Description
Brandon Weston Lecture: An Introduction to Ozark Folk Magic and Medicine
A discussion of traditional plant-based and magic-based folk healing methods in the Ozarks. We will be looking at source material provided by folklorists like Mary Parler, Vance Randolph, Otto Ernest Rayburn, etc. and from living healers and folk doctors. With plant-based healing we will look at traditional herbalism, herbal remedies/preparations, and the materia medica of the Ozark people. In the magic-based healing section we will look at practices that do not involve the direct use of medicinal plants and minerals. Examples of these traditions include: verbal charms, prayers, ritual, as well as the repurposing of certain household items for healing.
Biography Brandon Weston is an Ozark healer, herbalist, folklorist, and writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He’s the owner and operator of Mountain Man Healing (ozarkhealing.com) as well as an active blog on Ozark magic and medicine (ozarkhealingblog.com). He also gives lectures and native plant walks throughout Arkansas and Missouri. Brandon comes from a long line of Ozark hillfolk and works hard to keep the traditions that he’s collected alive and true for generations to come.
