Blood

and

Spicebush

The alchemical sign for poison carved into a beautiful tulip poplar bark basket made by Daniel Gingras of Asheville, North Carolina.

Appalachian Folk Magic

and Medicine

​Welcome. I am Rebecca Beyer,

I am a practitioner of Hedgecraft.

I believe that by looking to the past, we can find connection with all of our unique ancestral lifeways while still addressing cultural appropriation.

​I focus my life, teaching and research on bringing to light the historical folklore of plants, Appalachian folk magic and how one can integrate them to live a more connected and meaningful life. Through workshops, classes and lectures I hope to share this with those seeking to join me on this journey.

Not New Age but THIS age. Looking to the past and understanding the true stories of plants can help us live a more just and connected life.

Classes

Wild Food

Close-up of grass blades with blurred background, sunlight filtering through trees
A white bowl filled with monada flowers
A fruit and baked goods display including dried apple slices on an acorn flour cake, apples, oranges, a jar of nuts, a bowl of berries, and pumpkins on a rustic surface.
A wicker basket filled with fresh green leaves resting on a dark wooden surface.

Appalachia is home to hundreds of wonderful wild plants that are edible and medicinal.

Many are invasive, abundant or easy to grow. Let’s learn their histories, their flavors and their current magic.

Two hands hold a traditional stone and wooden mortar and pestle, used for grinding, outdoors among fallen autumn leaves and green foliage.

Hedgecraft

A large white bowl filled with fresh green spruce tips.
A woman, Rebecca Beyer, with tattoos and long hair, carrying a wicker backpack, stands in a forest with green trees, raising her hand with a small bundle of leaves.

Hedgecraft is the art of wortcunning; knowing plants not just by their botany, but by the currents of historical magic that runs through them. It is knowing how to find what you need to heal and nourish with that which flourishes just outside your doorstep.

It is beyond knowing a plant’s “uses” and trying to instead understand their place in our complex and beautiful world as well as in our human story.

Learn more about Hedgecraft
A woman in bohemian clothing with tattoos and a bag stands in a lush green forest, speaking or explaining something with hand gestures.
A poke root laid on a weathered wooden surface.
Blurred landscape of pink flowers in foreground with mountains in the background under cloudy sky.

The result of the mixing of Indigenous, European, and African folk ways in these mountains. It is the magic of getting things done. It is a magic born out of struggle.

Learn the Materia Magica of Southern Appalachia.

Hands holding ripe blackberries with green leaves, with a blurred green background.

Herbal Mutual Aid

Madco Herbal Collective

Come join us in Marshall, NC to make medicine for our community and provide free herbal care for those who need it. To work with plants in a privilege, let us give as we receive.

Work With Us
A logo for the Madco Herbal Collective featuring a watercolor illustration of mountains, with various herbs and flowers, including purple loosestrife, elderberry, black-eyed Susan, and white trillium, establishing an herbal and natural theme, established in 2024.

Ritual Jewelry

A string of pearl and stone bracelets, a white rose, peacock feathers, pine branches, and small white flowers arranged on a wooden surface.
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