Book: Night Drives on amazon π
Look up the big stuff first. "Desert witchcraft" "mississippi river lore" etc. Rivers, mountain ranges, and biomes are your friends, and you'll get more results from "prairie witchcraft" than "Iowa witchcraft"
If you live near a natural park, see if it has lore or spirits associated with it. I guarantee you'll get some results about the lore behind Yellowstone or the grand canyon
Bookstores and libraries are your friends! There's no better places to find local lore, recipes, and if you're lucky, some witchy bits.
The local spirits know this land best. Where I live, the spirit of a local hero is a better guide to the land than most who live on it.
Visit the local cemetery, and research those that are buried there (there are almost always large memorials for those who did notable things, they'll be easier to research). Let those buried there call to you while you're there too.
Old. People. Ask them about the monuments, landmarks, superstitions and listen to them.
In response to this ask I got earlier today, I decided to do a quick deep-dive into my research materials about divining with playing cards vs tarot cards. Here's the research I found in Old Tradition Crafte, translated by Robin Artissan (2005):
"Meanings may be assigned to a pack of playing cards, to be spread out and read as omens so a situation may be given clarity and direction as well as understanding." This style of reading is claimed to have been used by witches in the 18th-late 19th century, according to Old Tradition Crafte translated by Robin Artissan (2005). According to Artissan, "It has been taken from those who practice the North Berwick Style of Crafte, but is not old enough to be the original system. The cards used in this system are ordinary playing cards. There is no mention of Tarot cards in this system."
King - good-natured man, honest and inventive Queen - affectionate and loving woman Knave - loyal and trusting friend 10 - victory, gain, success, reward 9 - enterprise and money, good position 8 - physical pleasures (sex), affection, lust for life 7 - friendship, commerce, enterprise, successful business 6 - courtship, a generous person 5 - marriage, a gift, discovery 4 - trouble and jealousy, a friend who doubts you 3 - warning, sorrow, poverty and failure 2 - successful ideas that need plans and strategy Ace - home, comfort, celebration, but may turn to quarreling
King - a man who has ambitions without ethics Queen - a woman who intrigues but is a false friend Knave - a man of treacherous reputation; he may be a man of law or authority 10 - warning, grief, strife, trouble 9 - sickness and misfortune, ruin, failure, death 8 - danger, loss, obstacle 7 - bad luck, loss of friendship, money loss or problems 6 - unwanted problems, money gain if it's worked for 5 - trouble resulting from hasty action or bad council 4 - illness or an accident 3 - journey or travel 2 - loss Ace - back luck/omens, misfortune, slander
King - father, protector or parent Queen - a woman of a kind and generous nature; flirtatious girl or woman Knave - a sly and deceiving man, letters or news, discovery 10 - business success and enterprise, gain 9 - successful endeavors, wisdom and knowledge to reach goals 8 - late marriage, good luck 7 - scandal and unjust slander; for a business enterprise this card means more cucess 6 - early marriage or decisions 5 - unexpected news 4 - betrayal, or an enemy uncovered 3 - fighting or quarreling 2 - friends warn of a snare, take their advice Ace - good luck, marriage proposal, good news
King - a reliable man, but gets too free with advice and promises Queen - an intelligent and easy-to-trust woman Knave - a good friend 10 - legacy, children, good family 9 - money, gain and position 8 - caution, retribution 7 - caution against the wiles of the opposite sex, false hope 6 - success in enterprise, business or industry 5 - a comfortable marriage 4 - change 3 - three days, weeks, months or years 2 - a disappointment or let-down Ace - good news, success
What causes damage, to which crystals
The feminine urge to disappear into the forest with an empty notebook and return with a completed herbology encyclopaedia
Greek Mythology Moodboard: Aphrodite