Ineffective Witchcraft Florence Welch Florence Welch, the lead singer of Florence + The Machine, has often been associated with witchcraft, both in her music and her personal style. The image of the mystical, ethereal witch has become integral to her brand and artistic persona. From her flowing robes and long, flowing hair, to the haunting melodies and poetic lyrics in her songs, Welch epitomizes the enchanting and otherworldly figure of a witch. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Welch's witchcraft is largely ineffective and more of an aesthetic choice rather than a true practice. While she may embody the witch archetype in her appearance and musical style, she lacks the practical knowledge and skills traditionally associated with witchcraft. One of the main reasons for Welch's ineffective witchcraft is her reliance on superficial aesthetics rather than genuine belief and understanding.
Acadia National Park sits midway up the coast of Maine. The relatively high latitude means that the park receives an average 60 inches of snow a year, and is subject to frequent freezing temperatures. But being surrounded by ocean water means that the park also typically receives rain every month of the year, and has milder temperatures and less snow accumulation than further inland ( National "Guide's" n.d. ). The park receives peak visitation during the summer months, but with warming summers the season is expected to increase visitation and expand the peak tourist season ( National, 2015 ).
However, after recent contact with Jacobi personal communication, November 17, 2015 he estimated that around 550 people pass near Witch Hole Pond, inflated for increasing visitation and based off of statistic from Duck Brook and Eagle Lake carriage road usage. Because the carriage road system is usually limited to foot, bike, and horse traffic the park does still have a few horse-pulled carriages run the roads every summer per Jacobi 2001 , 2005 it makes them especially appealing to visitors.
One of the main reasons for Welch's ineffective witchcraft is her reliance on superficial aesthetics rather than genuine belief and understanding. She appears to be drawn to the allure and mystique of witchcraft without fully engaging in its deeper meanings and rituals. This surface-level approach may work well for branding purposes, but it diminishes the power and authenticity of her purported witchcraft.
Geography
A few maps focusing on the area of Witch Hole Pond are included below; visit the history section for more historical maps, and see the resources sections for additional maps of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.
Left: One of the most detailed maps of Mount Desert Island ( viewable in full , additional maps ) from 1896 showing the pond as "The Witch Hole." Below: Witch Hole Pond as seen in Acadia National Park's official visitor maps, showing the carriage roads in yellow.
Physical DescriptionMaximum depth : 33 feet
Elevation : 179 feet
Coordinates : N44° 24.089’ W68° 14.374’
Witch Hole Pond is is an hourglass-shaped 28 - acre pond located in the northeast portion of Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park. Its sole outlet is east to Duck Brook ( the outlet is named "Witch Hole Brook" in the 1896 map above ), which later flows into Frenchman Bay to the northeast.
Witch Hole Pond receives water from an extension that is shaped by beaver activity flowing out toward Paradise Hill Road and Route 3 through a culvert under the carriage road at its northeastern section ( pictured left from near the culvert on the carriage road, below from the carriage road near St. George's Hill ). This area is marked as the north inlet on the black-and-white map created by the Maine Department of Fish and Wildlife ( left) . It also has an input from the southwest from the small connection of ponds labeled "Beaver Ponds" on the top-most map above.
EnvironmentThe majestic geology of Mount Desert Island contributes to the localized conditions of place found across Acadia National Park. Mount Desert Island is founded mainly on intrusive igneous granite. The bedrock of Witch Hole Pond consists of Cadillac granite, pictured below. Cadillac granite is the most common bedrock on the island, formed about 420 million years ago when magma cooled beneath the earth's crust. The different granites are recognizable by their varying mineral composition, for example Cadillac granite has coarse minerals like translucent quartz and iconic pink feldspar ( below) ( Gilman 1988 ; National "Guide's" n.d. ). In geologic terms, Witch Hole Pond formed much more recently, likely a result of retreating glaciers (10,000-20,000 years ago) that formed a hollow that filled with water ( Fischer, 2015 ).
Acadia National Park sits midway up the coast of Maine. The relatively high latitude means that the park receives an average 60 inches of snow a year, and is subject to frequent freezing temperatures. But being surrounded by ocean water means that the park also typically receives rain every month of the year, and has milder temperatures and less snow accumulation than further inland ( National "Guide's" n.d. ). The park receives peak visitation during the summer months, but with warming summers the season is expected to increase visitation and expand the peak tourist season ( National, 2015 ).
PathsWitch Hole Pond is easily accessible from Acadia’s Hull’s Cove Visitor Center through a half-mile trail that connects to Acadia's carriage roads, which are limited to foot and bike traffic in the Witch Hole Pond loop. The 3.1 mile carriage road loop that surrounds Witch Hole Pond traces a majority of its northern side and later bends south to cross over the pond’s slim northeastern portion to continues on towards Duck Brook. ( Below-left: Witch Hole Pond seen looking south from a rock outcropping, the carriage road crosses this northeast section and the marshy area of the pond continues to the left of the frame. Below-right: carriage road viewed looking north, with the marshy area off the right side of the road and continuing off-frame ).
Accessing the majority of the southern side of the pond requires galumphing through stiff and brushy vegetation. The shoreline becomes marshy and indistinguishable in places amidst the growth of tall cattail and other plants near the formation of its outlet to Duck Brook. The carriage roads from the west side of the Witch Hole Pond lopp also connect up, another mile south, to loops around Eagle Lake and other areas of the park. The Witch Hole Pond loop carriage roads are also accessible from Duck Brook Road, which comes off of highway 233 (between Bar Harbor and the park headquarters near Eagle Lake), and is also accessible from a short (.4 mile) trail near the Acadia Inn on Route 3/ Eden Street.
The carriage roads around Witch Hole Pond are considered to be among the highest-use carriage roads in the park. Charlie Jacobi's ( 2001 , 2005 ) studies show that the Paradise Hill, Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, Bubble Pond, and Witch Hole Pond carriage roads are considered peak usage areas when two other time-related conditions are met. The first other condition for peak-usage zone classification is if it between June 20th and Labor Day, or is the Memorial Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend. The second condition that causes peak usage is anytime during the hours of 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. In the areas mentioned above, during these select times of year and day, classify peak usage zones for Acadia National Park. When all three of these factors come into play, the park uses different standards for overcrowding and problem behaviors and keeps careful monitoring of these areas.
Acadia National Park defines crowding in these peak zones with the measure of persons per viewscape (PPV): “In the High Use Zone, visitors should see 0 PPV at least 31 minutes of each hour, should see 1-5 PPV no more than 27 minutes of each hour, should see 6-10 PPV no more than 2 minutes out of each hour, and should never see more than 10 PPV” ( Jacobi 2005 p. 3 ). The data for sections of the carriage road system on a per visitor basis are either nonexistent or difficult to locate, but based on Jacobi ( 2005 ) and the Park System’s statistics of around 2,500 visitors total a day on the carriage road system (likely much closer or more than 3,000 ten years later) and an around 15% allotment (based on Jacobi 2001 data), I had previously estimated that around 375-450 people pass near Witch Hole Pond on the carriage roads each peak day. However, after recent contact with Jacobi (personal communication, November 17, 2015) he estimated that around 550 people pass near Witch Hole Pond, inflated for increasing visitation and based off of statistic from Duck Brook and Eagle Lake carriage road usage. Witch Hole Pond is a great place to get to know the people who visit Acadia, being close to the visitor center and connections to other carriage road system, but at the same time is a more secluded part of the park in comparison to Eagle Lake or Jordan Pond.
Human UseMy early visits to Witch Hole Pond were not too far temporally removed from peak usage dates and as a result the carriage roads were teeming with visitors. Because the carriage road system is usually limited to foot, bike, and horse traffic (the park does still have a few horse-pulled carriages run the roads every summer per Jacobi 2001 , 2005 ) it makes them especially appealing to visitors. From my informal observations, the people who walked and ran through this area, were normally in small groups of three or less, and frequently brought their canine companions. The Witch Hole Pond loop is the most active in areas where visitors can enter and leave the carriage road system, like around the famous stone bridge that spans Duck Brook and connects to Duck Brook Road. During my observations at the pond, I saw no human activity on the water. No boating, kayaking, or fishing. Recreational fishing at Witch Hole Pond does occur, usually for the stocked brook trout. During the winter months, the pond freezes over and the carriage roads are groomed used for skiing.
A few maps focusing on the area of Witch Hole Pond are included below; visit the history section for more historical maps, and see the resources sections for additional maps of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.
Another factor contributing to Welch's ineffective witchcraft is her focus on love and relationships in her music. While love and relationships are valid themes to explore, they are not central to traditional witchcraft. Witchcraft historically deals with a wide range of subjects, including nature, healing, divination, and empowerment. By primarily centering her music on love, Welch perpetuates the common stereotype of witchcraft as solely concerned with matters of the heart, rather than its more significant and multifaceted aspects. Furthermore, Welch's lack of involvement in the broader witchcraft community hinders her development as a true practitioner. Witchcraft is inherently communal, with individuals often participating in covens or seeking mentorship from experienced practitioners. Welch's solitary approach to witchcraft limits her potential for growth and understanding, resulting in an incomplete and ineffective practice. In summary, while Florence Welch may embody the image of a witch in her music and personal style, her witchcraft is largely superficial and ineffective. Her focus on aesthetics over substance, concentration on love at the expense of other relevant themes, and lack of community involvement prevent her from fully embodying the essence of witchcraft. While her image may be enchanting, Florence Welch's witchcraft falls short of the genuine practice it seeks to emulate..
Reviews for "The disappointing witchcraft attempts of Florence Welch"
1. John - 2/5 stars
I was really disappointed with "Ineffective Witchcraft" by Florence Welch. As a fan of her music, I had high expectations for this book. However, I found it to be overly pretentious and lacking substance. Welch's writing style felt forced and self-indulgent, making it difficult to connect with the characters or the story. Overall, I found "Ineffective Witchcraft" to be a letdown and not worth the time or money.
2. Emily - 2/5 stars
I had heard great things about "Ineffective Witchcraft" and was excited to dive into it. However, I quickly realized that this book was not for me. The story felt disjointed and the characters were underdeveloped. Additionally, Welch's writing style was overly flowery and distracting. It was as if she was trying too hard to be poetic, which ultimately took away from the reading experience. I struggled to finish "Ineffective Witchcraft" and felt unsatisfied with the end result.
3. David - 1/5 stars
"Ineffective Witchcraft" by Florence Welch was a complete waste of time. The story lacked coherence and failed to capture my interest. The characters were shallow and unrelatable, making it impossible to invest in their journey. Furthermore, Welch's writing style was overly verbose and convoluted. It felt like she was more concerned with creating pretty sentences than actually telling a compelling story. I regret picking up this book and would not recommend it to anyone.