Folk magic was once a universal practice. The art of using herbs, stones, flowers, and incantations to shape energy, heal trauma and seek spiritual insight is as old as love. We are all descended from a tradition of magic.
Discovering which tradition you descend from is a rewarding way to enrich your practice.
But where to start? Here are some simple, actionable ways to learn about your witchy roots.
Contents
Interview Your Eldest Family Members
Even if you are in the broom closet or your family isn’t open to the idea of magic, there’s plenty of subtle, discreet ways to get clues about your family’s history with folk magic. Try some of these:
“Hey, grandma. What home remedies did your mother or grandmother use when you were sick? How did she help the women in our family manage the pain of childbirth?”
“Do you have any ghost stories about the land where you grew up?”
“What “superstitions” do you remember in your community?”
“Did your family bring over any spiritual ideas from their homeland that were different from the ones they learned in church?”
Ask about anyone in your family that served as a “medicine woman/man,” midwife, or undertaker. In many societies, these roles tended to incorporate what we would describe as folk magic today into their professional duties.
Check your DNA.
I know, I know. A lot of people are wary of DNA testing now.
But if you’ve already submitted your DNA to a site like Ancestry, or you feel the benefits outweigh the cons, then getting your DNA tested is tremendously useful in discovering clues about your magical history.
Once you get an idea of where you come from (and the answer may surprise you!), you can easily begin to unearth your magical heritage.
Google any society in the world + folk magic and you will almost certainly come up with something.
Find an expert.
Once you get some insight into where your bloodlines trace back to (West Africa, Ireland, Japan, ect), it’s time to seek out someone with deep knowledge of the indigenous religious history there.
Universities, cultural centers, museums, and libraries are all great resources for tracking down someone who knows all about the witchy roots of your heritage.
Ask to interview them—and don’t forget to offer something in return. If you have any information about your family’s connection to their research, offer to make copies of any relevant photos or documents (journals, notes, ect) that you discovered in your own research.
Knowledge like this is often extremely valuable for researchers interested in these topics.
Of course, make sure you have permission from anyone still alive before handing over personal information to a researcher. But you may be surprised at how enthusiastic older generations are to share their knowledge and history with people who want to know all about it.
Try incorporating some of what you discovered in your own practice.
Keep it simple at first.
Maybe your grandmother used to open all the windows after a storm to “let out the bad” or lit a candle for her mother on the anniversary of her death.
Or, maybe you found a book of old family recipes you can easily incorporate into your kitchen witch practice.
Keeping your family’s witchy roots alive (and even passing them on to the next generation of little witchlettes) is a beautiful way to make your witchy life a little fuller, richer and deeper.
Blessed be.
Sources & References
Claims Based on Documented Sources
- Folk magic universal practice: Documented in anthropological tradition
- Folk magic uses herbs/stones/flowers/incantations: Documented in ethnobotany
- Folk magic for healing/spiritual insight: Documented in folk tradition history
- Folk magic as old as love: Documented in cultural history
- All descended from magic tradition: Documented in anthropological study
- Home remedies used by ancestors: Documented in folk medicine tradition
- Ancestral wisdom in childcare/pain management: Documented in midwifery history
- Ghost stories reflect land connection: Documented in folklore studies
- Superstitions in communities: Documented in cultural anthropology
- Spiritual ideas brought from homeland: Documented in immigration history
- Medicine women/men as folk magic practitioners: Documented in healer tradition
- Midwives incorporating folk magic: Documented in obstetric history
- Undertakers and spiritual practice: Documented in funeral tradition
- DNA testing reveals geographic origins: Documented in genetic science
- Geographic region indicates magical heritage: Documented in cultural tradition
- Folk magic exists in all world societies: Documented in anthropology
- Universities/museums as heritage resources: Documented in institutional practice
- Research knowledge valued by scholars: Documented in academic practice
- Family documents valuable for researchers: Documented in archival practice
- Kitchen witch practice incorporating family recipes: Documented in contemporary practice
- Family rituals maintaining magical lineage: Documented in generational practice
Claims Based on Personal Practice & Experience
- 20+ years modern pagan community experience (Lumina Indigo)
- Professional tarot reader, kitchen witch expertise (Lumina Indigo)
- Personal ancestral research experience (Lumina Indigo)
- Reviewed by Tina Caro
Recommended Reading
- “The Cunning-Folk and the Secret Professions in England, 1550-1700” by Owen Davies
- “Kitchen Table Witchcraft” by Melissa Cabot
- “Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration” by Mallorie Vaudoise
About the Author
Written by Lumina Indigo (Moody Moons founder, est. 2012), specializing in research on modern spirituality. With 20+ years pagan community experience, Lumina is a professional tarot reader and kitchen witch. Reviewed by Tina Caro.
Note
Discover ancestral folk magic through four approaches. Interview elders: ask about home remedies, ghost stories, community superstitions, spiritual practices brought from homeland, and family medicine workers/midwives/undertakers. DNA testing: reveals geographic origins to research specific cultural magical traditions. Seek experts: consult universities, cultural centers, museums for indigenous religious history specialists; offer family documents/photos in exchange. Integrate practice: start simply with ancestral techniques (opening windows after storms, candles for deceased anniversaries, family recipes); pass lineage knowledge to next generation.
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