Pennsylvania Dutch Powwow, or Braucherei, is a simple, traditional folk healing art that incorporates Christian-based charms with prayer and elements of nature to affect God's healing power here on earth. The cycles of the seasons, as well as the phases of the moon set a rhythm and flow through which the the Powwower works in time with God's grace, while herbs, sticks, rocks, and organic items act as a medium in our communication with Him. Every time we interact with nature, we interact with God, as He created the whole of the earth; just as nature is an essential aspect of my Powwow practice, nature is an equally important building block of my life and within my personal relationship with God. If I want, or need to feel close to God, I simply venture out onto a trail for a backpacking adventure, or I escape into my own personal patch of woods for a few days of camping and reflection.
When headed into the wilderness, you become minimalist. You think of your basic needs, you carry the bare essentials, only the tools, gadgets, and items that will shelter you at night, secure you clean drinking water, assist you in building fire, and keep an adequate number of calories in your body to keep you moving forward. Even changes of clothing are considered luxury items. When you make such a commitment to yourself, your entire journey becomes a prayer; your every meal an opportunity to be grateful, every water crossing a chance to marvel at such a life-giving element, every dark night a turning inward to face the parts of yourself you do not like to look at by light as you meditate by the glow of a crackling fire.
It is recorded in the Bible many times that Jesus went off alone into the wilderness to pray, and the beginning of his ministry began with a forty-day retreat in the wilderness outside of Jericho, where he underwent fasting and temptation by the Devil. Numerous other Bible passages note Jesus disappearing onto mountains overnight for prayer and connection with God throughout his ministry, including his transfiguration on Mount Tabor and of course his woeful cries to his father alone in the Garden of Gethsemane when he knew his life was coming to an end.
Nature is not only our gift from God, it is part of us, as we are of the whole of nature. And as the creator of the whole, God is part of all we see around us. When we connect to the natural world to do work as a Braucher, we are connecting directly to God, through God. And when we walk into nature with our compass bearing set for mindfulness and connections, every step we take is a prayer; every step we take is a step deeper into ourselves and a step closer to God.
by Gretchen Swank; written Tuesday, November 22, 2022
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