The Hidden Influence on Hoodoo: Unveiling the Secrets of Powwowing and the Mysterious Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses!

Pennsylvania witchcraft of American Hoodoo Witches

There is a wonderful article here about Powwowing, a practice that has probably had more influence over hoodoo than it's given credit for. Particularly interesting is the part about the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses (sometimes called the "Hoodoo Bible.")

Powwowing: A Persistent American Esoteric Tradition by David W. Kriebel, Ph.D., explores the practice of powwowing, an enduring tradition of folk healing and magic in America, particularly within Pennsylvania Dutch communities. This tradition, rooted in a blend of Christian faith and folk medicine, has managed to persist from its European origins to contemporary times, despite modernization and skepticism.

Powwowing, also known as Braucherei, has its roots in medieval European healing practices, which were brought to America by German immigrants in the 18th century. These settlers, primarily of the Pennsylvania Dutch community, integrated their Christian beliefs with folk remedies, forming a unique system of healing. The tradition involves a mix of prayers, charms, and rituals aimed at curing ailments, protecting against harm, and ensuring good fortune.

Powwowing is primarily an oral tradition, passed down through generations within families and communities. This mode of transmission has contributed to its persistence, allowing it to adapt to changing times while maintaining core practices. Practitioners, known as powwowers, often start learning the craft in childhood, receiving instruction from family members or local mentors. This esoteric knowledge is considered a sacred trust, often kept within a select group to maintain its potency and integrity.

The practices of powwowing include a range of rituals and remedies. Common elements involve the use of religious texts, such as the Bible, and esoteric books like "The Long Lost Friend" by Johann George Hohman, which contains recipes for cures and protective charms. Powwowers perform rituals for various purposes, including healing physical and spiritual ailments, protecting livestock, and ensuring bountiful harvests. Central to these practices is the belief in the power of words and the divine, with prayers and incantations playing a crucial role in the healing process.

Despite the rise of modern medicine and scientific skepticism, powwowing has shown remarkable resilience. This persistence can be attributed to several factors. First, it provides a sense of cultural identity and continuity for the Pennsylvania Dutch community. Second, it offers an alternative form of healing that is personal and spiritually fulfilling. Additionally, the adaptability of powwowing practices has allowed them to coexist with contemporary beliefs and medical practices.

In the modern era, powwowing faces challenges such as the decline of rural communities and the dispersal of the Pennsylvania Dutch population. However, it continues to survive, with some individuals and groups actively working to preserve and document the tradition. The practice has also seen a resurgence of interest from both within and outside the community, with a growing appreciation for its cultural and historical significance.

Powwowing represents a fascinating example of an esoteric tradition that has endured through centuries, adapting to cultural changes while maintaining its core principles. Its persistence highlights the deep-rooted human need for spiritual and holistic approaches to health and well-being. As a living tradition, powwowing continues to evolve, reflecting the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity in American folk culture.

The Intranquil Spirit

(EDIT: Up to date information about the Intranquil Sprit can be found in my book The Intranquil Spirit , available on Amazon. This post has some incomplete information which is clarified in the book.) The Intranquility spell is, unfortunately, the first resort of many a rejected lover. In some ways it makes sense -- the more unhappy and forlorn one is about a breakup, the better this idea of making the other partner feel just as much so starts to sound. Unfortunately, this spell is often not well suited to a case. The purpose of the standard Intranquility spell is to have the person be tormented by the spirit until they make contact with you, or whomever the spell is being cast for. This means that if a person is already in good contact with their ex OR if they're one of those people who cannot restrain themselves from initiating contact, then this already is probably not the right spell for that case. If you've had an Intranquility spell cast and you make contac...

Paper-in-Shoe Spells

A popular and very traditional hoodoo spell, often used for any situation where you need to control someone with magic , is the namepaper-in-shoe spell. It's very easy: you write the target's name 3, 7, or 9 times on a paper (depending on intent and who's giving instruction) then fold it up, sometimes after dressing it with oils or powders, then put it in your shoe. This "keeps the person underfoot" or "stomps out the trouble" or any other number of metaphors. I had this work several times over the years. In one instance, I was working for a very unpleasant boss, on a short-term job. It was the last day, and I only had about 3 hours of work left on the project; and I wanted him to up my pay for the day since it almost wasn't worth the trip across town for the amount he was paying me, for only 3 hours. He was very reluctant. So I wrote his name 3 times on a 5-dollar bill he'd given me, and dusted it with Bend Over powder. He paid me what I ...

13 Herb Bath for Curse Removal

13 Herb Bath for curse removal can be made from from any 13 uncrossing and purification herbs. For example, if I needed to fix a batch of 13 herb bath right now based on what I've got in the house, I could mix bay leaves, rue, mint, rosemary, wood betony, sage, verbena, angelica root, white rose petals, lemongrass, lemon peel, agrimony and arnica, and it would suffice well. Other herbs like hyssop, pine needles, juniper leaves, boldo, eucalyptus leaves, mullein, basil, lavender, or marshmallow leaves would be good to use too. By no means complete, here is a list of just a few herbs said to remove a curse or jinx that you can use to make your own 13 Herbs bath: Agrimony Alkanet Angelica Arnica Basil Bay leaves Black Pepper Blessed Thistle Boldo Cayenne Pepper Chives Eucalyptus Garlic Hyssop John the Conqueror Juniper Lavender Lemon Lemongrass Lime Marshmallow leaves Mint Mullein Onion Pine Rosemary Rue Sage Sandalwood Verbena White Rose Petals ...

Spiritual Use of Turpentine in Hoodoo and Witchcraft

I have posted in the past about the use of giving one's bedding a spiritual cleansing from time to time. I recently was laundering my pillows in the same load of laundry as some turpentine-soaked rags, with the result that the pillows emerged from the wash reeking of turpentine. From a magical perspective, this may not be a bad thing. Turpentine is used in old-time hoodoo rituals for purposes such as uncrossing, protection and sometimes as a feed for mojo bags. Its solvent powers and strong odor do indeed suggest a powerful spiritual cleansing agent, and it is still used in some modern day cleaning products on a purely practical level for these same reasons. Old time medicines sometimes included turpentine as a thing to drink, in small doses. A book from the 1850s, The Domestic Medicine Chest , recommends giving it to children in a dose of one teaspoon for killing tapeworm. Relatedly, in old time hoodoo cures for "live things" turpentine might be made into a tea...

Blockbuster, Van Van, Uncrossing, Road Opener -- What's the Difference? What to Use Against Jinxes?

Many hoodoo formulas are related to one another, sometimes very closely. Some formulas, Lovers formula versus Love formula, are just manufacturer specific names for what is essentially the same product (or at least a product meant to get the same result.) Sometimes people wonder, what's the difference between Uncrossing and Van Van ? What's the difference between Road Opener and Blockbuster ? First things first: Road Opener, aka Abre Camino, is not a traditional hoodoo formula, it's a Latin American loaner that has come in relatively recently along with a lot of Santeria and Brujeria practices. This is why it seems to cover the same ground that several other old hoodoo mixtures do. Blockbuster might also be in this same boat, though my evidence on this is less sure -- nonetheless it does seem to be a newer formula, in relative terms ( the word "blockbuster" is only datable to around 1940 ) and often sold with an alternate Spanish name "Arrasa con T...

The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

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