Craig Martin’s corner of the weekend is a little different from the crystals and cards — it’s history. Under the banner British Folklore & Magic (and its community side, Magical Folk), he researches, writes about and teaches the old folk customs of these islands: the cunning folk, the herb lore, the regional superstitions people actually lived by, from around 500 AD right up to the present.
His angle is refreshingly down-to-earth. Craig treats folk magic not as fantasy but as ordinary coping — the everyday things people did to feel a bit safer when life was hard. A rowan twig tied into a cross with red thread. A horseshoe over the door. A line of salt across the threshold. None of it ceremonial or grand; all of it part of the texture of a working household. He’s just as interested in setting the record straight on British fairy lore — the Cumbrian fae, the Scottish brownies — and how little the historical creatures resemble their film versions.
Alongside his research he runs talks, workshops and seasonal guides that tie back to the old calendar: wassailing in the depths of winter, May Day, midsummer. There’s a strong thread on native British plants, too — the folklore of the hedgerow, and how to use it thoughtfully.
Something to try before you come
Pick one thing in your home you’ve never questioned — a habit, an object by the door, a phrase you say for luck — and look up where it comes from. A surprising amount of everyday British life is old folk custom wearing modern clothes. Craig’s work is essentially that, done properly.
Craig brings British Folklore & Magic to the Mind Body Spirit & Wellness Weekend, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 2026 at Stockport Masonic Guildhall — one of over 70 readers, healers and stallholders across the two days.
Workshop by Craig Martin
Catch Craig Martin at:
Craig Martin
An introduction to British folklore and folk magic, drawing on the old customs and cunning-folk traditions of these islands.