rewards. New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic, by Cory Thomas Hutcheson of New World Witchery fame is, frankly, jaw-dropping. It is part history book, part enchanting folktale, a good helping of spellwork, a smidgeon of a recipe collection, plus a wink of devilish fun. It's as though the author took a basket out into the woods and rooted out the treasures of what magic was, and is, and could be, and brought them back just for us. 

Magic in plain sight, the witch's flight, friendly spirits and unfriendly (baneful) magic. Tricksters and devils, healing and love, and how to launch a good defense. Creatures, cryptids, spell containers and charms. I don't know that there is any topic that Cory doesn't at least give us a glance at, and he is quick to recommend further reading for those things that excite our interest. What impresses me most, though, is that there is a genuine effort to bring awareness to the places where the pursuit of magic can harm others - racism, cultural appropriation, sexism, and indifference to physical ability/ableness. There are also sections called "Singing Bones" where we are introduced to healers, witches, and magical folk in history. There is no question that those who were considered 'other' were not usually looked kindly upon in days of old. I'm glad some of these people get their names honoured in this book.

There is a strong sense that the place of magic shapes the form of magic. - C.T. Hutcheson

Fever Tree: Charms Against Fever in Appalachian Folk Magic  by Rebecca Beyer of Blood and Spicebush is a book that very much speaks to a place and form of magic. Appalachian healing traditions are a spellbinding example of how folk magic from one area can be similar to folk magic in another place, yet maintain the distinct flavour of the bio-region it was practiced in. The fever spoken of in the title is not a simple rising of body temperature due to an internal battle of our immune system. In the early days of communal-living people, fever was looked at as sentient and able to manifest. It brought sickness and disease. It was therefore crucial that it be prevented from laying hold, and there were a number of folks trained in ways help and heal, if it did. 

Rebecca introduces us to a host of people doing the good work of ridding contagion, from blood stoppers and granny women to charm doctors and burn whisperers. We are made acquainted with methods and ingredients that were employed by healers, as well as magical actions (or in some case, inaction) that were mean to chase fever away. If you've ever had an interest in folk healing, or specifically the Appalachian region, this book is a must-read! 

"Folk medicine does not stand still in time," says Beyer in this riveting study, "and today, this living tradition continues to grow and change as the people who heal with their hands continue to make and use the medicines of the mountains." 

This compact but captivating book is part of the Law of Contagion Series published by Three Hands Press and is a limited edition publication (there were only 400 copies printed). Do grab one while you can!

Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience: A Crucible at the Crossroads, by Via Hedera is our next selection, and one that I think belongs on everyone's bookshelf. I wish it were ten times the length that it is, because the author's writing and research pulls you directly into the stream of folk magic in North America (specifically the USA) and takes you into the hidden eddies to show you where charms mingle with tricks, and where family/ancestors, festivals, and local flora and fauna all have made a place for themselves in these practices. Most importantly, Via pages through the history books and offers up carefully selected gems, all through the unique lens of her own multicultural experience. 

There isn't a voice like Via's in the folk magic community, because there is no one else like Via. "I speak as a witch who seeks to promote the magical traditions of my ancestors and the witchery they brought here; from Africa, from Europe, from Asia, from Turtle Island - because for some Americans, like me, this is who we are and all we know."

This is necessary reading for anyone interested in folk magic. There is no 'one source' for magic - no one owns it - and Via shows us how these practices have melted together in the cauldron of North America, carried here by people from afar, as well as cultivated on this soil long before others arrived here. You'd do yourself a kindness by reading Via's blog as well, and I am hoping she will do us a kindness by publishing more books!

The charms we know today are most often hold-overs from those who came before us. We can trace their worries and daily fears through their common superstitions. We can view the world through their experiences when we tap into the charms they too utilized. Magic like this is an heirloom, one we ought to treasure for the simple lesson to be learned. - Via Hedera

Roots, Branches & Spirits: The Folkways and Witchery of Appalachia, by H. Byron Ballard is another collection of magical heirlooms and practical magic that I know you will love. I was utterly entranced by the author's storytelling. The rich tapestry of their particular area of the Appalachians, the history and the heartache, and the deep magic that runs through the mountains and the people there. Reading this book feels like sitting on a porch with an old friend who is imparting tales and wisdom they learned over their lifetime.

"This land is a holdover to another time: one of kindred bonds that are almost unbreakable, where blood feuds can transcend generations, and where old women carry secret knowledge." While there are important stories of place here, there is also a good sharing of recipes (receipts), herb lore, charms, and even a few ghostly tales. What better to curl up with during the long nights ahead?

If you haven't met and read our authors already, they each have truly excellent blogs and writings available that you will enjoy. Simply click through the links on their names above and you'll find them! A very special thanks this time around to Cory Hutcheson and Byron Ballard who are generously donating their autographed books to you!

This last game of trick-or-treat will run the month out - you will have until midnight on November 1st to get your name in the hat. Please make sure to leave me a way to contact you if you win (your email or social media tag). As always, you can let me know which book you'd prefer and I'll do my best to make that happen. And if you want to improve your chances, you can share this giveaway with your friends on social media and then let me know you did, and I'll put your name in the hat again. I'll draw the winning names when I awaken on All Souls morn (November 2nd).

Thank you so much for playing along this year! It has been quiet here of late, but I couldn't imagine not having these October games. I'm so glad you joined me around the bonfire and I hope you'll find some good reading at your side as autumn moves toward winter. Happy reading!

Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America,  who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law.  Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.

*  Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada).  The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself.  I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone.  This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hys

The Great October Book Giveaway - Stars and Seasons

Thank you to all who stopped by to enter! The folks taking books home this round are: Kathy, Catherine, Jennifer H, and Jessica. I've contacted everyone, and now we are gearing up for the last giveaway. Check back in the darkest hours of tomorrow night! (Or, pop by with your coffee on Thursday morning - no judgement.)
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I spent last night with my head thrown back, watching the stars while the first outdoor fire of the darktide kept the chill at bay. Owls questioned each other across the creek, and the full moon rose over the charred western hills. It was a bittersweet time, initiating a new fire bowl, welcoming back the flames that keep my spirits up all winter, giving thanks for the final harvests of the land I live and garden upon, all while acknowledging the loss of the forests under that moon which were ravaged by wildfire this summer. I lingered, noting constellations until the sky was overcome by moonlight, and all but the brightest, twinkling stars faded beneath the luminescence.

Marking time and tide is important to me. It all goes by so remarkably fast, so it gives me a sense of peace to sit with moments, stars and seasons, and feel my place alongside and within them. These next books I have gathered up for you are all bits of starlight that I have found invaluable in helping me observe my unique space in the world and settle into the deep magic of it all, even as time sprints by and the tides rise and fall.

For this giveaway, I have three enchanting books and one celestial planner which will assist you in charting your own life and seasons, in the best ways possible.

The calendar, or the year itself, has always seem particularly alive to me. I see it as having a tide or breath, and the seasons a result of the inspiration and expiration of this great being. Some places in the world, the tides of the year don't retreat and return as much as others. Perhaps you've never seen snow, or your winters settle in for half the year and spring and autumn are but a blink of an eye. But we all look to a calendar year to mark our days, and wherever we are there are seasons of some kind to observe. In Seasons of a Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living, the marvelous H. Byron Ballard offers us a look at the waxing and waning of the year and its most common traditions and celebrations. She weaves in folklore and practical magic - activities, skills, and chores - and suggests ways for you to work in concert with your landbase. I especially adore the morsels she gives us at each season's end - that strange, liminal time as one part of the year melts into the next. There are such good tasks proposed here, beautiful tales of home and hearth, and an excellent smattering of essays at the forefront of the book, that "better inform the journey," as Ballard says. I can see "Seasons of a Magical Life" having a permanent place out on the side table with your favourite farmer's almanac, perpetual calendar, or book of days. 

And while you are charting your year, why not give yourself the added benefit of working with the stars? Especially the ones you were born under! Astrology can seem like a foreign language (and that's even before you are looking at your own birth chart) but when you have these next authors helping you out, it becomes more like a symphony. 

Astrology for Real Life: A Workbook for Beginners, by Theresa Reed, is the book I would absolutely hand everyone who is starting their journey with astrology. The author has gifted us a wildly fun and sharp read, and makes you feel as though grasping the topic is not at all impossible. The book is packed with information, charts, exercises, and it's all put together in a friendly, visually pleasing way. If you ever wanted to have a good understanding of how to read your own chart, this is your book!


You might surmise that someone who didn’t want children, and then very-very-much-did, and then possibly couldn’t, and then raised abandoned kittens and wild/wonderful nieces and gardens instead, well…you might think that a book about understanding your child through an astrological lens, might be out of place in this someone's library. Ah, but you haven’t flipped through this treasure of an astrology book. Briana Saussy's latest release, Star Child: Joyful Parenting Through Astrology is not just for parents, but for all of us reaching back to comfort the awkward or confused child that we once were. It gives us an understanding of how we might have leaned this way or that - what might have influenced us - and why we saw things in a certain way. I'll admit to being a little wistful while reading it, wishing I could have handed it to my parents to help them understand this odd Virgo a little better when I was young. Star Child shows us how the glorious stars we were born under gave us tools to navigate a startling and baffling world, and if you are a parent it gives you extra vision into your child and how to relate to them based on their stars.

We round out this giveaway with an invaluable tool for outlining your year and marking your own time and transits. Planning by Starlight, is a collaboration between sacred artist and author Briana Saussy and photographer, visual artist, and magic maker Jacquelyn Tierney and it is a game changer. It takes you through the year at a glace, gives plenty of room for monthly and weekly notes and observations, and includes all the important planetary/astrological movements you need to know for 2022. Jacquelyn has graciously offered up a digital planner for one lucky person and I know this will shift the way you look at your year.

In their own words,

"We believe that an excellent planner is going to do a few things really well and skip a bunch of stuff that, at the end of the day, really doesn’t matter. As two ladies who LOVE planners, agendas, and calendars of all kinds, and as two astrologers who actively work with the moon, sun, stars, and planets, to plot out the days, weeks, months, and years of our lives, we know that there are certain things we look for in a planner.

First and foremost, we want a planner that supports our lives by helping us remember our purpose. The point of a planner (agenda, calendar, etc) is not to spend all of your time working on your planner - updating lists and ticking off check boxes.

Nope.

The point of a planner is to support you so that you can do more of what you love, less of what you don’t, and most importantly fully engage in whatever it is you are doing at the time. In other words, a good planner supports you in being present."

 

This giveaway is for a digital copy of Planning by Starlight - the photos are used for illustration - but you can follow the link and buy the hardcover book if you like (which come with a course).

I have one copy of each book and one digital copy of the planner to give away. Please click through the links to take a better look at each item or check out the lovely authors.

The game remains the same - your comment is your entry. Please ensure I have a way to get in touch with you if you win. Leaving your email address in your comment in safe manner (Jen loves books AT gmail) makes it easy for me to let you know if your name is drawn. You can feel free to let me know which item you would prefer if your name is picked and I'll do my best to match people with their choices. Please have your entry in by 9pm on Monday, October 25th! Also, while it is never necessary, if you want to share this month's festivities out in the world (social media post or the like) then I'm happy to give you a second entry - just let me know you've spread the word and I'll put your name in the hat again!

Special thanks go out to Byron Ballard for generously offering up a copy of Seasons of a Magical Life, and to Jacquelyn Tierney for gifting a digital copy of Planning by Starlight!


 Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America,  who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law.  Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.

*  Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada).  The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself.  I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone.  This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hyssop.

The Great October Book Giveaway - Memento Mori

Congratulations to Ambrose, Rommy, and KH! I've contacted everyone, and now it's time to go howl at the full moon. Fly by tomorrow as the full October moon rises again and there will be a new handful of treats to be had!
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Memento mori. Remember death. Remember that you must die. It seems impossible that we could forget such a thing after spending the last year and a half navigating a pandemic that has ushered over four million people to their graves, worldwide. We should want to set death aside for a while, shouldn't we? Perhaps. And yet, death doesn't stand aside for anyone. It is a vital part of the human experience. 

In many cultures death is not something to hide from or fear. It is holy. A transition to be celebrated. Every part of this process, from how we take care of the body, to how (or if) a person is buried, and the customs and celebrations that might happen for years afterward, can be a reverent and sometimes jubilant practice that connects us to our ancestors, even as we become them. 

Although many of us remember our dead year-round, this month is particularly suited for ancestral reverence. It also seems like an auspicious time to befriend our own impermanence. I have some wonderful tools to assist you if you should wish to use this hallowed tide to contemplate your mortality. 

In much of the United States, Canada, and England, the protocol around death and burial follows a Christian, or Christian-adjacent etiquette. It is sanitary, modest, and rote. A body goes somewhere and is 'dealt-with' (by folks we've trusted to handle that task), while live people gather in a church or cemetery for a memorial service. But what if we, or our beloved dead, are of a different faith? How might those on paths that fall under the pagan umbrella ritualize our passing, or navigate the bereavement process in a way that respects our beliefs and practices? In their book Do I Have to Wear Black: Rituals, Customs & Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagan, Mortellus takes a look at multiple Pagan paths and how they address death, offering up some corresponding prayers and rites, as well as how we might care for those left behind. The book examines various views of death and the afterlife, plus includes practical information on advanced planning (wills, funerary arrangements). Mortellus is a mortician and medium, as well as an author, and their expertise shines through in this book. Do I Have to Wear Black is an informative and friendly read, and one I think will offer a helping hand in preparing for the loss of a loved one, or even planning our own departure.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death, by Caitlin Doughty is a superlative (and spooky) journey through the wider world's death customs and funerary rites, told through the unique lens of its mortician author. It is a bright and fascinating book, for a subject that may seem heavy, and the author weaves a good balance of wit and reverence while recounting her research. She brings to light how many people in the western world fear death, and how other cultures embrace, celebrate, and honour the transition out of the human body. (Unsurprisingly, Caitlin is a foundational figure in the death positive movement and the architect behind The Order of The Good Death, a community of funeral-industry folks, along with academics and artists, who have come together to envision and create ways to address how we face our end-of-life experience.) From Here to Eternity is engrossing - I kept wanting to read one more chapter...Spain! Bolivia! Japan! - and I know it will be another perfect addition for your reading stack this month.

We close the casket on this giveaway with a handsome piece to rest with...or wear around your neck. A delightful winged skull named "Gilbert," hand cut from an original drawing, in sterling silver. His creatrix is the brilliant Patricia Tozer, (Tree Speaks to Stone) who was inspired by the engravings found on 18th century gravestones in New England. This memento mori has a special patina added so that his best features stand out, and he will happily guard you (and remind you of life's impermanence) from the end of an eighteen inch chain. I am an ardent fan of Pati's creations and own a few of their gorgeous talismans, so I know that whoever welcomes Gilbert home will be very lucky indeed! You can take a look at more of Pati's extraordinary art here.

This giveaway will run until 9pm (Pacific) on Tuesday, October 19th. Your comment is your entry, and if you have your eye on something in particular you can let me know what you'd prefer if you win. I try my best to match up names drawn with their preferences when possible. Please ensure there is a way for me to contact you if you win. An email left in a safe format, such as: JenLovesBooks AT gmail dot com, is best. If you are of a more private sort, you can always enter via the contact form at the bottom of the side column (I've been getting all the entries sent that way, so no worries). 

This month has already been such a hoot - thank you to all who are joining in on my October fun!

Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America,  who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law.  Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.

*  Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada).  The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself.  I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone.  This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hyssop.