Signs, Cures, & Witchery

When I was a child, I had no idea I was training to be a poultice healer. I was shown what grasses, tree bark, weeds, etc. to gather for different illnesses. I was given a burlap purse that had many pockets, to place each herb. We also gathered for cooking, so my purse was always full. I was taught to dry my pickings and how to reconstitute each. My cousin had a really bad burn, and I was sent out to gather burn herbs. I made a poultice and within minutes, he said the pain was nearly gone. It healed within 2 weeks, as though nothing had happened, with the exception of a very small scar, which Granny said was his fault, because he peed outside during a full moon…. I’m now up in age and still don’t understand that, lol.

My Great Aunt Martha was a second generation free person who was our family historian. She claimed to be a shaman. But no lie, I had a wart on my knuckle about 3 mm round, and she said "give me a penny and Ill take it from you" she then rubbed that penny over my knuckle and stuck it in her pocket and not even a day later it fell off. I call myself a man of science and mathematics, but there are things we can never understand.

Growing up listening to the old timers was my favorite thing to do.. Still yet, just all the old timers I grew up with are dead and gone.. But I loved growing up here in West Virginia, and till this day I wouldn't want to live nowhere else except these old mountains. Some people want to live at the beach or lake or in the city.. But not this old girl I live in the most Southern county of WV, Mcdowell county.. I'm 10 minutes from Virginia and 25 minutes from Kentucky.. Country girl born and raised.. I remember a little baby was real sick in my family and my momaw said to go talk to this healing woman, that lived in the head of the holler, the so called with told them to throw a pair of the baby's shoes in whom ever they thought, had put a spell on the baby, and they did, the baby got better over night.. My grandmother an grandfather went to church always old regular Baptist and after church service was over my grandparents would send me an my cousins out side to the vehicle and I remember several times they would pray demons out of people, one time I over heard my grandma's telling my mom that they prayed for the preachers daughter and she contoured in ways a normal human couldn't and slithered like a snake an the floor while she hissed and used the name of the Lord in vulgar ways.. Supernatural, or evil or what ever you want to call it is as real as us breathing air.. I think as the old timers and old ways die off thats why the world is getting taken over by evil.. Anyways thank you Lord for letting me grow up in these old mountains.. I loved this little documentary I wish there was more like it..

Listening to these folks brings tears to my eyes. God forgive my selfishness but I miss my Granny and Pappaw and Mammaw and Pappaw and all my elders who have gone on. I'd love to have them back. I'm know that's awful and this world ain't fit for em. But I sure miss em so much. I miss their stories and their wisdom so very much. I wish I could remember more so I can teach my girls and my grandbabies. All of these precious people are just about gone. Very few left to tell us these good ol way

People who understand the rules of nature know magic is real

My great grandmother was a healer. (East Tennessee). The story was she was born with a veil over her face. It was believed that if you were born with this “veil”, you were a healer. People came from all over the area for her to heal them of afflictions. My dad told me whenever he had a wart, sting or skin condition, she would heal him. As a boy he fell into a hornets nest and was stung so bad, they thought he would die. Great Grandma Nancy healed him!

Just found out I have Appalachian ancestry after years of never knowing who my ancestors were (I was adopted privately at birth). Seeing this makes my heart swell with joy.

Natural, green, hedge witches are still here. Precognition, communing with the spirits of nature and the spirit world still happening, especially in some families. We are still here. Appreciate the fae (the good neighbors). Have a healing touch with animals and a green thumb. My family does, I do and my daughter does. Still here .

April 7, 2022: My late paternal grandmother, Mary Martinez Pacheco was a real witch (New Mexico), who despised Mom and I. All I knew to do was pray! I've learned that magic is REAL, so fasting can help too. P.S. Olive oil works wonders for ailments and giving regularly to your church is good for the wallet. *1) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Galatians 3:13; and 2) The LORD will fight for you, so try to be silent.” Exodus 14:14 Blessings to all, Kate

Great documentary!! I was born and raised in Duplin County North Carolina on the Cape Fear river and many Europeans traveled to the appalachains through this area, some staying because of the good hunting, fertile land etc...I lived with my grandparents in the home my great grandparents built and my great-granny was with us until I was 13. By the 80s so many old timers and old traditions were but stories but some of what I hear on this doc melds with stories I heard growing up, mostly as superstitions and wives tales. My great-granny born in 1896 was such a treasure trove of old world ways and she provided many hours of storytelling also beginning with "well, Ma said...." I wish I could have her on video telling these old stories. I was born with an old soul as they say because I was perfectly happy spending time with my elderly family rather than with kids my age. I wouldn't trade that time with them for anything!

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it” ~Ronald Dahl~

My Dad ALWAYS allllways told us that your hair and your nails had power and he would say he always felt weaker after a hair cut. I miss that so much. Love the memories. 💗

Anything you do to others will come back with added momentum,so I choose blessings over cursing,once I was cussing at my brother ,a hand hit me in the back of my head and a voice said let your cursings be blessings lest your own sword be upon your own back !!!!

That last line was kind of sad; of all things she misses its having a cow. Someone should give her one before she dies.

My sister was friends with a girl who moved things with her mind.Her and her mom were both said to be witches.This was in Hazard,Kentucky back in the 70s.

I'm a 3rd generation witch,and make my own potions and elixirs growing my own herbs and some fruits and vegetables trying to share my love and passion for all things that are naturally grown in the old spiritual ways of healing the body without chemicals and pesticides and plastics I try to practice a clean loving environment for the body mind and soul , I have non profit and I rescue lost or unwanted animals but mostly special needs animals..but I sure get a bad rap from a lot of people where I live, when they find out I'm a witch,And it's sad because all I want to do is help,but where I live I've chosen to keep to myself now because I've been bullied and beaten almost to death..and they have continuously stomped my garden and vegetables and have even bashed in one of my black cat's head and left a dead on the porch, so not everyone understands and where I am I have to keep my practices to myself I don't belong here I wish I could move. 😪. blessings to all you witches,bless us all..so mote it be🦋✨✨✨

It is amazing that while we live on the same planet, there are such different worlds to live in.

These are the kind of stories I grew up on. Grandma had her own ways and spell jars. Not like these glamorized witches you see on Instagram and tiktok. Of course grandma didnt consider herself a witch, more of a healer.

My grandma was a bit 'witchy' and used to midwife and had all kinds of superstitions or 'ways'. The whole of my mom's side of the family all seemed to have had some kind of experience with what most would think of as supernatural (ghosts/demons/water witching). My great aunt from that side was thought to be a witch. OH MY GOODNESS...and my great grandma would sing that same song 'Come butter, come" when she was churning butter. Heck, the woman was still churning butter the old fashioned way with a wooden butter churn when we'd spend the summer at their big old farmhouse, and sit and piece quilts all day. I've lost count of the times we were asked to thread her needles for her.

Fantastic documentary. I wish there were more like it. I could listen to those old stories all day.