The Powwow Guy

In some ways, I'm an old-fashioned Powwow. I think my work is more effective if, in even a little way, it involves the outdoors. Even when I make an herbal tea or home remedy in my kitchen, at least a small part of that was done outside; whether the herbs were from the garden or the infused oil was 'cooked' in the sun, or whatever. I always try my best to incorporate the natural world in my powwowing. And that makes sense, considering Powwow is an old-fashioned sort of tradition, and our forebearers would have used what they had available to them... creek stones, plants from the garden, horseshoes, or whatever..

A few years back, Bill and I add some split rail fencing on parts of our property. This was largely a decorative choice, but it also serves as a marker for the edge of our property. Because of this "in-between" status, I've found the posts to be great places to set my oils so they infuse in full sunlight all day long.

Before we put the fence in, I marked each fence post with three crucifixes to add a blessing of the Holy Trinity onto our property boundary.

I like the symbolism of the fence posts being a boundary between my property (which I perceive as a spiritual and magical place) and the 'outside' world. There are a number of things hidden under and around my fence posts now and, even this past weekend, I set out my birch water and an infused oil to soak in the powers of the sun. 

Just in the way my grandmother set her green tomatoes in the kitchen window to ripen, I feel that setting my Powwow work on the fence posts finishes things off perfectly. It adds a unique touch to my Powwowing that would otherwise not be there. 

Remember that your property boundaries are just as powerful as the rest of your personal space. You can utilize all aspects of your property in your Powwowing. The magic of barriers and 'in-between' places is well-documented throughout history. Maybe you can add some fence post magic to your work?