larissalee's review against another edition
4.0
[Note: actual rating is 3.5, but I round up.]
[First Glance]
As a long time witch, I’ve studied various paths and cultures to see what speaks to my spirit. American folklore and practices are, I admit, one of my blind spots. I don’t connect to any one region because of being a military brat, so I lack the personal history and ties to a place that others might find spiritually relevant. When I saw this book available for review, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to look into my own country and culture for spiritual inspiration.
[Positive Bits]
The premise of this book is outlined very early on: “In some ways, I am hoping that picking up this book will be like unearthing a box buried at the crossroads for you and finding it stuffed full of folkloric odds and ends – a veritable treasure trove of witchery, if you will. Each little piece will tell you something about magic, and let you put together your own picture of folkloric witchcraft here and now.” As you explore this book, it truly dives into a variety of sources, from local tribal traditions to immigrant practices from other countries that settled here. The details are also regularly tied back to the current occult movements that match them, allowing you to draw the line between past and present with ease.
I enjoyed the author’s take on magical ingredient correspondences. I’m a big fan of finding your personal connection and symbolism in magic, and they took the time to mention something they get out of each item rather than rehashing the correspondences you find in every other sourcebook. In the same section, there’s an exercise that involves looking at your favorite foods or recipes and considering what magicks they would represent based on their ingredients – which is something I’ve done before, and it’s fascinating to look at your food in a magickal light (particularly if you’re an avid cook)!
Each section has interesting tasks to try, called The Work. After you’ve been exposed to one type of magical folklore, you’re invited to explore it within your own spiritual path. Several of them contained great questions to meditate or journal on, and I found myself pausing to consider how they related to my practice. I enjoy interactivity in books, so this is a major bonus point to the book as a whole.
[Less Enjoyable Bits]
This book is very heavily focused on folkloric knowledge, with much smaller sections tying it back to modern witchcraft. While intriguing if you like history and folklore as topics, I found myself a bit disappointed to slug through 480 pages of folklore when I had thought there’d be more active rituals and practices to explore. Considering how often folklore related to witches dips into talk of worshipping the Devil, I found myself less interested in the information provided when it was steeped in stories from that angle.
On the flip side, there were mentions of folklore that greatly intrigued me… only to be presented in one or two sentences and then never referenced again. For example, I live near the Chehalis tribe in the Pacific Northwest, and they were mentioned in a section about moon folklore. Apparently they see the moon as masculine, but we get one note to that effect and then nothing further. Living so close to multiple tribes, I wish more Native culture had been included as part of American folklore. Too often, we treat Natives as “other” and less American than the immigrants who supplanted them.
I think this book is geared toward an audience who wants to explore American folklore and folk magic but doesn’t want to dive into research alone. If that’s your focus, then it’s a good guide to jumping off points for exploring our history. If that’s not your cup of tea, then this book is a long and difficult trek through a portion of American history.
Is it worth the coin?
No – unless what I described is what you’re looking for. It wasn’t the guide to American folk magic that I had hoped to find, but it had value for someone exploring folklore for folklore’s sake.
[First Glance]
As a long time witch, I’ve studied various paths and cultures to see what speaks to my spirit. American folklore and practices are, I admit, one of my blind spots. I don’t connect to any one region because of being a military brat, so I lack the personal history and ties to a place that others might find spiritually relevant. When I saw this book available for review, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to look into my own country and culture for spiritual inspiration.
[Positive Bits]
The premise of this book is outlined very early on: “In some ways, I am hoping that picking up this book will be like unearthing a box buried at the crossroads for you and finding it stuffed full of folkloric odds and ends – a veritable treasure trove of witchery, if you will. Each little piece will tell you something about magic, and let you put together your own picture of folkloric witchcraft here and now.” As you explore this book, it truly dives into a variety of sources, from local tribal traditions to immigrant practices from other countries that settled here. The details are also regularly tied back to the current occult movements that match them, allowing you to draw the line between past and present with ease.
I enjoyed the author’s take on magical ingredient correspondences. I’m a big fan of finding your personal connection and symbolism in magic, and they took the time to mention something they get out of each item rather than rehashing the correspondences you find in every other sourcebook. In the same section, there’s an exercise that involves looking at your favorite foods or recipes and considering what magicks they would represent based on their ingredients – which is something I’ve done before, and it’s fascinating to look at your food in a magickal light (particularly if you’re an avid cook)!
Each section has interesting tasks to try, called The Work. After you’ve been exposed to one type of magical folklore, you’re invited to explore it within your own spiritual path. Several of them contained great questions to meditate or journal on, and I found myself pausing to consider how they related to my practice. I enjoy interactivity in books, so this is a major bonus point to the book as a whole.
[Less Enjoyable Bits]
This book is very heavily focused on folkloric knowledge, with much smaller sections tying it back to modern witchcraft. While intriguing if you like history and folklore as topics, I found myself a bit disappointed to slug through 480 pages of folklore when I had thought there’d be more active rituals and practices to explore. Considering how often folklore related to witches dips into talk of worshipping the Devil, I found myself less interested in the information provided when it was steeped in stories from that angle.
On the flip side, there were mentions of folklore that greatly intrigued me… only to be presented in one or two sentences and then never referenced again. For example, I live near the Chehalis tribe in the Pacific Northwest, and they were mentioned in a section about moon folklore. Apparently they see the moon as masculine, but we get one note to that effect and then nothing further. Living so close to multiple tribes, I wish more Native culture had been included as part of American folklore. Too often, we treat Natives as “other” and less American than the immigrants who supplanted them.
I think this book is geared toward an audience who wants to explore American folklore and folk magic but doesn’t want to dive into research alone. If that’s your focus, then it’s a good guide to jumping off points for exploring our history. If that’s not your cup of tea, then this book is a long and difficult trek through a portion of American history.
Is it worth the coin?
No – unless what I described is what you’re looking for. It wasn’t the guide to American folk magic that I had hoped to find, but it had value for someone exploring folklore for folklore’s sake.
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐
First up, I LOVE the cover of this one. On to my review...I enjoyed this one a lot! It was super interesting, full of magical folklore stories. It also had spells and rituals sprinkled throughout. That said, this isn't a sit down and read cover to cover type of book. More the type of book you pick and savour in bits and pieces.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
First up, I LOVE the cover of this one. On to my review...I enjoyed this one a lot! It was super interesting, full of magical folklore stories. It also had spells and rituals sprinkled throughout. That said, this isn't a sit down and read cover to cover type of book. More the type of book you pick and savour in bits and pieces.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
moonsand79's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Great introduction to folk magic!!
cloudss's review
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
fun! american folklore interwoven into a witches how to book. historical witch stories were my fav part (big surprise). heavily researched and points to other works in text for those looking to deep dive. more encyclopedic than exhaustive. goes thematically through topics that are generally associated with witches/magic. eye opening to the magic in everyday items and routines and a love letter to witches.
sakurahiganbana's review
5.0
Book Review: New World Witchery by Cory Thomas Hutcheson
I’d like to begin by saying that Hutcheson’s book New World Witchery is a wonderful read if you are a fan of folklore and folk practices. However, if you are looking for a book to teach you witchcraft, this is not that type of book.
That being said, I feel that New World Witchery is an important read as it is a deep dive into the various practices that exist in North America. The topic of folk practices, not all of them necessarily called witchcraft though it is categorized similarly in the book, is a sensitive one as the Americas has a deep-rooted history of colonialism and cultural appropriation. Hutcheson is explicit about the intent of the book as one to jump-start further research into folklore and folk practices and addresses the issue of cultural appropriation very early on. He also discusses the ethics of using materials used in closed practices, using smudging as an example. He goes into the question of ethics surrounding the use of white sage and how it impacts the indigenous community by asking questions such as “Is growing it ethical?”, “Are you giving back to the community in some way?”, and “Are you stealing native practices/co-opting native terms?” Making you think more critically about the reasons someone may have for using items such as white sage or dream catchers (as he mentions the mass-production of them and how little of the profits made from it benefit the communities they actually come from).
Hutcheson focuses more closely on folk beliefs on what witchcraft is in the eyes of communities like Pennsylvania Dutch practitioners, Appalachian folk practitioners, and so on rather than the more prevalent modern witchcraft movement. Because of the complex nature of various practices, Hutcheson takes a good amount of time discussing the differences and similarities present in these communities and goes on to explain that because he is using the term witch in the broader sense of the word, it does not mean that these practices are viewed as witchcraft by the members of the communities. Witchcraft then becomes more of a placeholder term to encompass the spectrum of magic used in the New World. Another thing that Hutcheson does well is the scope of practices he covers by including communities such as the Ozarks, PA Dutch Practitioners, Native American practices, Hoodoo, and the modern witchcraft movement. He goes in-depth and thoroughly explores the many avenues of lineages.
This book leans more towards academic study than most other books on witchcraft commonly found in circulation. Despite this, Hutcheson writes in such a way that makes all of the information digestible for those who aren’t used to academic literature. As far as writing style goes, Hutcheson does a wonderful job keeping the audience’s attention focused on the information presented instead of overwhelming them. To complement this, Hutcheson also includes a list of books after each chapter to help readers find more literature to explore the various topics discussed in the book. On top of all of that, he also has an extensive list of references throughout the book. Going over 300 references, Hutcheson’s research is backed by multiple texts and creates a level of transparency that is not often seen in a non-academic piece of literature, especially on witchcraft.
The only drawbacks that I noted were minuscule compared to all of the things Hutcheson does right. A couple of instances that I noted were the occasional use of Indians in reference to Native Americans, the use of dumb suppers (which can be seen as ableist to some members of the community), and the use of the term mojo bag, which is closely tied with Hoodoo and African-American practices, when something along the lines of sachet spell could have been used. But these things do little to detract from the overall quality of the book.
Overall, this book was a great read, especially for those who are interested in folklore. It can be somewhat dense, but it does not bog the readers down with too much information. Hutcheson does a wonderful job of being inclusive without oversimplifying the various practices he discusses. While there are minor instances where he could have been worded better, the information that he provides is impartial.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Would I Recommend It? Yes!
I’d like to begin by saying that Hutcheson’s book New World Witchery is a wonderful read if you are a fan of folklore and folk practices. However, if you are looking for a book to teach you witchcraft, this is not that type of book.
That being said, I feel that New World Witchery is an important read as it is a deep dive into the various practices that exist in North America. The topic of folk practices, not all of them necessarily called witchcraft though it is categorized similarly in the book, is a sensitive one as the Americas has a deep-rooted history of colonialism and cultural appropriation. Hutcheson is explicit about the intent of the book as one to jump-start further research into folklore and folk practices and addresses the issue of cultural appropriation very early on. He also discusses the ethics of using materials used in closed practices, using smudging as an example. He goes into the question of ethics surrounding the use of white sage and how it impacts the indigenous community by asking questions such as “Is growing it ethical?”, “Are you giving back to the community in some way?”, and “Are you stealing native practices/co-opting native terms?” Making you think more critically about the reasons someone may have for using items such as white sage or dream catchers (as he mentions the mass-production of them and how little of the profits made from it benefit the communities they actually come from).
Hutcheson focuses more closely on folk beliefs on what witchcraft is in the eyes of communities like Pennsylvania Dutch practitioners, Appalachian folk practitioners, and so on rather than the more prevalent modern witchcraft movement. Because of the complex nature of various practices, Hutcheson takes a good amount of time discussing the differences and similarities present in these communities and goes on to explain that because he is using the term witch in the broader sense of the word, it does not mean that these practices are viewed as witchcraft by the members of the communities. Witchcraft then becomes more of a placeholder term to encompass the spectrum of magic used in the New World. Another thing that Hutcheson does well is the scope of practices he covers by including communities such as the Ozarks, PA Dutch Practitioners, Native American practices, Hoodoo, and the modern witchcraft movement. He goes in-depth and thoroughly explores the many avenues of lineages.
This book leans more towards academic study than most other books on witchcraft commonly found in circulation. Despite this, Hutcheson writes in such a way that makes all of the information digestible for those who aren’t used to academic literature. As far as writing style goes, Hutcheson does a wonderful job keeping the audience’s attention focused on the information presented instead of overwhelming them. To complement this, Hutcheson also includes a list of books after each chapter to help readers find more literature to explore the various topics discussed in the book. On top of all of that, he also has an extensive list of references throughout the book. Going over 300 references, Hutcheson’s research is backed by multiple texts and creates a level of transparency that is not often seen in a non-academic piece of literature, especially on witchcraft.
The only drawbacks that I noted were minuscule compared to all of the things Hutcheson does right. A couple of instances that I noted were the occasional use of Indians in reference to Native Americans, the use of dumb suppers (which can be seen as ableist to some members of the community), and the use of the term mojo bag, which is closely tied with Hoodoo and African-American practices, when something along the lines of sachet spell could have been used. But these things do little to detract from the overall quality of the book.
Overall, this book was a great read, especially for those who are interested in folklore. It can be somewhat dense, but it does not bog the readers down with too much information. Hutcheson does a wonderful job of being inclusive without oversimplifying the various practices he discusses. While there are minor instances where he could have been worded better, the information that he provides is impartial.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Would I Recommend It? Yes!
maregred's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
donmartin's review
5.0
Practitioners of magic are often drawn to practices and cultures separated by oceans and centuries. Cory Hutcheson accomplishes a feat rarely found in Pagan publishing with his exquisite book New World Witchery. In a voice that is equal parts kind, funny, and scholarly, he sits the reader down, points to a forested horizon, and says that there is magic in the hills and creeks in your own backyard and that he will help you find it.
Hutcheson guides the reader through folklore and traditions from a number of cultures in what he dubs the “New World” in a way that invites the reader to learn from but never take, to appreciate but not appropriate. His 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 and a worthy inclusion in any witchy library.
Hutcheson guides the reader through folklore and traditions from a number of cultures in what he dubs the “New World” in a way that invites the reader to learn from but never take, to appreciate but not appropriate. His 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 and a worthy inclusion in any witchy library.
apollolibrarian's review
5.0
I was initiated into the world of podcasts last spring and summer when I, like so many, found myself at home quite a bit more under quarantine and lockdown. New World Witchery was among the first that I started listening to while I cleaned my apartment and prepared my meals, and when I heard that Cory would be publishing a book on just this topic, I was ecstatic to get my hands on it. And I was not disappointed.
One of the things I appreciate most about Cory's style and approach to folk magic is the way that he points to your immediate surroundings and says, There's already magic all around you. There's magic in your home, there's magic in your family, there's magic in the place where you live, there's magic in your community. And there's also magic in your picking up those practices and putting them to good use, making them your own. This book helped give me a new perspective on what folk magic is and can be: new eyes to see where folk magic already is in my life, and new ways of seeing and engaging with my immediate surroundings to create even more magic.
This book is incredibly readable, hefty in volume without being dense. I managed to breeze through it in a matter of weeks, but am already looking forward to revisiting parts of it more slowly, to ingest his words and try out a few of the handy exercises and recipes on for size.
Folk magic is magic of the people. If you're reading this, you're very likely a person who has a people that you're part of, and therefore you have and can have magic. It is up to us to find it, and where it's lacking, create it and share it with one another.
One of the things I appreciate most about Cory's style and approach to folk magic is the way that he points to your immediate surroundings and says, There's already magic all around you. There's magic in your home, there's magic in your family, there's magic in the place where you live, there's magic in your community. And there's also magic in your picking up those practices and putting them to good use, making them your own. This book helped give me a new perspective on what folk magic is and can be: new eyes to see where folk magic already is in my life, and new ways of seeing and engaging with my immediate surroundings to create even more magic.
This book is incredibly readable, hefty in volume without being dense. I managed to breeze through it in a matter of weeks, but am already looking forward to revisiting parts of it more slowly, to ingest his words and try out a few of the handy exercises and recipes on for size.
Folk magic is magic of the people. If you're reading this, you're very likely a person who has a people that you're part of, and therefore you have and can have magic. It is up to us to find it, and where it's lacking, create it and share it with one another.