She is called many names; the wandering woman, mystery lady, the medicine woman, the mad woman of Katoke or the nuisance.
She always appeared in the neighbourhoods for a couple of weeks before the start of each season bearing numerous pots and bags of exotic plants. Each boiling pot served broths that cured various ailments and all that was required for any to work is faith.
Whenever she visited the poorer quarters, the inhabitant’s welcomed her presence. They would come bearing little gifts in exchange for helpings from her healing condiments, but the experience was the opposite at the more prestigious parts of town where the policing guards did their best to discourage the charlatan ‘as she was called.’
On various occasions, they ran her off the premises with a stern warning of arrest if she kept visiting but at dusk, these uppity members of high society went to the poor side of town to see her secretly.
© Jacqueline
Thank you Yarnspinner for the interesting photo prompt and PJ for hosting.
a cooking pot and twisted tales 
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
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Healers sometimes called Conjure Women. These women followed and still follow the old holistic ways. Knowing which plants to use for different ailments. Having suffered with certain types of doctors and medications that nearly killed me I would say the real Charlatans are practitioners of Western Medicine. My Aunt Helen lived to be 89 because she stuck with teas, herbs and rarely ate meat. Tossed out every prescription the doctors gave her. She always told me the healing was in the land/plants.
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Healing is certainly in the land and it pays Western Medical practitioners to paint such people in unsavoury light so that their pockets keep growing fatter with misbegotten funds.
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A very interesting and thought provoking use of the prompt Jacqueline.
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Thank you dear Bernadette.
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Great story, Jacqueline! The “uppity” rich people would visit her in secret but turn their nose up at her in public! I call that two-faced!
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They are certainly two-faced.
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Yes! Exactly!
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Interesting share, Jacqueline. Holistic healers do have their place in society, IMO. Perhaps, due to their sincere intentions.
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I totally agree with you and the interesting thing is that medical sciences evolved from holistic approach.
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