The Witching Body Katherine R. Devereux
Devereux, Katherine R.. "The Witching Body: Ontology and Physicality of the Witch" Open Philosophy, vol. 5, no. 1, 2022, pp. 464-473. https://doi.org/10.1515/opphil-2022-0212
The Witching Body by Katherine R. Devereux
Review By Caroline Tiss - Cypress Occult Notes
I recently discovered this article on the anatomy of a witch. When we think of a witch, some people may think of mysticism, others may think of sorcery. At the end of the day, a witch is someone who practices magick. Those that claim the title as witches regardless of if they come from a bloodline of traditional witchcraft practices or if they have a vast knowledge of spirituality and create their own practice; witches were born with a purpose to follow the path which they feel called to. The path of the witch, conjurer, or spiritualist is not an easy one. As a witch, you are put in positions which will further evolve and align you. The call of the witch is not one many people listen to or pursue. Many witches, magicians as well as occult orders swear an oath of secrecy and dedication to their practice. It is a path that is not for everyone, but it is one of purpose and enlightenment.
"To thine own self be true" is a line from Shakespear's Hamlet. "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." This is something I deeply resonate with as it speaks of individuality and the pursuit of knowledge. Occultists and witches value knowledge, it is a path of spiritual knowledge which is often overlooked in the modern world. Every witch has their own principles and practices, and no witch is alike. However, that is what makes Magick so very wonderous in my opinion is the colorful array of perspectives you will hear if you research different magic systems.
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In the article, "The Witching Body: Ontology and Physicality of the Witch" by Katherine R. Devereux, Devereux describes the views and perspectives of the term "witch". "To say one is “other” maintains the openness of ontological potentiality, whereas “othering” asserts an ontological commitment based on a perceived degree of sameness, where sameness constitutes correctness. " Devereux states. I very much agree with this. To identify oneself as a witch in modern society is to establish one's identity in their spirituality. To live without fear and without shame of the group is a very important part of one's path of self-discovery. How can one form their own perspectives and establish good arguments for their views without first eliminating the fear of their own voice? Critical thinking is very important to be a functional thinker. The ability to analyze information by observation is a very real skill that many occultists of all avenues of thought must utilize in order to further their own personal skillset. To be a practitioner of any kind requires you to be a leader, and to "do what ye will" which is for every individual witch with their own practices to decide their moral grounds and values rooted in themselves.
In the text Devereux states, "In ritual magic, the generative power of language further demonstrates the expressive essence of witching-bodies where every gesture and exertion of the body relates to the ritual act. The body, as expressed through everyday language and movement, proclaims its existential experience, and in expressions of the witching-body we attempt to transcend the ambiguity of being and being with others." This is a very beautiful description of the way energy interacts with the practitioner. This description of, "every gesture and exertion of the body relates to the ritual act," is a eloquent depiction of how the practitioner dances with the energy around them. The emotional body is very in tune with our own intuition, when you begin to work in a meditative state, there is a level of physical transcendence that occurs in the practitioner. It is a very sacred experience.
"We come face-to-face with the witch-as-other and through our “communicated interpretation” experience the witch as an expressive being." states Devereux. In this quote from the article, Devereux describes the cultural narrative in association with the term "witch". Just as the term witch is subjective, witches are also not to be put into a category. Those who practice various forms of spirituality are not merely "witches". This would include alchemists, hermeticism, kabbalists, herbalists, and various occult orders of all time.
The archetype of the witch is whoever you make them to be. "Bernardino’s comprehension of “witch” was a mass of experiences filtered through his perceptual expectations, and consequently reinforced his background; a box of photographs all labeled “witch” but nothing of essence. If the question is the quiddity of the witch, then this is put to someone, to a face who has already presented themselves and exists prior to the question." states Devereux. The archetype of the sorcerer with dark or light qualities will always be undefinable.
"This is because the witch-as-other overflows the bounds of the witch-as-image with its dynamic plurality and puts the “I” (the builder of this witch-as-image) into question
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' The witch-as-image is a totality, we think we have a comprehension of the witch, but it is only traces of a transcendence in being that can never be fully grasped, the boundaries of “I” never surpassed. In comprehension, as Lévinas explains, there is freedom for the “I,” but this is at the expense of the other’s infinity."
In conclusion, the archetype of the witch, or the common perception of the witch is something truly a person without restrictions. The witch knows no barriers from what they can create. The witch is a source of beautiful chaos and creation, someone who brings about change. The witch is a wonderous anomaly..
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