The Powwow Guy

Traditional Pennsylvania German Powwow

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.

Browse by year or by topic below.

Browse: By year · Topics · RSS feed

  • Magical oddities in Powwow

    The Powwow tradition is no stranger to odd and unusual charms. Indeed, we Powwows are often judged harshly when a non-practitioner (ie. someone who doesn't u...

  • Powwow in the garden

    Bill and I have many flower gardens on our property. I also have a large vegetable garden and I grow herbs in pots on one of the patios. This year, I added a...

  • The Roadside Apothecary

    Yesterday I wrote a blog post about finding Stickyweed (Sticky Willy) on the side of the road near my house. This morning I walked back up to that hillside t...

  • Sticky Willy: a super healer and cocktail mixer

    I love plants and their medicinal and folklore uses. Today as I was walking my dog near my house, I noticed an entire lovely hillside along the road that was...

  • A means of binding one who has wronged you

    In folk magic, to "bind" someone is to cause them to be unable to cause harm or mischief until they are brought to justice. It is a means of bringing down di...

  • The Farmer and the Hex Man

    This story is taken from Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Spirituality by Richard E. Wentz, 1993 published by the Pennsylvania German Society. I highly recommend this...

  • Mustard Seed...faith and folklore

    or example, in the 500's, mustard seed was believed to cure the bite and poison of a Scorpion! The seeds were also chewed on to releive toothaches. A plaster...

  • Healthy Citrus Water

    Water is so crucial to our health and well-being, and we don't seem to drink enough of it! Part of the reason might be that water is, well, boring. So I like...

  • Homemade berry jam!

    For an extra Easter treat this year, I decided to make jam. My son found this recipe on his favorite You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGreenWitch...

  • Elderberry syrup

    My son and I were feeling extra kitcheny today, so after I finished making jam, he made Elderberry syrup! My son is 10 years old and fancies himself somethin...

  • April Fool's Day, the day of Eileschpiggel!

    April Fool's Day is a day of trickery, traditionally devoted to "trickster spirits" like Loki in Scandinavian folklore, for example. An entire day filled wit...

  • Charming at the crossroads

    When one thinks of working charms at a crossroads, one likely thinks of hoodoo or other "conjure" traditions of the southern United States. And this would be...

  • Asthma prevention syrup

    Last year I had COVID and it led to numerous bouts of pneumonia, which also led to some permanent lung issues. So now I have asthma and a rescue inhaler. One...

  • My crow protectors

    I've always had a love of crows. Growing up in the coal region of Pennsylvania, crows were the most common bird. Now that I live in South Central Pennsylvani...

  • Happy Spring!!!

    For some reason, the older I get, the happier I feel when Spring arrives. It might be in part due to the pain I feel in my spine and my knees during the cold...

  • 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 wate...

  • 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 m...

  • 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 t...

  • 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 a...