Welcome to Hocus Pocus

If ever there was a movie that screamed Halloween - it would be Hocus Pocus. From the vibrant color scheme and colorful costume to the setting being the infamous Salem Massachusetts, Hocus Pocus oozes the holiday from the very first frame of Sarah riding her broomstick through the country side. Its a seasonal favorite for my family and many of my friends - especially if you were a kid in the 90s and 2000s. 

Is it a perfect movie? No.

Is it a satisfying movie? Yes. 

--Prepare For Spoilers for a 30 year old Movie--

Though the Sanderson sisters are a lot of fun, you cheer when they are defeated at the end of the story. You're excited to see the bullies get their comeuppance. It's hilarious when Billy inevitably betrays Winnifred. And its bitter sweet to see Thackery Binx reunite with his sister and move on to the next life. 

The journey Max, Danny, and Allison go on over the course of one night is exciting and scary. Yet, the kids manage to use their wits and ingenuity (multiple times) against the witches to save the lives of all the children of Salem. Each one has a moment to shine. From Danny improvising her interest in meeting the sisters, to Max and the "burning rain of death", and finally Allison with her version of "daylight savings time". 

Though it is a little weird that a Disney movie made for kids is constantly bringing up virginity.

--End of Spoilers for a 30 year old Movie--

The movie also gets a number of things right about witches in the colonial period of Massachusetts that so many other stories get wrong (looking at you Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost). 

Witches were considered evil in the colonial period, having made a deal with the devil. Winnifred, Mary, and Sarah all refer to Satan as their master and proclaim their devotion to him. 

Witches were hanged (or pressed, or drowned) in the colonies - not burned at the stake (that was a continental European thing). North American's wouldn't have burned witches because then the spectators might have seen naked bodies. The last thing a Puritan would have wanted to see is a naked witch. 

The movie actually takes place in Sale, MA and the city really does look like that. Some of the bigger landmarks were missing, such as the hotel and House of the Seven Gables, but that's really the outside of the town hall. Also, there really are underground tunnels throughout the city - there was a huge pirate problem up until the early 1800s. 

However, there is one major inaccuracy to the movie. There were no real witches in Salem during the colonial period. None of the people accused, imprisoned, or murdered for witchcraft were actually witches. They were victims of a mass hysteria, racism, and a scheme to steal property by the elite of the city.  

Memorial to the victims of the Salem Witch Trials.

It took nearly three centuries for the city to address this shameful period in their history. Now there's a beautiful memorial to the victims and a lot of tourist traps for people see. I personally found that a historical ghost tour was a lot more interesting than the wax museums that line the main street. Though the Witch House, which has the recreated jail in the basement was creepy.

Yeah, Hocus Pocus focuses more on the spectacle of Salem's infamous history. But I think creating three completely fictional characters that have the actual historical stereotypes of colonial witches works. It plays up the folk horror of witchcraft, makes it ridiculous, and weaves in a tiny smidge of historic reality.

The new sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, adds to that malicious silliness.  

I don't plan on spoiling that movie, as it only came out three days ago at the time of me writing this post. I found it funny and a cute addition to a story that really didn't need a follow up. Some of the details are a delight - like the witchcraft store (because if Salem has an overabundance of anything, its witchcraft stores) and adults trying to side step explaining what a virgin is to a little kid.

Do I recommend the movie? Maybe - if you really liked the first one, the nostalgia will hit you right in the feels. However, I don't think it'll be the cult classic the first one is.

At their core, the Hocus Pocus movies aren't about the accurate history of Salem, MA, the witch trials, or the trauma surrounding them. 

They are stories about family and friends. The first movie has Thackery and his sister Emily mirrored by the siblings Max and Danny. The second movie is about the relationship of the Sanderson sisters and is mirrored by the three friends Izzy, Becca, and Cassie.

Hocus Pocus is one of those movies that became a cult classic because of how it treats its audience. For adults, its a reminder of what it means to be a kid. For kids, it's an adventure against villains that are silly, but still super evil. It's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be.

Hocus Pocus 2 is okay. It's not good. It's not bad.

Do you have any fond memories watching Hocus Pocus? Mine include catching it on ABC Family on a late fall day and my family realizing that the guy who plays Thackery (but is not the voice actor) was also on NCIS.

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please, like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me. 

Welcome to a Happy Halloween

 Today was quiet. Once again, not one trick or treaters at my apartment complex, but I could hear them the next street over. That’s okay because I still had a great Halloween.

I started with a pumpkin chocolate muffin with pumpkin butter and finishing my Halloween cross stitch project. I hung them up with care in one of my doorways.

I sent out texts to all of my friends and family I have in my phone’s address book wishing them a Happy Halloween. Most texted back and a few called. Pictures of younger family members were shared and my cousin managed to get her dog into a Harley Quinn outfit.

I had a lunch of pumpkin empanadas and watched The Haunting, then went for a walk to a small lake shopping center.

While enjoying a pretzel and hops tea at the local micro brewery, a man set up some music and his kids (dressed as Michael Jackson) danced to the joy of everyone at each of the restaurants. At about 2:30, a group of witches on paddle boards, kayaks, and a pontoon boat paraded into the docking area. A few of the witches had kids and dogs on their paddle boats. There was even a skeleton with a small graveyard on his board.

I then wandered a bit.

I spotted a fox sunning himself on a neighbor’s yard. I danced among some falling leaves on the wooded trail. I also pet several very fluffy dogs.

I returned home nearly two hours later to carve my first pumpkin in nearly a decade. I chose a sun and moon combo to represent the changing of the seasons. I had Over the Garden Wall on while I scooped the pumpkin’s guts out and drew the design on its face. 

My apartment filled with the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg as my soul cookies baked and I lit some pumpkin spice candles. I ate a silent dinner with the spirits on my balcony and wished a family dressed as black cats a “Happy Halloween”.

I rounded out the night with a pumpkin spice bath (with a bath bomb and haunted scented soap) to get ready for my spell casting. A good witch knows how to harness the wonderful energy of Halloween to work their magic. I built a fire and cast some bay leaves with wishes into the flames. The universe will hear me and guide me.

The cat especially loves the fire.

I plan on ending the night with some spiced hot apple cider and a tarot reading. Overall a simple, relaxing, and my kind of Halloween. 

I hope you all have a fun night, stay safe, and have a spooky time. This season passed by fast (though part of that might have been because I was deeply depressed for part of it). Know that how you celebrate during this time of year is up to you. Go to parties, commune with the dead, or watch some scary movies.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to that One Movie Obsession

If there’s one movie that I have un-ironically fallen in love with in recent years, it’s the 2006 “The Woods”. I have no idea if this is an obscure movie or one that fell to the wayside because audiences didn’t like it (but critics mostly liked it -it’s fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), however I love this movie.

And not just because Bruce Campbell has a minor role.

“The Woods” is one of those quasi horror movies that isn’t so much scary as it is a fairy tale with horror elements. Much in the same way that the original 1977  “Suspiria” or the more recent “Pan’s Labyrinth” and "Sleepy Hollow", it’s a mix of terrifying concepts, beautiful imagery, and dreamlike storytelling.

Fairy tale elements can be found throughout the movie. The setting is at an all girl’s school located deep in the woods (hence the  title) in the 1960s. There’s a sense of mystery, some of the girls start to go missing, there’s a mean girl who bullies our protagonist, and there are witches. 

If the location weren’t enough to indicate that we’re in a fairy tale, the music certainly does. It’s haunting, a little off putting, and at times down right creepy. However, I do like the use of “You Don’t Own Me” peppered throughout at key moments. It helps reinforce the overarching themes of individuality and rebelliousness that embodies the protagonist.

However, I can see why movie goers might not have been drawn to it. The story is a little confusing and inconsistent at times. Motivations aren’t always clear outside of the protagonist. And some characters seem to know more than they should (though that could be because of their undefined “gift”).

Yeah a lot of the girls in these films are “gifted” or, in lame man’s terms, psychic, telepathic, or otherwise magically inclined. How do these gifts connect to the larger world? Never explained, they just have them. It’s established early that the protagonist, Heather, has some sensitivity to psychic phenomena, but her real talents are revealed during an emotionally charged scene between her and the headmistress.

Honestly, I love picking a part this movie. The ending, though entertaining, doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Some of the earlier information is contradictory to what ends up happening, but it also isn’t clear who is a reliable source of information and who isn’t. Furthermore, the inciting incident of the course is a little confusing and not explained well.

These issues could easily turn off the average movie goer. 

I freaking love them. All of the ambiguity has the wheels in my head turning over and over. I’ve got a few theories and ideas. Personally I think the woods the school was located in were always evil and possessed the witches or acted as their puppet masters. I also like to think that they only needed to “feed” the curse at certain times. Then again, “feed” probably isn’t the right word, but provide new hosts to continue what the woods want. 

And my favorite theory is that Heather from “The Woods” is Sarah’s deceased mother from “The Craft”. They have some similar powers and ticks that make me wonder if the actress who played Heather was a fan of “The Craft”. Plus the timelines for the character’s ages align.

All the proof I need that Heather is Sarah's mother

Seriously, check out this movie and tell me that Heather couldn’t potentially be Sarah’s mom. It’s on Amazon Prime right now.

I love fairy tale dreamlike quality of some movies. There’s a reason I go back to “Suspiria”, “Sleepy Hollow”, “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Woods”. They remind me of a time when the woods were filled with imagined monsters and there were still mysterious places to be explored with danger around every corner. They transport us from reality and into a realm where anything is possible.

This is also likely why I enjoyed “Sleep No More”.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Misunderstood Villain

This week's topic came about for a couple of reasons:

1) I saw the play "Wicked" - which was awesome

2) I started watching the latest incarnation of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" - rebooted by Netflix

3) A conversation I had at dinner last week with a group of amazing writers regarding our treatment of some of history's greatest heroes...or were they really villains?

It's that conversation that's been getting the wheels in my head turning. We were mainly discussing how Alexander the Great (or the Bastard depending on where you're from) has been turned into a bit of a hero in our modern retelling of his conquests. In reality, he killed a lot of people and there are some places today who still hate his memory. Heck, Alexander built a land bridge to reach a well fortified island which refused to surrender to him and, when he finally reached the island, he proceeded to murder everyone there.

But the way Hollywood puts it, he was an amazing guy who was trying to unite the world, flawed, but still repetitively cool. The same treatment happens to a lot of conquerors. We definitely have a fondness for the Roman Empire, despite the fact that they pretty much enslaved everyone they conquered.

However, since history is written by the winners, we get to hear all about the greatness of some of history's worst people in the best light. They weren't ruthless invaders out to murder and enslave, they were trying to unite their people and gather more resources.

One of the writers in the group even brought up the idea that some of our greatest monsters in modern history could one day get this type of treatment. I really hope not, but that doesn't mean it's not possible.

Anything is possible.

Especially since Hollywood and other medias really like the misunderstood villain trope right now.

This trope has popped up a lot recently (along with the bait and switch villains, but that's another blog post/rant). We see it in the play and book "Wicked", there was the recent re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty by Disney where Maleficent was really the good guy all along, and you have the countless retelling of fairy tales told from the villain's perspective.

This isn't a bad trope and it occasionally goes hand in hand with the equally interesting villain redeemed trope.

I'm just starting to see it over and over again.

When this trope is done well, it's really good and interesting. I love Zuko's character arc in "Avatar the Last Airbender" and "Wicked" is great (so long as you don't think too hard about some of the inconsistencies between the original book and movie). I freaking loved "Wicked".

But I'm starting to feel it's becoming overdone.

In recent years we've had loads of examples of the misunderstood villain, my personal favorite being Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's also the characters in the Disney remakes (I've already mentioned Maleficent, but also the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland), Lucifer in Supernatural, and multiple Batman villains (minus the Joker) like Mr. Freeze and the Penguin.

Again, it's not a bad trope. It just needs to be done well.

"Wicked" is an amazing book and play. I can totally believe that the Wicked Witch of the West got her reputation by defying the wizard and wanting to be a freedom fighter instead, just not in the context of the original book. For one thing she wasn't green and another she isn't even that much of a protagonist. The original Wizard of Oz book is more or less a road trip with obstacles story with the Wicked Witch of the West briefly appearing around the midpoint of the story before Dorothy kills her.

The wicked witch I remember

Her character in "Wicked" is so far removed from her character in the book, I wouldn't believe they were related at all if I didn't have a story synopsis tell me they are.

Now I'm watching the re-imagining of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego". As a kid, Carmen Sandiego was a bad guy. There was no questioning this and the members of ACME were the good guys putting a stop to Carmen's horrible plans. In this version, she's a spunky teenage white hat thief trying to get back at the real bad guys who raised her. I think it's a really entertaining show and fun character, but I'm having a hard time equating her with the villainous character I grew up with.

I understand what's going on with these stories. People like retelling stories with characters they're familiar with (which is probably why we've seen so many versions of Sherlock Holmes) and hearing a story I'm familiar with told from a different point of view is a lot of fun when done well.

Batman is remade all the time. Sometimes he's campy and fun, other times gritty and serious. My personal favorite version of Batman is from the "Animated" universe which lead into the "Justice League" cartoon series. There he was a good balance of serious and humorous. However, that version could never be mistaken for the "Dark Knight" Batman or the live action TV show version.

It's fun to see characters and stories in new ways. Real life isn't always as straight forward as we want it and people can recall the same events very differently. Sometimes villains aren't villains, they're scapegoats or people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There's a song in "Wicked" that goes into this a bit called "Wonderful" sung by the Wizard. It really drives the theme home that Elphaba is being scapegoated by the real villains of the story. They're rewriting history so that she's not a freedom fighter but a terrible wicked witch.

I love "Wicked", Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and even the Supernatural version of Lucifer.

But there are some villains that I don't think deserve this makeover.

A certain serial killer is getting the Hollywood treatment. I highly doubt the movie is going to make him out to be some misunderstood individual, this guy was pure evil. It's just that there are some people who might idolize him and the movie might show him in a more sympathetic light than he deserves. I don't know for certain that it will, but the

It's one thing if it's a fictional character getting these makeovers, but I don't like the idea of a real life villain getting one. The families the above mentioned serial killer's victims are still alive and still have to live with the horrible things that happened.

These villains don't deserve the "misunderstood" treatment.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 8: The Power of the Witch

"Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?"

This quote comes from the movie The Witch: A New England Folk Tale when the devil, disguised as the goat Black Phillip, offers to make a pack with the eldest daughter, and only survivor to the end of the movie, Thomasin for her to become a witch.

Thomasin as the beginning of the movie (left) and when she becomes a witch at the end (right)

One would think selling her soul at the end of the movie would equal a bad ending for this movie, but I don't think it does. For most of the movie, Thomasin has been bullied, blamed for things beyond her control, and alienated from the rest of her family. Her brother begins to lust after her feminine form. Her father allows her to take the blame for a theft he committed. She is constantly facing her mother's wrath for things she couldn't control.

When Thomasin joins the witches, whom we've seen commit terrible crimes like murdering a baby, she's smiling and excited. It's the first time in the movie she looks truly happy instead of board, angry, or scared. It's as though Thomasin has found herself as a witch.

Thomasin gains freedom by becoming a witch. There are a few draw backs, like her soul is damned to hell and she has to murder babies in order to fly, but for the first time in her Puritan life she is allowed to make decisions for herself.

Maybe The Witch isn't the best example for this post, but it is a powerful scene. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. It's a slow burn horror movie with minimum jump scares and a lot of psychological mind twists. It's on Netflix for the 2018 October season.

Witches are feared. They can curse you to fall ill, hex your farm so that you have a lousy crop, and maybe they'll even turn you into a newt (don't worry, you'll get better eventually). Witches have powers that aren't very well understood. You definitely don't want to anger a witch.

Witches have power.

They're often thought of as independent and self-sufficient, especially when they live far from the village. Witches can heal you with the right potion or poison your worst enemy - for a price. They're knowledgeable and wise.

People don't want to mess with a witch.

So is it any wonder that some people, especially those who don't feel powerful, might find the art of witchcraft appealing?

Modern witchcraft focuses a lot on finding harmony with the world and self-empowerment. It's not derived from the forces of evil or the devil. It's tapping into the natural energy that makes up the universe to do magick.

For women in particular, it's a type of empowerment that doesn't derive from a relationship to a man.

As progressive as the American culture appears to be, there are still a lot of carryovers from bygone eras. One particularly tough cultural paradigm that girls can't seem to shake is how much our society hates anything preteen and teenage girls love. Yeah, a lot of what they obsess over is stupid, but is it really worth the levels of hate the Internet has come up with. I've been a witness and occasional participant in the hate: "Twilight, the worst thing ever", "why does anyone like Justin Bieber", "Brittany Spears isn't even that good of a singer".

Society hates that preteen and teenage girls where clothes that aren't "appropriate", except that's all the stores offer. We hate that they wear makeup, even if grown women are pretty much expected to wear it all the time. We're constantly telling them they are a distraction to boys, despite the fact that boys should have self-control.

It's not like preteen and teenage boys don't have questionable taste in media or dress. Society just doesn't fixate on it quite as much.

Women and girls are still talked about being "someone's ______" when rape is discussed. They're blamed for being in a situation, instead of  supported. Most big budget movies (even if they aren't romance) still have a guy and a girl getting together at the end - the girl's personality and story line need not be included.

So is it any wonder that the idea of becoming a witch is appealing to girls in particular. That little boom in the 90s and (hopeful) resurgence now of powerful women as witches isn't coming from no-where. There's a hunger for powerful women roles that aren't connected to anyone else.

Shared by Chaos Witch on Facebook originally posted by penfairy.

"Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?"

Yeah, I kind of do. Having some illusion of power over my life would be nice. Feeling that I have everything together and knowing things will turn out alright would be great.

Because right now I'm angry, scared, anxious, depressed, confused, and hurt.

My interest in witchcraft originally stemmed from my interest in the unknown. It has since grown for many different reasons. I like a lot of the philosophy, learning about herbal remedies is interesting, and the connection with nature.

Feeling empowered is a nice bonus.

I'm not saying I'm a witch, that's still very much up for debate, and not everything in this series of posts applies to all witches (Wiccans and other witches might not agree with a lot of what I've written). I've been on a journey for spiritual enlightenment and tranquility for a while. This has been a stop on a very long journey that is still in progress.

And part of me still feels like a six year old child reading Harry Potter for the first time and hoping I get a letter to Hogwarts. Part of me still believes in fairy tales, magick, ghosts, and monsters that live under the bed. It's my way of dealing with the real world and everything it has to throw at me.

If you or anyone you know is interested in witchcraft, Wicca, or magick, I have a few books that I recommend checking out. I've already mentioned The Modern Guide to Witchcraft by Sky Alexander, but other books you might want to check out include:

• The Green Witch - You're Complete Guide to The Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
• Wiccapedia - A Modern-Day White Witch's Guide by Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway
• Magical Herbalism - The Secret Craft of the Wise by Scott Cunningham

And for anyone who's interested in the less religious and spiritual side of witchcraft please check out: 

• Basic Witches - How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with your Coven by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman

Thank you for joining me on this series. I do hope to one day write a novel or novella (series?) involving modern witches, but until then I'll keep reading and researching everything I can find.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 7: Season of the Witch

Tomorrow is October 1st.

Which in my books means that it's the start of Halloween. Yep, that's right. Halloween is basically an entire month. If Christmas can be a month and a half long (or longer if you go by the radio stations), then Halloween should have an entire month all on it's own!

Haunted houses, corn mazes, creepy decorations (or as I like to think...new house decor), and pumpkin spice flavored everything. Don't try to tell me you guys don't like reading about pumpkin spice and everything nice. My first post to reach over 100 hits was Welcome to Pumpkin Overload and it was all thanks to you awesome readers.

I feel honored that one of my most popular blog posts is about how much I love pumpkin flavored everything.

I love Halloween. I'm not a huge fan of scary things (even if I do write horror), but I love the dark atmosphere. It's a different kind of beautiful.

Plus it's the default season for all things witches!

If my mom ever dressed up for Halloween it was usually as a witch. She'd set up a cauldron with a fog machine inside on the front stoop of our house to pass out candy. It was a lot of fun watching little kids slowly approach our house, uncertain if a real witch lived there or not.

My mom isn't a witch, but for all of the real witches out there. Halloween is also the witch's New Year or start or their yearly cycle. Called Samhain (pronounced SOW-een), it's supposed to be a solemn and sacred day for witches. For some it's a day to remember those who have passed on, for others it's a day to try and contact the spirit world.

Though Samhain is one of the more well known holidays for witches and Wicca, there are actually quite a few spread out over the year. Last week, I wished everyone a happy Mabon, which is the celebration of the Autumn/Fall Equinox. It's also the last holiday in the Wicca or Witch's Year. There are a total of 8 holidays which correspond to the seasons.

Image originally from this site here.

They are:

• Samhain - which I already discussed above as the magickal new year. above
• Yule - or the celebration of the Winter Solstice or the festival of lights. Some people may have heard of a Yule Log or gone to a Yule celebration (my university held a Yule Log ceremony every year) which is when a log is passed around for everyone to touch, then it is light up and you can toss a sprig of holly on the fire to burn your troubles or bad luck away. Another way to celebrate Yule is to light candles after sunset.
• Imbolc - this holiday is typically celebrated at the beginning of February. It is a fertility holiday and represents the promise that spring is soon to arrive and with it the start of the growing season. 
• Ostara - the Spring Equinox. This is the official start of the growing season. From what I've read, decorating eggs (much like Christians do for Easter) is customary.
• Beltane - also known as May Day. It's the second fertility holiday. It is a celebration of spring time nature and is meant to honor the Earth. May Day is a none witch version of the same celebration. I've been to May Day celebrations in Pennsylvania and they are a ton of fun.
• Midsummer - or the celebration of the Summer Solstice. It's the longest day of the year and a period of plenty. Midsummer is associated with Earth spirits like elves and fairies. It is also considered a great time for love spells and magick.
• Lughnassadh or Lammas - is the start of the harvest season (specifically the harvest of grains) and is celebrated around the start of August.
• Mabon -  finally we come back to Mabon or the Autumn/Fall Equinox. From this point until the Winter Solstice, the days grow shorter and the harvest festival. It's a time for balance and giving thanks.

It just goes to show that October and Halloween aren't the only times to be a witch. Witches practice magick the whole year long. They also don't have to celebrate any of these holidays if they want to. The 8 holidays I mentioned above are very much based in the Wicca tradition and religion.

A witch doesn't have to celebrate a holiday or season if they don't want to.

These holidays are also very much based on the seasonal rotation of the northern hemisphere. I'm not as familiar with how witches in the southern hemisphere practice, but if I understand correctly, it's not too different from how witches in the northern hemisphere do. Information on these holidays can be found all over the Internet, but I used The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens & Spells by Skye Alexander as my reference.

So this October season, remember that for some people (especially witches) this season is very important and sacred. In fact Halloween or All Hallows Eve is just before two important Christian Holidays which also honors the day: All Saints Day and All Souls Day. It isn't just about dressing up in costumes and scaring each other silly. It's about remembering those we loved and lost over the years. It's about the ending of a cycle and the promise of rebirth.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 6: Today's Witches

Fall has finally arrived!

The equinox was yesterday in the northern hemisphere (Saturday September 22nd for those of you not reading this post on the day it was published), so now we get to fully celebrate all things fall. In my case, a month and a half long Halloween binge!

Yesterday also marked the Sabbat known as Mabon or The Second Harvest Celebration for many of today's Witch and Pagan communities. A Sabbat is essentially a modern Pagan and/or Witch's holy day or holiday. Depending on which tradition a Pagan or Witch follows, the practitioner might celebrate all of some of these holidays.

Picture from: this site

Today I'm not going to go over the Sabbats (I'm saving that for another post). Instead, I want to write about how Witches continue to practice into the modern age and the many different types of Witches out there.

Here's an important fact about the Witch community: anyone can be a witch.

There's no specific gender, identity, or religious requirements. Witches can be men, women or non-binary people. You can be religious, spiritual, secular, or even atheist to practice Witchcraft. There are solitary practitioners or a Witch can find a coven to join.

What binds Witches together?

Witches are bound by their practice of magick (the type of magick spelled with a "k"). From what I have come to understand, Witches draw power from the world around them as well as from within themselves. They have a preference for and connection with nature, but some don't mind using technology with their spell work. Some invoke gods, goddesses, angels, or spirits in their craft, but it isn't necessary.

One of the more well known practitioners of magick and witchcraft today are Wiccans. People who follow the Wicca faith also incorporate magick into their religious rituals. Most of my research on witchcraft, spell casting, and magickal rituals has been from Wicca sources. They have their own traditions and holidays such as the Sabbats I mentioned earlier in this post. There are also different sects or paths of Wicca a person can follow (click here for more on the different types of Wicca).

But you don't have to be a follower of Wicca to become a Witch.

Wicca happens to be one of the more well known religions that coincides with witchcraft. However, some Witches prefer a more spiritual or secular path to their practice. I hear it can ruffle feathers, especially if the person or group of people are misappropriating other cultures (please don't do this if you are curious about practicing witchcraft). However, there do seem to be some merits to striking it out on your own if organized religion isn't for the practitioner.

Personally, my curiosity has lead me to a lot of books about witchcraft, Wicca, and magick. I tend to prefer the solitary and connection with nature aspects of the practice. There's a lot of meditation and good philosophy involved with my spiritual empowerment.

One stand-out aspect of many modern Witch's paths involves the Rule of Three. The Rule of Three is basically the philosophy that whatever energy is put out into the world will be reflected back three times fold. It's meant as a reminder to use magick for good or positive things rather than curses or hexes. Putting something negative into the world such as a curse or a hex on another person could result in three times the amount of negative things happening to the caster.

I like this type kind of philosophy. It's a reminder to do good things in life.

Other than the Wicca, there are several other types of witches. I have a few listed below:

• The Eclectic Witch - combines different magickal traditions and witchcraft styles into their own practice. Their practice is the most likely to change over time.
• Hereditary Witch - much like Sally and Jillian Owens from the movie Practical Magic, these are practitioners who pass their knowledge down from generation to generation. They often practice as a family and have their own unique traditions. 
• Hedge Witch - these witches often work in the natural and spiritual world.
• Kitchen Witch - a witch that mainly practices in their kitchen. Their spell work is often incorporated into their cooking. They likely have an herb or vegetable garden which they cultivate their own ingredients from.
• Green Witch - these witches heavily relay on the natural world around them.They're often most in tune with the seasons and try to work their spells and rituals outside as much as possible.
• Cosmic Witches - these witches prefer working with astrology and astronomy into their spell work. Most of their rituals incorporate the moon and planets.

There are more types of witches that I haven't listed. Witchcraft and magick are as varied and unique as the many cultures that have influenced them. 

Credit for this picture goes to this site.

I do ask that if you are interested in looking into more research or spells, that you don't appropriate another culture. Just because someone on the Internet says it's okay to do something doesn't mean that it is. Some practices and traditions are sacred and should be treated as such. Further more, some plants are on the endangered or threatened species list and shouldn't be used.

If you are curious about learning more on witchcraft, check out published books and/or ask real witches about their practice. Though you can start on the Internet, take everything you read there with a grain of salt.

Blessed be!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 5: Teen Witch Craze

I recently started watching the Netflix show Worst Witch. It’s about preteen girls learning how to become witches at a magical boarding school. Within the first episode there are magical potions, flying on broom sticks, and a battle between a good witch and a bad witch. So far, I’ve really enjoyed the show.

This isn’t the first incarnation of Worst Witch. Originally a book series, Worst Witch has had a total of four TV iterations (one being a spin off) with the fist being the 1985 TV movie. It’s clear that the story of Mildred Hubble is popular and has resonated with a lot of people.

Worst Witch is just one example of the trope that a young child discovers they have magical powers and must now learn how to control them all while avoiding evil witches and wizards. Harry Potter is another well known example of this trope.

However, it isn’t the only story line out there featuring witches. Tales of sisterhood and coming of age are also popular tropes to show up in Witch related media. At least the witch related media aimed at young women and children tend to have these story lines. Harry Potter is the odd one out as it is generally considered for all people.

That’s not to say that men and boys can’t like women driven story lines, especially of the magical variety. These stories just aren’t targeted to them the same way they are targeted to women. The 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s saw a lot of witch media hit the big and small screen that was almost explicitly for young women.

In 1989, the movie Teen Witch hit theaters. It was trying to capitalize on the genre of teen flicks with a supernatural or paranormal undertone that became popular with the release of Teen Wolf in 1985. The same year that Teen Witch hit theaters, Studio Ghibli released the animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service in Japan. Kiki's Delivery Service also featured a young witch teenage witch (Kiki is 13 in the movie) trying to make her way in the world. The Craft and Sabrina the Teenage Witch both became cultural icons in 1996 and were quickly followed by the movie Practical Magic (1998) and the TV series Charmed (1998 - 2006).

The look so cool and powerful!

Disney Channel took notice of the rising popularity in witches, especially for young girls, to create several made for TV movies including: The Halloweentown series and the Twitches movies.

It would be silly of me to not include the rise in popularity of Harry Potter in the 1990s that has lasted all the way to today. We now have two popular movie franchises, an official play, multiple unofficial plays, and more books than my bookshelf at home can hold. More importantly, we have the characters of Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks who were pivotal in shaping the confidence of many young girls looking for literary role models.

Of course we still had the movies and TV shows featuring evil witches. Hocus Pocus (1993) is still one of the most iconic Halloween movies for kids who grew up in the 90s. The Witches of Eastwick (1987) had an all star cast with plenty of nasty shenanigans and still ended with the ladies taking on the big bad guy in a show of sisterhood. Then there’s the 1990 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book The Witches which gave young me many a nightmare. At least the movie ends a lot happier than the book where the children are stuck as mice instead being turned back into children by a nice witch.

My point is that there has been a lot more media in the past 4 decades featuring witches in a positive light than a negative one. Sure we had the Bewitched series from 1964 to 1972 which I think helped spring board the “good witch” stories we eventually got. However, the horror industry of that era continuously used the “bad witch” trope in their sploitation movies (most of which are hilariously bad).

Now “bad witch” movies aren’t the norm.

Occasionally we’ll see a Blair Witch (1999 and 2016) or The Witch: A New England Folktale (2015), but these types of scary movies are now few and far between. Most Witch media now is fun, happy, and how to be a good witch. Witches are seen as teachers of empowerment instead of a people to be feared.

Is it any wonder that some girls went through a witch phase in middle or high school? Having magical powers isn’t just about solving your problems or getting revenge against the mean girl at school. In fact, the petty, mean, or dangerous spells usually resulted in an important lesson on not misusing magic and the consequences of selfish acts. Magic in these shows is about finding a sense of self empowerment and feeling good about your own abilities. At least that’s what I got out of the books, movies, and TV shows I consumed.

It’s also why I love idea of being a witch.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week!

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 4: Women Witches

 "All witchcraft comes from carnal lust, which in women is insatiable." - Malleus Maleficarum

What is the first image that comes to mind when you picture a Witch? Or more specifically, who comes to mind?

For most the answer is a woman dressed all in black with a pointed hat. She might be old and oddly disfigured or young and beautiful with a voluptuous figure. Maybe she's pouring ingredients into a cauldron or flying on a broomstick. She might even have a black cat skulking around somewhere.

The stereotypical witch from western culture is nearly always a woman.

I swear this woman turned me into a newt.

That doesn't mean that men or non-binary people can't be witches. Some of you might have pictured Harry Potter or Merlin, except that they usually have the moniker of wizard attached to them.

To be fair, the words wizard and witch are often used to signify a magic practitioner's gender. However, they don't necessarily mean the same thing. Depending on the magical system, a wizard's magic might be very different than a witch's magic while at the same time keeping the gender barrier (such as in Sir Terry Pratchett's Disc World series). In other cases men and women can be either a wizard or a witch depending on how they use/acquire their magical ability. Other words that are known to be used interchangeably (with some regards to gender) are: sorceress, sorcerer, warlock (unpopular because it also means oath-breaker), enchanter, enchantress, and mage. You can find more information on magical title by clicking here.

Please note that a magician is typically someone who does magic tricks such as slight of hand, illusions, or misdirection. The title magician is rarely used to mean a practitioner or magic/magick.

For the purposes of this blog post, I'll be using the term witch to refer to people accused during the witch trials that plagued Europe and North America between the 1400 and 1700s.

Historically, witches could be either male or female, but let's be honest with ourselves. Most people accused and executed for witchcraft were women. According to the sources I could find, women made up between 75-85% of the people accused of witchcraft during the height of the North American and European witch hunts. A few accounts have even suggested that there wouldn't be a single woman left in a village once a witch hunt was concluded - having all been burned at the stake (sadly I can't find the source of this one).

In 1922, a Swedish-Danish man, Benjamin Christensen, created a silent dramatized documentary called Haxan. In his 7 part series of shorts, it shows the history of witchcraft as he researched it. Most of it is on how women were portrayed and accused of being witches. The seventh part fast-forwards to modern times (well 1920s modern times) about how institutionalizing women for mental problems (like hysteria) is similar to the witch trials of old. That last part feels incredibly insulting for many reasons, but the rest of it is pretty interesting to watch if only for the silly shenanigans that happen when you decide to join the devil (lots of debauchery and orgies apparently).

If you're interested the nearly 2 hour movie is in the public domain and you can watch it with English subtitles on YouTube. If you don't feel like sitting through a silent movie for 2 hours, there's a fabulously hillarious silent review that's only 15 minutes by Kyle from the YouTube show Brows Held High which you can watch here.

I think the guy in the center wants my soul guys!!!

Though the gender bias towards women witches wasn't the case in all countries where hunts occurred. Historians have noted that men were more often accused in Iceland, Finland, Estonia and Russia. (Here's where I found a lot of this information.)

However, this doesn't stop the fact that women were disproportionately affected by witch hunts (and by affected I mean tortured and then murdered). Women with property, but no husband, women who were healers and midwives, women who were poor or handicapped or just had a general displeasing disposition were prime targets to have accusations thrown at them.

Some might attribute this bias as part of the Madonna and Whore complex. It divides women into two categories. The first being the virtuous pure woman who can do no wrong like The Holy Mother Mary. The second being the vile sinful temptress who will bring down mankind a la Eve. Either a woman knows her place in society or she's evil and going to bring about the ruin of civilization. There is no in-between. 

One famous example is Bridget Bishop from the Salem Witch Trials. She was a widow and had inherited the ownership of a tavern and apple orchard (which stood in front of Salem prison) upon her husband's death. Now women in colonial America didn't really own anything. Any property she might possess was immediately transferred to her husband upon marriage. As Mrs. Bishop refused to find herself a new husband and liked to dress in a manor that was considered scandalous for the time, she was often met with disapproval from her Puritan neighbors (the anti-fun that they were).

It really didn't help that she had a lovely apple orchard worth a pretty penny that stood right in front of Salem prison (did I already mention that?).

Bridget Bishop wasn't the first person in Salem to be accused of witchcraft, but she was the first person executed. In fact, her trial and sentencing were all sped up just so the powers-that-be could confiscate and properly redistribute her land all the faster. There was some talk that they hurried her trial along so that they could expand the prison (it was overflowing with people accused of witchcraft), but that expansion never happened.

Taken one step further, many of the things witches could be accused of were often considered more famine in nature. Altering one's appearance - known as putting on a glamour - to appear more attractive and enchant someone with their "new" beauty into a relationship. Today women are still more likely than men to wear makeup and be accused of misleading a man when she's not as attractive without it. Potion making can resemble cooking (again more associated with women's work than men's) and are used for enchanting, healing, or poisoning. Interestingly enough, poisoning was considered a women's preferred method of murder for centuries (Agatha Christie novels are full of this stereotype).

Oh, and don't forget women's right to control their bodies, especially when it comes to reproduction. It's a "controversial" fight well into modern times. The Malleus Maleficarum makes several references to witches preventing conception and causing abortions. Who would be most interested in this knowledge? Women. Who would most likely know the folklore and practice around it? Women.

Women stood a lot to lose from an accusation of being a witch. How could they protect themselves from having the finger pointed at them?

They accused their neighbors first.

Something that tends to get glossed over in the history books is that women were just as likely as men to accuse someone of witchcraft. In fact women accused of witchcraft had to be looked over by other women for signs of the "devil's mark" (imperfections on the skin such as a birth mark or scar), it wasn't proper for a man to do it. Women could even be the most vocal against an accused person, especially if there was a known rivalry between the two.

She's a witch! And she's a witch! THEY'RE ALL WITCHES!

Remember how I keep bringing up Salem? Well the trials began because of two young girls. It isn't clear exactly why they started accusing people of witchcraft (likely to stay out of trouble from some misdeed), but eventually these two girls expanded to include more and more of their friends and neighbors. Certainly they were egged on by the power-that-be, but it was young women and girls who primarily targeted other women.

Things clearly haven't changed much over the centuries. Women seem to always be pitted against each other for one reason or another.

So how did we go from evil witch to beloved fixture of the fall season, popular book heroine, and nose twitching TV icon? Furthermore, where do modern practicing witches fit into all of this?

Yeah, that's right, witches still exist and they don't need anyone's approval but their own.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 3: A History of Terror

In 1487, Heinrich Kramer wrote one of the best selling books in Europe. Thank's in large part to Gutenberg's printing press, this book became the second bestseller (the Bible being number one) for nearly 200 years. That book was called Malleus Maleficarum or Hammer of Witches.

Famous for kicking off one of the most terrifying chapters of modern human history, Malleus Maleficarum was the spark of a moral a panic among the Christian people of Europe. It raised the crime of witchcraft and sorcery to the level of heresy, which allowed for the torture and eventual death sentence by burning at the stake for any who were accused.

It was also condemned by many Church officials shortly after it's publication for it's unethical and illegal procedures. 

That, of course, didn't stop it's popularity and soon "witch hysteria" was it's own type of plague on the people of Europe. Between the 16th and 18th centuries anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 people were burned at the stake for witchcraft in Europe. The hysteria peaked during Europe's religious wars of 1580 to 1630, when many Protestant and Catholic communities were pitted against each other on their interpretation of Christianity. In 1735, Britain would pass the Witchcraft Act, finally putting an end to the hysteria in Europe (though there is at least one report of an execution as late as 1782).

Once accused of being a witch, there was little a person could do to refute the charges. Torture was an acceptable form of interrogation and anything a person said while being tortured was admissible in court. They'd be asked over and over again to name others who were also witches and to end the pain they would name anyone who came to mind. Finally, the accused would be burned at the stake.

Not only could the accused be tortured for information, they could be put through "tests" that were pretty much set up for people to fail. Several famous ones included looking for witch marks (moles, birthmarks, or scars) that would indicate a pact with the Devil had been made, being stuck with pins to see if a person would bleed (in theory witches wouldn't bleed if stuck with a pin in certain places), and the ever infamous "swimming test" where a person was bound, sometimes with a Bible tied around the victim's neck, to see if a body of water would reject the victim. If the person drowned during the "swimming test" then they weren't a witch. They were still dead, but at least they weren't a witch. Those who floated during the test were immediately found to be a witch and sentenced to death.

An example of the weight test where a witch was weighed against a Bible

It's fairly safe to assume that once a person was accused of being a witch during this hysteria, it was a death sentence.

Like any point in time when people are at their most vulnerable, there were those who took advantage of the hysteria to make a little profit. Witch hunters would go to a town and offer to rid the villagers of the evil witches who were causing all sorts of unfortunate things to happen, for a small fee of course. Their victims were usually people whom the other villagers weren't fond of. Beggars, the disabled, mid-wives, the elderly, and people who were generally seen as non-conformist were all prime targets to be accused of witchcraft. For each person "caught" by the Witch Hunter, the village would pay them a finder's fee.

Needless to say, the people who were accused of witchcraft were no more witches than I am from the planet Jupiter.

This is the history of witchcraft and witch hysteria that I am most familiar with. It's the narrative that pops up on most documentaries that come out around Halloween and has shaped a lot of my culture's understanding of what a witch is.

However, witchcraft, sorcery, shamanism, and magick (or magik - spelled with a "k" at the end) has existed in one form or another since humans started telling stories. Many pre-Christian religions incorporated types of shamanism and magick into their practices (including Europe). Examples can be found in Greek and Roman mythology, old Norse and Druid religious practices, and most folklore found throughout the world (again I am most familiar with western history and ideas on the subject).

Furthermore, some practices of "witchcraft", folk magic, and magick were incorporated into Christian practices, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of Powwowing (a word co-opted from the Native American tribes originally from the area, but has nothing to do with Native American Religious practice) or Voodoo, which was brought over by slaves from Africa and has been known to be incorporated into Catholic practices in the Caribbean islands and southern regions of the United States.

To put it bluntly, there's a lot for me to write about on the subject of witches, especially in the United States. 

For the most part, witches and witchcraft are placed firmly in the categories of evil, other, and dangerous. Witches, from the point of view of Christians, are to be feared. They are in league with the Devil and want to bring about ruin and destruction. Even today some people immediately associate witches with the worst parts of humanity. They are perversions of how a person should behave.

It is irksome to try correcting and educating people who spout these claims. It doesn't help that Hollywood loves to exaggerate and misrepresent the culture and practices surrounding modern witchcraft and magick (see pretty much any movie featuring Voodoo in the early 20th century as an example), though there have been changes since the 1990s.

There is one key item that I haven't gone into in this post.

When we think of witches, what is the image that comes to mind?

Usually I picture a woman, dressed in all black, with a pointed hat, and a broomstick. There might be a cat or a raven around too, but it's that image of a woman that really takes center stage. In fact, who are some of our most famous witches in pop culture? There's Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the Halliwell sisters, the Sanderson sisters, Sam from Bewitched, and Harry Potter. Only one of the aforementioned characters is a guy, the rest are women.

Women have historically been the disproportionate victims of witch hysteria.

Burning the witches.

But I think I want to save that historical dive for my next post in two weeks time (next weekend is a holiday for me so no updates). Get ready for it guys!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 2: A Child's Introduction

Was anyone else disappointed by J K Rowling's portrayal of the Harry Potter Universe in America? I know that it's her Universe and she has creative license, but I felt that it lacked a true understanding of American culture and pretty much erased/misappropriated pre-Colombian culture all together (i.e. Native American culture).

Also why is the Wizarding World's American Central Government in New York? Our Capital is Washington D.C.! If you don't want to put it there at least have the Capital in Arlington, Alexandria (which makes the most sense), or at the very least Baltimore. She could have even picked a city that has a lot of ties to Native American history (like saying screw it, Mexican Wizards and American Wizards get along and their capitol is Mexico City). New York just feels super cliche.

I could go on forever about why I have so many feelings regarding J K Rowling's decisions on Wizards in America, but that's not what this post is about.

It's about my introduction to the ideas and power of witches.

Harry Potter was a major influence on my early childhood. I remember my mother reading me the first three books, going to a midnight party for the fourth book's release at Borders Books, and reading the final book in under 72 hours. I dreamed about being able to go to Hogwarts and which house I'd end up in (Hufflepuff). I loved these books (and still do).

Harry Potter wasn't my first introduction to the magic users known as witches and wizards. I had several picture and short chapter books that I had been introduced to before and during the Harry Potter craze.

To be perfectly clear, most of the media I was consuming was definitely based on European ideas of witches and witchcraft. Hardly any of it extended beyond the tropes found in European fairy tales and folklore. So, much like J K Rowling, my understanding of magic and "witches" of other cultures is severely lacking or warped by Hollywood's misappropriation.

Still, it didn't stop me from becoming curious about the witches I was introduced to.

One of the first picture books I remember my mother reading to me about witches was Strega Nona (translated as Grandma Witch or Granny Witch). Strega Nona had a magical cooking pot that could produce as much pasta as she needed, so long as she preformed the spell correctly. One night a young man called Big Anthony tries out Strega Nona's cooking pot, while she's conveniently away, and ends up creating so much pasta that it covers the entire village. When Strega Nona returns, she makes Big Anthony eat all of the pasta he created.

It was a fun and silly picture book.

Other books weren't nearly as silly or light hearted. The Witches by Roald Dahl absolutely terrified me as a child. At that time, I couldn't imagine anyone being that horrible in real life, especially to children . Bony Legs was another book about a scary witch, who had a more than passing resemblance to the Russian folk witch Baba Yaga, who wanted to eat a little girl who had wandered into her house. My grandmother had given me that book and I loved how resourceful and kind the main character Sasha was. It was a good balance of scary and adventure for young me.

Finally there were the Bailey School Kids books which featured stories about magical and mythical beings who shouldn't be real, but quite possibly were. One was Witches Don't Do Back-flips which told the story about a gym teacher who might have also been a witch.

Those are just the books I read. There were also plenty of movies and TV shows such as Charmed, Practical Magic, Kiki's Delivery Service, The Craft, the Halloween Town movies, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Scooby Doo and the Witches Ghost, and the classic The Wizard of Oz. Each had varying degrees of good witches (who always won in the end) and bad witches.

What did I take away from this? Well as Dumbledore said "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Witches aren't good or evil by virtue of them being witches. They just have really cool abilities that they can choose to use for good or evil purposes.

This gave me hundreds of hours of possible imaginative scenarios to play out. I loved the idea of being a good witch who could help others solve their problems or getting back at bullies. There were a lot of imaginative quests where I, the good witch, would defeat the evil witch (they usually involved lots of sparklers on the 4th of July).

I never thought of witches as evil by virtue of them being witches.

However, historically, this wasn't the case. Witches were often feared, hated, hunted, and always thought of as evil.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Witching Hour Part 1: A Spark of Interest

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to take a long weekend up to Salem, Massachusetts: Witch Capitol of the United States. For my readers who are unfamiliar with Salem Massachusetts, following a series of "unexplainable incidents" in February 1692  a witch panic erupted in the God fearing Puritan colonies in Massachusetts. More than 150 people were accused of witchcraft and consorting with the devil. 19 of those accused were hanged, while one person was pressed to death (heavy stones were placed on them until they died). The panic didn't end until someone accused the Governor's wife in May 1693, which finally prompted the Governor to end the madness and pardon everyone who was still in jail.

Nearly 400 years of history and most people only talk about the witch trails when it comes to Salem, MA. For a very long time, the city and surrounding county tried to forget the panic ever occurred. Only one of the teenage girls ever apologized for her actions during the hysteria (sources aren't super clear what happened to all of them) and nearly everyone who was accused of being a witch lost everything.

Memorial park for the victims of the Salem Witch Trials

It wasn't until the tourism industry started making a little money, and then a lot of money, that the city began to acknowledge the 15 month panic. Now you can't walk through the main tourist districts without running into half a dozen shops dedicated to witchcraft and silly tourist traps dedicated to the trails. There's even a play reenactment of the trail of one of the accused witches twice a day for $25 per person.

I do think the city is worth a visit and the history is fascinating (though I hear October is insane), but I don't want to spend this entire post talking about my last weekend getaway.

No, what I want to focus on are the topics of witches and witchcraft.

Okay, I know it's not quite fall...let alone October, but I want to start writing about this topic now so that I don't accidentally keep up these posts until November (there's a lot to write about). Witches and witchcraft in history and popular culture are pretty interesting, plus there are several religions which incorporate witchcraft into their rituals.

Witches within European history and folklore are often wicked individuals who consorted with the devil. They hex people and try to entice others to sign their soul away. They were the cause of illness, injury, and all sorts of unfortunate, yet unexplainable, catastrophes. They are to be feared.

To be clear, no everyone who practiced magic was considered an evil witch (at least before Christianity became the dominate practice in Europe). There were quite a few religions that had wise men and women preform spells to ensure a good harvest or success in battle. The Greeks even had a goddess named Hekate who was dedicated to those who practiced magic, witchcraft, and sorcery.

More recently, we've had a kind of revival for witches in popular culture. The Sanderson Sisters from the movie Hocus Pocus and Ursula, the sea witch from The Little Mermaid, seem to embody the wicked witch stereotype, but then we have the good witches like Hermione Grander from Harry Potter and Halliwell Sisters from the 2000s show Charmed.

There are people today who practice witchcraft and have proudly adopted the moniker of Witch. The Wicca religion is notable for having many rituals that involve witchcraft. Others simply find spiritual meaning and focus practicing their craft.

There's a lot to explore when it comes to the topic of witches, witchcraft, and magick (the type spelled with a "k" at the end). There's a lot of information in the New Age section of the bookstore and online (though there's also a lot of misinformation there) on the modern practice of witchcraft. It's also a good idea to speak to people who actually practice witchcraft.

So sit back, relax, put on some creepy music, and let's learn about witches.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to Halloween Decorations

Tis the Season to Decorate like Crazy

Halloween is officially over. At least according to major retailers. I'm still celebrating by watching Coraline and the Nostalgia Critic has an extra Nostalgiaween episode coming out this week. It will probably be another week before all of the Halloween decorations have come down.

All of the pumpkins at market!

 
Then comes the Christmas decor. I wouldn't mind too much, except that Thanksgiving comes a good month before Christmas does and retailers barely seem to pay any attention to that holiday (though I personally feel it has a great potential for a market).

Personally I think Halloween has the better outdoor decorations. There are a lot more options for the spooky holiday. Driving through the different neighborhoods, I saw skeletons, ghosts, spiders (I think a lot of people read the same magazine there were a lot of them), and graveyards popping up on people's lawns.

Neighborhood decorations

Growing up, we had a small hill on our property that was the perfect spot for a graveyard. We would put up tombstones, have a witch crashed into a tree display and show everything in an eerie green light. It was a lot of fun to set up (taking it down was another story). We would put a fog machine next to our front door and put decorations in our front bushes that the trick or treaters would have to walk next to to get candy. Everyone who drove on our side of the neighborhood could see our house and we always got complements on the display.

My roommate and I were able to put up a decoration on our door. It's a ghost saying "Boo". We also put up smaller decorations like candles and a few signs reminding us to have a "spooky time". Though it wasn't a lot, it was still festive. We don't exactly have a lawn to put up a graveyard. I wish I could have recreated something like what I saw at the Chelsea market in New York City.

Decorations at the Chelsea market in NYC

The town of Ridgewood even set up decorations in town. There was a small celebration in the park at the center of town for the little kids. It wasn't a lot, but it was still cool to see. Definitely something for kids under the age of 7.

The park in Ridgewood featured a graveyard with ghosts and spiders on Halloween.

They even had a pumpkin patch for the kids to pick out pumpkins in.

Sorry Linus, no Great Pumpkin in this patch.

I'm sad to see all of the Halloween decorations come down. Yeah, sure Christmas is just around the corner and I'll start getting the whimsical magical feeling deep down in my gut. I'd rather have Halloween stick around a little longer. After all, if it's aceptable to have Christmas lights up until February, shouldn't we be able to have that graveyard up until December?

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.