One of the more unusual magics passed down through Native traditions is that of basket weaving - mor

One of the more unusual magics passed down through Native traditions is that of basket weaving - more specifically, the art of weaving magic into a basket as one weaves it by hand. Though many cultures across the world had histories of basketmaking, none in the world, either mundane or magical, could compare with those skills passed down by the tribes of California.The beauty and utility of the baskets produced by magical and non-magical hands alike were such that the Native peoples had no need to make the change to pottery as their more southern kin did, and European-descended wix often had hard trouble telling where the craftsmanship ended and the magic began. Even unenchanted baskets could be woven tightly enough to hold boiling water, and enchantments have been reported to vary as widely as the baskets they were woven into.The tradition was nearly lost due to the decimation of both the tribes and the plants with which they made their baskets, thanks to disease and the desecration of the land by Spanish and later American settlers. By the time La Academia Occidental opened its doors, many tribes’ techniques had been lost, in part or in full, and the remainder struggled together to piece together traditions torn apart over the decades by the families of the children they now learned beside.In the early 1990s, efforts were made by a statewide gathering of people, both Native and otherwise, to revive and restore the ancient practice in full. Through providing a healthy environment for both weaver and plant, as well as increasing the protected territories of both, a resurgence has brought the art back into popular awareness. Now, anyone with money to spend can get themselves a basket enchanted with anything preserving charms to feather-light charms to charms promoting good health, though the secrets behind the magic itself still remains firmly among those willing to dedicate themselves to the art and the cause.[Image Source: CIBA.org] -- source link

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