Been watching way too much tv lately. But now I'm over halfway through my current read and its time to look for my next one, I remembered watching an art documentary called Hex Hollow: Witchcraft and Murder in Pennsylvania. My roommates Amazon Prime membership doesn't always mean the highest tier entertainment, but it does have less big-budget programming.
I'd clicked on this one with low expectations, hoping for some occult or cultural interest. I'm not really into true crime. There was enough in here to show there's a gap in my knowledge when it comes to Pennsylvania Dutch powwow work.
I've known a little bit about it. By a bit I mean I knew it existed, and it's connected to use of the Bible, but this documentary got me going. Even better, director Shane Free included several shots of the interviewees' stacks of books and personal libraries - several of which close enough to read the spines - so kudos for that!
I have a few grimoires in my collection. I love reading about human belief and folklore. Finding new titles is great, but the good ones assume foreknowledge of the practice and the traditions. For an example, Sorcerer's Screed has very little by way of context, and just goes right for runes, inscriptions, and spellwork.
So not only did I settle on an order for The Lost Friend, I also placed an order for a copy of The Red Church or the Art of Pennsylvania German Braucherei by C. R. Bilardi, both referenced heavily in the documentary. I'm hoping that, together, they'll give a nice picture of the practice and the people who have kept it alive.
This isn't a study of hexari, what the documentary named as the dark side of powwow magic, but I'm sure there will be some mention. Not sure how much yet, obviously.
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