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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Playing Card divination
Reading fortunes with an ordinary deck — the Pennsylvania German approach to playing-card divination, and what each suit carries.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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Weather Lore
Reading the weather the old way: the signs the Pennsylvania Dutch watched, and the sayings that carried them.
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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…
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Magic (black) mirrors in Powwow.
This blog was originally posted April 19, 2013, but updated as of September 14…
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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…