Seeing you in this post and your comment, plus the endorsement of your book by other authors I admire fuels my excitement for having your books on my book list for 2025.
Aw I’m so glad Arturo! I’d love to hear what you think when you get to it. I feel VERY lucky that so many people I admire have been loving Sexism & Sensibility, writing about it, running excerpts, quoting it, etc.
I am reminded of the fantastic Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. Tiffany is a young girl who discovers she is a witch. In addition to being hilarious, the books are thoughtful and smart. One of my favorite quotes:
“All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But Tiffany’s Third Thoughts said: Then turn selfishness into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine!
As most can see, it’s an attempt to discredit the argument by ad hominem attack - to say that the person making the argument is no good, therefore the argument isn’t either. The most direct approach is to attack the person’s identity by whatever arbitrary means necessary. But they see a woman’s identity as her “fuckability” and attractiveness. They’re telling on themselves.
They’re just taking cheap shots at what they see as her identity. The criticism isn’t actually valid even on that demeaning scale, it’s all predicated on the “must tear down” mentality because they don’t have a counter to the actual argument.
As Halloween comes around the corner my spouse and I reflected that for the past four years and since my five-yr-old has had a voice she has chosen to be a witch. Being the parent of a strong willed, no nonsense, outspoken girl is not easy; knowing that she will speak her mind and lead rather than follow is reassuring.
Many women that I love and admire have been called witches. I am in awe of the ways these women balk at the status quo, their quest for equality, and their desire for a world that works for everyone.
Brava! Brava! To the women who stand up to their beliefs.
Spoiler Alert: On Agatha All Along - loved it up until the end when all the witches (but one) are dead, leaving the young man alive with a ghost woman sidekick to carry to next season. (Sigh) O Marvel, you almost had it.
They’re too entitled, or too dumb (both probably) to realise how clearly they show their hand here: for many men, “love”, sex and what passes for “respect”, don’t exist independently from power/ dominance structures. Instead they’re tools to be deployed as needed to protect men’s interests. You know you’re on the money when some fool drags up “witch” as an insult. Keep fighting x
In general agreement with the article, I still need to say that if Thatcher had been male we would have been right to sing “Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead.”
Many loathe(d) Thatcher not because she was a woman, but because she was Thatcher, and therefore horrible. In point of fact, she was probably more effectively destructive than Reagan.
Yes yes yes!! Laughing so hard at the alignment here, Friday’s piece has a bit on Jehanne and her gender non-conformity! This was so great. Thanks for writing it 💜
I was at a talk by a woman who won a court case against the teaching of Creationism in her public school. She said, she'd been getting hate mail ever since (multiple decades of it) and a recurring theme was "you're ugly and will never get a man." In fact that was the dominant theme. It is an odd thing to say to a married woman with 4 kids.
Some of the hate mail was threats of violence at her and her children, which also says something about the people involved.
And when they can’t call you an unfuckable witch, they’ll call you a slut. Just for funsies! This is so great!!
Seeing you in this post and your comment, plus the endorsement of your book by other authors I admire fuels my excitement for having your books on my book list for 2025.
Aw I’m so glad Arturo! I’d love to hear what you think when you get to it. I feel VERY lucky that so many people I admire have been loving Sexism & Sensibility, writing about it, running excerpts, quoting it, etc.
I am reminded of the fantastic Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. Tiffany is a young girl who discovers she is a witch. In addition to being hilarious, the books are thoughtful and smart. One of my favorite quotes:
“All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But Tiffany’s Third Thoughts said: Then turn selfishness into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine!
I have a duty!“
What a fantastic quote. I love its spirit. Saving it stat!
As most can see, it’s an attempt to discredit the argument by ad hominem attack - to say that the person making the argument is no good, therefore the argument isn’t either. The most direct approach is to attack the person’s identity by whatever arbitrary means necessary. But they see a woman’s identity as her “fuckability” and attractiveness. They’re telling on themselves.
Oh! Great point! “They see a woman’s identity AS her fuckability.” Kicking myself I didn’t include that thought - really good.
They’re just taking cheap shots at what they see as her identity. The criticism isn’t actually valid even on that demeaning scale, it’s all predicated on the “must tear down” mentality because they don’t have a counter to the actual argument.
Am I the only one who doesn’t low-key want to start a coven? 👏🏻. Beautiful piece as usual, Celeste!
Hilarious because this piece totally made me want to be a witch and to be called Witch the way some friends and I call each other queen :)
Oooo let’s make this happen!
Yaaasss Witch!
Beautiful!!
As Halloween comes around the corner my spouse and I reflected that for the past four years and since my five-yr-old has had a voice she has chosen to be a witch. Being the parent of a strong willed, no nonsense, outspoken girl is not easy; knowing that she will speak her mind and lead rather than follow is reassuring.
Many women that I love and admire have been called witches. I am in awe of the ways these women balk at the status quo, their quest for equality, and their desire for a world that works for everyone.
Brava! Brava! To the women who stand up to their beliefs.
I like to pronounce it “unfuckWITH-able” :)
Thoughtful, powerful blessing post - as always!
Spoiler Alert: On Agatha All Along - loved it up until the end when all the witches (but one) are dead, leaving the young man alive with a ghost woman sidekick to carry to next season. (Sigh) O Marvel, you almost had it.
Ok but right?!?!?!
Love 'Agatha All Alone', watch it every week with my youngest. He regularly comments that he really enjoys seeing strong female characters!
They’re too entitled, or too dumb (both probably) to realise how clearly they show their hand here: for many men, “love”, sex and what passes for “respect”, don’t exist independently from power/ dominance structures. Instead they’re tools to be deployed as needed to protect men’s interests. You know you’re on the money when some fool drags up “witch” as an insult. Keep fighting x
Great article AND can’t believe (and yet of course I can) we are still talking about this hundreds of years later.
We’re the daughters of the witches they didn’t burn 🔥🔥🔥
Awesome post as always!
In general agreement with the article, I still need to say that if Thatcher had been male we would have been right to sing “Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead.”
Many loathe(d) Thatcher not because she was a woman, but because she was Thatcher, and therefore horrible. In point of fact, she was probably more effectively destructive than Reagan.
I like Terry Pratchett’s portrayals of witches, by the way. DO NOT mess with Granny Weatherwax.
I so enjoyed reading this. And my desire to be witchy has grown even more now ; )
Love love love what you write. Thank you for writing!! 🙌
Yes yes yes!! Laughing so hard at the alignment here, Friday’s piece has a bit on Jehanne and her gender non-conformity! This was so great. Thanks for writing it 💜
I was at a talk by a woman who won a court case against the teaching of Creationism in her public school. She said, she'd been getting hate mail ever since (multiple decades of it) and a recurring theme was "you're ugly and will never get a man." In fact that was the dominant theme. It is an odd thing to say to a married woman with 4 kids.
Some of the hate mail was threats of violence at her and her children, which also says something about the people involved.