Swamp Sorcery: Folk Magic from America's Southern Wetlands

“Diving into Swamp Sorcery, I found myself once again experiencing that familiar mix of shock, excitement, and deep pride that has followed each of Dylan’s books, but this time nothing quite prepared me for the world he creates here. With his signature charm and storytelling, he pulls the reader straight into the swamp, a place that felt surprisingly familiar to me and echoed my own memories of growing up in Puerto Rico and Miami surrounded by lakes, wildlife, and even the occasional alligator. …He engages with Afro-Cuban beliefs and other protected spiritual practices with both respect and depth, creating a work that feels expansive, thrilling, and transportive. I would wholeheartedly recommend Swamp Sorcery to anyone even slightly curious about the hidden worlds that exist just beyond everyday life because once you step in, it feels incredible.”
―Steven Bauer, actor, Scarface, Breaking Bad

“Swamp Sorcery is my first journey into this genre, and yet Mystic Dylan writes with the superfluous ease reminiscent of a Pat Conroy (The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini), taking the reader into the beauty and mystery of the swamps and wetlands and the secrets held there. Whether you’re a first-timer like me or you’ve read Mystic Dylan before, get ready for the magic.”
―Victor Rivas Rivers, actor and author of A Private Family Matter

“Swamp Sorcery is one of the most captivating books that I have ever encountered on the topic of occult practices. Through his unique writing style, Mystic Dylan strategically guides us on a magical and enchanting journey into the mysterious swamps and bayous, while teaching us the true art of swamp witch magic. Throughout this enthralling journey, Mystic Dylan introduces us to the historical Native Americans, to the hardships endured by slaves, and even to the escapades of pirates in order to provide us with an exciting, yet thorough, appreciation of how swamp magic was birthed. Swamp Sorcery is a groundbreaking masterwork of brilliance that will set the standard for future research into this very topic!”
―Miss Aida, Conjure Woman and author of Traditional Hoodoo & Conjure

“Lowland waters hold a very special place in North American folk practices, and this book viscerally captures the untamed magic of the swamp. Mystic Dylan has given us a rich array of possibilities to approach and befriend the spirits of the murky waters without us necessarily having to risk the danger of its fanged occupants. The workings outlined in this book, compiled not only from the author’s personal experience but from a century of authentic source material, will open you up to try your hand at swamp sorcery―even if you live far, far away from the bayou.”
―Stacey Williams-Ng, The Southern Gothic Oracle

“Mystic Dylan takes you aboard a stealthy canoe into the hidden waters where danger, mysteries, and magic lurk to introduce us to the folk magic of the Louisiana swamp, the Mississippi Delta, and the Florida everglades. This is country magic at its heart―muddy waters, Spanish moss, snake skins, and gator heads used for healing, divination, justice, and even curses, with practical exercises and spells designed to make real magic in your everyday life. …This book ignores the armchair sorcery of occult theory and guides you to get down, dirty, and dangerous in one of nature’s most secret and magical places.”
―Christian Day, author, The Witches’ Book of the Dead (Warlock Press, 2021)

Mystic Dylan is a multicultural, professional witch with twenty years of experience and South Florida Cuban heritage. He is the author of Swamp Sorcery, The Witch’s Guide to Manifestation, Candle Magic for Beginners, and Throwing Bones, Crystals, Stones, and Curios. His education includes occult philosophy, Voodoo, Conjure, shamanism, and Greco-Roman magic. He has worked for over a decade as an independent scholar and film and academic consultant. When he’s not in the swamp, you’ll likely find Dylan performing readings and spellwork for clients, exploring haunted locations, tending to his pet snakes, or brooding over some obscure historical fact. Visit him at MysticDylanTheWitch.com.

Denise Alvarado is a tradition keeper, healer, and author of more than twenty books, including Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits and Hoodoo Saints, The Magic of Marie Laveau, The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire. She has dedicated over four decades of her life to exploring indigenous healing traditions both personally and academically.

She is a proud member of the American Anthropological Association, the Association of Indigenous Anthropologists, and the Association of Latina/o & Latinx Anthropologists. After serving on the editorial board for the Journal for Social and Behavioral Sciences, Denise brought those academic skills and experience to Hoodoo & Conjure Quarterly, The Journal of American Rootwork, Gumbo Ya Ya, and the Hoodoo Almanac. Her Catholic Creole culture of origin informs her work. Learn more at DeniseAlvarado.com.

Col Welburn H. Kemp is a proud Appalachian, steeped and studied in the time honored traditions of folklore, conjure, and faith healing passed down through generations in the hollers of Eastern Kentucky. His practice blends elements of ceremonial magick with old time conjure and folk magick, as well as mystical and lodge traditions informed further by his studies in the Deep South, particularly New Orleans. Welburn is a passionate teacher, caregiver, urban planner, and preservationist, dedicated to preserving both spiritual and physical spaces for future generations. Welburn is also an active Freemason, minister, and Kentucky Colonel. Find him at Instagram.com/mountain_conjure.

Voodoo Queen Bloody Mary is an internationally renown celebrity spokesperson, paranormal investigator, Voodoo Priestess, author, and historian in New Orleans. An 11th-generation Creole whose family came to New Orleans in 1718, Bloody Mary is Voodoo Queen in New Orleans’ Voodoo tradition, Mambo Asogwe in Haitian Voodoo, and Yaya Nkisi in Palo (Reglas de Congo) tradition. She is also Mamiissi (Mami Wata priestess), Hoodoo teacher, and Swamp Witch. Learn more at BloodyMarysTours.com.