The Honey Witch

The most prevalent overarching theme in the novel is the struggle between power and love. Love and power have an adversarial relationship due to the curse bestowed on Marigold’s family by the Ash Witch Versa. As Althea explains, “For us, love and power are opposing forces. We must forsake one for the other” (29). Throughout the novel, Marigold will gradually learn how to reconcile these forces instead of having to choose between them.

Marigold’s perception of love and power is already colored by her relationship with George Tennyson, who forced her to sacrifice autonomy when they were together. Marigold, at the beginning of the novel, is two years removed from the heartbreak of that relationship and has since reclaimed her power and self-esteem. Marigold thus tends to equate power as something she can only have in place of love even before she becomes a witch, with her saying, “I choose power in my veins over a ring on my finger any day” (50). When Althea presents Marigold with the option to forsake love altogether by claiming her magical Honey Witch blood, Marigold agrees, believing that giving up love is not such a great sacrifice.

Marigold’s choice to forsake love for power serves her at first.