Settings & Their Symbolism in Narrative Folk Charms

Disclaimer: The suggestions and associated symbolism discussed here are based on my own background in diasporic European folk magic. I have not included symbols from outside my own folklore and study/practice, simply because I do not consider myself well-versed enough in other folklore and magical backgrounds to do them justice. These ideas are intended only as suggestions and should not be taken as an expert authority. In instances where these suggestions contradict symbols or symbolism from your own established practice or folkloric background, I strongly recommend using your own practice’s symbols and symbolism over these.

Notes: 1. Although this post is focused on the narrative setting, many of these symbols and concepts can also be applied to the practical/physical setting (that is, the place where the magic/charm is actually performed). 2. You will notice that many of the settings addressed here have overlapping symbolism and associations. Symbolism often overlaps in such cases because the narrative charm has strong historical ties to healing and protective magic, so most symbolism tends to be focused on those applications. I have used my own background where appropriate to expand on some historical associations in order to expand the application of these charms into other magical disciplines.

Traditional Settings in European Narrative Charms

Note: These settings are classified here as “traditional” because they appear often in pre- and early modern European narrative charms. The suggestions I have listed for possible symbolism and application in charms, however, have been expanded to include both traditional and more contemporary approaches to these figures. If your goal is to make your own narrative charms (or to adapt existing narrative charms) as traditional as possible, I recommend doing your own research into the more traditional symbolism of these figures within the specific region or era of charm magic that interests you.

Fields, Barns & Agricultural Settings - 1. As a physical location where the magic is performed: barn blessing, crop blessing, crop hexing, farm animal protection, farm blessing, farm hexing, farm protection, land blessing, land spirit/land wight petitions, livestock hexing; 2. As a setting mentioned in a spoken or written charm: abundance, blessing, fresh starts, growth, healing, health, hexing another’s growth, hexing another’s wealth, new beginnings, physical health, prosperity, wealth, well-being.

Agricultural settings appear in the application of narrative charms both as a physical setting of the working and (somewhat less often) as settings featured in a spoken of written charm. The frequency at which these locations appear in records of narrative charms is mostly owed to the fact that such a large percentage of European folk magic focuses on farmlife and the maintenance and protection of crops, animals, and farm tools.

Roads, Roadsides & Pathways - blessings, boundary setting, cleansing, death, direction, guidance, improvement, letting go, new beginnings, opportunity, release of unwanted circumstances, removal of obstacles, removal of unwanted energies, transition.

Crossroads, Bridges, Forest Edges, Town Borders & Liminal/Transitional Spaces - baneful magic, death, direction, guidance, hidden knowledge, necromancy, power, protection, removal of illness (by sending it to the spirit world), spirit pacts, spirit travel, spirit work, summoning of spirits, transition, witch flight.

The Church or Churchyard* - banishing unwanted influences, banishing unwanted spirits, blessing, divine vision seeking, healing, petitioning angels, petitioning the Christian god, petitions through saints and Biblical figures, power, protection, protection from demons, protection from evil, protection from harm, protection from ill will, protection from spirits, protection from witchcraft, purity, righteousness, transformation, workings that involve blasphemy

The “churchyard” here refers specifically to the churchyard proper, or the ground that lies within the church boundary. The area outside of the church gates or the Strangers’ Burial yard is not included in this symbolism. See below.

The Church Boundary & the Stranger’s Burial - baneful magic, banishing illness by sending it to the spirit world, binding, breaking baneful magic, control, death, divination, divination with spirits, familiar pacts, initiation, magical compulsion, mystery, necromancy, power, protection for witches, protection from witches, restless spirits, secrecy, spirit pacts, spirit travel, spirit work, spirit world, summoning a familiar, summoning demons, summoning non-human spirits, summoning spirits of the dead, witch flight, witchcraft

The Home - blessing, family, fertility, harmony, healing, hearth blessing, home blessing, protection, protection from witchcraft, protection of property, protection of the family, security, warding; the home can also appear as a direct symbol for a person or household with each room representing different areas of their life.

Rivers, Streams & Moving Water - blessing, cleansing, healing, magic associated with blood and the circulatory system, magic associated with movement of spirits and energies, removal of fever, transformation; particularly useful in charms for healing to do with blood and fevers, as well as charms used for blessing water for use in magic.

Specific rivers, often those appearing in Biblical texts, can also be referred to in narrative charms for healing. These charms often use the spoken charm to tell or reimagine the Bible story associated with the river in such a way that its appearance within the narrative imitates or alludes to the charm’s desired effect.

Coastlines & Seascapes - dangerous journeys, death, desire, fear, grief, loss, petitions to the sea and sea spirits, protection for seafaring travelers, spirit work, uncertainty

Hills & Mountains - ancestor work, blessings (though they may come with unexpected prices), divination, favor, guidance, luck, magic associated with the Hidden People, petitions to ancestors, petitions to nature spirits, petitions to non-human spirits, protection during journeys, protection for travelers, protection from the supernatural, spirit travel, wealth.

Forests - divination, divining the unknown, healing, healing by sending illness into the woods, initiations, magic associated with land wights, magic associated with nature spirits, petitions to familiars, petitions to folk devils, petitions to land spirits, protection for dangerous journeys, protection from the unknown, protection from wildlife, saint magic, shape-shifting, spirit travel, witch flight.

Mount of Olives - blessing, bodily health, curing of aches associated with work, curing of backache, curing of injuries, curing of pain, healing, healing of bones, recovery, rest, wellness.

Golgotha - baneful magic, divine protection, protection from curses, protection from demons, protection from evil, protection from injustice, protection from persecution, protection from possession, protection from witches.

Saint Graves & Other Saint-Related Sites - used or referred to to invoke the specific blessings, protections and causes associated with the specific saint.

The Body - banishing illness, blessing, curing illness, healing.

Expanded Settings for Contemporary Charm-Writing & Adaptation

The following list includes settings which do not appear as major settings or motifs mentioned in traditional charms that I am familiar with, but are nonetheless powerful symbols for incorporation into contemporary folk magic or adapted folk magic. I have only included locations in list of traditional settings if they were also frequently mentioned in recorded narrative charms. Therefore, there are plenty of places that acted as physical locations for the performance of magic which only appear in the expanded list. This is not to imply that these locations were not a traditional part of these workings; rather that they were not incorporated typically into the storytelling element of the workings.

Railroads - grief , industry, opportunity, protection for traveling by land, restless spirits, spirit work, upheaval.

Hospitals - banishment of illness, healing, petition for medical intervention, physical healing.

Apothecary - blessing of herbs, blessing of medicines, creation of medicine, healing.

Prison - justice magic, binding, court victory, criminal law, intervention against injustice, law, removal of obstacles.

Courthouse - justice magic, civil rights, court victory, criminal law, equity, intervention against injustice, protection, protection for activists, protection for immigrants, protection for protesters, protection from criminals, social justice.

School/University - divination, hidden knowledge, higher knowledge, initiation, mentorship, mystery, mystery tradition, opportunity, power through knowledge, tutelary spirit pacts, tutelary spirits.

Market - abundance, blessing, having needs met, needful things, petitioning for specific items, provision.

Tax Office - debt, forgiveness of debt, tax related workings.

Bank - abundance, debt, debt forgiveness, home ownership workings, money, wealth, workings for large purchases, workings for loan approval.

Mines - baneful magic, death, despair, hidden knowledge, spirit travel, spirit work, the Devil, uncertainty, Underworld entities, Underworld workings, witch flight.

Dirt Roads/Gravel Roads - ancestor work, history, looking backward, memory, roots, tradition.

Piers & Harbors - chance, folly, loss, luck, protection for travelers.

Firehouses - curing fever, curing inflammation, protection from fever, protection from fire.