Remnants of Paganism in Ozarks Culture

February 17, 2010 at 4:37 pm (folkways, spirituality)
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In piecing together an Ozark Pagan tradition, we can revive many things in the folklore that seem to have been remnants of Pagan belief systems. The fact that there was a distinct folk magic system is obvious, but as many would point out, magic doesn’t automatically mean Pagan. Yet there are only a few specifically Christian folk magic customs in Ozark lore. We can also see hints of an older spiritual tradition in the folklore as well…

A great deal of Ozark lore has to do with trees and tree magic. One has only to consult folklorist Vance Randolph’s book “Ozark Magic and Folklore” to find examples of this; magical use of pawpaw seeds, peg spells galore, divinatory use of persimmon seeds, and the continuation of the old world custom of tying “clooties” to trees. Many of the customs surrounding trees are apparently direct descendants of a Celtic heritage. Trees were a major religious symbol in both Celtic and Norse Pagan traditions.

“Some observers have thought they found a suggestion of tree worship, or something of the sort, in the Ozarker’s use of the masculine pronouns as applied to trees.” –Ozark Magic and Folklore

We have also inherited a lot of Ozark folk customs surrounding two Celtic holidays; Beltane (see my article titled Ozark May Day Customs) and Samhain (the Ozarks Dumb Supper being one example).

There are also many customs surrounding the phases of the moon, as I have written about in my article Ozark Moon Customs.

What we as Ozarkers can do is not let these customs die. They are part of our heritage and culture. Yes, many of them can and should be adapted and reinvented for modern times. There are also other things we can do to customize our Paganism to our culture. This land, these waters, have spirits with an identity of their own. By listening and observing we can know how best to honor them. Offerings given can and should be of food that grows here. We can celebrate the feast days according to the signs of our seasons; the life cycles of the plants and animals in our part of the world.

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More Autumn Equinox Activities for Kids

September 11, 2009 at 7:53 am (Arts & Crafts, Chants & Songs, Holidays, Pagan Parenting)
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leaf stained glass
Lay down several layers of newspaper on a flat surface.  On a large sheet of wax paper, let you child arrange pressed leaves in a design or pattern.  Place another sheet of wax paper over this.  Iron the layers together with an iron set on low.  Trim the edges and hang in a window.

Here’s three rhyming games for younger kids:
Autumn
Autumn winds begin to blow (blow)
Colored leaves fall fast and slow (make fast and slow motions with hands)
Twirling, whirling around in mirth(twirl around)
‘Til at last, they touch our Mother Earth (touch ground)

This is the Way We
This is the way we rake the leaves rake the leaves, rake the leaves
This is the way we rake the leaves in the middle of Autumn.
This is the way we jump on the leaves, jump on the leaves, jump on the leaves
This is the way we jump on the leaves in the middle of Autumn.
This is the way we throw the leaves Throw the leaves, throw the leaves
This is the way we throw the leaves in the middle of Autumn.
This is the way we rake the leaves rake the leaves, rake the leaves
This is the way we rake the leaves in the middle of autumn.

Leaves
Little leaves fall gently down
Red and yellow, orange and brown. (flutter hands like leaves falling)
Whirling, whirling around and around. (turn around)
Quietly, without a sound. (put finger to lips)
Falling softly to the ground (begin to fall slowly)
Down and down and down and down. (lie on ground)

~~~

apple crafts
The first weekend of October is apple festival time in Lincoln, Arkansas!  Though apples are usually in season for us here by Autumn Equinox, apple crafts are great for either an Autumn Equinox or Samhain activity.
Apple prints- cut open an apple horizontally to reveal the star pattern made by the seeds.  This can be dipped in paint and used as an art stamp.  Dried apple garlands/wreaths- slice apples ¼ inch wide, soak in 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon salt for 2 hours.  Dry on a cookie rack in a 200 degree oven for 2 or three hours.  Let cool.  Poke a hole in the edge of each to string onto ribbon to make a garland, or glue onto a cardboard circle to make a wreath.  You could even try making apple dolls with the instructions at appledolls.org.

Cornhusk Shuttlecock Games
To play this game, you will need a pokean- a shuttlecock made of corn husks and feathers.  Gather together a few corn husks, some twine, and three large feathers.  Lay two large husks on a flat surface in the shape of a sun cross.  Fold a third husk into a square and place it in the center of the cross.  Fold the ends of the husks up over the center and tie with the twine.  Stick the ends of the feathers into the top of the pokean.  One simple way to play is to see who can toss the pokean into the air the most times in a row with the palm of the hand.  More games and an illustration on the pokean can be found on the nativetech website.

Here are some nice picture books about the Autumn Equinox and harvest celebrations around the world.  (I found them at my local library.)
We Gather Together by Wendy Pfeffer
The Autumn Equinox by Ellen Jackson

Another fun little thing is this autumn kaleidoscope.

See my previous Autumn Equinox activites page for more.

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Ozark Tree Magic

July 29, 2009 at 11:10 am (folkways, magic)
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A very common form of magic used in the old days in the Ozarks was tree magic.  Many of these old time spells involved driving a peg into a tree.  I have been told that this does not damage a healthy, mature tree, even when done several times to the same tree.  However, I will not advocate such practices.  Instead I offer these alternatives; tie a string around the tree where the peg would have been in a peg cure/spell, or drive a peg into the ground instead of a tree.  Many peg spells proscribe driving a peg into the ground already.  An example of this is the peg cure for malaria, chills, or fever:
A foot long hickory peg is to be driven into the ground in some secluded place, unseen and without anyone else’s knowledge of the entire procedure.  The peg is to be pulled up every day, the hole blown into seven times, and the peg replaced.  This is to be repeated twelve days in a row.  On the last day the peg is driven in deeper so that it can’t be seen and is to be left there, working as a cure that should last the rest of the season.
Pawpaw trees were featured predominantly in Ozark folk magic.  They were used in love and peg spells.  Papaw seeds were tossed into coffins to insure revenge for a murder.  Once I asked my dad if he could remember people working magic with pawpaw trees.  He said that when he was a kid, the girls would tear away strips of cloth from their undergarments and tie them to the branches of pawpaw trees for love spells.

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