The Good Witches of Pennsylvania

Braucherei, a form of healing used in Amish and Mennonite communities, might seem like an appropriately antiquated practice for a traditional culture. But the writer Rachel Yoder returned to her Mennonite roots to investigate the practice’s modern uses. Embodying all the contradictions and complexities of the much-discussed Amish community overall, Braucherei might be most significant because of its commitment to an ancient practice: someone honoring your pain. “What could be more valuable?” Subscribe to Harper’s for only $16.97: harpers.org/save “In the Glimmer,” Rachel Yoder’s essay in the July issue of Harper’s The Long Lost Friend: A Collection of Mysterious and Invaluable Arts and Remedies 1:36: The origins of Braucherei 4:25: The “flattening” of Amish and Mennonite communities in media 14:20: An alternative solution to chronic pain: “pain itself can be so mysterious to modern medicine” 19:33: The power of it: “Being two bodies together in a place and caring for each other.” 26:59: The “evolution” of these communities 33:40: Being interested in “the mysterious” as a direct link to being a writer 35:52: Writers as a “secular clergy” 37:17: Goop-mystics on the Upper West Side and the Amish healer 43:04: Returning home