Autumn In Appalachia

Writing is a form of magic. Composing is the art of arranging symbols (letters) on a page with the intent to transform and influence human ideas, emotions, and perceptions. Early civilizations considered writing a sacred act preserved for religious doctrine and divine purposes. While our own Pennsylvania Dutch Braucherei practitioners recognized the power of the written word in our folk healing/magic tradition.

Aleister Crowley, an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter famously defined magic as causing change in conformity with the will (wikipedia.org). His definition reflects the act of penning abstract marks on a page to shift someone's internal consciousness. In fact, the root of the word spell means to both write/read letters, and to cast a magical enchantment. As a writer and a Braucherin myself, I respect the power of the written word, and in my recently published book of poetry, Autumn In Appalachia: Words On Life's Wild Wonderings, my intent was to enchant readers in every sense of their experience.

I was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, in the heart of Appalachia, surrounded by the folklore of the mountains I grew up in, and the traditions of my own Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. With Braucherei in my bloodlines, I loved the nature that surrounded me, and I took on the role of Healer, Ayurveda Practitioner, Herbalist, Braucherin/Hex, and Poet/Storyteller as an adult who continues to live and grow in all of my roles here in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania.

As a Braucherin/Hex (Braucherei is the external healing work we do for others in the community, while Hexerei is the healing work we do internally for ourselves and our own personal development), I have written my own charms, as well I have utilized centuries old charms, symbols, and seals in my work. The guild in which I am initiated, Blobarrick Freindschaft, is also skilled in the usage of die Ranne, or Rune system, which relies on the symbolic nature of the written runes as practical tools for magic, ritual, and spiritual alignment, blending Germanic Heathen concepts with traditional Pennsylvania Dutch culture. Braucherie/Hexerei also roots itself in nature, and derives its potency from the alignment of intention with the shifting seasons.

As a poet, I attuned my personal connection with the natural world in which I was born and raised, and where I continue to live, with the words my consciousness chose to craft my description on paper. Because our personal observations and impressions are angled to reflect our own inner workings, my poems were written in a state of love and gratitude, with a slight reflection of the road I traveled to get me where I am today. My intention was to create a place within the reader where one can find solace, connection, memory, or healing. I wanted to write a book that acts as alchemy to an ungrounded, chaotic soul. Some of the poetry in this book is constructed to do just that, while others are straight-up magical charms just as they appear. In its entirety, Autumn In Appalachia is my love letter to the places and people who have made me who I am.

Click on the picture above to be redirected to its place on Amazon, where you can purchase a paperback, or download a digital Kindle copy. I appreciate the love and support of all of you. Soon to follow will be a large historical fiction work about Braucherei I am in the process of completing, as well as another poetry book, in the works.

Mach's Immer Besser (Always Make It Better),

Gretchen (Swank) Roche