Fancy Dutch Folk Magic
“We are what we believe and what we have faith in.”
It’s that time of year when it’s natural to think a lot about family and going home. I’m staying firmly planted in Texas this year, but I did return to PA for a short visit last month.
I grew up in the quiet, often isolating, country side of Pennsylvania—specifically the village of Gardners, which while as far as I know is not directly related to Gardnerian Wicca is a perfect place for nature worship. I know astoundingly little about my ancestry, but the one thing I'm fairly certain of is that I am a large percentage Pennsylvania Dutch. (The term ‘Fancy Dutch’ refers to a subset of Pennsylvania Dutch people that do not adhere to the plain life style of the Amish.) I certainly look the part, as does my entire family, but more importantly I feel the part. There's this undeniable connection I feel from where I'm from and it's a very large part of who I am today.
This doesn’t have a lot to do with The Prism Tarot, but it does have something to do with why I’m creating it. I've always had this strong, inherent interest in magical practices and I have no doubt that my heritage is at the root of it. When I was little I pretended to be a witch, not only every Halloween, but every day. Consequently, I didn't have a lot of friends. The benefit of that is that I got to know myself very well. It also may explain why I’m so (overly) introspective.
Pennsylvania has always been a place dedicated to religious freedom, at least in theory. The protections extend not only to traditional religions but also folk magic and witchcraft. The practice of folk magic was so ingrained in PA that at one time the state officially licensed hexenmeisters—spell casters of the Pennsylvania Dutch—but few exist today. What makes them stand apart from other practitioners is that their magic is deeply rooted in Christianity.
Christian magic may sound like an oxymoron, but the lines between religion and magic are so blurred that they barely exist at all. Both are tied to the concept of good and evil and how those constructs manifest themselves in our material world. Supposedly, even Jesus Christ was accused of witchcraft and using the Devil’s power. But as the bible says, “All people of good heart and a pure soul can perform miracles.” Of course hexenmeisters are not witches, but rather a reactionary force against specifically dark witches. Every spell— painted, written, spoken, or otherwise— is in essence a prayer to God for luck, health, or protection. The hexenmeister’s goal is to help good people and combat evil.
Hex Signs vs Sigils
The most iconic folk magic practice of PA Dutch country is hex signs. As their name would suggest they are painted spells generally used for luck or protection. They are similar to sigils in that way, but have a few fundamental differences. For one, sigils are normally created to manifest a personal intention and are designed to be forgotten about, while hex signs are created for the benefit of others and are more obvious in their purpose. Secondly, sigils are created with letters while hex signs use symbols, geometry, and colors to represent different ideas.
The above examples, which are earrings from my vintage jewelry collection, use a lot of the common colors and symbols of hex signs, but there are many other variations.
Top: The bird, which is especially iconic, is called a distelfink and is thought to bring luck and happiness. The raindrops are a symbol of abundance. They are green here which represents success, fertility, growth, and manifestation. White represents purity, blue represents peace and calm, and red represents love, passion, and masculinity.
Bottom: Again, blue represents calm, but when combined with the scalloped wave pattern here more accurately represents smooth sailing in life. The star is a symbol of protection, and the hearts are symbols of love.
The creation of hex signs is something I’ve always wanted to explore and as soon as I get the time I plan on making some of my own. Stay tuned!
Hex signs are often found on barns or in the home, but they can also be made small enough to carry like in the case of my earrings.
The last time I visited the area where I grew up I wasn’t able to get a good photo of a hex sign on a barn, but I did get this one of a derelict ice cream shop with a distelfink sign that’s pretty famous around the area. I think it exemplifies the way the symbols are so ingrained in local culture.
So the next time you find yourself in Pennsylvania keep your mind and your eyes open—you may just stumble across a little magic.
Notes on Religion
You can’t attempt to study the tarot and deny the religious symbolism which is present within from both Christianity and Judaism (especially kaballah), but my goal is for these cards to be as religiously neutral as possible while still retaining their meaning. I am technically a confirmed Presbyterian, but I don't really consider myself a Christian. It's not that I'm vehemently opposed to it, I just like to keep my mind open to all possibilities as to not deprive myself of opportunities for enlightenment.
If you are interested in this subject I highly recommend Karl Herr’s book, Hex and Spellwork: The Magical Practices of the Pennsylvania Dutch. He goes into specific practices, theology, and symbolism in much more depth. He sounds like a very open minded man and I really appreciated his views on religion.
