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.
Magic Wand: the tool of Christ?
Besides studying Powwow, one of my favorite areas of research is Christianity's history and early development; in particular it's history with magic.
Ethics of hexing/cursing in Powwow
Some of the older Powwow charms seem to cross the line and step into the realm of cursing or, as it's known in PA Dutch culture, hexerei. Hexerei is…
Unusual Written Charms
Powwow has many different variations on paper talismans and charms. Most of these are not works of art, nor are they meant to be. A written charm is meant…
Hex, hexen, hexerei
Hex, Hexen, Hexerei — what the words actually mean in Pennsylvania German, and how English speakers came to misuse them.
Red things, 77 things, and other oddities within PowWow
Red thread, the number 77, and the other small oddities that keep recurring in Powwow charms — and why they are not arbitrary.
PowWow charms: spoken or whispered? To touch or not to touch?
When I was originally introduced to PowWow, my teacher taught that one must ALWAYS whisper the spoken parts of the charms; they must NEVER be spoken out…
Making Paper Planetary Talismans
Making planetary talismans on paper: choosing the hour, the sigil, and the seal, in the Solomonic strand that runs through Powwow.
Cloth Braucher Charms
In other schools of magical thought, the cloth Braucher Charm (also seen referred to as a Brauche Bag) is sometimes called a gris gris bag, a mojo bag, a…
Amulets of Protection
On the surface, we tend to view PA Dutch Pow-wow as a simple country system of folk healing. And that would be a correct view. However, another layer of…
Protection from Thieves
It's very sad that we even need charms like this, but this time of year especially we see and hear stories about families being robbed or houses being…
Christmas Pow-wow Divination Wand
The use of a forked branch or stick to search for water is fairly well known. Finding hidden water or metals is what is refered to in Powwow as…
Pow-wow First Aid
Pow-wow is great for minor aches and pains or the type of injuries and mishaps that might occur throughout the normal course of your day; such as scrapes…