Welcome.  My name is Gretchen (Wilt) Swank; I was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, of Pennsylvania Dutch descent.  Braucherei was in my maternal and paternal lineages, and I am very proud of my heritage and the culture from which I am descended.

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In 2010, after learning Braucherei was practiced within my bloodline, I spent the following ten years reading, researching, asking questions of people, sending emails to scholars who wrote on the topic... basically doing everything I could possibly do to find someone to teach me Braucherei.  The name Powwow became the affectionate term for the practice of Braucherei especially among the Christian practitioners. The two terms are commonly used interchangeably throughout the centuries to describe the folk healing practice of our ancestors who emigrated from the German-speaking, Palatinate region of Europe which eventually became Germany, Switzerland, and parts of France and Austria.  Tried as I may, my searches for a teacher came up empty-handed every time. I thought the art of my ancestors may be dead, as nobody I encountered was willing to talk about it or pass it on.

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Then, in October 2021, I was doing yet another late-night search via Facebook for "Pennsylvania Dutch Powwow", when I saw a post on a Pennsylvania Dutch site advertising an online Powwow class beginning in 2022 with Robert Phoenix.  I immediately registered and Rob reached out to me and let me know that I would not only learn about the art of "Powwow", I would also be able to become a practicing "Powwow" if I chose to do so.  

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Upon completion of the course, I got my start as a "Powwower" in the Phoenix Line of Cumberland County, and I later became autonomous and sought to expand my studies in Braucherei after meeting Robert L. Schreiwer, the founder of Urglaawe, which is a Pennsylvania Dutch term meaning "the Original Faith."  After learning the deeper history of Braucherei and its pre-Christian roots in the Palatinate region, I began an apprenticeship with the Braucherei and Hexerei Guild of Urglaawe in July 2023, and on November 9th, 2024, I was initiated into the Blobarrick Freindschaft as a Braucherin and Hex.

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I am forever grateful for the guidance, friendship, and Mentorship of Rob Schreiwer who taught me the deeper nuances of our culture and history as a people in the Germanic lands through our spiritual beliefs and connection to the land which we carried forward in our Braucherei tradition, oral teachings, folk stories, and community gatherings.

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As of Fall 2026, I am writing a historical fiction Braucherei book based on my own family history, stories, personal experiences, research, folklore, Braucherei, and Appalachian folk healing traditions generally.  I hope to publish by the new year.

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Currently, I reside in Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania with my son and my like-minded partner on this adventure through life.  We live close to nature as a Wilderness Survival Instructor, and I practice holistic health by way of Ayurveda, energy work, yoga, and herbalism.  We tend to our apiary of honeybees we call Berchta's Bees, and our huge garden we named Holle's Homestead (see the Urglaawe tab for more information on the ancient Germanic Deities to understand the names Holle & Berchta).  We believe living close to the earth, being as self-sufficient as possible, and mindful of conservation and environmental efforts are important work, aligned with the ideology carried here by our ancestors.

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Mach's immer besser (Always make it better),

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Gretchen

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