The Powwow Guy

In Pennsylvania Dutch history, a verhexed object is one of the most common ways an innocent individual is verhexed (bewitched). A verhexed object could include a milk pail, a horseshoe, a nail, a penny, a farming tool, or whatever. It was usually a common object that would never arouse suspicion.

Remember when we discussed the difference between Brauche work and Hexen work? Brauche/Powwow is complete surrender to God to do His work. Hexen work is denial of God and embracing of the Ego. For this reason, a Braucher/Powwow does not imbue objects with her/his energies. It just isn't a part of Powwow work. We don't "empower" things, we don't "bless" things, etc. We ask God to do these things for us. In Hexen work, it is the witches own energy that is imbued into objects. A verhexed object is a regular object empowered with hate, anger, vengeance, whatever, in an effort to put that disruptive power into the victim's life.

You can understand how even the most well-intentioned person who wants to "empower" something for you can inadvertently create a verhexed object. None of us are ever in a state of pure ANYTHING. While we can feel joy, we are human and also have doubt. Or pain. Or anxiety. Or worry about something. These feelings and thoughts are always a part of us. So when we think we are filling up an object with "love" or "happiness" or "health" or whatever, none of us are ever truly able to conjure up a 100% pure genuine version of this. Only God is capable of purity of purpose and emotion and intent. And for us to think that we can do this better than God is spiritual arrogance. Hence the Ego steps in and overshadows God. Hence, hexerei.

Some years ago, I accepted a gift from a Powwower. The moment I touched it, a warning alarm went off in my mind and I just knew, somehow, that I needed to get rid of it. I don't know how I knew, I can only say that God was telling me I better not keep it. That gift has been in the Susquehanna River for almost ten years now, hopefully rusting away as the waters of the river carry away the power of the verhexing.

Some of you are probably wondering why a Powwow would verhex a fellow Powwow.

It's been done before. It's Ego. This is why I often say that Powwow is somewhat territorial. We do our best not to intrude on each other's "territory". Sadly, it has been shown throughout history that there are Powwowers who gladly and happily call upon God in the light of day, while serving Ego (the Devil) in the shadows...

What do we do with an object we believe is verhexed?

Easy. We get rid of it.

You can bury it at your hexenkopf, which is a personal area in nature that you have designated as a place to bury all the "yuck" that you've removed from your clients. You can bury it in a churchyard. You can toss it into a river. You can burn it to ash in a fire then bury the ashes at your hexenkopf.

We cannot "cleanse" an object of a verhexing. Once an object is tainted by hate and evil and the Devil, it is always tainted. It is of no constructive use to anyone anymore. It needs to be disposed of.

You can do the disposal of a verhexed object quietly. Simply take it to your hexenkopf, bury it, then be on your way. Toss it into a river without ceremony. Bury it in the most under-traveled section of a churchyard. Don't make a fuss. Just get rid of it. And when you get rid of the object, you also free yourself of the influence of the Hex.

Is there a way to know for sure something is verhexed?

No. Not really. You either know or you do not. If you find something in your home that you never noticed before, if you are gifted something unexpectedly, you may even purchase something and bring it willingly into your home... you will notice the influence of the verhexing eventually.

If you do get rid of a truly verhexed object, you may find that the person who made the attempt to verhex you will resurface in your life. History tells us they will feel compelled to borrow something from us, in an attempt to gain something of ours that they can re-attach their power to and thus regain control over our lives. Don't fall for it.

Every verhexing can be different. But most often, signs of a verhexing include household illness, misfortune, insect infestations, weakness, fatigue, fear, paranoia, physical symptoms like boils or other skin disorders that you never had before. Some people have stated they experienced visions of the Devil. Some believe they can hear the whispering of the Hex who cursed them. Everyone experiences these things differently.

Let me just be clear when I say that there are very few people who can actually pull off a successful verhexing. This is powerful stuff. It takes way more than a few ill wishes toward a person. However, if you experience a true verhexing, you won't soon forget it. And you'll be able to distinguish between a real curse and just a general run of ill luck in the future.

But what about using sage to cleanse things?

Don't. We have no right to sage. It's sacred to the Native Americans and there is literally nothing to prove that burning it does anything other than make your house smell bad.

What about Holy Water?

It's true that Holy Water can impart a divine blessing on us when we use it. It is also meant to remind us of our own baptism by water. Holy Water is believed to cleanse of impurities and unclean things. However, Holy Water should not be thought of as a "magical cure". It is not the bleach of the spiritual world.

Holy Water is best used on ourselves as both a reminder of our baptism and as a means of asking for God's blessing. We should not cheapen the spiritual power and mysteries of Holy Water by submerging objects in it to cleanse of other people's negative powers. This act implies that the object itself is precious to you and you are willing to risk all to keep it.

Just get rid of the object.

Our tradition is not heavy on the use of things like Holy Water or blessed oils or what-have-you. These things come to us from Catholic religion and folk magic, which we as Powwows are not a part of.

Let's stay in our lane.

To finalize this, if you suspect an object is verhexed, get rid of it. That's all there is to it. You can pray and ask God to warn you of any other dangerous objects in your life, and that's about all you can do. Don't overthink it.