The role of Divine Magic in Elissa Washuta's exploration of the supernatural

Divine Magic: Elissa Washuta Elissa Washuta is an accomplished Native American writer known for her powerful storytelling and exploration of personal and cultural identity. In her collection of essays titled "My Body Is a Book of Rules," she delves into various themes, including mental health, sexuality, and her Native heritage. One particularly captivating essay is "Divine Magic," where Washuta shares her experiences with bipolar disorder and its connection to indigenous spirituality. Throughout the essay, Washuta highlights the contrasting views of mental illness in Western medicine and Native spirituality. While Western medicine often pathologizes and medicalizes mental health conditions, indigenous cultures have long recognized these experiences as a manifestation of a person's relationship with the divine. Washuta recalls her own spiritual journey and the transformative role that her bipolar disorder has played in her life, describing her highs and lows as divine visitations.

Washuta recalls her own spiritual journey and the transformative role that her bipolar disorder has played in her life, describing her highs and lows as divine visitations. By weaving together personal anecdotes, research, and Native folklore, Washuta challenges the stigma around mental illness and offers an alternative perspective. She presents mental illness as a potential gateway to a deeper understanding of oneself and the spiritual realm.

Divine magic elissa washuta

Nothing is comfortable in these essays, which labor through the muddy waters of intergenerational trauma, imperialism, capitalism and misogyny, using popular culture . But this book is not about despair; it’s about sifting through the broken shards of culture, looking for messages to restore one’s spirit . Instagram psychologists encourage people to take active ownership of their problems, but White Magic rightly recognizes the weight of historical trauma on those living today — violence that is embedded, like a poison, in bodies and land . Though White Magic is a book of essays, it reads like a single piece, as circuitous and ambiguous as special agent Dale Cooper’s journey through the Black Lodge . Washuta is capable of something more powerful: making sense of hard realities through deep rumination — a sort of magic . In consumer culture, where alcohol abuse is not only accepted but also actively encouraged, Washuta’s recovery is deeply powerful . With that knowledge and power behind her, it will be exciting to see what this talented writer turns her attention to next.

In this powerful collection of interlinked essays, Cowlitz writer Washuta (My Body Is a Book of Rules, 2014) explores the inescapable presence of colonization and other traumas as they circle through and around her romantic relationships, her Native identity, and even the pop culture she consumes . Washuta’s essays refuse the mandate of a tidy resolution . White Magic is an insightful, surprising, and eloquent record of stories of magic and the magic in stories.

In the case of Elissa Washuta's White Magic, a better comparison is to a hand-rolled cigar — because there was clearly a deliberate layering after a series of violent events and a lot of pressure involved in the process . White Magic is three books in one. The first is a critique of cheap, modern facsimiles of Native spiritual tools and occult practices . The second book is a biography in which Washuta openly discusses the abusive men in her life, how a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder lead to years on useless pills that didn't help, her identity and heritage as a Cowlitz . Finally, the third book is a sort of fragmented encyclopedia of facts, stories, history, and even etymology . This is a collection of mostly biographical intertwined essays, which makes it nonfiction, but other than that, this book is hard to categorize. To name all the things Washuta discusses here would be impossible because of word count constraints, but she brings it all together beautifully . White Magic is a survival story, but one that's hard to read. Washuta's writing makes reading her a superb experience, but this is the type of book that runs toward darkness . necessary and magical.

To understand her experience, she uses ideas from witchcraft, tarot, astrology, and even Twitter discourse as resources. With this, she creates a beautifully-rendered piece of art that isn’t easily labeled . To read about the Seattle that Washuta lived in for a decade as it grew into the tech ogre it is, and inhabit those same spaces through her writing, is a gift for any reader interested in the real history of the United States . Washuta intertwines her own experience alongside history’s violence. This serves to place the reader into Washuta’s creative process while also highlighting the reverberative effects of occupation . She writes of colonization but is quick to dismiss the violence inflicted on her body, such as rape and ensuing trauma, as a metaphor for it. She is colonized, yes—which helped perpetuate this violence as a central facet of the American experience—but that is only some of the story. Washuta utilizes this approach skillfully . her writing shows the nonlinearity of healing.

White Magic is a delight and a challenge . Elissa Washuta is a refreshing narrator, her prose poetic and sparse . Such open admissions of confusion and searching cultivate an intimacy throughout the text, evoking the sense of peeling open a letter from an estranged friend; Washuta’s voice haunts by admitting to being haunted . A poignant work by a rising essayist, White Magic speaks to the ongoing work of recovery that is anything but magic.

White Magic is divine, incantatory, a riddle, an illusion. In Elissa Washuta’s hands, this collection becomes more than the sum of its parts. The subjects of these essays are parts of a bigger story—like a spell with the intention to make whole what has been wounded . Some of the best essays in White Magic are the most intimate, especially the ones that wrestle with the piercing sorrow of romantic attachment . These subjects might sound disparate, but Washuta’s gift for weaving metaphorical strands across essays creates a strikingly harmonious narrative whole.

White Magic touches on both addiction and trauma narratives as part of her descent. But it doesn’t live in them. Nor does it live in the critique of cultural appropriation that leads the book’s back cover copy. Instead, Washuta breaks down and reassembles these threads in a series of connected essays, interweaving them with history as well as pop culture artifacts . That second part is accomplished through a bit of sleight of hand. Although she does describe a handful of candle spells and one useful four-card tarot spread—all love magic, of course—White Magic is not a how-to manual. It’s too liminal for that . This sense of place and connection to the natural world comes across vividly in White Magic, whether Washuta is describing the verdant forests of the Pacific Northwest or the dust-choked air in Pennsylvania coal country . But perhaps her most cunning witchery comes in the way Washuta exposes the bones of her writing, teasing the reader with coy notes about the importance of rising action and denouement in the opening paragraphs of essays that subvert those same rules. There’s also the startling clarity of her prose.

The most eloquent section highlights her grief moving through a world built on violence toward Native peoples . Her prose is crisp and precise, and the references hit spot-on . Fans of the personal essay are in for a treat.

The book breaks from traditional memoir in intriguing ways, including footnotes that speak directly to readers and an essay that begins by focusing on Twin Peaks and then slowly begins to emulate it . A fascinating magic trick of a memoir that illuminates a woman's search for meaning.

White Magic is divine, incantatory, a riddle, an illusion. In Elissa Washuta’s hands, this collection becomes more than the sum of its parts. The subjects of these essays are parts of a bigger story—like a spell with the intention to make whole what has been wounded . Some of the best essays in White Magic are the most intimate, especially the ones that wrestle with the piercing sorrow of romantic attachment . These subjects might sound disparate, but Washuta’s gift for weaving metaphorical strands across essays creates a strikingly harmonious narrative whole.

In embracing her episodes of mania and depression, Washuta seeks to reclaim her experiences and find a sense of purpose and connection within her cultural heritage. The main idea of "Divine Magic" is the exploration of mental illness through the lens of Native spirituality and its potential for personal and spiritual growth. Washuta investigates how her bipolar disorder can be seen as a spiritual calling rather than solely a medical condition. By interweaving her personal experiences with broader cultural and spiritual beliefs, she offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the intersection of mental health and indigenous traditions..

Reviews for "The role of Divine Magic in Elissa Washuta's examination of memory and history"

1. John - 1 rating - I found "Divine Magic Elissa Washuta" to be incredibly boring and confusing. The author's writing style was difficult to follow, and I struggled to connect with any of the stories or characters. The book seemed to lack a clear direction or purpose, and I was left feeling unsatisfied and uninterested. Overall, I would not recommend this book to others.

2. Sarah - 2 rating - "Divine Magic Elissa Washuta" was a disappointment for me. While the concept of exploring Native American culture and spirituality intrigued me, I found the execution to be lacking. The book lacked a cohesive narrative, and it felt like a collection of disjointed stories rather than a coherent whole. I also found the writing to be overly descriptive at times, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged. Overall, I was left wanting more from this book.

3. Mark - 2.5 rating - I had high hopes for "Divine Magic Elissa Washuta," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The book started off promising, with interesting themes and ideas, but it quickly became repetitive and self-indulgent. The author seemed more focused on showcasing her own experiences and beliefs rather than crafting a compelling narrative. While there were moments of brilliance, they were overshadowed by the overall lackluster nature of the book. I would not recommend this read to others.

4. Emily - 3 rating - "Divine Magic Elissa Washuta" was a mixed bag for me. While I appreciated the author's exploration of Native American spirituality and her personal experiences, I found the book to be meandering and unfocused. The various stories and anecdotes lacked a clear connection, and I often felt lost trying to piece them together. However, I did find moments of beauty and thought-provoking insights throughout the book, which redeemed it to some extent. Overall, I believe this book has its merits, but it may not be for everyone.

Divine Magic and the concept of divine intervention in Elissa Washuta's writing