Strength Vs. Surrender

Story of Ms. Mae and Lysander

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Right outside of the Yemassee territory of South Carolina lived a Rhutworker known as Miss Mae. Folks came from miles around for her remedies and her spirit readings. One day, a young man named Lysander came to visit Ms. Mae. Lysander was a strong and proud young man. He was questioning why he even had came to Ms. Mae's doorstep. Lysander was following some of the advice of his older cousin, who told him to go see Miss Mae. Lysander had a bit of trouble brewing for himself. Lysander found himself in the middle of three feuds that were being stirred up around his kinfolk and his favorite cousins; Lysander didn't care whether his kin was right nor wrong, he just knew he was a great fighter and never really lost a fight; He came close many a time. Still, he was always victorious in his battles, nonetheless, and he swore he'd win these battles that were brewing all with his fists and his name alone.

Miss Mae sat him down and listened quietly as Lysander explained what had been going on. It seemed his luck had changed, and he had been finding himself in several battles lately. Lysander watched Miss Mae reach for her bones. She seemed to have a glowing presence that Lysander noticed, but he chalked it up to the few lamplights she had lighting her place. After throwing her bones, she invited Lysander to go outside with her for a brief walk. They walked around a bit, and it was a very windy day. Every time the wind would rustle, Miss Mae stopped listening to the whisper of the wind. Lysander walked with her in silence, but he kept thinking to himself, This lady is a little off her rocker. While Lysander headed back inside from their walk, he noticed that Miss Mae walked away from him and headed towards her bottle tree in her front yard, and sat there for a spell, talking to her bottle tree. Lysander watched Ms. Mae from her front window. He watched in awe and judgment and thought that she was a little crazy.

When Ms. Mae was done talking to the bottle tree and wind spirits, she made her way back to the house. I got what you need, son, she said to Lysander, passing by the front room and heading to the kitchen to put on a pot of hot water for some tea. Lysander followed behind her and grabbed a seat at the kitchen table. As Ms. Mae was waiting for her water to boil, she rested her back against the sink and looked Lysander straight in the eyes. And said you need to give sweet tobacco shavings to the railroad near your land, and pour some of your strongest moonshine at the railroad, and then take some to Mr. Man at the crossroads. These spirits will open the way for you to win all your problems with the strength of mind, not the strength of fist, this time. You need to ask and pray for them to bend the roads in your favor. You need to do this for three days straight. And you have to learn to pick your battles, son. Every battle ain't won with a fist. In these battles, you have to lay your fist down.

Lysander was huffing and puffing with unreasonable pride. "I am not doing any of that foolishness," he said. He waved her off as he pulled away from the table and headed out of Ms. Mae's cozy country kitchen. Lysander blurted out, "I ain't scared. I was given these good ol' fighting hands by God. My Granddaddy fought his way through worse. Thank you, Ms. Mae, for your time. I don't need no spirits. These fighting hands, like my Daddy and his Daddy's before him. Going to see me through."

Lysander went off to settle his feuds. But each time, something strange turned the tide against him, from his best knife breaking to him breaking a finger, and he found out his trusted cousins betrayed him and were telling lies, and he didn't even need to pick up his cousin's battle for him. And then he got ambushed on the way to a fight. Some men jumped out of the woods and gave him a lickin' of a lifetime as they confused Lysander with someone else. Lysander was humbled and bruised, and a long string of bad luck followed him, so he decided he needed to hurry up to get back out there to the outskirts of Yemassee territory to visit Miss Mae one more time.

Miss Mae was rocking on her porch when Lysander came up, walking down the path to her house. She noticed a big trail of shame follow him, as the Spirits and Bones said would happen because he was too hardheaded and stubborn to listen most of the time. Lysander sat in the rocking chair next to Ms. Mae and started pouring out his heart. Ms. Mae just continued to rock and listen; she didn't scold or interrupt him while he was talking. And when he finished speaking, Ms. Mae nodded and said, "Now are you ready to do what I tell you to do?"

The next day, after Lysander left Ms. Mae's place, he brought offerings of sweet tobacco and moonshine to the railroad tracks at dawn and prayed with all his might. Months passed, and when trouble came looking for Lysander, this time, he handled his troubles not just with the might of his fist but also with his mind.

Lysander eventually learned, by working with Ms. Mae, to pick his battles wisely and that not every mishap required his attention, focus, or fist. Lysander learned what all warriors' spirits eventually did learn. That strength without spirit is just muscle, but strength with humility and discernment is part of holding great power.

Reflections

Why did you think Ms. Mae prescribed Sweet Tobacco and Moonshine as part of the spiritual prescription to Lysander? What do you believe these offerings represent?

Why do you think that Ms. Mae didn't force Lysander to follow her advice or prescription? Why didn't she try to convince him that his way was not going to work? Why is that important in Hoodoo & Rootwork

What is a message that you can take away from this story and apply to your own life?

What did you learn from Lysander and his troubles?