In The Press

Learning about magic can sometimes feel a little like reading a cookbook, but Conjuring Dirt manages to take an underserved and humble aspect of folk magic and give it new life. Taren acts as a tour guide or museum docent to the world of soils and dirts deployed for sorcerous purposes. This isn’t a by-the-numbers sort of tour, though, as Taren enlivens informative sections on graveyard dirt or working at the crossroads with stories drawn from history, folklore, and her own life. You learn about the uses of dirt taken from church grounds or courthouses, but also get the back story on a Beaufort, South Carolina politician who feared that people were hexing him using dirt from a local burnt-down church. She discusses using dirt from an enemy’s garden, and takes you to New Orleans and the “Father of the Garden District,” whose own botanical bounty was stolen away by his neighbors, piece by piece after his wife died. Like the very best guidebooks or local excursions, you’re accompanied by someone who answers your questions before you even ask them and who has a tale to tell, about every stop along the way that makes you feel like you’re getting the inside scoop. As a practical guide it’s full of useful tidbits, too, but the stories are what will keep you coming back to this compact-but-captivating little book.