Robert's Corner
The collected writings of Robert Phoenix on Pennsylvania German Powwow — charms and cures, history, herb-lore, and folk wisdom, gathered from 2011 to 2023.
Welcome to Robert’s Corner — the gathered writings of Robert Phoenix on Pennsylvania German Powwow, spanning 2011 to 2023. Charms and cures, history and herb-lore, faith and folk wisdom: a lifetime’s study, preserved here just as he wrote it.
New here? Start with Who is Robert? — his story in his own words.
Wormwood; Biblical Poison
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of…
Deivel's Dreck, a charm against evil
In the early days of the Pennsylvania Germans, the idea that evil (and thus, the Devil) could influence our lives for the negative was quite prevalent. One…
Fence post Powwowing
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…
Annual Powwow household protection ritual
As the moon moves into the sign of Capricorn, I realize it's time to strengthen the protections around my home. This is as much a magical process as it is a…
As time passes… a look back on my blog
I've been writing and maintaining this website for 13 years, give or take. During that time, I've grown from a simple practitioner and student of Powwow to…
Appalachian folk magic
This is an incredible documentary about the Appalachian "granny" healers.
The green aspect of powwowing…
When I was a kid, my grandmother had a little garden outside the kitchen. She grew the very best tomatoes I've ever eaten and she also grew dandelions.…
Oh no! Someone put a curse on me!
What to do when you believe you have been cursed — and the more common explanations a Braucher will rule out first.
May 10 update
Today we added another dog to our family. If you didn't know, we consider our home to be something of a rescue for old doggies or for those who suffered…
Powwow versus Coronavirus
Powwow is a faith healing tradition. We want you to feel better. It is our calling from God to help you feel better. We believe very strongly that Christ…
What you can expect when you visit your local Powwow…
A hundred years ago, a visit to a local Powwow may have gone something like this:
The Lesser Banishing Ritual
I have used the Lesser Banishing Ritual for many years. It was created by the Golden Dawn in the 1800's and has been picked up by modern occult groups of…
The Sanctum Sanctorum - your place of power
I am fortunate enough to have a library in my home. It's not a large room, maybe 13 x 15 feet, but it houses almost 3000 books on shelves, an old…
Protection from witchcraft
A large part of a powwow's work is combating harmful magic, also known as witchcraft. This type of magic is designed to disrupt, harm, or otherwise cause…
The unseen battles of a hex doctor
Being a hex doctor, a powwow, means you take on the awesome responsibility of healing in the name of Christ. It also means you make yourself a beacon for…
Blowing out burns
Last Saturday night I fell into my neighbor's fire pit. It was a great metal cauldron with a huge fire inside. I stood up from my chair and literally fell…
shotguns in powwow
Firearms turn up more often in the old Powwow sources than people expect — as a target of charms, and occasionally as a tool of them.
using a knife in powwow
Next to my bible, my pocket knife is my favorite tool for powwowing. I use it in healing charms, anti-hex work, weather work, and all manner of other types…
Jesus; the first Hex Doc
Ask any of the old timers who the first powwow doc was and they will undoubtedly tell you it was Jesus himself, "the Good Lord". He went around, preaching…
The devil and his meddlesome ways…
I believe in the devil. I don't say that lightly. There was a time when I thought it was nonsense... Propaganda created to instill fear and obedience in the…