Theories of Medicine and Magic
Plus Reading Group Reminder
“For a thousand years the theory of medicine was the same as the theory of magic. Called the Doctrine of Signatures, the axiom was that herbs resemble the parts of the body that they can be used to treat. Toothwort has those baby teeth blossoms; eyebright blinks its petals. Walnuts have the perfect signature of your aching head. The theory is that the world is talking to us. The theory is that God is talking to us through the world.”
— Kathryn Nuernberger, THE WITCH OF EYE
In her essay, Witches, Hags, Cunningwoman, Witch, writer Kathryn Nuernberger, says that her grandmother was put in a sanatorium for being what – centuries earlier – a patriarchy of doctors would’ve called a witch.
Nuernberger begins the essay with the quaking of aspen trees. And how she wrapped a lock of her hair around their bark in order to stop her own shivering and shaking. A spell in response to a world that wants to drive a stake through the heart of our magic.
The writing of witches always inspires me. The way they name the plants that speak to them: unicorn root, swamp birch, black cohosh. The way that witches always say they refuse to bow down.
Later in the text, she speaks of Titiba, the witch of color accused in the Salem Witch Trials, who famously appears in Arthur Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE.
Titiba, who even starved, imprisoned, on trial, found ways to turn the depravity of her colonial accusers against themselves.
If I ever go to Salem, I will find her grave and bring her offerings from her native land of Ichi-rougan-aim (Barbados, or the Red Land With White Teeth in Arawak): feathers of the yellow warbler, a slice of lemon guava, damp soil from the cave of the animal flowers.
I hope you join us to discuss Neurnberger’s THE WITCH OF EYE at our Reading Group this Thursday evening (1/18/23) at 6:30pm. Question prompts below!
In love and magic,
Amanda
P.S. Don’t worry if you can’t read the full text (it’s only 20 very short, beautifully written pages all together), just read what you can and join us!
Questions for Guided Reading
If Nuerenberger’s text was the first time you’d ever heard of witches or witchcraft, what would you think witchcraft was? Would you be interested or repelled by it? Why so?
Why do you think Nuernberger decides to weave her own story in with her descriptions of the tales of the historical witches?
Based on what you read in the text, in what ways did Titiba rebel against her inquisitors?
To Read the Text…
I highly recommend you buy the book, it’s FANTASTIC: “The Witch of Eye,” by Kathryn Neurnberger. And/or you can get a link to the Chapters in question here…