The witch from the village of Eastwick was a mysterious and powerful figure who captivated the imagination of the townspeople. She lived alone on the outskirts of the village, and her presence evoked a mixture of fear and fascination among the villagers. Legend had it that she possessed magical powers and could cast spells on anyone who crossed her path. Many claimed to have seen her perform acts of enchantment, such as causing objects to levitate or conjuring storms out of thin air. However, due to her reclusive nature, very few people had actually interacted with her directly. Despite her reputation as a witch, there were some who believed that she was simply misunderstood.
The issue becomes that of how to parse the traction of thought on the real with thought’s limitation, with the utility of speculation and the need of a formal distinction between the metaphysical and the non-metaphysical. Or, in other terms, how do we explain the ingenuity of Merlin, where his seemingly ungrounded thinking leads to feats of engineering, without overselling the power of thought or de-galvanizing the effect of materiality?
Speculative awareness comes through the labor of those reduced to mere go-betweens, those who move from one place to another in order to change both. The issue becomes that of how to parse the traction of thought on the real with thought s limitation, with the utility of speculation and the need of a formal distinction between the metaphysical and the non-metaphysical.
Despite her reputation as a witch, there were some who believed that she was simply misunderstood. They saw her as a wise and solitary figure who used her powers for the greater good. These people argued that her abilities were not rooted in evil but rather in her deep connection with nature and the spiritual world.
Incubus-Demons, Magic, and the Spaces Between the Moon and the Earth: Jeffrey Cohen and Ben Woodard @Speculative Medievalisms 2
Erratic angels, like the incubus-demon, the Fairy King and Merlin, are the vicars or intermediaries who make possible the world’s vibrancy by enabling contact and relation. They allow the emergence of transformative textualities, even while they themselves are left behind at that luminous advent.
–Jeffrey Cohen, “Sublunary”
Perhaps then the sublunary, as the way-point between the lunar madness of speculation and the coruscating solar death of the real, stands as a universalism emphatically weird in which, and of which, a properly metaphysical system can be cast.
–Ben Woodard
Somewhat belatedly, and following not closely enough on the heels of sharing audiofiles of the talks and responses from Speculative Medievalisms 2: A Laboratory-Atelier, held at The Graduate Center, CUNY on September 16th [go HERE and HERE and HERE for digests and audiofiles of the talks and responses by Kellie Robertson + Drew Daniel, Julian Yates + Liza Blake, and Graham Harman + Patricia Clough & Nicola Masciandaro, respectively], I now share with you the audiofile of Jeffrey’s talk, “Sublunary” [a talk Jeffrey also shared the text of HERE] and Ben Woodard’s response, “Casting Speculation.”
In Jeffrey’s initial talk, which put Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Merlin (from the 12th-century History of the Kings of Britain) and the Breton lay Sir Orfeo on a collision course with each other (much like subatomic particles in an accelerator-corridor), he charted the cartography of a middle space between the moon and the earth: “Aerial and moonlit, this middle realm is knowable only at second hand.” Provocatively connecting Merlin’s status as the progeny of two “oblique realms” that can never really touch (the lunar and the terrestrial) with Graham Harman’s invocation of an “autistic moonbeam” in his essay on “vicarious causation,” Jeffrey sketched the possibilities of communication and relation between realms (angelic-demonic and human) that otherwise could not touch each other. Jeffrey then also commented upon the Fairy-underworld that Sir Orfeo travels to [in order to rescue his kidnapped wife: Heurodis/Eurydice] as a realm of speculative adventure in which forms of both inviolable solitude and objectal relation are possible. But what was really interesting about Jeffrey’s talk [for me] was how he also asked us to think about what the lunary [or sublunary] also obscures from sight: what figures and objects [angels and demons in the parlances of the medieval texts Jeffrey examined in his “laboratory”] recede from our view at the very moment they give birth to the vibrantly material possibilities of our world? What is the fate of the intermediary “vicars” who are the agents of Harman’s [and the world’s] causation? And therefore Jeffrey’s conclusion that,
Though these figures open new worlds for and bestow unexpected futures to others within their texts, their shared fate is silent abandonment. Speculative awareness comes through the labor of those reduced to mere go-betweens, those who move from one place to another in order to change both. These mediators are literally sublunary angels, messengers who in their erratic flights refuse reduction into narrative or philosophical order. Perpetually conveyed, traveling without necessary destination, these disordered angels remind us that a retreat into tidy heaven leaves too many abandoned on the rubbish heaps of the earth.
In his response, Ben decided to take Jeffrey’s “sublunary” and add some madness to it, in an attempt to bring some “lunacy” [i.e., “fanciful” imagination] to speculative realism’s vicarious endeavours, where lunacy might operate as a sort of “third space” between the vital material and the speculative thought. As Ben himself put it,
The issue becomes that of how to parse the traction of thought on the real with thought’s limitation, with the utility of speculation and the need of a formal distinction between the metaphysical and the non-metaphysical. Or, in other terms, how do we explain the ingenuity of Merlin, where his seemingly ungrounded thinking leads to feats of engineering, without overselling the power of thought or de-galvanizing the effect of materiality?
Ben usefully turned to the philosophy of Liebniz [and even the steampunkish Neal Stephenson] for some possible answers to that question, and if you want to know how that turned out, you can listen for yourself here:
Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, “Sublunary” [with response from Ben Woodard]
If you prefer to download audiofiles and listen to them on a portable, mobile device, go HERE.
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In 972 AE, a necromancer named Juedo summoned a demon known as Mang to Cantha via a forbidden ritual. The demon wrestled free, however, and terrorized the countryside for years until it was lured into a trap in the center of a great frozen lake where the elementalist Teinai banished it back to the Underworld. [15]
The story of the witch from Eastwick reached its climax when a young girl from the village fell ill. Desperate for a cure, her parents sought out the witch and pleaded for her help. The villagers watched with bated breath as the witch agreed to assist the family. Days turned into weeks, and the young girl's health began to improve. The villagers were amazed and grateful for the witch's intervention. Slowly, their fear and mistrust transformed into admiration and gratitude. From that day forward, the witch from the village of Eastwick became a revered figure in the community. People sought her out for guidance and healing, and she was always willing to assist those in need. She used her powers for the betterment of the village, ensuring the prosperity and well-being of its inhabitants. In the end, the witch from the village of Eastwick proved that appearances can be deceiving. Although she appeared to be a frightening and mysterious figure, she possessed a kind heart and a desire to help others. Through her actions, she taught the villagers the importance of not judging others based on superficial characteristics and embracing the unknown. The story of the witch from Eastwick serves as a reminder that there is often more to a person than meets the eye. It encourages us to look beyond stereotypes and preconceived notions, and instead, focus on the essence of an individual. In doing so, we may discover hidden depths and unexpected sources of wisdom, just as the villagers did with their misunderstood witch..
Reviews for "The Witch from Eastwick: A Modern Witch in a Traditional Village"
1. Jessica - 2 stars
I was really looking forward to "The witch from the village of Eastwick" since I am a fan of the original "Witches of Eastwick" movie. However, I was truly disappointed with this book. It seemed like a forced attempt to cash in on the success of the movie. The plot was weak and predictable, and the characters were one-dimensional. The writing style was also quite amateur and lacked any depth. I would not recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the original story.
2. Michael - 1 star
"The witch from the village of Eastwick" was a complete waste of time. The storyline was confusing and convoluted, making it hard to follow and ultimately unenjoyable. The characters were unlikeable and their actions did not make sense. The book also seemed to drag on without any real purpose, and I found myself constantly checking how many pages were left. Overall, it was a disappointing read and not worth the effort.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "The witch from the village of Eastwick" as a fan of magical realism, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The pacing was slow, and the plot lacked excitement or any real sense of danger. The characters were forgettable and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with them. Additionally, the world-building was weak and poorly developed. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed and would not recommend this book to others seeking a captivating and well-crafted magical story.
4. John - 1 star
"The witch from the village of Eastwick" was a disappointment from start to finish. The story lacked originality and felt like a poor imitation of other popular witch-themed novels. The writing style was dry and lacked any emotion or intrigue. The characters were uninteresting and the dialogue felt forced. I struggled to finish this book and would not recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and memorable read.