From stories,
Legends,
Wise sayings,
And other oral traditions,
Folklore is an integral part in preserving the culture of a people.
It also serves to partially define a tradition or society.
Practically indispensable to historians,
Folklore is of comparable importance to practitioners of witchcraft as well.
Because Wicca is so steeped in tradition,
There is an appreciation of folklore that is basically built into the practice.
That said,
There is a slight difference here between what is known as folk witchcraft and Wicca,
In that a folk witch is a practitioner of the magic that was passed down from their family members or local community.
Local is the significant difference in this definition,
As the practices within Wicca have indeed been passed down.
So,
While folk witchcraft and Wicca aren't exactly the same,
I would argue that their differences are quite few and revolve mostly around locality.
Further,
Wicca allows for a great deal of latitude in personal practice,
And some of those adaptations are most certainly nuanced,
At least to some degree,
By the customs,
Tales,
And legends that are unique to a geographic area.
With both denominations of the craft having nature as their foundation,
Regional culture can be a positive and enjoyable influence on any personal Wiccan tradition.
Regardless of where we live,
Folklore is all around us,
So is magic.
Both are in every nook and cranny of every city and country,
And in the microcosms therein.
Therefore,
It makes a lot of sense that there is some overlapping of the two.
I believe that absorbing the spirit of one's location or community can carry over beautifully into the practice of Wicca.
Take a few moments right now to consider how you would describe the place you call home,
In either a few words or a short sentence.
You might wish to write your answer down and look at it again as you progress in your discoveries.
You might well have already incorporated some aspects of folklore into your magical practice without being aware of it.
Folklore is vast,
So a good starting point for recognizing the folklore of your location would be to explore the following.
Herbs and plants,
Weather,
Wildlife,
Cuisine,
Local legends,
And magical spells or workings.
If you are Wiccan,
You've probably already recognized two parallels between these starting points and Wicca,
Nature and spirit.
From the list I mentioned,
I would categorize herbs and plants,
Weather,
And wildlife as nature,
And cuisine,
Local legends,
And magical workings and spells as spirit.
At the core of Wicca are the five elements,
Earth,
Air,
Fire,
Water,
And spirit.
These are symbolized by the pentacle,
Which is a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle to signify that all of them are never-ending and interrelated.
Keep this in mind when examining both nature and spirit in the context of your local area.
In my talk on Desert Magic,
I share more specific information on how I incorporate local culture and spirit into my Wiccan practice.
Spend some time considering the six starting points I referenced as they pertain to your community.
Note anything you observe about them,
Either regularly or seasonally.
Should you sense that there are any messages in your observations,
Consider journaling about it and adding your discoveries to your book of shadows.
As you consider the spirit category,
It's easiest to define spirit as that which is otherworldly or celestial and as a soul or the seat of character.
Spirit is an aspect of folklore that is largely unseen.
Although mostly invisible in this realm,
The presence of spirit is sensed,
Felt,
And known,
And especially in folklore,
It is experienced.
As I mentioned in my talk on crafting your own tradition,
Traditions are typically defined by the influences brought into the practice,
And those can be cultural,
Regional,
Or purely preferential.
If you are considering adding a personal touch to your own practice,
Familiarizing yourself with the folklore of your area might open up a treasure trove of magic for you and be an extremely satisfying component of your spiritual path.
