folk medicine and healing |

Spiritual Baths vs. Regular Baths: What Makes Them Different

Posted on April 21, 2026April 21, 2026 by Papa Gee

A lot of people treat a spiritual bath like it’s just a regular bath with some herbs tossed in, and that’s usually why they don’t get much out of it. Water is water, sure, but the purpose changes what the bath is doing. One is hygiene and recovery. The other is a ritual bath meant to shift a condition.

A regular bath is about your body. It cleans you, it loosens tension, it helps you sleep, and it can take the edge off a rough day. Even when you add Epsom salt, nice soap, lavender—whatever—you’re still doing comfort and reset. That’s useful, because getting calm again makes your whole life easier.

But it doesn’t automatically clear what you picked up from people, places, and situations. Calm helps, but that’s not the same thing as taking something off you.

A spiritual bath is a spell you do with water. The goal is simple: remove what you don’t want on you, or draw in what you do want. Cleansing baths are for getting back to baseline when you feel spiritually sticky, heavy, or cluttered. Drawing baths are for bringing in a condition like peace in the home, sweeter communication, confidence, open roads.

This goes better when it stays simple and focused. Pick the job first, then pick a few ingredients that match that job. Hyssop is classic for cleansing. Basil is great for blessing and peace. Rose is solid for love work. You don’t need twelve things competing in the same tub.

And you don’t have to clog up your drain by sprinkling them loose in the water. It’s fine to make a strong tea, strain it, and pour that into the bath. If you’re cleansing, wash downward and move the energy off you. If you’re drawing, wash upward and fix the condition onto you. Say a few plain words while you do it, or pray, or you can get as elaborate as you want—just be clear.

When you’re done, finish it like you mean it’s finished and with the confidence that it did what it was supposed to do. Some people save a cup of the bath water and dispose of it outside with purpose. Others let it drain and rinse the tub right after. If it is for unhexing, throw the bath water to the direction of the sunset (West.) Either way, treat the end like you’re closing the spell in a way that is different from when you normally get out of a relaxing bath. Give it real magical meaning and finality.

The Historical Role of Witches as Healers

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Papa Gee

The Witch Was a Healer First

Before people feared the witch, they needed her.

Long before she was blamed for bad weather or punished for knowing too much, the witch was someone people trusted. She knew how to stop a fever, ease a birth, mend a broken leg, or break a hex. She was the one people turned to when no one else could help. And most of the time, she could.

She was called by different names in different places. In ancient Egypt, she was a priestess and a healer. In Greece, she was a midwife or an herbalist. In West Africa, she worked with roots and spirits. In early Europe, she was the wise woman who lived just outside the village, a little closer to the woods and a little further from the church. But no matter where she lived or what name she went by, people came to her for healing. And she delivered.

Healing was never just about the body. It still isn’t. The best healers know that physical pain and emotional pain go hand in hand. What hurts the heart shows up in the body. What poisons the spirit makes the skin break out or the stomach twist in knots. The witch knew this without needing a degree or a white coat. She had the wisdom of the earth, the wisdom of the ancestors, and the wisdom of experience.

She knew how to listen.

And she knew what to do next.

In ancient times, the healer wasn’t separate from the sacred. Medicine and magic were the same thing. Egyptian priests treated illness through rituals. Greek temples for the god Asclepius were places people went to sleep and dream their healing. In many cultures, the healer was also a spiritual guide—someone who understood that disease didn’t just come from germs. It came from grief, betrayal, guilt, shame, fear, rage. It came from being cut off from what made life meaningful.

And so healing wasn’t always gentle.

Sometimes it meant vomiting something out.

Sometimes it meant crying until the poison left your body.

Sometimes it meant setting fire to something that no longer served you.

Sometimes it meant letting go of someone you weren’t ready to release.

The witch knew how to help people do that. And that made her powerful.

Too powerful, according to some.

When empires rose and churches tightened their grip, people like her became a threat. The same hands that once anointed a baby or laid rosemary on a coffin were now seen as dangerous. The healer became the heretic. The helper became the accused. And the word “witch” stopped meaning “wise woman” and started meaning “enemy.”

What followed was centuries of fear, violence, and silence. But even then, the healing didn’t stop.

It just went underground.

Herbs were passed down in secret. Spells were written into prayers. Midwives kept practicing. Conjure doctors kept working. And people still came to them—quietly, at night, when the pain got too bad to ignore. Because even when people feared the witch, they still needed the healer.

They always will.

Even now, with all the technology and modern medicine in the world, people are still looking for something deeper. They want to feel whole again. They want someone to see them—not just their symptoms, but their story. They want healing that reaches the root.

That’s where the old ways come in.

That’s where the witch returns—not as a villain, but as a guide.

Today, we see her standing in both worlds. She might work with herbs or reiki or prayer. She might light candles, mix oils, or whisper Psalms over someone’s name paper. She might carry a stethoscope in her bag or a deck of cards. She knows that healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s not a straight line. It’s personal. It’s spiritual. And it takes time.

You don’t have to call yourself a witch to understand this. You just have to listen to the body. You have to pay attention to what hurts. You have to remember that healing isn’t always about feeling better right away. Sometimes it’s about facing what needs to be released.

And that takes courage.

The same kind of courage that got the old healers through the fires, the lies, the trials, and the tombs. They didn’t just pass down recipes or remedies. They passed down resilience. And we’re still carrying that today.

So don’t let anyone rewrite the story.

The witch was a healer first.

And she still is.

Fighting Fevers in old Appalachia

Posted on March 26, 2023March 27, 2023 by Papa Gee

There are a number of Appalachian tales and remedies for fighting fevers. In a nutshell, Appalachian folk medicine is a mix of healing practices from the Appalachian region that are primarily Native American, European, and African. The climate and diseases of the Appalachians affected how medicines were used because the most common conditions could require the most different treatments. These ancient cures have a great deal of wisdom. Although I’m writing this to explore a historical subject, as a legacy of how locals have treated fever; it’s not intended to replace medical attention if you’re having respiratory symptoms or other medical problems. It is meant to be beneficial for herbalists, whether they are clinical or folk.

Fighting Fevers with Plants

In Appalachia, many plants have long been celebrated for their potential healing properties. Here are just a few of the plants that were traditionally used to help lessen fevers:

Yarrow – also known as “thousand-leaf” or “milfoil”, yarrow has a long history of being used to help reduce feverish symptoms. The plant contains active compounds called cumarin derivatives, which are thought to be responsible for its anti-inflammatory effects.

Boneset – boneset was an important herb among Cherokee Indians who believed it could bring down fevers quickly. It’s also known for its diaphoretic properties, which helps induce sweating and further lower body temperatures.

Mint – mint has been used by Appalachian healers to cool hot tempers as well as hot bodies! It contains menthol, an oil with cooling and potentially antibacterial properties; this makes it especially useful for treating fevers caused by bacterial infections such as strep throat or sinusitis.

Black Pepper – fever and the accompanying chills were treated with brandy and black pepper. African folklore is the source of the use of pepper in Appalachian traditional medicine.

Mullein – they often smoked dried mullein leaves to treat catarrh. Although smoking is not something I would advise doing today if you have phlegm, people have long utilized smoke to help with the condition.

Ginger – known to be good for fevers

Sage – use cooking sage (not white) steeped into a strong tea for a fever.

These days, many doctors continue to recommend natural remedies such as herbal teas or tinctures (concentrated extracts made from herbs). True to Appalachian tradition, modern herbalists often combine multiple herbs with complimentary actions (for example using yarrow alongside boneset) in order to target different aspects of the feverish condition. Always check with your doctor before trying anything new!

Old Wives Tales for Curing Fevers

onion for fevers — *wearing onions in your socks for drawing out fevers*

Put an onion in their socks. A sliced onion placed directly against the skin is thought to draw out heat from the body, and placing it inside a sock helps keep it in place.

Soak feet in cold water. This age-old method of relieving fever has been around for centuries, as cold water can help pull heat away from the body while also providing some soothing relief to tired feet!

Apply a mustard plaster. Mustard contains compounds like glucosinolates which may have anti-inflammatory effects, theoretically making this remedy useful for reducing fevers. To make a mustard plaster mix equal parts dry mustard powder with warm water; then apply the paste directly onto the chest or on either side of the neck. The sensation of warmth is said to relax muscles and draw heat away from the body.

Eat oranges or applesauce with honey. Both oranges and apples contain high levels of vitamin C which may help combat infections that cause fever; plus, adding honey can make this traditional remedy even sweeter.

For chest congestion, Mix some whiskey with rock candy to create a thick syrup, then consume a few spoonfuls throughout the day.

Make an onion poultice by roasting an onion, wrapping it in cloth, beating it until the juice soaks the material, then applying the cloth to the chest.

Superstitions and Magical Methods for Fighting Fevers

When it comes to curing fevers, some people turn to superstition and magical methods. While none of these remedies have been proven to work scientifically, many cultures around the world believe them to be effective. Here are some of the more common superstitious and magical practices for combating fever:

Wearing a red string around your wrist. This ancient practice is said to protect the wearer from evil spirits that cause fever. It’s believed that if one wears a red string while ill, they will be able to drive out the fever with just a few days.

Burning sage or incense. In some cultures, burning herbs and fragrances is thought to cleanse away negative energy that may be causing a fever. Try lighting up some sage or incense in your bedroom in order to purify the air and cool down your body temperature naturally!

Climb a tree using only your hands. When you jump down, the fever is left on the branch you were holding onto.

Anointing yourself with oil or holy water. Certain oils like frankincense and myrrh are seen as having healing powers when applied topically; ditto for holy water which is thought to cleanse any evil spirits causing fevers away from its taker. Be sure not to overdo it though; applying too much can cause skin irritation!

Wrap red yarn around the forehead three times and leave there for a quarter of an hour. Remove the yarn, wrap it around a large twig from a birch tree and bury it.

Today, many doctors recommend natural remedies like herbal teas or tinctures made from plants like those in the Appalachian Mountains. As with any home treatment, always check with your doctor before trying anything new; but adding a bit of Appalachian folk wisdom into your recovery plan may be just what you need!

Faith Healers – The Blood Stoppers

Posted on March 25, 2023June 14, 2023 by Papa Gee

Bloodstoppers, a type of faith healer, were thought to have the miraculous power to stop bleeding in both humans and animals, and this belief persists today. Bloodstopping is a term used to describe a traditional faith healing custom in the northern U.S. forests (such as Wisconsin), Canada, the Ozark Mountains, and the Appalachians. The most popular practice was to walk towards the East while reciting Ezekiel 16:6. This is known as ‘the blood verse.’

Ezekiel 16:6
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

Some blood stoppers could recite it just once to get the bleeding to stop, while others might recite it three times or more. Some people included the name of the bleeding person, while others didn’t. There are stories of faith healers who would insert the client’s name into the verse in place of the word ‘thee.’

Nose bleeds were a common theme in stories about blood stoppers. There is an account of a healer who could stop a child’s nosebleed by taking a drop of the blood and making the sign of the cross on their forehead with the blood. Incidentally, she did not use the Bible verse, just the sign of the cross.

Blood-stopping was said to be a supernatural ability that could be passed on to others, but only to a very small number of people. According to some practitioners in the Ozarks, the secret could only be given to people of the opposite sex. Some say that when it is passed down to each generation, it should always be given to member of the opposite sex. A few blood-stoppers told him that it could only be “told” to three people, and that the third person would “take the charm.”

Many faith healers believe that the power of the blood verse comes from its connection to God. They believe that when they speak it over an injury or wound, they are invoking God’s power to help with healing.