Folk Magic and Witchcraft in Western PA

By Heather Poling

As the air cools and the leaves begin to change, we know that fall is quickly approaching! To celebrate the spooky season, author and archivist Thomas White is joining our biophilia series to explore the history and traditions of Pennsylvania witchcraft and folk magic.Let's take a look at the magic and mysticism of Pennsylvania! 

Thanks to Dutch and German immigrants, their settlement in Western Pennsylvania brought over a long tradition and general acceptance of witchcraft that is still present today. In general, folk magic was tolerated by the Quakers who believed in religious freedom and had a staunch skepticism about the supernatural, making Pennsylvania more hospitable to these traditional practitioners. While the Salem witch trials are infamous, Pennsylvania had a witch trial that preceded the Salem event. The trial in Pennsylvania was overseen by William Penn. He presided over the trial of Margaret Mattson, who was accused of witchcraft. The jury in the case found she had” the common fame of being a witch” but was not guilty of the acts of which she was accused. She was fined and returned to the custody of her husband to ensure six months of good behavior. The way Penn handled the trial set a precedent that allowed Pennsylvania to avoid a tragic situation like the one that occurred in Salem Massachusetts and allowed traditional ways to thrive.

Pow wows and Braucherci, from the Dutch tradition, practice using written charms, gestures and herbal potions. They often used written spells that could be applied in many ways. For instance, if a witch had cursed your livestock, you could feed charm to the livestock with its food to lift the curse. Another example of this kind of charm is a Sator Square, dating back to Roman times, where clay tablets were engraved with a Latin palindrome. It was believed that throwing this tablet on fire would magically extinguish flames. According to Thomas White, one was recently found near a fireplace right here in Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown neighborhood!

The English granny witches, or cunning folk, practiced healing using herbs, incantations and simple spells. These witches were usually well-established members of the community. They often took the role of medical doctors or midwives in the isolated mountain communities. Granny witches mostly concerned themselves with simple healing spells. Mr. White mentions a common cure for warts: rubbing half of a potato on the wart and saying an incantation. The potato would be buried and as it decomposed, the wart would disappear.

Most witches concentrated on doing good for the community, but you did not want to invoke a witch’s vengeance. Witches were believed to have powers over many domestic domains and a curse from a witch could make your bread unable to rise or make your cow stop producing milk. There are stories of witches cursing those who crossed them, sometimes ending in death for the offender. While witches could be either male or female, there is a tradition of male witches, known as wizards, hex doctors, or witch masters. These men were considered professionals as they took some kind of payment, be it money or barter. Contracting them was considered the only way to counter a curse from a powerful witch.

A tolerant attitude is part of what allowed folk magic to flourish in the mountains of Western PA. Even today there are many practitioners of traditional folk magic and herbalism that live in the Appalachian Mountains! Join us for our October Biophilia where Mr. White will explore local folk magic and witchcraft traditions, focusing on the role of plants in the traditional practice.