Week 5: Witches

For this weeks reading I choose to open up Black Maria by Diana Wynne Jones. As someone who has a personal fascination with witches in the degree of crystals and natural healing I was excited to reach the Witches in Literature portion of the course. This book chooses to go back to the origin of witches instead of portraying them as oversimplified stereotypes we have today. Aunt Maria is a clever witch who hides in plain sight and shows how headstrong she is from the get go. She isn't necessarily "evil" or malicious but her intentions don't come off in the kindest regard. If anything I feel like Aunt Maria's magic is one most mothers have present day, the power of manipulation. She handles herself with sharpness and grace which allowed for her to slowly gain control of the community around her. Her parties are seen as a high honor (one which I personally compare with those cheesy Tupperware parties you see in TV shows or movies) she builds her own personal coven in this manor seeing as she only invites women. I felt as though this was interesting seeing as women today still seek power with each other in order to find power within themselves. However, Aunt Maria used the town as her own puppet show for her personal gain rather than a proper coven where power is mutually sought after.