It's a big one, folks! We're so excited about this one because it opens up so many possibilities, and it's the last challenge for 2018. It's already the second day of Winter in the northern hemisphere, and the second day of Summer in the antipodes - we're wishing you all the best for the new season and hoping you keep steeming on! This challenge will certainly keep you busy and hopefully enthused about the month ahead! Feel free to come chat to us about it in our Discord server - we've got a whole tribe of enthusiastic folks ready to chat and help you with whatever you might need!

In all cultures throughout time, there have been those who are closely connected to the ways of healing. Whether they are lauded or decried is usually based on their cultural context and time. They go by many names, but often we call these people shamans, witches, healers, medicine people, and midwives. In our modern age, they are vilified, labelled as quacks and in many times they have even been burned at the stake and brutally suppressed.

What does the word 'witch' conjure up for you?

• Do you feel a kinship with the title? Do you consider yourself one?
• Do you work in a field of natural medicine that can be distrusted? Do you have someone in your ancestral family that was an outsider to mainstream medicines?
• What do you know of the world of supposed witchcraft and medicine?
• What kind of character and skill set comes up for you surrounding this timeless profession and how do you wish we could shift the concept of it?

We're upping the prize pool in celebration of the wonderful wisdoms that Steemfolk have been sharing on the blockchain these last few months, and recognising that we won't have time for more than one challenge given the silly season. We're also having a solstice deadline (Dec 21st) which gives you plenty of time to write - and you might even like to write more than one!

Some Ideas

• Do a 'deep dive' into cultural histories to research shamanism, witchcraft, or cultural perception of medicine people that may have been seen as demonic or unsavoury.
• Dtube your personal views of 'witch'
• Write a story that explores the experience of 'witch'
• Talk about your own experiences, that of your grandparents, personal histories that might resonate with this topic.
• Consider shamanism, wicca, tribal elders, revered holders of natural medicine wisdoms - but also just ordinary experiences of folk that might have experienced distrust or shunning because of the medicines they practiced.

This challenge's question is an open one and we want you to spend some time digging deep for what this brings up for you.

We look forward to hearing your variety of responses! There is no wrong opinion!

A Few Guidelines

• Given the prizepool, we do need you to resteem this one - the more people know about it, the better!
• Please use #naturalmedicine as your first tag so we can easily find you.
• If you're in the Natural Medicine Discord, please post in 'post promotion' AND the 'challenges and contests' channel so we can easily collate and curate you when we announce the winners
• As there are 3 weeks until the winners are announced, we'll promote and celebrate the wonderful entries in the curation posts on Mondays too, giving you more coverage amongst over 500 followers.
• Please spread the word as much as possible - these challenges are about supporting as many people as possible, so we'll 100 percent upvote everyone writing under this tag and resteem the best ones. In that way, we grow!

Can't wait to read your entries!

Natural Medicine Needs YOU! Please consider delegating to @naturalmedicine by clicking any amount below to help keep this collective going. The minimum entry for membership is 20SP (free for members under 150SP), and helps support and celebrate your work with natural remedies, healings and nurturings on this gorgeous blockchain! Join us on Discord here - we'd love to have you!

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