ASSIGNMENTS
Healing Plant Story – A Green Witch Project (Due at the end of week 2)
In this assignment, you will make a slideshow (using google slides or powerpoint) to tell the story of a medicinal plant that grows near where you are currently living. The plant can be native or invasive, but the goal is to find a plant that is growing, naturally, in yards, cracks of sidewalks, vacant lots, parks, or in any neighborhood space near you. Most of the plants we call “weeds”—the plants that flourish in the cracks in pavement, and need very little water—have medicinal properties.
You will need to take a walk outside and notice the weeds you see, paying close attention to plants that don’t seem placed intentionally in someone’s garden or landscaping, but that seem to be growing “wild” or unattended. Once you have identified a plant that piques your curiosity, clip/cut a little bit of that plant, take it home, photograph it, and decide whether you want to let it dry out or put it in water. Your plant photos will appear in your slideshow, so we be sure to take close-up shots and capture different angles, so we will all have a good sense of what your plant looks like.
Next, it’s time to identify your plant! I recommend downloading a free plant identification app (PlantSnap or PictureThis), but you can also use google search and plant-knowledgeable friends or family members to help you. I can help you, too, if you email me a photo. After you know your plants name, you will need to do some online research to find out your plant’s story. What is her name and origin? Where does she grow and under what conditions? What are her medicinal properties? How have people used her for healing in the past? Do people still use this plant medicinally? Is she endangered (by over harvesting, cultural appropriation, climate change)? What is the best way for humans to consume this plant? What draws you to her? Did you already have a relationship to this plant? You might also want to ask your family members if the plant is familiar to them, and then let us know. Your slideshow should have at least 5 slides with the answers to these questions, along with your photographs of your plant.
Biography of a Witch – Video Presentation (Due at the end of week 4)
Did you grow up hearing stories about a cursed or melancholic woman, or a woman with magical or healing powers that elicited fear and respect? Is there a famous witch you find intriguing? For this project, you will choose a witch from history, legend, or modern day and create short, 5-minute video presentation about her. You will need to do a little bit of online research to learn about your witch. In your video report, tell us about her origins, how she has been represented, when and how she is invoked, how people feel about her, how the course reading helps you understand her meaning, and what her story tells us about gender, sexuality, religion, culture, race, and/or political and economic developments in her place of origin.
Some examples of witches to choose from (though you are not limited to this list!): Dayan and Chudail (India, Bangladesh, Pakinstan); Noro (Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan); Baba Yaga (Russia); Bloody Mary (United States); La Llorona (Mexico); La Siguanaba (El Salvador); Louhi (Finland); Yamamba / Yama-uba (Japan); Obeah (Jamaica); Morrigan (Ireland); Cailleach (Scotland, Ireland); Boo Hag (United States); Mangkukulam (The Philippines); Yuta (Okinawa, Ryukyu Island, Japan); Miko (Japan).
Witches in Film - Midterm Paper (Due at the end of week 6)
Select one of the following three films to view and write about:
1) I am Not a Witch (Zambia, 2017)
2) La Llorona (Mexico, 2020)
3) The Witch (US/Canada, 2015)
In 3-4 pages, analyze the film’s themes by drawing on at least three course readings. Questions to guide your writing include: How are witches and witchcraft understood by the different characters in the film? How do you think they are understood by the filmmaker? Through whose lens or gaze is the story told? What does the film reveal about gender, sexuality, and/or religion? What does it reveal about the political economy of the time and place in which the story is set?
Design a Ritual – Your final project (Due at the end of week 9)
If magic is “the art of changing consciousness at will,” as Starhawk defines it, then a ritual is an event or ceremony in which magic is practiced. Most rituals have a series of steps that are followed in a particular order to achieve a specific goal. The goal can be a change in one’s own consciousness or a change in the broader society, or it can be an act of recognition of something that has already changed. A ritual can also include an invocation of someone or something, or a wish or aspiration (for example, a wish for healing). Using examples provided in class as your guide, design a ritual that is centered on a type of personal or collective transformation. The ritual should be written in a how-to format, with clear steps that others can follow. Be sure to describe any ritual objects that might be needed (examples: a candle, a stone, a bowl or water, a photograph, paper and pen), and any important details about setting you might want to share (should the ritual be done at night or during the day, alone or with others, indoors or outdoors, and so on).
In this assignment, you will make a slideshow (using google slides or powerpoint) to tell the story of a medicinal plant that grows near where you are currently living. The plant can be native or invasive, but the goal is to find a plant that is growing, naturally, in yards, cracks of sidewalks, vacant lots, parks, or in any neighborhood space near you. Most of the plants we call “weeds”—the plants that flourish in the cracks in pavement, and need very little water—have medicinal properties.
You will need to take a walk outside and notice the weeds you see, paying close attention to plants that don’t seem placed intentionally in someone’s garden or landscaping, but that seem to be growing “wild” or unattended. Once you have identified a plant that piques your curiosity, clip/cut a little bit of that plant, take it home, photograph it, and decide whether you want to let it dry out or put it in water. Your plant photos will appear in your slideshow, so we be sure to take close-up shots and capture different angles, so we will all have a good sense of what your plant looks like.
Next, it’s time to identify your plant! I recommend downloading a free plant identification app (PlantSnap or PictureThis), but you can also use google search and plant-knowledgeable friends or family members to help you. I can help you, too, if you email me a photo. After you know your plants name, you will need to do some online research to find out your plant’s story. What is her name and origin? Where does she grow and under what conditions? What are her medicinal properties? How have people used her for healing in the past? Do people still use this plant medicinally? Is she endangered (by over harvesting, cultural appropriation, climate change)? What is the best way for humans to consume this plant? What draws you to her? Did you already have a relationship to this plant? You might also want to ask your family members if the plant is familiar to them, and then let us know. Your slideshow should have at least 5 slides with the answers to these questions, along with your photographs of your plant.
Biography of a Witch – Video Presentation (Due at the end of week 4)
Did you grow up hearing stories about a cursed or melancholic woman, or a woman with magical or healing powers that elicited fear and respect? Is there a famous witch you find intriguing? For this project, you will choose a witch from history, legend, or modern day and create short, 5-minute video presentation about her. You will need to do a little bit of online research to learn about your witch. In your video report, tell us about her origins, how she has been represented, when and how she is invoked, how people feel about her, how the course reading helps you understand her meaning, and what her story tells us about gender, sexuality, religion, culture, race, and/or political and economic developments in her place of origin.
Some examples of witches to choose from (though you are not limited to this list!): Dayan and Chudail (India, Bangladesh, Pakinstan); Noro (Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan); Baba Yaga (Russia); Bloody Mary (United States); La Llorona (Mexico); La Siguanaba (El Salvador); Louhi (Finland); Yamamba / Yama-uba (Japan); Obeah (Jamaica); Morrigan (Ireland); Cailleach (Scotland, Ireland); Boo Hag (United States); Mangkukulam (The Philippines); Yuta (Okinawa, Ryukyu Island, Japan); Miko (Japan).
Witches in Film - Midterm Paper (Due at the end of week 6)
Select one of the following three films to view and write about:
1) I am Not a Witch (Zambia, 2017)
2) La Llorona (Mexico, 2020)
3) The Witch (US/Canada, 2015)
In 3-4 pages, analyze the film’s themes by drawing on at least three course readings. Questions to guide your writing include: How are witches and witchcraft understood by the different characters in the film? How do you think they are understood by the filmmaker? Through whose lens or gaze is the story told? What does the film reveal about gender, sexuality, and/or religion? What does it reveal about the political economy of the time and place in which the story is set?
Design a Ritual – Your final project (Due at the end of week 9)
If magic is “the art of changing consciousness at will,” as Starhawk defines it, then a ritual is an event or ceremony in which magic is practiced. Most rituals have a series of steps that are followed in a particular order to achieve a specific goal. The goal can be a change in one’s own consciousness or a change in the broader society, or it can be an act of recognition of something that has already changed. A ritual can also include an invocation of someone or something, or a wish or aspiration (for example, a wish for healing). Using examples provided in class as your guide, design a ritual that is centered on a type of personal or collective transformation. The ritual should be written in a how-to format, with clear steps that others can follow. Be sure to describe any ritual objects that might be needed (examples: a candle, a stone, a bowl or water, a photograph, paper and pen), and any important details about setting you might want to share (should the ritual be done at night or during the day, alone or with others, indoors or outdoors, and so on).
