The Witch on a Bike: A Symbol of Freedom and Magic

A witch on a bike? And what's a wind spijner? At first glance, these seem like unrelated elements, but let's explore this intriguing combination. A witch is a figure deeply rooted in folklore and mythology. Popularly associated with magic and the supernatural, witches have captivated the human imagination for centuries. They are often depicted as women with extraordinary powers, usually portrayed riding broomsticks. These broomsticks serve as their mode of transportation, allowing them to fly through the air and reach distant places. Now, let's introduce the concept of a wind spijner.

Occultism remains the largest blind spot in the historiography of Islamicate philosophy-science, a casualty of persistent scholarly positivism, even whiggish triumphalism. Such occultophobia notwithstanding, the present article conducts a survey of the Islamicate encyclopedic tradition from the 4th–11th/10th–17th centuries, with emphasis on Persian classifications of the sciences, to demonstrate the ascent to philosophically mainstream status of various occult sciences (ʿulūm ġarība) throughout the post-Mongol Persianate world. Most significantly, in Persian encyclopedias, but not in Arabic, and beginning with Faḫr al-Dīn Rāzī, certain occult sciences (astrology, lettrism and geomancy) were gradually but definitively shifted from the natural to the mathematical sciences as a means of reasserting their scientific legitimacy in the face of four centuries of anti-occultist polemic, from Ibn Sīnā to Ibn Ḫaldūn; they were simultaneously reclassified as the sciences of walāya, moreover, which alone explains the massive increase in patronage of professional occultists at the Safavid, Mughal and Ottoman courts in the runup to the Islamic millennium (1592 CE ). I argue that the mathematicalization, neopythagoreanization and sanctification of occultism in Ilkhanid-Timurid-Aqquyunlu Iran is the immediate intellectual and sociopolitical context for both the celebrated mathematization of astronomy by the members of the Samarkand Observatory in the 9th/15th century and the resurgence of neoplatonic-neopythagorean philosophy in Safavid Iran in the 10th/16th and 11th/17th, whereby Ibn Sīnā himself was transformed into a neopythagorean-occultist—processes which have heretofore been studied in atomistic isolation.

This article argues that esotericism is a fundamental principle underlying the composition of Ulysses , its envisaged relationship with the implied reader, and its larger socio-cultural ramifications. He is the author of The Ontology of Gods An Account of Enchantment, Disenchantment, and Re-Enchantment 2017 , Ulysses Quotīdiānus James Joyce s Inverse Histories of the Everyday 2016 , and Philosophical Meta-Reflections on Literary Studies Why Do Things with Texts, and What to Do with Them.

Now, let's introduce the concept of a wind spijner. A wind spijner is a fictional gadget, specifically created for witches, that enhances the speed and maneuverability of their mode of transportation. It is a small, lightweight device that attaches to the broomstick, harnessing the power of the wind to propel the witch forward at incredible speeds.

Art à la the Occult: The Literary Esotericism of James Joyce’s Ulysses

JIBU MATHEW GEORGE is Professor at The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India, and has multidisciplinary research interests. He is the author of The Ontology of Gods: An Account of Enchantment, Disenchantment, and Re-Enchantment (2017), Ulysses Quotīdiānus: James Joyce’s Inverse Histories of the Everyday (2016), and Philosophical Meta-Reflections on Literary Studies: Why Do Things with Texts, and What to Do with Them? (2019).

Jibu Mathew George; Art à la the Occult: The Literary Esotericism of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Interdisciplinary Literary Studies 1 September 2021; 23 (4): 573–596. doi: https://doi.org/10.5325/intelitestud.23.4.0573

Download citation file:

When combined, a witch on a bike wind spijner creates a thrilling image of a witch riding a broomstick, equipped with a wind spijner, as if she were riding a bike in the sky. This unique concept adds a new layer of excitement and adventure to the traditional portrayal of witches. The idea of a witch on a bike wind spijner encompasses the blending of traditional folklore elements with modern technology and innovation. It invites us to consider how ancient mythical figures can adapt and incorporate new tools and techniques. This concept sparks our imaginations and encourages us to think outside the box, challenging our preconceived notions of what is possible. In conclusion, the image of a witch on a bike wind spijner is a captivating combination of a timeless mythical figure with a fantastical device. It symbolizes the merging of tradition and innovation and opens up a world of possibilities for storytelling and imagination. So next time you see a witch flying through the night sky, don't be surprised if she's riding a broomstick equipped with a wind spijner, soaring through the air like she's on a bike..

Reviews for "The Witch on a Bike Diaries: Adventures with the Wind Spijner"

1. John - 1/5 - I couldn't stand Witch on bike wind spijner. The story was incredibly confusing and had no clear plotline. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their fates. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, making it even harder to stay engaged. Overall, I found this book to be a complete waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone.

2. Sarah - 2/5 - Witch on bike wind spijner was not my cup of tea. I found the writing style to be overly descriptive and flowery, which made it hard for me to connect with the story. Additionally, the pacing was slow and uneven, and I struggled to stay interested. While the concept of a witch on a bike sounded intriguing, I felt that it was not executed well in this book. Overall, I was disappointed with this read.

3. Mark - 1/5 - Witch on bike wind spijner was a painful read for me. The writing was convoluted and pretentious, with sentences that seemed to go on forever and made it difficult to follow. The story itself was confusing and lacked coherence, jumping from one plot point to another without any clear direction. I found it hard to engage with the characters, as they were poorly developed and didn't evoke any emotional response. Overall, I regret reading this book and would not recommend it to others.

Feeling the Rush: The Witch on a Bike and the Power of the Wind Spijner