Rooted Traditions: Plants & the Dead in European and American Folk Magic

This is a 120-minute intermediate level workshop, located in The Library (lower level)

Across many folk magic traditions, the roots of plants have been understood as powerful links between the living world and the realm of the dead. Growing beneath the soil, roots occupy a liminal space associated with graves, ancestors, and spirits, and have long been used in workings related to protection, spirit contact, and ancestral connection. In this workshop, we will explore the role of plant roots in practices connected to the dead, with a primary focus on European witchcraft lore and supporting examples drawn from American folk magic, including Hoodoo.

Discussion will center on why certain roots became associated with ghosts, graveyards, and the dead, how they were traditionally gathered and prepared, and the symbolic meanings attributed to them in folk belief. This class is intended as an introductory and exploratory overview, offering historical context, traditional perspectives,…