Title: Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic
Editor: Cory Thomas Hutcheson
Rating: 5/5
Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic is less of a book and more of an encyclopedia. NAFM is a beefy book loaded with information on 364 pages. It includes a forward, author introductions, and a chunky boi of a bibliography. If you're familiar with the podcast New World Witchery or the book of the same title, the name Cory Thomas Hutcheson on the cover will ring a bell.
While Hutcheson is credited with compiling and editing this book, it has a total of 24 authors: Stephanie Rose Bird, H. Byron Ballard, Starr Casas, Ixtoii Paloma Cervantes, Kenya T. Coviak, J. Allen Cross, Alexander Cummins, Morgan Daimler, Mario Esteban Del ngel Guevara, Lilith Dorsey, Morrigane Feu, Via Hedera, Cory Thomas Hutcheson, Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray, E. F. E. Lacharity, Dee Norman, Aaron Oberon, Robert Phoenix, Jake Richards, Sandra Santiago, Robert L. Schreiwer, Eliseo "Cheo" Torres, Benebell Wen, and Brandon Weston.
This long list of experts in their regions gives NAFM its authenticity. One author is not speaking on behalf of another group. And NAFM gets precise and detailed, with eight sections devoted to specific North American regions. Starting with New England and the Maritimes, this book winds all around the entire continent. I love that ALL of North America is featured in this compilation, not just the United States. From Canada to Mexico, the idea that our history stops abruptly on the border of the U.S. has always bothered me. We are a migrant nation filled with different stories and the cultures that brought them. If one was to look at a map from 100 years ago and 200 years ago, the world looked different each time. Territories are constantly changing, and ignoring everything outside the current map is very limiting.
Due to the vast territory NAFM covers, the reader is introduced to over twenty traditions and practices. There were a couple that I had never even heard of. And I absolutely adore the field notes and recommended reading included at the end of each chapter. Not only does this book give you a whirlwind of information, but it also directs the reader to where to find more. With the recommended reading, I have a list of books I can start with to delve deeper into a specific topic that has captured my attention.
This book would be an excellent resource for any witch just starting on their path; even seasoned witches could benefit from learning about unfamiliar traditions than their own. Llewellyn hit it out of the park with this title. NAFM is a reference book every witch or pagan should have on their bookshelf.
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