The Healers of Appalachia: The Legend of Granny Magic

Some say they practiced magic in the hills, others saw them as the only help to someone in need.

As with any healer, there were the good and the not-so-good ones, but it also depended on which part of the mountain you were in and which kind of healer you sought. Most natural healers relied on herbs from their gardens and praying; the healers would always give credit to the Lord, as the healer was only the vessel for his work to be done.

Yet others were referred to as the evil witches, and you could see they were not doing the Lord's work. These were the ones you went to if you needed to put a curse on someone else. Within Appalachian Foll Magic and Granny Witchcraft lie the following types of witches and how to know what kind of witch you seek.

Granny Witchcraft/Magic/Medicine Witches

These types of people used folk magic, faith healing, and superstitions. This Granny Magic was typically the only source for healing many who lived isolated, with no other options. These witches were often descendants of European settlers and brought their traditional healing modalities with them.

They also met the Native Americans, were taught about plants, roots, and leaves, and implemented them into their healing remedies. Granny Witches also were used as midwives to deliver babies in the remote villages. She would administer herbs that would help ensure a safe delivery, and most of them also would recite bible verses over the child and mother.

Reciting bible verses was a big part of their practice as healers. Many of these traditions are passed down through relatives and still exist in the Appalachian mountains.

Water Witches

These people were believed to have been born with a special gift of being able to find water with dowsing rods. Also called Dowsing, a chosen one is thought to detect water, metals, ores, gemstones, and oils. To do this, a Y-shaped twig or rod or two L-shaped ones (dowsing rods) are used to discover hidden treasures below the surface.

They use no other equipment, and when the rods cross, there is believed to be water and sometimes other gems. Scientists have deemed this as pseudoscience. Yet I remember growing up in Appalachia, and my father used a water witch to find water, and it worked. Unfortunately, we lived in an area common for having sulfur water, and the water we found was sulfur water, but still water.

Evil Witches

It is believed these witches have aligned themselves with forces of darkness and the devil. They are sought out when one wants to place a hex or curse on an unsuspecting individual, which often causes misery within the mountain communities.

Many who grew up in the Appalachian mountains and wanted to remain protected against the evil eye or the curse of a neighbor would use a protective hex symbol.

This symbol was often placed on the side of a barn, usually found in northern Appalachia and Pennsylvania areas. This symbol was believed to protect them and their family against hexes and curses. Now, these symbols are decorative, but their roots began in magic.

During this time in history, in the 18th and 1900s, seeking out a medicine woman, or witch doctor, was the only way to get help. These people relied on Mother Nature to cure any ailment, including love, a broken heart, and even a curse. It is said that every mountain top and every holler had their local healer or witch.

Some even believed they worked with the fairy folk, leprechauns, and other ¨wee people¨. To this day, some living in Appalachia leave a bowl of cream on their back door or throw cornbread out a window before serving the family.

Many work with dead spirits and those of their ancestors and spirit guides. Many spells were sung and danced; Mountain Witches commonly used this particular spell.

Wise Protectors, they are so giving

Serenity, it resounds

Mother Earth and Father Sky are so giving

I am thankful; it is good

They also read tarot, played cards, and read tea leaves, clouds, and cigarette ash. These traditions are still carried down through families in the Appalachian Mountains; however, many say it is simply the legend of the Mountain Witches of Appalachia, and others believe.