Root Magic

“Gullah was a language of English mixed with different West African languages. It’s what the people who were forced to be slaves—my foremothers and forefathers—ended up speaking after they were brought here to the Carolinas hundreds of years ago. It belonged to us.”

This quote introduces the theme of Learning Rootwork and Gullah Traditions. It is important exposition for the author to explain what it means to be Gullah and where Gullah Geechee culture falls in relation to Black American, and specifically African American, history.

“All of that is what makes us Gullah Geechee people who we are. If no one tells the stories anymore, if no one learns the magic anymore, our ways will disappear from the world. Then all we’ll have is what other people think of us.”

When Doc says this, he emphasizes how crucial it is that Jez and Jay take rootwork lessons seriously. These teachings are part of a much larger history, and the twins play an important role in preserving it. Additionally, root is part of who they are, and so without this history, they would also lose a part of themselves.

“The thought of doing something Gran had wanted made the empty place inside me fill up a little.”

This quote emphasizes one way that Jez grapples with grief over the loss of her grandmother: by doing something that her grandmother did. Taking up rootwork will ultimately prove to be a connection to all of her ancestors, bringing her into a much larger tradition than she initially.

“Rootwork is usually passed along by word of mouth, so writing it down while you learn is a good idea.”

Doc’s statement about the usual means of sharing rootwork between generations speaks to an oral tradition. At times, it would’ve been dangerous to write down the secrets of root magic, for fear of others finding it; however, it also provides a written record that can be referred back to, which is what Jez is trying to create.

“Everything in root needs intent. That’s a clear idea of what it is you want to get before you even start. Think hard and focus on what you want to happen.”

Intent is a specific element of root, and it drives the effectiveness of spells and potions. Jez learns to be purposeful in her actions, even deviating from the choices Doc or Gran would makes. Doc warns Jez to be careful, knowing that the temptation to use root to harm those who are teasing her is powerful.

“But we do matter. What we think matters. Our voices matter. And our stories matter too much to let someone else tell them. People need to know that.”

Despite going to a school populated only by Black students, Jez has seldom learned about Black history because the curriculum is likely set by white teachers. Miss Watson’s inclusion of poets like James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks offers Jez a chance to hear from others who share her experience.

“I wondered if her voice was her magic. If it was, she was powerful.”

The power of education is obvious in Jez’s understanding of Miss Watson as a presenter. These stories mean a lot to Jez as she recognizes that Black history is often omitted or ignored. Being in a classroom with a teacher who so willingly engages this tradition opens Jez’s eyes.

“You are both Black, and your mama taught you to hold your heads up and be proud. You’re Turners, and that comes with a legacy.”

Doc wants Jez and Jay to understand that they should be proud of their race, especially, he says, since dark is so often connoted as ugly. Instead, Doc wants them to see themselves with pride, especially given how long their family has been practicing rootwork. By learning rootwork and about Gullah traditions, they can stay close to their family legacy.

“That she chose one of her favorite poems to read to us made me feel like she was showing us something no other teacher had before. She was sharing a part of herself, knowing that we might not like the same things she liked, but doing it anyway.”

Self-conscious, Jez is hesitant and shy, and so her teacher’s boldness in choosing to read something that matters to her to the class is something that impresses her. From this, Jez increases her respect for Miss Watson and understands that, at times, it is good to trust in one’s own judgment, something that Jez is forced to do when deciding to save the wolf and retrieve the piece of Susie’s skin.

“It seemed like things would be a lot easier if I just gave it up.”

Practicing root magic sometimes seems like it brings trouble for Jez, and before she is possessed by the poppet, she starts to wonder if it would be better if she followed in her mother’s footsteps and stopped learning it. However, the poppet changes her mind, as she comes to recognize that she is strong and that the magic connects her with her family and its past.

“Something had opened up in me: a huge deep well that wanted to be filled. I knew now why learning my family’s magic was so important. There was more to rootwork than I ever imagined. More than the kids at school could understand. More than Deputy Collins could scare out of us. And I was ready to learn it all.”

After Jez lifts herself for the first time, she grows more confident as a rootworker, and this inspires her in every aspect of her life. She feels passionate about rootwork, seeing a place in the world where she could succeed as a rootworker. She finally understands the great potential the practice has for protecting her family.

“There are some of us who want to forget about our history and our past. Pretend we were not enslaved people who had to struggle to live. It makes them feel safer.”

Even though Jez attends a school designated for Black American students, she is still teased for rootwork by her classmates. Since rootwork is so grounded in the history of enslavement, Jez is surprised that others do not want to acknowledge it, remembering those whose lives were lost and those who survived.

“When you start working with conjure—root is a type of conjure magic—you’re opening yourself up to a part of the world most folks don’t have access to. But: it also opens that part of the world to you.”

Doc warns Jez and Jay that the line between their world and the spirit world is thinner than they might expect. This moment foreshadows when Jez is later possessed by another spirit who needs her help to get to Zar.

“Learn your magic. And your schoolwork too. Learn everything you can and become the person you want to be.”

Education takes place in two venues for Jez and Jay. They learn both rootwork and its connections to their family’s past as well as education in the classroom at school. From there, they can forge their own paths for what they want their lives to look like.

“Remember: what makes you different makes you special.”

Feeling like she has no friends, Jez has to reckon with being teased at school, particularly because students see her as less intelligent because of her family’s relationship with rootworking, despite the fact that she skipped a grade. The nurse emphasizes that her difference, however, is something that is unique about her. She encourages her not to conform just for the sake of fitting in.

“I felt surrounded by warm, loving people. My people who had been on this land even before Gran was born.”

The theme of Learning Rootwork and Gullah Traditions is prevalent throughout this novel, especially in the way that it emphasizes the connection between practicing rootwork and feeling connected to one’s ancestors. Jez finds confidence in knowing that her family is with her when she does root magic, especially after having felt so lonely when Gran passed away. This moment of being trapped by the poppet teaches her that she will be able to feel that connection anytime she does rootwork.

“Before, I wasn’t sure I could be a rootworker, but now I was. I thought about the marsh—not the poppet grabbing me, but what had happened when I tried to get away. When I lifted out of my body. I was getting stronger.”

This quote speaks to the evolution of the theme of learning rootwork and Gullah traditions, as Jez reaches a turning point where she begins to recognize her own skill as a rootworker. Her confidence builds both in this area and into her experiences at school, where she starts to worry less about how she is perceived by the other children.

“The point of root is to try and make this world a better place to live in. Sometimes it means ridding the place of a person, but most times, it’s giving people strength, a reason to be better.”

Jez wants nothing more than to help others, following her grandmother’s example. Slowly, she comes to recognize that part of her rootworking practice involves expanding who she is helping. While other rootworkers might kill animals, Jez is willing to aid even those who might hurt her in the future (like the boo-hag) or even those who just threaten her livelihood (like the wolf).

“It wasn’t fair. I wanted to stay. I wanted to not be the weird little girl in school. The one with the faded clothes, the dresses made out of Gran’s old things. The one who tried to ignore the jokes. The one who was studying to be a witch doctor.”

Jez’s feeling of loneliness stems from her grief at the loss of her grandmother, who made it easier for her to deal with teasing at school. While in Zar, she is finally surrounded by children (or at least their spirits) and feels accepted. This quote emphasizes how alone she feels and how difficult it is for her to be different, but her decision to return ultimately also stems from her family, who she would miss if she stayed.

“No matter what they said, I knew we did the right thing. Watching someone, or something, suffer wasn’t in me.”

This quote is from Jez’s thoughts when she decides to help Susie instead of letting her burn after they salt her skin. Jez wants to be a rootworker who does not take from or endanger other creatures, and while she knows that boo-hags may hurt rootworkers, she is unwilling to compromise her values just because of that threat. Ultimately, Susie decides to help her because they are friends and because Jez has shown that she does not wish to harm her.

“I felt them around me, watching and supporting, waiting for me to call on them for guidance.”

By this point in the novel, Gran’s call to “raise the family” is clear to Jez. She has the ability to literally be raised in the air by communing with the spirits of her ancestors. Her feeling of this connection helps her to feel less alone, which she struggles with as her relationship with Jay shifts, she grapples with her grief over Gran’s death, and she wants so deeply to make a friend.

“But we’re a family, and we can handle whatever is coming together, right?”

Jez and her family find safety in one another, and they know that no matter what, they will protect one another. As they prepare to confront Deputy Collins at the climax of the novel, they plan to continue to draw their strength from one another.

“We were Turners, and Turners don’t run from anybody.”

Family history matters a lot to the Turners, and so when they decide to stand up to Deputy Collins, they pull from a long family history of protecting one another. In many ways, this statement is also a promise to continue to fight against discrimination and the racism that permeates the South.