Ossman & Steel's Classic Household Guide to Appalachian Folk Healing

A Collection of Old Time Remedies, Charms, and Spells

By: Silver RavenWolf - foreword, Jake Richards

Narrated by: Chris Abernathy

A long-treasured but forgotten classic of folk healing, with an introduction and commentary by the author of Backwoods Witchcraft and Doctoring the Devil.

Ossman & Steel's Guide to Health or Household Instructor (its original title) is a collection of spells, remedies, and charms. The book draws from the old Pennsylvania Dutch and German powwow healing practices that in turn helped shape Appalachian folk healing, conjure, root work, and many folk healing traditions in America. Jake Richards, author of Backwoods Witchcraft and Doctoring the Devil, puts these remedies in context, with practical advice for modern-day "backwoods" healers interested in using them today.

The first part contains spells and charms for healing wounds, sties, broken bones, maladies, and illnesses of all sorts. The second part includes other folk remedies using ingredients based on sympathetic reasoning, including sulfuric acid, gunpowder, or other substances for swelling, toothache, headache, and so on. These remedies are presented here for historic interest, to help better understand how folk medicine evolved in America. It is Jake Richards's hope that reintroducing this work will reestablish its position as a useful household helper in the library of every witch or country healer.

©2022 Jake Richards (P)2022 Tantor

Good for historical education not much for the history of Appalachia or it's folk magic practices

mostly this is a collection of prayers for specific purposes. I understand this is useful to see the historical struggles and beliefs of mostly northern Appalachia in the late 1800's to early 1900's. I was lead to believe this would have more practical applications today especially in the "remedies, charms and spells" department. I am not disappointed per say but I did misunderstand. this is a reading of a very old,very Christian book about which prayers work for what and how to use them. this also provides commentary to explain certain outdated practices and to translate words that are no longer commonly used. if you are interested in the prayer history of northern Appalachia this would be a good resource.