Tarot Fellow
Mountain Conjure and Southern Root Work by Orion Foxwood — Appalachian Magic
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Mountain Conjure and Southern Root Work by Orion Foxwood — originally published as The Candle and the Crossroads, this 2021 Weiser Books edition brings readers into Appalachian folk magic from the inside: candle work, root doctoring, faith healing, ancestral spirits, and graveyard workings transmitted through lived experience and direct lineage. A foreword by Mat Auryn rounds out this essential Southern conjure text.
Description:Quick Specs
- Brand/Publisher: Weiser Books
- Type: Paperback book
- Size/Quantity: 216 pages (2021 edition with foreword by Mat Auryn)
- Best for: Folk magic practitioners, Appalachian tradition students, conjure and root work seekers
Southern Conjure from the Inside
Orion Foxwood didn't study Southern conjure from the outside. He grew up inside it, raised in rural Appalachia where oral transmission, faith healing, and root work were part of daily community life. This background gives the book a texture and authority that is hard to replicate. Where many folk magic texts reconstruct tradition from historical sources, Foxwood writes from lived experience and direct lineage, including the voices of spirits, ancestors, and the practitioners who taught him.
Originally published as The Candle and the Crossroads, this 2021 edition has been retitled and updated, with a foreword by Mat Auryn. The core content brings readers into an Appalachian landscape of moonlit orchards, crossroads, and rural farms, and through that landscape into a complete system of folk magic that covers candle work, root doctoring, faith healing, ancestral spirits, and graveyard magic. The book emphasizes relationship with the spirits of the land and the importance of humility and gratitude as the foundation of all conjure work.
What the Book Teaches
Foxwood's chapter structure moves from worldview to practice in a deliberate sequence. Working by the signs (synchronizing magical work with lunar and seasonal cycles), settling the light (candle magic), doctoring the root (herbs, roots, stones, and animal materials), praying or dreaming true, blessing and cursing, graveyard work, and encountering the dark rider at the crossroads are all covered with both cultural context and practical instruction. This is a book for practitioners who want to understand and work within the tradition rather than simply extract techniques.
How to Use Mountain Conjure and Southern Root Work
Follow Foxwood's sequencing from worldview to practice, building your foundation before attempting more complex ritual work.
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Build the Foundation
Begin with Foxwood's opening chapters on spirit sight and the Appalachian worldview before attempting any practical work. Understanding his cultural framing makes the workings far more coherent and effective.
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Choose a Practice
Select a practical technique from the book, such as working by signs, settling the light (candle work), or a simple root doctoring formula. Gather the materials described and follow the instructions carefully.
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Approach Spirit Work Carefully
Approach ancestor work or crossroads rituals only after reading the relevant chapters fully. Foxwood emphasizes respect, relationship-building, and appropriate preparation before engaging with spirit forces.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock this book because Foxwood's voice is singular in the folk magic genre. This isn't a reconstructed or romanticized version of Appalachian conjure. It's the real thing, presented with care, precision, and the kind of depth that comes only from someone who lived inside it. The 2021 edition is the best version available. If you're building a serious folk magic library, this belongs on the shelf. Browse my Hoodoo and folk magic books for related titles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orion Foxwood is a conjure man and root worker raised in rural Appalachia. He learned the craft through direct oral transmission from family and community elders, and he has taught folk magic for decades.
The book was previously published as The Candle and the Crossroads. This 2021 edition has been retitled and includes a foreword by Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch. The content has been updated and expanded.
Yes. While deeply rooted in Southern Appalachian culture, Foxwood writes for a broad audience. Readers without that heritage can engage respectfully with the tradition as long as they approach it with care.
The book is a 216-page softcover, published in 2021. Topics include candle magic, faith healing, root doctoring, praying or dreaming true, graveyard work, ancestral spirits, and working the crossroads.
