Early American Folk Magick Homepage
This page features spells, rituals, and recipes used by early Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in the 1800s. Commonly known as Brauche, these rituals originate from folk magick practiced by early German settlers in the United States.
I have organized and expanded on contents from this source here.
To Attatch a Dog to a Person Provided Nothing Else was Used Before to Effect It.
Take a knife you use to eat and scrape the edge of it along all 4 corners of the table you eat at. Proceed to use that knife to eat.
How to Make Cattle Return to the Same Place.
Method 1
Pull out three hairs on your cattle: one from between the horns, one from the middle of the back, and one from near the tail. Put the three hairs in their feed and allow them to eat them.
Method 2
You will need: a handful of salt, a tree stump, and your cattle
Make your cattle walk around the tree stump three times. Once you arrive at the exact same point you started, pour the salt from your hand onto the tree stump. Let your cattle lick the salt.
Method 3
Feed your cattle out of a pot or kettle used in preparing your dinner.
To Make Chickens Lay Many Eggs.
You will need: rabbit dung, water, and oats
Pound the dung into powder, then mix it with the oats. Add water little by little until it forms lumps. Feed your chickens with the lumps.
To Make Horses that Refuse Their Feed to Eat Again - Especially Applicable When They Are Afflicted in This Manner on the Public Roads.
Open the jaws of the horse and knock 3 times on the hard palate (the top part of the mouth).
How to Treat a Cow After the Milk is Taken from Her.
You will need: the last milk from the cow, the cow who gave that milk, and a spoon.
Feed the cow 3 spoonfuls of her last milk. Recite the following:
Ninny has done it,
And I have swallowed her
In the name of God the Father,
The Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
To Be Given to Cattle Against Witchcraft.
Write the following on a piece of paper and keep it with the cattle's feed:
S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S
To Make a Wand for Searching for Iron, Ore, or Water
Making the Wand
Perform this on the first night of Christmas between 11 and 12 o'clock (at night). Find a tree that has a forked twig (it should be in a 'Y' shape) that's been growing for one year. Stand before the tree, facing sunrise. Break off the twig in the name of the three highest names (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost).
Using the Wand
Hold the Wand by the two shortest edges, with the longer edge pointing away from you. Strike the ground with the longest end 3 times. Then recite the following:
Archangel Gabriel, I conjure thee
In the name of God, the Almighty,
To tell me, is there any [iron/ore/water]
Here or not? Do tell me!
That which you desire will appear immediately.
Words to be Spoken While Making Divinatory Wands.
Making the Wand
Perform this on the first night of Christmas between 11 and 12 o'clock (at night). Find a tree that has a forked twig (it should be in a 'Y' shape) that's been growing for one year. Stand before the tree, facing sunrise. Break off the twig in the name of the three highest names (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost).
Using the Wand
Recite the following before using your new Wand:
Divining rod,
Do thou keep that power,
Which God gave unto thee
At the very first hour.
You Wand can now be put to use.
A Charm to be Carried About the Person.
Write the following on a piece of paper and carry it with you:
I.
N. I. R.
I.
After writing the above, recite the following:
Ananiah, Azariah, and Missel,
Blessed be the Lord,
For he has redeemed us from Hell,
And has saved us from death,
And he has redeemed us out of the fiery furnace
And has preserved us even in the midst of the fire;
In the same manner may it please Him the Lord
That there be no fire.
To Charm Enemies, Robbers, and Murderers.
Recite the following whenever needed:
God be with you, brethren;
Stop, ye thieves, robbers, murderers,
Horsemen, and soldiers, in all humility,
For we have tasted the rosy blood of Jesus.
Your rifles and guns will be stopped up with
The holy blood of Jesus;
All swords and arms are made harmless
By the five holy wounds of Jesus.
There are three roses upon the heart of God;
The first in beneficent,
The other is omnipotent,
The third is His holy will.
You thieves must therefore stand under it,
Standing still as long as I will.
In the name of God the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost,
You are conjured and made to stand.
A Charm Against Fire-Arms
Recite the following whenever needed:
Method 1
Jesus passed over the Red Sea,
And looked upon the land;
And thus must break all roped and bands,
And thus must break all manner of fire-arms,
Rifles, guns, or pistols,
And all false tongues be silenced.
May the benediction of God on creating
The first man always be upon me;
The benediction spoken by God,
When he ordered in a dream that Joseph and Mary
Together with Jesus should flee into Egypt,
Be, upon me always, and may the holy cross
Be ever lovely and beloved in my right hand
I journey through the country at large
Where no one is robbed, killed, or murdered -
Where no one can do me any injury,
And where not even a dog could bite me,
Or any other animal tear me to pieces.
In all things let me be protected,
As also my flesh and blood,
Against sins and false tongues
Which reach from the Earth up to Heaven.
By the power of the for Evangelists,
In the name of God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Method 2
I [your name] conjure ye guns, swords, and knives,
As well as all other kinds of arms,
By the spear that pierced the side of God,
And opened it so that blood and water could flow out,
That ye do not injure me, a servant of God,
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
I conjure ye, by Saint Stephen,
Who was stoned by the Virgin,
That ye cannot injure me who am a servent of God,
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Protection Against All Kinds of Weapons.
Recite the following whenever needed:
How to Obtain Things Which are Desired
To use if you're wanting to ask a favor of someone and you really want them to say yes.
Carry a bit of cinquefoil with you when you ask the person.
Recipe for Making a Paste to Prevent Gun Barrels from Rusting, Whether Iron or Steel.
You will need: a pot, an airtight container, a wool cloth, an ounce of bear's fat, half an ounce of badger's grease, half an ounce of snake's fat, one ounce of almond oil, and a quarter of an ounce of indigo powder.
Melt all the ingredients in a pot over the stove or a fire. Stir it well. When it's completely melted, pour the mixture into the airtight container for keeping.
To use it, use the wool cloth to rub a piece of the mixture about the size of a walnut. It can be rubbed on the barrel and the lock of the gun.
A Benediction for All Purposes.
Recite the following whenever needed:
Jesus, I will arise;
Jesus, do thou accompany me;
Jesus, do thou lock my heart into thine,
And let my body and my soul be commended unto thee.
The Lord is crucified.
May God guard my senses that
Evil spirits may not overcome me,
In the name of God the Father,
Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
To Win Every Game One Engages In.
Tie the heart of a bat with a red string to your right arm.
To Retain the Right in Court and Council.
To be used when you are standing before a judge in court, and you feel the odds of winning are against you.
Write the following on a piece of paper and carry it with you; also repeat the following on your way to the courthouse:
JESUS NAZARENUS, REX JUDEORUM.
After writing the above on a piece of paper, recite the following:
I [your name] appear before the house of the Judge.
Three dead mean look out of the window;
One having no tongue,
The other having no lungs,
And the third was sick, blind, and dumb.
To Prevent Being Cheated, Charmed, or Bewitched, and To Be at All Times Bledded.
Method 1
How to Cause Male or Female Thieves to Stand Still, Without Being Able to Move Backward or Forward.
While walking around your home, recite the following 3 times:
Oh Peter, oh Peter,
Borrow the power from God;
What I shall bind with the bands
Of a Christian hand, shalle he bound;
All male and female thieves,
Be they great or small, young or old,
Shall be spell-bound, by the power of God,
And not be able to walk forward or backward
Until I see them with my eyes,
And give them leave with my tongue,
Except it be that they count for me
All the stones that may
Be between Heaven and Earth,
All rain-drops, all the leaves
And all the grasses in the world.
This I pray for the
Repentance of my enemies.
Then, recite your articles of faith and the Lord's Prayer.
Releasing the Thieves
Either tell them to leave in the name of St. John, or recite the following:
The words which have bound thee shall give thee free.
To Compel a Thief to Return Stolen Goods.
You will need: a pear tree, 3 nails removed from a coffin or 3 horseshoe nails that were never used
Perform this early in the morning before sunrise. Stand in front of the pear tree, facing the sunrise. Hold the nails and recite the following:
Oh, thief, I bind you by the first nail,
Which I drive into thy skull and thy brain,
To return the goods thou hast stolen
To their former place;
Thou shalt feel as sick and anxious to see men,
And to see the place you stole from,
As felt the disciple Judas after betraying Jesus.
I bind thee by the other nail,
Which I drive into your lungs and liver,
To return the stolen goods to their former place;
Thou shall feel as sick and as anxious to see men,
And to see the place you have stolen from,
As did Pilate in the fires of Hell.
The third nail I shall drive into thy foot,
Oh thief, in order that thou shalt return
The stolen goods to the very same place
From which thou hast stolen them.
Oh, thief, I bind thee and compel thee,
By the three holy nails which were driven through
The hands and feet of Jesus Christ,
To return the stolen goods to the very same place
From which thou hast stolen them.
Protection of One's House and Hearth.
Recite the following whenever needed:
Beneath thy guardianship I am safe
Against all tempests and all enemies,
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
A Morning Prayer to be Spoken Before Starting on a Journey, Which Will Save the Person from All Mishaps.
Recite the following before leaving your residence:
I [your name] will go on a journey today;
I will walk upon God's way,
And walk where God Himself did walk,
And our dear Lord Jesus Christ,
And our dearest Virgin with Her dear little babe,
With Her seven rings and Her true things.
Oh, thou! my dear Lord Jesus Christ,
I am thine own, that no dog may bite me,
No wolf bite me, and
No murderer secretly approach me;
Save me, O my God, from sudden death!
I am in God's hands,
And there I will bind myself.
In God's hand I am by our Lord Jesus' five wounds,
That any gun or other arms may not do me
Any more harm than the virginity of
Our Holy Virgin Mary was injured
By the favor of her beloved Jesus.
After this, say 3 Lord's Prayers, the Ave Maria, and the Articles of Faith.
A Direction for a Gypsy Sentence, to be Carried About the Person Under All Circumstances.
Recite the following whenever needed:
Like unto the prophet Jonas,
As a type of Christ,
Who was guarded for three days and three nights
In the belly of a whale,
Thus shall the Almighty God,
As a Father,
Guard and protect me from all evil.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
To Release Spell-Bound Persons.
Recite the following:
You horseman and footman,
Whom I here conjured at this time,
You may pass on in the name of Jesus Christ,
Through the word of God and the will of Christ;
Ride ye on now and pass.
WARNING! If an individual or a group is harrassing/has harrassed you, is threatening/has threatened your life, and/or is/was generally acting in a way that makes you question your safety, then DO NOT rely on these spells to keep you safe. Please alert the proper authorities before using spiritual or religious methods. Mundane over Magickal.
A Good Remedy Against Calumniation or Slander
To use if someone has really run your name through the mud and is speading lies about you, perform the following to cast it back upon them:
Remove your shirt and turn it inside-out. Do not put the shirt back on. Stand up and run your thumbs down your body, starting at the heart, following the bottom of the ribcage, and all the way to your thighs.
To Prevent Wicked or Malicious Persons from Doing You an Injury, Against Whom it is of Great Power
Chant the following:
Dullix, ix, ux.
Yea, you can't come over
Pontio,
Pontio is above Pilato
To Prevent Witches from Bewitching Cattle, To be Written and Placed in the Stable; and Against Bad Men and Evil Spirits Which Nightly Torment Old and Young People, to be Written and Placed on the Bedstead.
Write the following on a piece of paper and either hang it in your stable to protect your cattle, or hang it over your bed to protect you from others doing magickal harm to you:
Trotter Head, I forbid thee my house and premises;
I forbid thee my horse and cow-stable;
I forbid thee my bedstead, that thout mayest not breathe upon me;
Breathe into some other house, until thou hast counted every fence-post, and until thou hast crossed every water.
And thus dear day may come again into my house,
In the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
To Prevent Bad People from Getting About the Cattle
You will need: a bushel of bean straw, a jar of dirt swept from behind the door of the stable, a handful of salt, ribbon, lignum vitae wood, and a few tablespoons of: wormwood, black cumin, cinquefoil, and asafoetida.
Mix everything except the straw, wood, and ribbon together. Cover the straw with this mixture and tie the straw together with the ribbon. Put the bundle in a hole along the threshold which your cattle pass in and out. Cover the bundle with the wood.
To Fasten or Spell-Bind Anything
Method 1
Recite the following:
Christ's Cross and Christ's Crown,
Christ Jesus' colored Blood,
Be thou every hour good.
God, the Father, is before me;
God, the Son is beside me;
God, the Holy Ghost, is behind me.
Whoever now is stronger than
These three persons may come,
By day or night, to attack me.
Then, recite the Lord's Prayer 3 times.
Method 2
Repeat the above process. Afterwards, recite the following:
At every step may Jesus walk with [your name].
He is my head; I am his limb;
Therefore, Jesus, be with [your name].
To Protect Houses and Premises Against Sickness and Theft.
Recite the following inside your home:
Our Lord Jesus Christ stepped into the hall,
And the Jews searched him everywhere.
Thus shalt those who now speak evil of me
With their false tongues,
And contend against me, one day bear sorrows,
Be silenced, dumbstruck, intimidated,
And abused, forever and ever,
By the glory of God.
The glory of God shall assist me in this.
Do thou aid me Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Forever and ever.
Amen.
Against Mishaps and Dangers in the House.
Recite the following in your house:
Sanct Matheus, Sanct Marcus,
Sanct Lucas, Sanct Johannis.
Against Evil Spirits and All Manner of Witchcraft.
Write the folllowing on a piece of white paper and carry it with you:
I.
N. I. R.
I.
SANCTUS SPIRITUS
I.
N. I. R.
I.
All this be guarded here in time,
and there in eternity. Amen.
The above means: "God bless me here in time, and there eternally."
Against Adversities and All Manner of Contention.
Recite the following:
Power, hero, Prince of Peace,
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Against Danger and Death, To Be Carried About the Person.
Recite the following whenever needed:
I know that my Redeemer liveth,
And that He will call me from the grave.
Against Every Evil Influence.
Recite the following when needed:
Lord Jesus,
Thy wounds so red
Will guard me against death.
A Peculiar Sign to Keep Back Men and Animals.
Write the following on a piece of paper and keep it with you whenever you are in danger of being attacked:
In the name of God, I make the attack.
May it please me Redeemer to assist me.
Upon the holy assistant of God I depend entirely;
Upon the holy assistance of God and my gun I rely very truly.
God alone be with us.
Blessed be Jesus.