Why do witches ride brooms in popular belief?
Well... one theory is definitively not kid-friendly: vulvovaginal or rectal application of tropane alkaloids by the broomstick used to prepare them can give the sensation of flight.
via @davidkroll.
forbes.com/sites/davidkro…
I can't tell how much of the article is tongue in cheek or intentionally a bit titillating, but I'm willing to meet the theory half-way.
1. People love hallucinogenic alkaloids: from shaman to witch to bored teenager.
2. Axial (armpit), rectal or vulvovaginal administration bypasses some of the filters of the liver: first-pass metabolism allows more potent dosing from natural products... often with unpredictable effects.
3. Most natural product alchemists would have worked with the tools at hand. Broomsticks were ubiquitous, even in frontier settlements.
4. People on the outskirts of society have always sought refuge in chemical substitutes for serenity & social acceptance.
I'm willing to believe that applying hallucinogens to exposed "nether" membranes, with accompanying mania and sensations of flight has a certain logic.
But I'll never look at Halloween decorations the same way. Try searching "witch riding broom" with new eyes.
#Disturbed
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