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Pine Forest Braucherei


The Liminal Space
What is a liminal space? Theodora Blanchfield, AMFT, " Liminal Space is the uncertain transition between where you've been and where...
Gretchen Swank
Feb 277 min read
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Gretchen Swank
Nov 16, 20240 min read
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Ewicher Yeeger- The Eternal Hunter Who Delivers Opportunity in Desperate Times
The myth of Ewicher Yeeger, the Eternal Hunter, is deeply rooted in the Blue Mountain region of the Deitscherei, and in the spirit of the...
Gretchen Swank
Nov 13, 20244 min read
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Lancaster News Online Video Article
https://lancasteronline.com/video/what-is-pow-wow-the-pennsylvania-dutch-spiritual-healing-practice- Check out this amazing video article...
Gretchen Swank
Sep 4, 20241 min read
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Our Pennsylvania Dutch Culture: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going
My love and passion for my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage extends deep and wide, much like my own family tree extends and roots in all...
Gretchen Swank
Mar 18, 202414 min read
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Gretchen Swank
Jan 6, 20243 min read
57 views
1 comment


More Than Pennsylvania Dutch Sugar Cookies
When I was a child, my best friend and I walked to visit my grandmother nearly every day in the summertime. A widow, she lived alone in...
Gretchen Swank
Dec 7, 20232 min read
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A People of Equality and Integrity- The Pennsylvania Dutch
Recently, a friend and I were driving home from celebrating Erntfescht, the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch "Thanksgiving," with our...
Gretchen Swank
Nov 25, 20237 min read
234 views
2 comments


Ayurvedic Corn Soup and the Art of Healing Holistically
5 cobs of corn or 4 cups of corn removed from husk 5 cups of water 1 piece of ginger, peeled and chopped 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1/2...
Gretchen Swank
Oct 9, 20233 min read
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The Work of a Healer
A new client came to my studio for the first time last week. During consultation he said he wished to receive Reiki treatments, but he...
Gretchen Swank
Aug 29, 20234 min read
135 views
4 comments


Garlic Tincture
Cold and Flu Season is fast approaching, so I am preparing the best way I know how by stocking up on my herbs and home remedies. Garlic...
Gretchen Swank
Aug 8, 20232 min read
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The Pennsylvania Dutch: Reflections on the Past and Pathways Forward
Traffic on the Walt Whitman bridge was relatively light as I gazed out the passenger side window into the waters of the Port of...
Gretchen Swank
Jul 12, 20237 min read
285 views
3 comments


Harvesting & Processing Magical Burdock Root
Walking into my studio last week, I was both surprised and overjoyed to discover an abundance of Common Burdock growing near my flower...
Gretchen Swank
May 7, 20232 min read
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Libby's Pickled Eggs and Beets
My great-grandmother, "Libby," was a woman of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, a practitioner of folk healing, and a woman of strength and...
Gretchen Swank
Apr 7, 20231 min read
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Dandelion on Griedunnerschdaag (Green Thursday); a Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition
The Dandelion. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood gifts provided by Mother Nature. Their bright yellow heads pop-up everywhere, and...
Gretchen Swank
Apr 5, 20233 min read
41 views
1 comment


The "Witches" of Tyrol & the Ripple Effect the European "Witch Hunts" Had Upon Folk Healers
Growing up, I knew two things-- I was "German & Swiss", and I was "Pennsylvania Dutch." The former I learned from my mother, who told me...
Gretchen Swank
Mar 27, 20239 min read
134 views
2 comments


HEALING WITH FOOD
As a Healer, I live by the philosophy of Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Our bodies house our hearts,...
Gretchen Swank
Mar 25, 20234 min read
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Yarrick Kaundi Pefferminzkuche (York County Peppermint Pie)
I am revisiting one of my favorite recipes today, from one of my favorite Pennsylvania Dutch recipe books by William Woys Weaver; Yarrick...
Gretchen Swank
Feb 13, 20231 min read
16 views
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Mini-Greenhouse
This year, I decided to try a new method for starting my seeds. This is a mini-greenhouse that is portable and easy to make. I bought...
Gretchen Swank
Feb 7, 20232 min read
11 views
1 comment
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