Hex and Heritage:

When Lifetime’s Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County aired, audiences were lured by the promise of horror set in one of America’s most reclusive religious communities. Beneath the dramatized supernatural thrills lies a deeper truth — that folklore, magic, and spiritual resistance are not foreign to the Amish or their cultural cousins. The practice of Braucherei (also called Brauchau, or “Powwow”) among Pennsylvania Dutch Christians, often likened to folk healing or faith-based magic, has uncanny parallels with Brujería (Spanish/Latinx witchcraft) and Bruxaria (Portuguese/Brazilian witchcraft). These practices, though rooted in different ethnic traditions, share similar functions: healing, protection, justice, and spiritual intercession in communities where official religious institutions may offer little support for such needs.

Understanding these parallels requires pulling back the veil on both systems. Braucherei, often misrepresented or obscured in mainstream narratives, is a form of Christianized folk healing that has its origins in pre-Reformation European magical traditions, particularly those of Germanic and Swiss ancestry. Brujería, on the other hand, is a broader term that spans across Latin American spiritual practices and includes both indigenous, African diasporic, and Catholic influences. Despite their different origins, both systems stand as powerful responses to oppression, marginalization, and the yearning for spiritual agency in the face of doctrinal rigidity.

Braucherei: The Hexenmeister’s Heritage

In the documentary referenced, practitioners of Braucherei (sometimes called Powwow doctors) speak candidly about their work as healers, curse-breakers, and intermediaries between the sacred and mundane. Although most Braucher claim deep Christian faith, the practice sits uncomfortably close to the tabooed idea of “witchcraft” in both Amish and Mennonite circles. The Amish, with their Anabaptist roots, are generally wary of anything considered “worldly” or “unordained” by God. As a result, Braucherei exists both inside and outside Amish culture, operating quietly in the shadow of community norms.

Much like Brujería, Braucherei employs rituals, incantations, and household tools. One of the most famous texts associated with Braucherei is The Long Lost Friend by John George Hohman, first published in 1820. This grimoire-like book includes prayers for healing, blessings for livestock, and protections against witchcraft. Its pages echo the Psalms and invoke Christ as a divine healer, suggesting that the Braucher sees no contradiction between Christian faith and magical practice

This is key: Braucherei doesn’t identify itself as “witchcraft” in the malefic sense. Instead, it asserts itself as “white” or “good” magic. The practitioner, or Hexenmeister, uses divine names and scripture — particularly the Book of Psalms — to accomplish their work. Psalms, much like in Afro-Caribbean magical traditions, are often used as spellwork.