Blue Star Wicxa is an experimental rock band from Olympia, Washington. Known for their unique sound and unconventional approach to music, the band has gained a dedicated following within the underground music scene. Blue Star Wicxa's music is characterized by its heavy use of distortion, dissonance, and unconventional song structures, creating a cacophonous and chaotic sound. Formed in the early 2000s, Blue Star Wicxa consists of four members: Sarah Johnson on vocals and guitar, Aaron Green on bass, Melissa Thompson on drums, and Mark Davis on keyboards and electronics. The band's lineup has remained consistent throughout their career, allowing them to develop a cohesive and distinctive sound. Blue Star Wicxa's music draws influences from a wide range of genres, including punk, noise rock, post-punk, and experimental music.

The Untold Story Of West Virginia's Granny Witches May Surprise You

When, exactly, did witches get such a bad reputation? In as early as the 15th century, Europe was deep in the throes of witch trials, the likes of which followed to America in the mid 17th century when New England was awash with witch phobia. Fortunately, witch phobia never really took hold in what was to become the Mountain State, even though West Virginia has for centuries been populated with witches throughout. Our state is filled with many tales of folklore, and even though the following natural healers in the Mountain State are labeled “Granny Witches,” they have nothing to do with the traditional practice of witchcraft.

The "witches" here aren't like those found elsewhere — and definitely don't dress like witches seen in movies. The witches found in Appalachia are a rare gem and although they brought their craft from Europe with them to the New World, the "craft" soon evolved into a necessary part of Appalachian culture.

The witches of West Virginia, and elsewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, were magical healers and became known as Granny Witches.

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And because so many places in the Mountain State were extremely isolated, the Granny Witch in town became an honored person. The knowledge possessed by Granny Witches has been passed down through generations and is still relied upon by some old-school families who believe in the magical healing powers of the Granny Witch.

Some Granny Witches use nothing but faith as their source for healing. It's not unusual for a witch healer to simply rub an ailment (such as a wart), say a few words, and walk away. In the case of a wart, it will be completely gone by the next morning! In the days of old, small towns in West Virginia had no doctor to rely upon. Granny Witches were sought out for all kinds of ailments and for solutions to other kinds of problems as well.

"Water Witches" were consulted when someone in the community needed to add a well to their property. With the use of special divining rods, these Granny Witches could pinpoint water on the spot (and still can!).

Over time, and with easily accessible modern conveniences, West Virginians rely much less on Granny Witches for day-to-day activities and for ailments. But they still exist as natural healers throughout the Appalachian Mountains.

Have you, or someone you know, had an experience with a Granny Witch? We’d love to know about the experience!

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Granny Witches

My husband and I recently traveled with my mom to wild, wonderful West Virginia for an Ashby family reunion. We had a marvelous time. I thoroughly enjoyed our brief day trip through the Appalachian Mountains. The scenes were familiar, and my mom’s insightful narrative added to the experience. The beautiful mountains beckoned to me. The deer with their white tails in the air, seemingly playing in green fields with small pools of standing water from the recent fall rains, reminded me of childhood fun with my numerous cousins. The connection of family and friends rang true with the Appalachian traditions of good food, good humor, and good relationships no matter the separation of distance and time.

I’m in the process of writing a sequel to my novel Whispering of the Willows. The sequel, like the first book in the series, is set in the Appalachian Mountains during the late 1920’s. While doing research for the new book, I came across an internet article about Appalachian granny witches.

“Anyone who travels through Appalachia knows that it takes a while. The backroads dip through hollows and twist through the mountains, with endless offshoots of narrow roads that disappear into the hills. This isolation is a distinguishing feature of the Appalachian Mountains that has helped shape much of the region’s culture and the legacy of granny witches as faith healers. When it takes a half an hour or more to get into town, and town is little more than a supply and feed store, self-reliance and strong beliefs become crucial. In the old days, hospitals were often too far away and a little suspicious to mountain people. When accidents and illnesses happened, the locals relied on granny witches. These traditional folk healers were skilled in herbalism, home remedies, spells…Granny magic healed sickness, birthed babies, removed curses, and predicted the weather. In the far reaches of Appalachia, granny witches were often the sole source of medical care and spiritual guidance. Their practices were simple, inventive, and always grounded in the natural world…Granny witches harnessed the power of their natural and supernatural resources to guide and aid their communities.”

The idea of older women guiding younger women and helping their communities is biblical, yet the intention of using supernatural resources is concerning. The Scottish-Irish roots of the Appalachian folks co-mingled Christianity with sorcery and spells.

I am excited to continue my research on granny witches and to possibly incorporate a granny in my new book.

The deep roots of witchcraft in Appalachia

The term “witchcraft” appears to render many people uneasy when talking about it by today's standards. What may come to mind for them are the Salem Witch Trials, eating toads, or turning children into cats as pop-culture has led us to believe.

In reality, the art of folklore and so-called “granny magic” that has been practiced by many Appalachians, both intentionally and unintentionally, are the product of generations of traditions that have been passed on to them by their ancestors.

H. Byron Ballard wears many hats, including that of senior priestess and co-founder of Mother Grove Goddess Temple in Asheville, North Carolina. Established in 2008, the temple provides a place for people of all faiths to come together to celebrate femininity and Mother Earth. The temple hosts events for all holy days in the Wiccan calendar and sponsors several programs that help aid those in need.

“I like to tell people that the single most important job that a Wiccan priestess has is to make sure that no candle wax gets on the carpet or floor of the hall that you rented to do a ritual in,” said Ballard. “When everybody else is gone, she’ll be on the floor scraping wax up with her thumbnail.”

While in college at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, Ballard congregated with a group of women who began looking into how spirituality could be used in service to equalizing women. It was then that she discovered the practices of Wicca, and she adopted the faith soon after.

Today, she identifies with animism, believing that all things on Earth, from trees and dirt to animals and humans, have a soul and are connected to each other because of that.

“It's kind of like being baptized because once you are a Wiccan, you are always a Wiccan,” said Ballard. “The older I get the simpler my spirituality gets, and now I am really an animist. I believe that the whole world is ensouled, and that's what my book that is coming out in August is about.”

Ballard grew up surrounded by mysticism and practical remedies to everyday ailments.

Through a whole line in her family tree going back to at least six generations, Ballard recounts the women having special gifts shortly after hitting puberty. The family openly referred to themselves and their practices as “witchery.” Some could ‘witch’ a wart off of a person, some could ‘blow the fire’ out of a burn, while others could see and communicate with spirits. For Ballard and her grandmother, they both received the gift of prophetic dreaming.

Ballard was not prevented from going to church as a child, but after her father had a falling out with their Methodist minister, the family never found another church to call home. Ballard refers to her childhood as ‘unchurched.’ Though she did attend services with various neighbors and relatives, she was never baptized as a Christian.

“As I was looking into other religions, I began to wonder why God and Jesus were considered real, but all of those other deities were just myths,” said Ballard.

Though witchcraft and wiccanism seem to be a taboo ideology to many people, Ballard states that since they first came out with their faith in their area in the 1990s, most of the people have decided to leave them alone and not be bothered by their faith and rituals.

“It's a truism I think about mountain people,” said Ballard. “There are not many left in Asheville, but mountain people are content to just leave you alone as long as you return the favor.”

Asheville has grown in its urban population over the past decade and has become a melting pot of people of all different faiths and belief practices. Because of this, seeing a Wiccan temple directly across the street from the First Baptist Church is not enough to make most locals bat an eye.

The goddess temple received a small amount of pushback when it was first starting out, not from Christian denominations, but from people within the Pagan community who wanted to include the masculine god deities as well.

“We only have two rules at Mother Grove,” Ballard said. “No hierarchy, and no boy gods.”

Mother Grove welcomes many participants, both male and female, who like to think of the goddesses as their mothers or grandmothers. Ballard says that femininity has a great appeal to most people, and that all people from all faiths are welcome to worship at the temple.

Ballard recounts several ministers within the protestant Christian community offering advice and help when plans for the goddess temple were first announced in 2008. The leaders of the other faiths expressed their concern for her building a temple, not because they did not want her to build it, but because buildings were expensive to maintain. One Baptist pastor offered to set up a meeting with one of his contacts who could provide insurance for the building of the temple.

“There was a level of acceptance from those members of my interfaith community that I did not have from members of the pagan community,” said Ballard.

Ballard has authored five books on her experience with witchcraft and is working on a sixth one that is set to be completed in August 2021.

“I’ve been writing for what feels like my whole life,” said Ballard. “I wrote stories when I was a kid, and then became a playwright when I was in graduate school and I've written I don't know how many plays. I switched over to non-fiction after that.”

Ballard’s books pay homage to her religious culture, as well as her Appalachian roots.

For more information about Ballard please visit her website, MyVillageWitch .

Blue Star Wicxa's music draws influences from a wide range of genres, including punk, noise rock, post-punk, and experimental music. The band's songs often incorporate elements of improvisation and spontaneity, giving their music a raw and unpredictable quality. Their lyrics tackle a variety of themes, including personal experiences, social issues, and existential questions.

Blue Star Wicxa has released several albums throughout their career, including "Black Ice" (2005), "Gutter Glamour" (2009), and "Infinite Depths" (2013). These albums have received critical acclaim for their innovative sound and musical experimentation. The band has also gained a reputation for their intense and energetic live performances, which often involve audience participation and spontaneous collaborations with other musicians. Despite their underground status, Blue Star Wicxa has gained a cult following and has influenced many other bands in the experimental rock and punk scenes. Their uncompromising approach to music and commitment to pushing boundaries has made them a respected and influential force within the alternative music community. In conclusion, Blue Star Wicxa is an experimental rock band known for their unique sound and unconventional approach to music. Through their heavy use of distortion, dissonance, and unconventional song structures, the band creates a cacophonous and chaotic sound that has gained them a dedicated following within the underground music scene. With their raw and unpredictable music, Blue Star Wicxa has become a respected and influential force within the alternative music community..

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