Root magic is a term used to describe the practice of harnessing the power of roots and herbs for spiritual or healing purposes. It is a folk tradition that has been passed down through generations and is often associated with African and African-American cultures. Root magic is deeply rooted in nature and the belief that plants have specific properties that can be used to influence the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. In root magic, different roots and herbs are believed to possess certain magical properties. For example, the root of the mandrake plant is said to have the power to grant invisibility, while the root of the ginseng plant is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. These roots and herbs can be used in various forms, such as powders, oils, teas, or even worn as amulets or charms.
IT’S WITCHCRAFT– This propaganda was enforced by the protestant Christians who needed to control the enslaved Africans through their religion. These teachings were heavily internalized as generations were raised in these churches. Many rootworkers assimilated into the church and became leaders and healers in their communities. Many preferred to go to these healers/conjurers over white physicians who used them as degrading experimental projects or their white owners who lacked medial knowledge. Read Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington.
Some people grew up with a mother, grandmother or other family members who would use tools for insight into and to help with their personal situations. Hand it to the young readers in search of scary thrills, but that also require a full-blooded, artfully written story to go along with their shivers.
These roots and herbs can be used in various forms, such as powders, oils, teas, or even worn as amulets or charms. Root magic is often practiced through rituals and ceremonies, which may involve chanting, prayer, or the use of specific symbols or talismans. Practitioners of root magic may also consult divination tools, such as tarot cards or pendulums, to gain insight or guidance.
Review of the Day: Root Magic by Eden Royce
Root Magic
By Eden Royce
Walden Pond Press (an imprint of Harper Collins)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-06-289957-6
Ages 9-12
On shelves now When I was a kid, one of my favorite novels was Virginia Hamilton’s The House of Dies Drear. I don’t think I really realized at the time what a novel thing it was. Today, kids would not be particularly shocked to encounter a book that combined the long arm of slavery to the present day alongside a ghost story/treasure ala Goonies, but in the 1980s it was a standalone in the field. What I particularly loved about it was how atmospheric it was. For me, it was like a really good episode of The Bloodhound Gang, and I suppose there’s a part of me that’s always looking for that level of spookiness in the children’s books I read. I manage to find it to varying degrees of success. Still, you’d think that someone would be able to tap into that same link between history and chills that Ms. Hamilton did all those years ago. The happy ending to this story is, as you might imagine, that I’ve found such a book. Root Magic by Eden Royce, isn’t really like anything else out there. A smartly plotted dip into the Gullah-Geechee culture of early 60s rural South Carolina, it manages to weave family, history, and spooky stuff together like a braid. When Jezebel’s grandmother died, she couldn’t have imagined how it would upend her life. It’s 1963 and Jez lives with her twin brother Jay, her mama, and her uncle Doc Buzzard. Doc’s a rootworker, which is a person skilled in the art of Black folk magic, and for the first time he’s going to train Jez and Jay. All this happens not a moment too soon too. Jez is skipping a grade in school this year, and there’s a mean girl out to get her. Back at home, a dangerous deputy is circling her family, drawing closer and closer to doing some real harm. Soon enough, the root magic becomes more than just Jezebel’s history. It’s the way she’ll be able to tackle demons, real and human, in her own way.
If folks have any sense, they should be begging Ms. Royce to teach a course on the art of the first sentence, the art of the first page, and the art of the first chapter. In this book she nails all three and hard. I mean, just listen to this first sentence: “When Gullah people die, babies in the family get passed over the coffin so the dead person won’t come back from the beyond to take them away.” If the job of a novel is to suck the reader in from the get-go, mission accomplished! The rest of that chapter is a funeral, root magic, a clear-cut explanation of where the story will take place, an introduction to most of the main characters, and the appearance of the villain right at the end. Throw in some beautiful descriptions (“In the heat of late summer, the scent of her bergamot hair pomade was like sweet, sun-hot oranges”) and a foreshadowing of things to come and you’ve got yourself the kind of beginning to a book that I wish we could clone. Or, at the very least, duplicate. Now when that first sentence ends, you don’t want the reader to glance over the rest of the book and abandon it. So Ms. Royce keeps the action and tension going. When I was a child I didn’t care for books about bullies, and there’s an awful lot of Lettie in this story, that’s for sure. But for all of that, I couldn’t pull away from the text. Why? The sheer quality of the writing, that’s why. What other author could so perfectly describe a creature pulling its skin off like, “when you pull apart two pork ribs that weren’t quite finished cooking yet”? Or a tall man emerging from a car, “unfolding his height like a sheet.” But even better than this is the care with which Royce invokes the marsh. With her help you can practically smell it, to say nothing of feeling it too. She lavishes the setting with such love that it isn’t hard to see how she knows from whence she speaks. The marsh itself becomes a character in its own right, under her pen. Good thing too, since it certainly is key in how the book ends. Now I’m not going to give anything away when I say that the primary villain of this piece isn’t Lettie, the school bully who makes Jezebel’s life a living Hades, but rather the much more menacing Officer Collins. A lot of time I dislike villains that don’t have any depth to them. And Collins is evil, pure and simple. His racism is his leading characteristic, but a bolt of imaginative cruelty runs through him as well. There isn’t a redeeming bone in his body, and that’s a good thing. What I came to realize while reading Root Magic was that three-dimensionality is overrated. Collins doesn’t need some deep-seated reason to be awful to this family. It’s early 60s South Carolina and he’s a white police officer. It would be strange if he wasn’t causing them grief. Also, if you were to give him a family, maybe a little daughter, that action would completely undercut his ultimate fate. At the beginning of this book I had hoped that he wouldn’t meet a supernatural ending, but then the book managed to go out of its way to earn that conclusion. You don’t come away from this feeling like the finale was earned cheaply either. It’s satisfying and creepy. The best of both worlds.
In her Author’s Note at the end of the book, Eden Royce explains that her great-aunt was a rootworker, while her grandmother didn’t approve of the art. This dichotomy informs the book, showing the tension in the Black community over rootwork. I suspect that most people will compare Root Magic to The Jumbies since in both cases you have #ownvoices culture and scary stuff mixing and melding within the story. It’s not a bad comparison but Root Magic stands on its own. A read and a reread yield so many little details and clues that the author has sprinkled around the book (because, honestly, you can’t have a character rip an apple into two pieces with her bare hands and not have that mean something). Like the thick mud of the marsh, kids are going to get sucked into this story and it will NOT let them go. Hand it to the young readers in search of scary thrills, but that also require a full-blooded, artfully written story to go along with their shivers. Potions and powders will prove unnecessary. This book has a magic entirely of its own. On shelves now. Source: Galley sent by publisher for review. Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2021, Reviews, Reviews 2021
SHARE:About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
Divination means to prophesy, predict, foresee or gain insight into a situation by way of mediumship, and tools such as the Bible, cartomancy, pendulum and/ or a set of bones. Some people grew up with a mother, grandmother or other family members who would use tools for insight into and to help with their personal situations.
Root magic is not just limited to spellcasting or supernatural abilities. It is also used for medicinal purposes. Many roots and herbs used in root magic have medicinal properties and can be used to treat various ailments or imbalances in the body. For example, ginger root is commonly used to aid digestion, while yarrow root is believed to have healing properties for wounds and infections. Overall, root magic is a holistic practice that recognizes the interconnectedness of nature, spirituality, and healing. It is a way of harnessing the power of plants and natural elements to bring about positive change and wellbeing..
Reviews for "Root Magix in Popular Culture: How it Influences Art, Music, and Film"
1. Sarah - ★☆☆☆☆ - I was really disappointed with "What is root magix". The writing was confusing and the plot seemed to jump all over the place. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and found myself constantly having to reread sections to understand what was happening. The pacing was also off, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Overall, I didn't enjoy this book and wouldn't recommend it.
2. Jake - ★★☆☆☆ - I had high hopes for "What is root magix" based on the synopsis, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The worldbuilding was lacking and I didn't feel immersed in the story at all. The characters were one-dimensional and their actions seemed forced. The dialogue was also stilted and unnatural. Although the concept had potential, the execution was disappointing. I wouldn't go out of my way to read this book.
3. Emily - ★★☆☆☆ - "What is root magix" was a letdown for me. The writing style didn't grab my attention and I found myself quickly losing interest. The plot was predictable and lacked originality. The characters were forgettable and lacked depth. Additionally, the pacing was inconsistent, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to others looking for a captivating read.
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5. Jessica - ★★☆☆☆ - I found "What is root magix" to be underwhelming. The writing style was average at best and it lacked the depth needed to make me care about the story. The characters felt underdeveloped and lacked personality. The plot was predictable and didn't offer any surprises. I was expecting more from this book based on the hype, but it failed to deliver. Overall, it was a mediocre read that left me wanting more.