Overview

A practical approach to traditional Polish folk practice. Polish Folk Magic is an introductory guide into the folk beliefs, seasonal practices, living ancestral traditions, and authentic folk magic of the West Slavic peoples. With the Polish and Slavic diasporas in mind, Joanna Tarnawska fills in the gaps where sources have been previously scarce or inaccessible to those not embedded in the region. Tarnawska guides the reader through everything from the Slavic folkloric calendar to charms, protection magic, and healing. Polish Folk Magic includes a grimoire specific to Polish folk magic, the perfect companion for native and diasporic practitioners alike. Through an exploration led by a native Polish practitioner and made accessible by providing both Polish and English versions of each charm and spoken formula, the reader is invited to personalize their craft through this rich world of folk magic.

Full Product Details

9781964537542

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Polish Folk Magic: Ancestral Lore & Traditions of the West Slavs stands as an indispensable resource--an encyclopedic work that interweaves history, ethnography, and spiritual practice. Joanna Tarnawska, widely known as ""The Polish Folk Witch"", writes from her lived experience as a practicing folk witch in Poland, bringing rare authenticity and authority to her work. The result is a meticulously detailed account of folklore and customs that preserves a cultural inheritance scholars and practitioners alike will return to again and again."" --Mary-Grace Fahrun, author of Italian Folk Magic and Living Folk Magic ""What Joanna Tarnawska delivers in this written work is a treasure trove of Polish folk magic and traditions, ideal for readers looking to connect with their ancestral heritage. Whether you're part of the diaspora or local, Polish Folk Magic will quickly become your favored resource for understanding regional folkloric spirits, seasonal practices and holidays, and traditional remedies. Tarnawska writes methodically, making the material easy to digest due to her wealth of knowledge as a firsthand account of the region. This book is bound to become a favored addition to your personal library!"" --Leah Middleton, author of Magic from the Hilltops and Hollers ""In much of the Western world, the deep folk traditions of countries like Poland have long been overshadowed by dominant religions. As a native Greek priestess practicing my own ancestral traditions, I know how difficult it can be to find and keep one's voice in such a landscape. Joanna Tarnawska has not only kept her voice, but amplified it, selflessly, voicing--for the first time in an English language book--the depths of Polish folk magic. In doing so, she has offered a gift not only to the Slavic diaspora, but also to those in Poland working to revive and carry forward their ancestral practices. Polish Folk Magic deserves a place on the shelf of every serious folk magic practitioner."" --Elyse Welles, author of Sacred Wild: An Invitation to Connect to Spirits of the Land ""If there is one thing you can expect from Joanna and her work it is absolute honesty, no sugarcoating, no whitewashing or watering down to make people feel more comfortable--it is raw, unadulterated and wonderfully real. For those interested in Polish folk traditions and Slavic folklore, this is an absolute treasure trove that engages the mind and soul. This book feels alive. A book many, myself included, have yearned for, truly a first of its kind. Written by a native, who is genuinely immersed in the culture that she is writing about and generously passing on to all those who want to step into the world of the creepy, bizarre and beautiful Polish-Slavic folk traditions."" --Ella Harrison, author of The Book of Spells, BA in Social and Cultural Anthropology ""What a delight Joanna Tarnawska's book is. She skillfully guides the reader through Slavic conceptions of folk magic in a clear and straightforward manner, introducing the culture, perceptions of the spirit world, and the significance of fire and water in the work of the folk magic practitioner. It offers information I haven't encountered in other books of this kind and truly resonated with me. In her straightforward, accessible writing style, she introduces the reader to how she conceives of folk magic working and guides the reader through Zamawianie and the words used in folk magical practice to effect change, exploring cleansing, protection and the evil eye, Uroki in more detail, along with other areas folk practitioners will be familiar with. What Tarnawska has given us here is such a solid, generous introduction to important ideas, practices, philosophies, and approaches that, until now, we haven't had in the English language. Joanna has truly blazed a trail with this work, opening the door wide for others to follow, and I hope there's plenty more to come."" --Scott Richardson-Read (Cailleach's Herbarium), author of Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread ""This book is an unapologetic statement on the nature of Slavic witchcraft and the path of the old ways. An informative yet pragmatic approach to folkcraft which inspires and encourages the reader to delve deeper into their craft. A must read for the student of Slavic and other folk practices alike."" --Elwynn Green, teacher and creator at The Antlered Crown ""Polish Folk Magic opens a doorway into the enchanted heart of Poland, where ancestors, spirits, and land still speak. Joanna Tarnawska weaves myth, ritual, and memory into a living tapestry of fire, water, forests, and stars. Written with reverence and clarity, Polish Folk Magic shares the practices and spirits that sustained generations of Polish people through hardship and change. It is a guide for those who long to reconnect with ancestral ways and find magic in the everyday."" --Vlasta Pilot, author of Gentle Hearts Unite Zine ""Polish Folk Magic is a gorgeous culmination of a lifetime of learning, dedication to community, and listening to the land and the earth spirits. This book creates an altar where the reader can commune with the stories, histories, and lessons of this lifelong dedication--a meeting place on the page. Joanna Tarnawska has written a necessary book, one for the wild and wandering magic maker, that honors folk magic in its divine multiplicity. Her skill of writing at the crossroads of poetic magic and academic research creates an artifact and an invitation that deftly takes the reader on a journey to a deeper understanding of folk magic rooted in Polish ancestry, the elements, spirits, spells, and Poland itself. This book is for anyone longing to cultivate a profound sense of and connection to Polish folk magic, and it will be one I return to again and again."" --Kate Belew, author of Word Witch, How to Call Upon and Cultivate the Creative Magic Within You ""High praises for Polish Folk Magic: Ancestral Lore and Traditions of the West Slavs! Joanna demonstrates how one's practice of these traditions can remain culturally relevant while staying true to the bioregionalism of the lands on which one is currently residing. She has woven a robust tapestry of the people, lore, history, and the living tradition of Polish folk ways and bound it together with personal experience! Polish Folk Magic is a Baba-approved guide for living in communion with nature, aligning with spirit, and tapping into the liminal space which forms and informs the practice of a Slavic (or Slavic-hybrid) folk witch. For English speakers yearning to learn the ways of our ancestors in the diaspora, our wait is over!"" --Caireann V., Slavic diaspora content creator at Hearth and Besom ""As a first-generation Serbian-American raised in folk Orthodoxy, the Byzantine-derived equivalent of the folk Catholicism described in Polish Folk Magic's pages, I found so many areas of overlap with my own culture's beliefs and practices--right down to the particularities of terminology in several instances--that I found myself cheering with delight quite audibly as I read. Truly, besides being a treasure trove of lore and spell craft, Tarnawska's excellent book ultimately serves as an ancestral summons: one that gathers us home again in its pages."" --Anna Urosevic Applegate, author of Slava! Slavic Paganism and Dual-Faith Folk Ways

Author Information

Joanna Tarnawska is an animist, folkloric witch, and psychologist residing in the mountains of Lower Silesia, Poland. Her practice intertwines animism, bioregional traditions, and lore, drawing inspiration from the early modern period of Polish witch trials and Slavic folklore. With a strong foundation in anthropology and ethnography, Joanna's work explores the deep connections between pre- and post-Christian folklore and witchcraft traditions. She contributes articles to Femme Occulte magazine and runs Polish Folk Witch, a platform where she shares her knowledge through courses and group studies on Polish folk magic, animism, and traditional witchcraft.

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