Linda the helpful witch is a character from a popular children's book series. She is known for her kind heart and willingness to assist others in need. Unlike the usual depiction of witches, Linda uses her powers for good and is always looking for ways to make a positive impact in the lives of those around her. Linda's magical abilities include the power to heal ailments and solve problems with her potions and spells. She uses her knowledge and skills to help people in her community, whether it's making a sick child feel better or casting a spell to bring rain during a drought. Linda has a deep understanding of nature and the elements, which she uses to her advantage in her magical endeavors.
My mother was nervous. Even though she had aspirin and antibiotics to give me, and we were both taking quinine for malaria, she wondered what it could be. She was also fascinated to know what the villagers would do. They told her they had called a witch doctor from another village who specializes in flying witches. A skinny old man came in carrying his satchel of herbs. He checked me over, bending my limbs, looking into my eyes. He rubbed herbs into my skin and mumbled prayers. He was paid. And when my mother looked at him expectantly, he said, “The witch is only playing with your daughter; it won’t kill her.”
Ours was an inland village, but one day some of my mother s informants the anthropological jargon for those who provide answers to the anthropologist s questions said, let s go visit a coastal village. Occult topics have long fascinated artists, and the subject of witches their imagined bodies and fantastic rituals was a popular one for painters and printmakers in early modern Europe.
Linda has a deep understanding of nature and the elements, which she uses to her advantage in her magical endeavors. One of Linda's most endearing qualities is her willingness to go above and beyond to help others. She often takes time out of her own day to offer her assistance, even if it means sacrificing her own personal time or energy.
Witch Doctors
To return to my dying Asian pear tree that I wrote about a month ago: I finally did call the nursery. The horticulturalist assured me that the tree was certainly a Hosui variety – because Hosui get fire blight very easily – and he was certain it was fire blight.
“Pull it right out!” he commanded. “Fire blight will spread to the other trees.” He added that you have to be super vigilant with Hosui, which essentially means spraying Streptomycin in the spring when fire blight is a possibility. He said many people plant Kosui instead of the Hosui, but even that variety isn’t all that resistant. Not like Olympic, for example. “Orchardists are always pulling the Hosui and replanting with more resistant varieties.
I didn’t ask, “Why then, are you selling them?”
It turns out that my tree isn’t a Hosui or a Kosui – it’s a Niitaka. And even though every leaf blackened and fell, I decided to try and save the tree using a poultice of carbonatite, clay, and aloe, and some rubbing and mumblings. After a week, I was excited to see that a few of the buds were plumping and showing some green tissue. Now a witch doctor is an interesting phenomenon.
Dr. Annette Weiner, Kwaibwaga Village, Trobriand Islands, 1989
I had an experience firsthand when I lived with my anthropologist mother on a small coral atoll in New Guinea. Ours was an inland village, but one day some of my mother’s informants (the anthropological jargon for those who provide answers to the anthropologist’s questions) said, let’s go visit a coastal village. We walked a few miles over sharp coral to the far side of the island. As we neared the coastal village, I was struck by the trees we walked by. Their roots were above ground, tall intertwining webs formed tent-like structures that I could imagine hiding inside of.
When we entered the village, we felt oddly unwelcomed. The men were out fishing and the women were wary. That’s when I got something in one of my eyes. A piece of dirt or an insect. My eye stung, but no one could see anything in it. After hanging out for only a short while, we turned around to make the trip home. The suspicious looks from the villagers didn’t feel good, and we didn’t want to cause trouble.
We traveled back through the forest of amazing trees, back along the rough coral trails, and finally entered our village towards nightfall. By the time we were back, I was feverish and dizzy. Word buzzed around the village. Questions were asked. Had anyone said magic to protect me against flying witches. Flying witches inhabit the buttressed roots of those mysterious trees. Of course, the witches are jealous of young girls. They were certain that I had been attacked by a flying witch.
My mother was nervous. Even though she had aspirin and antibiotics to give me, and we were both taking quinine for malaria, she wondered what it could be. She was also fascinated to know what the villagers would do. They told her they had called a witch doctor from another village who specializes in flying witches. A skinny old man came in carrying his satchel of herbs. He checked me over, bending my limbs, looking into my eyes. He rubbed herbs into my skin and mumbled prayers. He was paid. And when my mother looked at him expectantly, he said, “The witch is only playing with your daughter; it won’t kill her.”
LH in Kwaibwaga Village in 1971 (fully recovered)
Norman Cousins, one of the early proponents of the mind-body connection, relates how when he visited the Schweitzer Hospital in Gabon, Africa, he commented to Dr. Schweitzer, “The local people are lucky to have access to the Schweitzer clinic and not have to depend on witch-doctor supernaturalism.” One look at Dr. Schweitzer and Cousins recognized his ignorance. The next day, Dr. Schweitzer took him to observe native African medicine. The witch doctor gave herbs in a brown paper bag to some patients and incantations in a brown paper bag to others, while still others he directed towards the Western doctor.
Dr. Schweitzer explained the three groups. The first had what he called functional issues; these would go away easily and the herbs would help. The next group had what he called psychogenic problems, and they were treated with African psychotherapy. The third had physical problems, like a tumor or broken bone, and these he sent to the Western doctor. When Cousins pushed for an explanation, Schweitzer said,
The witch doctor succeeds for the same reason all the rest of us succeed. Each patient carries his own doctor inside him. They come to us knowing the truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides inside within each patient a chance to go to work.
—From The Mysterious Placebo, Norman Cousins
I believe plants aren’t so different from us. There is a doctor inside the trees that I hope I can motivate. I don't know if it has fire blight or a fungal disease. But rather than pull it, I will wait and see if its own wisdom along with my herbs will help.
Welcome to Apples, Art, and Spirit!
In 2001 I moved to a small farm in Harvard, Massachusetts with a rundown apple orchard. Something about apples and I could feel a small delight rise inside me. Pears, cherries, peaches are all delicious; but apples figure in mythology, history, and science, even religion.
“Could I grow apples?” I wondered. It took a few years for our first crop, but today thousands of people come each fall to Old Frog Pond Farm to pick certified organic apples, raspberries, and to enjoy our annual outdoor sculpture exhibit.
Yet every year is different. Weather, insects, the age of the trees and, more importantly, how I relate to them changes. I invite you to join me in the orchard for the next year. You don’t need loppers and work gloves, only an interest in how things grow and how they change. Apples, yes, but also people. I’ve found that we are similar to apples in many ways, and there is much to be learned from cultivating them.
Sign up to receive the blog in your inbox. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.
Linda genuinely cares about the well-being of those around her and is always looking for ways to make a difference. Throughout the book series, Linda encounters various challenges and obstacles, but she always manages to overcome them with her compassion and determination. Her positive attitude and unwavering belief in the power of kindness inspire those around her to act with generosity and empathy. Linda the helpful witch serves as a reminder to children and adults alike about the importance of lending a hand and using our own unique abilities to make the world a better place. With her magical powers and kind-hearted nature, Linda is an enchanting character who encourages us all to embrace our own abilities and use them to help others..
Reviews for "The Secrets of Linda's Magic: Spreading Love and Laughter"
1. Jake - 2 stars - Linda the helpful witch was not my cup of tea. I found the storyline to be predictable and the characters to be one-dimensional. The dialogue was cheesy and forced, and overall, I felt like the book lacked depth and originality. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is looking for a captivating and engaging read.
2. Emma - 1 star - I was extremely disappointed with Linda the helpful witch. The writing style was juvenile and the plot was incredibly weak. The main character, Linda, was uninteresting and lacked any depth or development. The magical elements in the story were poorly explained and felt disjointed. It felt like a rushed and poorly thought out book. I would not recommend wasting your time on this book.
3. Brian - 2 stars - Linda the helpful witch was a letdown for me. The pacing of the story was off, with large chunks of the book dragging on and then sudden bursts of action that felt out of place. The world-building was also lacking, leaving me with many questions about the magical universe the author was trying to create. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. Overall, I found the book to be underwhelming and would not recommend it.
4. Sarah - 1 star - Linda the helpful witch was a complete bore. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and I found myself not caring about their struggles or triumphs. The writing style was also lackluster, lacking any sense of excitement or tension. The book felt like it was trying too hard to be a magical adventure but fell short in every aspect. I would advise anyone looking for a captivating and well-written fantasy to look elsewhere.
5. Michael - 2 stars - Linda the helpful witch was a disappointment for me. The plot was cliché and lacked any originality or surprises. The pacing was inconsistent, with slow-moving sections that failed to hold my interest. The magical elements felt forced and were not well-integrated into the story. Overall, I found the book to be mediocre at best and would not recommend it to others.