Backwoods Witchcraft was not the book I had expected it to be. I was expecting something much more like a Witchcraft 101 book with a bit of Appalachian Charm thrown in, but this book is SO much better than that!
Jake Richards, the author, shares with us an inside view of his familial and community practice – from what factors has made the Appalachian communities different, socially, from other regions of the United States to how historically other cultures have influenced this practice and when.
I have never seen such a thorough and detailed accounting of folk magic in the United States at all. to make it even more delightful, Jake Richards’ writing voice is comfortable and familiar, speaking to us as if we were all peers and friendly, and generously sharing personal insights, experiences, and practices. Yes, there are spells, charms, and rituals shared throughout the book with instructions that make them easy to sprinkle throughout an existing practice and simple enough to lay the foundations for a new one, though they can also be ignored completely if you just want to enjoy the cultural aspects.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Jake Richards and you can listen to that here.
