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.
Death of a teacher.
I received an email late last night to inform me that one of my powwow teachers had passed away. I didn't read the email until this afternoon and I have…
powwow and the politics of healing
Believe it or not, I've received some nasty emails over the past three years claiming that I'm not a "real" powwow because I don't endorse Candidate A or…
Passing on the powwow…
As I get older, I find myself thinking about all the interesting and useful powwowing charms I've learned over the years and what will happen to these…
Rocks used in braucherei, by John Ramsey
John Ramsey is a fellow powwower and author of Pennsylvania German Powwow (I'm having trouble putting a link here but it is available on amazon) He sent…
Catching a thief - a lesson in being cautious
Last fall, my son's bicycle disappeared. He insisted he had it in our carport, where he always parked it. He was upset and I was furious. We live in a…
folk magic vs ceremonial magic
Sometimes people are surprised to find out I have a few ceremonial ritualistic elements to my powwowing. The surprise is understandable because powwowing is…
basic tools of powwowing
Powwowing is a no frills tradition. It requires little more than your faith in the Holy Trinity and knowledge of a few tried and proven charms. You could…
A world away. In memory of my grandparents, Arthur and June Whitley.
As is often the case when my mind is focused on research into powwowing, I find my thoughts drifting to my grandparents. Born of immigrants from both…
Playing Card divination
Reading fortunes with an ordinary deck — the Pennsylvania German approach to playing-card divination, and what each suit carries.
December 6th, Saint Nicholas Day
For those of us with European ancestry, which is many of us I imagine, Saint Nicholas need not be forgotten in December in favor of good old reliable Santa…
November 28th, Nelson Rehmeyer Day
As a powwow doctor in south central Pennsylvania, November turns my thoughts to Nelson Rehmeyer. In 1928, long before my time, a local Powwow Doctor was…
Conception Billet: the power of the written word
One of the common identifying traits within Powwowing is the use of himmelsbriefs, or Letters from Heaven. Dating back hundreds of years, himmelsbriefs…
Hex Hollow Documentary - the story of Nelson Rehmeyer
In the Spring of 2013, I was asked to be one of many individuals interviewed for the Hex Hollow Documentary film, put together by filmmaker Shane Free.…
How to research folk magic traditions
How to research a folk magic tradition honestly: where the sources are, which ones mislead, and how to tell a living practice from a reconstruction.
der Belsnickel
Before our much Americanized, and commercialized, version of St. Nick, kids growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch homes were taught the Belsnickel story, said…
Cold and flu season
It seems like every winter my body is just on the verge of being sick. It's like there is a constant shadow of a cold hanging over my head, and most…
Weather Lore
Reading the weather the old way: the signs the Pennsylvania Dutch watched, and the sayings that carried them.
Long-Distance PowWow
One of the most common distance charms in the PowWow tradition is the recitation of Ezekiel 16:6 "Then I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own…
Magic (black) mirrors in Powwow.
This blog was originally posted April 19, 2013, but updated as of September 14…
The SATOR square
The SATOR charm is one of the most popular magical talismans in western occultism, and is a favored within traditional PA Dutch PowWow. It's history is…