Part 1: A contemporary Appalachian Working Perspective

Appalachian practices can be applied to your life wherever you live. You do not need to be present and living in Appalachia to benefit from the earth based practices that were taught, shared, and lived by the Appalachian people.  Just as you do not have to be living in Norway or Sweden to benefit from working with the Norse Gods, nor do you have to be living in Scotland or Ireland to benefit from working with Brigid or Caileach, etc. 

I have been contemplating the idea of teaching some of the practices that I follow. I have had no qualms about offering history of Appalachian practices, and the folklore of the many nationalities of people who settled within these hills. However, the idea of offering up parts of my own practice has been at times a battle in my head. I feel there is a great need to dispel a lot of beliefs and myths that are connected with witches, and some of these ideas are more recent inventions than some writers and practitioners would have you believe.

So with all that said I am not going to set down and write a long wordy lengthy essay on how my way of practicing is better than any one else's way of practicing. What I am going to say is my path and practices work for me, and I have tweaked them and thrown some out in order to better connect with the way of Wyrd, and the earth in a meaningful exchange.

The first thing you should do is begin a conversation with nature, the old gods, and the land spirits (spiritus loci). It doesn't have to be some great lengthy dialogue filled with thee's and thou's. Just talk normally.

Introduce yourself to the air and wind, to the rain and water, to the sun and flame, to the earth and trees. Let them know that you are desiring to work with them.

It is still al title cold here in the mountains cold, but there is just enough warmth for the next step. Slip your socks and shoes off, and plant your feet into the ground. Press down into the dirt allowing the grass and dirt to push back into your arches and between your toes. Feel the coolness and possibly coldness of the earth as it is beginning its awakening for the Spring. Speak your introduction out and into the wind.

Make it sincere

Make it heartfelt

Make it honest

When you start to speak your introduction allow the spirits to know your name. Let them know you seek and desire a working a relationship with them.

The next step is to begin to walk. Take a short trip through the land. It can be a local park, your own property, a cemetery (my personal favorite), the woods, the desert, just some quiet place where you can be alone with nature.

As you walk begin a dialogue with the spirits again. Acknowledge them by speaking your name again, and reminding of the precious introduction. Continue walking, and ask the old gods and the Spiritus Loci to give you an amulet to show that they are willing to work with you. Gently sweep the landscape with your eyes and heart open. The gift could be as simple as a stone, a feather, a branch or limb of a tree. It could even be more than that; you may stumble upon a bone from an animal or a wing from a bird.

Once you find this gift pick it up, and hold it close to your heart. Offer your thanks to the Spirits and the old gods. Tuck it away somewhere safe until you can get it home.

The most important part of this ritual is to give thanks to the old gods and the spiritus loci. The gift and acknowledgment must match the amulet. If you were gifted a bird's wing or feather then an offering of bird seed may suffice. If it was a bone perhaps offering some of your own blood back to the earth would be the most appropriate. Whatever gift you receive you need to think long about the appropriate offering to give back in exchange for the gift that you were given.

This amulet will be very powerful and useful throughout your walk along this crooked path of traditional witchcraft. It is the old gods and spiritus loci's acknowledgment that they are willing to work with you, and they are accepting of you as you presently are to walk the path with them.

Once you have the amulet/gift home once a day take at least 10-15 minutes to mediate with the item. As you meditate with the item visualize a protective color emanating from around the item and surrounding you in a sphere of color. Allow this light energy to fill your space. You are creating a protective shield around yourself with the Old Gods' power.  

Practice this mediation daily for at least a month. 

Now what if you don't feel that you have found your amulet on this first go around?

Do not be disheartened. Perhaps you just need to spend some more time talking with nature, the spiritus loci, and the old gods before they feel ready to begin a relationship with you. Think about it like any other relationship that you will have or have had in your life. You like to take some time to get to know a new person before taking them into your house, and showing them your possessions and telling them your secrets, right? It is the same with the old gods and the local land spirits.

Give offerings to both the local land spirits and to the old gods. Talk with them daily. Sit in quiet contemplation outdoors, and when it gets too cold to be outdoors; sit quietly near a window or with pieces from nature surrounding you concentrating on these spirits.

Then after a moon cycle of these practices take another stroll through a place of power out in nature, and talk to the spirits again.

Allow the magic of the land to guide you.

Next Month I will post

Part 2: How to use the gift as a protective amulet, and how to use it to connect to the Old Gods' wisdom.