As is well known, Emily Dickinson read Browne.  He defines a view of witchcraft and magic that has a bit of a twist. In effect, it enables the positive use of “extra-curricula” powers and sites magic and its practitioners in the world with us. In fact, Browne makes some of our greatest claims to fame (our inventions, our science) a “power” of this sort, or at least it gives the human versions of it (philosophy, etc.) a transcendental pedigree.

Given that, and given that Emily’s view of witchcraft was likely shaped in some part by Browne, what does that do to how we interpret the poems I have copied below?

Sir Thomas Browne Religio Medici

I conceive there is a traditional magick, not learned immediately from the devil, but at second hand from his scholars, who, having once the secret betrayed, are able and do empirically practise without his advice; they both proceeding upon the principles of nature; where actives, aptly conjoined to disposed passives, will, under any master, produce their effects. Thus, I think, at first, a great part of philosophy was witchcraft; which, being afterward derived to one another, proved but philosophy, and was indeed no more than the honest effects of nature:–what invented by us, is philosophy; learned from him, is magick.

Emily Dickinson
in Johnson, poem 1158 (1870) / In Franklin, poem 1158 (1869)

Best Witchcraft is Geometry
To the magician’s mind -
His ordinary acts are feats
To thinking of mankind -

in Johnson, poem 1583 (1883) / In Franklin, poem 1612 (1883)

Witchcraft was hung, in History,
But History and I
Find all the Witchcraft that we need
Around us, Every Day -

in Johnson, poem 1708 (unknown date) / in Franklin, poem 1712 (unknown date)

Witchcraft has not a pedigree
‘Tis early as our Breath
And mourners meet it going out
The moment of our death -

I was in the emergency room of one of my local hospitals for about 15 hours yesterday. I was the one that was sick and for a while the pain kept everything at bay. Intense pain does that to me. I concentrate so hard on surviving its force that everything else fades. About 10 minutes after the nurse injected me with morphine and an antinauseant, I started being able to think about things. Fuzzily, but still there. The thing that came to mind first (I remember telling my daughter all about it) was Sir Thomas Browne’s Religio Medici. I remember talking about the asterisk connection between Browne and Dickinson; the notion of the vessel in alchemy and my sense that Dickinson saw herself as one – one white vessel in which the power of words transmuted the essence of her world and those of her readers (largely her family and friends). I also remember talking about how this kind of thing shows up in American religious thought through people like Hitchcock and Emerson.  Opium. Browne is said to have been an aficionado because of how it freed up the mind to wander along unaccustomed symbolic ways. As a person who has never been a drug user of any description, I can see his point, though it seemed to have freed mine to return its wanted haunts. Still the headache kicker that follows seems to me to take away from the pleasure of the swim.