This is a collection not only of remedies, but also of spells and charms that originated in Pennsylvania Dutch country and helped shape Appalachian folk healing. It was written originally by a mother and son team. "Jake Richards has given the folk magic community a gift by bringing back into circulation Ossman and Steel’s collection of important remedies and prayers. Moreover, he has also provided the context for the work through his ongoing commentary. Richards allows the text to speak for itself while also giving explanations and insights from lived experience that fills in the blanks. For the many folks that have had the magic in their families buried or forgotten, this book provides a bridge that would otherwise be difficult to cross. There is both a familiarity in reading the contents, which speaks to what many of us grew up hearing in whispers or snippets, as well as information that is likely to be new and aide in growing anyone’s repertoire of folk magic. This book is likely to become a touchstone for many folk magicians, healers, and folks living in the Appalachian diaspora looking to connect to these traditions."—Aaron Oberon. “This work is important as it is a true testament of the state of historical folk magic in the Appalachians during the 19th and 20th centuries and has influenced the traditions of conjure and root work in Appalachia folk Christianity for nearly 200 years.”—Robert Matthew. Jake Richards owns Little Chicago Conjure, a supplier of Appalachian folk magic supplies located in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Newburyport, Massachusetts: Weiser Books/Red Wheel-Weiser, 2022. 136 pages with a Foreword by Silver Ravenwolf. Trade paperback.