Choosing Which Folklore to Study for Your Craft

I often get asked what “intermediate” witches and magicians should study. If you want to improve your Craft but don’t know where to start, I recommend researching folklore. It is the basis of most of the world’s magical practices.

Which folklore should you study and why? That’s what I want to explore in this post. Keep in mind that these are just ideas, and ultimately, you should pursue whatever captures your attention.

The sator square has been in folk magic for centuries. For more information on this symbol, read the previous blog post.

What Is Folklore?

Although a lot of people equate folklore with superstitions, it’s much more complicated. According to Wikipedia, folklore is “the body of culture shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture, or group.” The American Folklore Society expands upon this definition, saying that folklore covers “art, stories, knowledge, and practices of the people.” Folklorists study a wide range of topics, including holidays, oral stories, funerals, dances, and urban legends.

When it comes to witchcraft, practitioners study folklore for its magic, superstitions, and beliefs about spirits. This is what separates a brujería from a pellar. Brujerías pull from Latin American and Afro-Caribbean folklore, while pellars study British magic. 

If you have a culture-specific path, you already know which folklore(s) to focus on. But if you have no idea, here are some options.

Why Is Folklore Important in Magic?

Before we continue, I want to argue why folklore is important to the Craft. Frankly, I would say that it’s essential. Folklore is the basis of magic in many cultures, and without it, most modern magical paths–including Wicca and eclectic witchcraft–would not exist.

For many cultures, magic is a way of preserving tradition. Many study folklore to honor their ancestors or connect to their heritage. But that’s not the only reason to choose a folklore (or a few) to study.

Although folklores have many similarities, they also have several differences. In my post Magical Uses for Cemetery Water and Snow, I mentioned that cultures have different beliefs about ghosts and water. In Thailand, Japan, and the Balkans, ghosts can inhabit water. But in Scotland and the American South, ghosts are said to avoid water–so much that people painted their porches blue so that ghosts wouldn’t enter.

(Caves are another common theme in folklore with different associations and magical significance. To read more, click here.)

In addition, cultures use different methods to achieve the same results. Honoring Russian ancestors will look very different from honoring Chinese ancestors. Both are effective and valid but require unique practices.

If you try to follow every culture’s folklore, you’ll end up getting confused and go nowhere. The history of magic, healing remedies, folk charms, and oral superstitions will reveal much about magic that you might not have known.

Which Folklore Is “Right”?

You might be wondering which folklore is the “right one.” That’s like asking which theory about the afterlife is correct; no one truly knows, and the argument gets people nowhere. Personally, I think the better question is, “Which folklore is ideal for my Craft, specifically?”

Some witches are very talented with tarot; others prefer runes. In the same vein, some people get great results from one folklore’s practices and fewer results with another. How do you know which one works best? Practice and personal experience.

If you’re American, you might think that this country has no folklore (except for Native American lore, which is available only to them). But that’s not true. Where cultures go, folklore follows. I truly believe that spirits of that culture will follow as well. American folklore has blended aspects of several immigrant cultures. 

Certain spirits and deities will not work with people outside of that culture. I mentioned Native American practices earlier as a good example; so is Hoodoo. These are called “closed cultures,” and they limit initiation to people within those cultures. But many cultures are open or tied to where you live.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into some ideas about which folklore(s) to study.

Your Culture / Ethnicity

The first option is that you can pull from your own culture or ethnic heritage.

Exploring your own culture ensures that you won’t be trampling on any closed cultures. It also connects you to your own family. If you want to perform ancestor work, this is the way to go. 

If you’re an immigrant to your home country, or American, you might feel disconnected from your family’s home country. Fortunately, folklore societies are collecting cultural lore from immigrant families. In my research, I found a few blogs, articles, and websites dedicated to Irish-American traditions. 

When in doubt, ask older members of your family. They might have some information on your heritage. But if they prefer not to talk about it, that’s okay too. You can discover a lot by asking others in the community or researching on your own.

Since I'm half-Irish, I've studied a lot of Irish myths and folklore.

Religion

Although folklore and religion are not the same thing, they’re intrinsically connected. Religions come with a long list of traditions, including but not limited to holidays, meals, clothing, afterlife theories, deities, and superstitions.
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Many Pagan witches study the folklore of their deity’s native culture. For example, much of my death work stems from Greco-Roman and Egyptian sources because I work with Hades and Thoth.

Invoking both my ancestors and Thoth.

To be clear: your magical path and religion do not have to intersect. I know plenty of magicians who pull from Christian ceremonial magic but don’t pray to Jesus outside of the required magical prayers. Why do they do this? Because they find that it brings results.

Some people feel that they cannot disconnect their heritage from religion. Personally, when I research Irish folklore for my ancestor work, I dive into Irish Catholicism as well. Catholicism is so deeply ingrained in my family’s history that I cannot separate them. (I also recommend that you honor your ancestors’ religious preferences as well.) Others prefer to work with ancient Irish Pagan deities instead, and that’s also a good path. It all boils down to how you approach your culture and religion.

Where You Live

Traditional witchcraft and folk magic both rely on one thing: your local area. Practitioners speak to local land spirits, use native plants, and research the history and superstitions of that area.

But you don’t have to be a trad witch to research your local folklore. Depending on where you live, this could yield some fascinating results. It can also help you feel more connected to the land and your area’s history.

You can learn a lot from local museums and landmarks in your area. Researching local plants also tells you a lot. (Don’t go out foraging without proper guidance, though.) Libraries and bookstores often offer books about native herbs, trees, birds, and more.

Bridges and rivers both frequently appear in folklore.

Pulling from More than One Folklore

Most practitioners I know pull from more than one folklore. How does one juggle two or three folk practices? It depends on the magician and how they practice. 

Whenever I work with a Pagan deity, I work within their cultural context. For instance, I wouldn’t give an Egyptian deity Greek offerings. The same goes for ancestors. In order to honor these deities and spirits properly, I have to research their history. 

Much of my death witchcraft is guided by these Pagan deities, so I use ancient Pagan sources for necromancy. But I’ll use British sources for ancestor work. When it comes to more general spellwork–such as money spells, home protection, etc.--I have freedom to choose. I try different methods and figure out which is the most effective. 

If I had to explain my magical practice, it would look like this:

But that’s just me. You might have a different method. Let me know how folklore impacts your Craft in the comments below. ​