Book Review-People of the Outside: Witchcraft, Cannibalism, and the Elder Folk
People of the Outside: Witchcraft, Cannibalism, and the Elder Folk by Lee Morgan, published by Moon Books, is a 206 page book, of which I received an e-book copy. People of the Outside deals with subjects that seem, and in modern sensibilities, are, morbid, and disarming. Throughout the book, Morgan weaves different threads of taboo’s that have existed throughout Sapien society, backing up their theories with scientific evidence using DNA, and historical accounts. Morbid subjects like cannibalism, the profane kiss, and persecutions of countless groups of people deemed by Morgan to be “People of the Outside”, such as cathars, accused witches, and other groups, tying them to the modern notion and pop-culture view of the witch, at least the one that has been the standard for the past few hundred years, despite that stereotype changing. Stories of Baba Yaga and Hansel and Gretel tell these stories, showing Sapiens’ need for fear of those deemed different, and less acceptable, seen today as bias against race, sexuality, gender identity, neurodivergence and the like, backed up by sound theories with scientific and DNA evidence. This isn’t a lightly read book, and on more than one occasion, made me stop and ponder my own experiences as someone who has always felt “other than”. Morgan has written a well-researched, thought provoking and enchanting tale of the roots of the stereotype of the Witch in modern European and American folklore.
Personal Thoughts on People of the Outside
Do you feel different? Alien at times to this world and the current species of Humans? Being different is something I’ve experienced feeling since I was a very small child. I never quite fit in with my fellow sapiens, always asking the big questions from an early age. The mundane world labeled it as a high intellect, and quest for knowledge. This is true of my personality, but I’ve always felt different in other ways too. A connection to something different, within my being, my body; my blood. Through years of research and the efforts of ancestors before me, my ancestral lineage had actual witches in it. The Witch Blood is within me. I don’t subscribe to the idea that only those born in a lineage can be witches, as mine was suppressed by conversion to Christianity. However, the Witch Blood explains these feelings I’ve harbored since my earliest memories. People of the Outside, while dealing with taboo subjects (which my Scorpio self loves exploring), was also validating, showing that the Othersiders have always preserved themselves, and now it is within us as modern sapiens. The Outsiders are now within us; perhaps, as Morgan suggests, those modern sapiens who instead repress this part, attack externally, having condemned his more primal instincts internally.
People of the Outside is a study of these myths, and despite its morbid subjects, and ones, such as persecution and genocide, that some would rather not discuss, are important to read as modern Witches, being on a threshold of possible persecution again at the hand of religious extremist zealots. I usually keep politics out of my writing, but I feel that this pertinent in the time we find ourselves in; we’re on a threshold and need to understand the past, to navigate the future, as a group with potential to be persecuted once more. Very often, accused witches weren’t actually witches, but instead had some deformity or disability that was feared. How many folks do you know that fit this bill, witch or not? How many LGBTQ+ folks do you know? Those of us who are so clearly not Christian, or Heterosexual, or anything else, face a threat. People of Outside will find you in the dark forest of your repressed lineage, and help you explore the past, becoming more one with yourself, and understanding the sapien behavior as never before. On a scale of 1-5, I give People of the Outside a 4.5; my only critique being that those who aren’t prepared for an explanation of the taboos of sapiens may find it jarring and uncomfortable. It’s not a book for everyone, but for those like myself who are willing explorers of the ancient depths of human kind and the dark and morbid secrets will find it fascinating.
Lee Morgan lives in a communal covenstead where he makes sanctuary for other “weirdos”, raising books, people and ideas from the graves of our ancestors. He has written novels and non-fiction, including “A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft” as well as “Standing and Not Falling: A Sorcerous Primer in Thirteen Moons”. He lives in Mt Wellington near Nipaluna/Hobart, and can found online at: leemorganbooks.com
About the Author:
Hello there! I’m the Modern Merlin, and I’ve been a Polytheist Pagan, Witch, Sorcerer, Wizard, Druid, Mystic, Ceremonial Magician and Soothsayer for 15 years, worshipping and casting with deities and spirits from many cultures, including Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse & Germanic, Celtic, Egyptian, Sumerian, as well as many Faeries, Nymphs, Dryads and other nature and land spirits. I study and practice Astrology as well as Tarot and other forms of divination. I give readings and spiritual services on my Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see!
