Occult Black History Month

let's talk about Betsy Bailey, a woman we know primarily through her grandson Frederick Douglass's writings, particularly in 'My Bondage and My Freedom.'

what we know for certain:
- she was a gardener and root gatherer on Maryland's Eastern Shore
- she was known in her community for interpreting dreams with remarkable accuracy
- she traveled between plantations despite restrictions on slave movement
- she helped raise Frederick until he was around 8
- she maintained significant respect and influence in her community despite being enslaved

Douglass specifically wrote about her 'power of divination' and her ability to interpret dreams, noting how both enslaved and free people sought her counsel. he also documented her extensive knowledge of plants and her regular travels between plantations.

she represents countless others whose names and practices are lost to us. for every Betsy Bailey whose story partially survived through her grandson's fame, there were thousands of others who carried ancient African spiritual traditions, healing knowledge, and divination practices across the Atlantic. their wisdom, largely undocumented, flows through the roots of American folk magic and spiritual traditions.

now, let's speculate (and i want to emphasize here that i am speculating):

given what we know about:
- the role of root workers in enslaved communities
- how plant knowledge was often used to maintain communication networks
- the importance of dreams in African American spiritual traditions
- the ways enslaved people used 'acceptable' roles to mask resistance

it's fascinating to consider how Bailey might have used her recognized roles as gardener and dream interpreter to maintain community connections and possibly aid in resistance. her ability to move between plantations and her respected status would have given her unique opportunities for gathering and sharing information.

but we should be careful not to romanticize. she lived under brutal conditions, and whatever power she wielded was exercised within the severe constraints of slavery.

what's most documented and remarkable is how she influenced her grandson's understanding of power and knowledge. Douglass's later writings about dreams, visions, and natural signs suggest her lasting impact on his worldview.

she represents something crucial about power: how it can flow through unexpected channels, how knowledge passes between generations, and how influence can be wielded even under the most oppressive conditions. her grandson would shake America with words, but first he learned from her that power grows in the dark, in the dirt, in the dreams they can't steal.

attached is the youngest contemporary depiction of Frederick Douglass i could find as no known pictures exist of Betsy Bailey, sadly