The Marches hearth magic
Custom and tradition create a magic of their own in the Marches. From the poppets to the rings of standing stones and earthworks, the magical sigils of the Marches are made from the earth, with the earth and from things that spring from the earth.
The very existence of the Marches is based on what other nations might call hearth magic, Its prosperity is created by the magical tradition that runs from every child's poppet to the most powerful of Landskeepers, who'd be called ritual magicians elsewhere in the Empire.
The good that Good Walder looked for was as much adherence to these hearth magics as abstract morality. Every Household has its own, but some are found most everywhere. The simple magics of soil, iron, crops and flowers, woven straw, and the Wicker Man.
Soil
Many Marchers Hearth Magics have their roots in the soil. In many a burial overseas, a layer of March soil lies under the body. A traveller far from home might keep a pouch of soil round their necks. Before a battle, a line of Marchers might kneel and rub their hands in the earth to remind them what they're fighting for. (It might also keep a sword from slipping in sweat, of course.)
Iron
Iron is another traditional symbol of power in the Marches. Iron tools to work the land, steel weapons and armour are used to defend it. Iron is the symbol of a yeoman's mastery of the land they own and it holds a power as old as the land it comes from. Marcher folk will often “touch iron” for good fortune or to ensure their hopes for the future come true. Some Marchers carry a lodestone of good iron around their neck to have it to hand, or else keep a piece at the centre of their table.
Crops and flowers
Gates and doors are traditionally decorated with woven bundles of grain on either side, the respect shown to the land prevents evil doers from entering. The hearth is where food taken from the land is prepared. It should always be kept clean and ideally be decorated with fresh cut flowers to prevent food cooked there causing a poison of the blood. Poorer Marchers or those on campaign will make do with bundles of grass or common meadow flowers.
Poppets
Every home in the Marches has at least one straw dolly or poppet, made at the time of harvest to bring good luck to the house and ward off evil omens. These intricately twisted and knotted effigies of straw, corn, oats, rye, grass or rushes traditionally bind the vitality of the field and bring their strength into the home. Some folk use poppets as elements for focusing medicine or magical effects.
Marcher folk place great store by their poppets. Every child is given a straw dolly of their own; stories abound of children separated from their poppets prematurely who suffer a terrible fate. A poppet protects a child before they are old enough to look after themselves. In particular, an expectant mother will carry a poppet to ensure the health of the child. When the season turns again to sowing the seeds for the new crop these poppets are laid on the fields and ploughed back into the earth, or occasionally cast into a bonfire, ensuring a bountiful harvest for the following year.
The Wicker Man
The sinister wicker man is another old Marcher tradition, and can be seen as a poppet on a much larger scale. A giant figure constructed of wicker and wood that is set alight, it is often used to burn sacrifices. Ideal sacrifices are things that belong to the land already such as crops and domestic animals. These sacrifices acknowledge the relationship between the land and the people and it is believed that the fires safeguard the fertility of the land for future generations.
Occasionally things that have damaged or offended the land or the folk are burnt inside. Individuals who have failed badly in their duty are sometimes led to the wicker man so that they can redeem themselves and avoid being shunned; there is a folk belief that burning in a wicker man cleanses the soul and avoids a terrible reincarnation. On rare occasions an Imperial magistrate born in the Marches will order the punishment for those whose crimes warrant execution, especially traitors.
Jack-of-the-Marches
The Marcher Egregore is Jack, a simply-dressed figure carrying an axe, amd often adorned with leaves. It is possible to discern Jack’s mood from the nature of the foliage or the type of axe; flowers indicate Jack is filled with Spring’s hope and joy, keen to see new life prosper, taking a particular interest in Marcher children. Jack’o'the’Spring is the woodcutter, and carries a small hatchet, or pruning-hook.
A forest bill, or battle-axe, indicates that Jack is girded for war, supporting Marcher troops as they line up to fight, and interested in the work of Marcher generals. That’s Jack-in-the-Green, the soldier, who often bears leaves of binding ivy.
When Jack appears bearing a ceremonial axe crafted from gold, then their interest lies with the political life of the Marches; Jack with the Axe of Gold is a reminder to yeomen, stewards and Wardens alike that the Marches prospers through its honesty and integrity, rather than through taking short cuts.
And finally, when Jack appears bereft of foliage and carrying a scythe or executioner’s axe, then their mind is focused on matters of religion and introspection. Jack Frost speaks rarely, and only when there's something important to say; almost always intended to guide the Marchers to stay true to the old ways and tend to the land.