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.

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  • 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. While...

  • 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 trau...

  • 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 wan...

  • 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 all...

  • 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 physician's...

  • 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 cha...

  • 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 all...

  • 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 ri...

  • 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 o...

  • 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 th...

  • 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 ...

  • 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 some...

  • 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 Can...

  • 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 things...

  • 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 this...

  • 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 relati...

  • 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 spe...