Its Not Love, Its Witchcraft

[Vigilias]

I wonder why no one has so far mentioned the Witches in the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett.

Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and of course Magret, who describes herself as a "Hedge Witch"

A major subset of the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett involves the witches of Lancre. They are closely based on witches in British folklore and a slightly tongue-in-cheek reinterpretation of the Triple Goddess.

"Witch magic is very different from the wizard magic taught in the Unseen University, and consists largely of finding the right lever that makes everything else work. Witches rarely do any magic, in fact, relying more on common sense, hard work, and a peculiar brand of psychology known as headology. This can be taken very far - a witch's way of magically setting fire to a log of wood consists of staring at the log until it burns up from pure embarrassment. As a result it is less energy intensive, which means that a witch can do more than a technically equally powerful wizard. However, the same zen-like knowledge that gives them this ability generally discourages them from making a big deal about it, beyond refusing to take wizards seriously. Witches unironically acting with melodrama, of which cackling is an early sign, is often an indication of "going to the bad" and becoming a stereotypically wicked witch."

The first time someone gave me a diskworld novel I was ill in bed and in no mood for the sort of nonsense in "Those" books, "Eric" was a Christmas present. I read afew pages and couldn't put it down, and BOY did I laugh!

Discworld Novels by Terry Pratchett - a must read!

Blessed be!

[Undreamt]

You missed out on the craft

[Shiner]

Ok, since its close to Halloween, I would like to start this poll.

Who is your favorite witch of all time?

Bewitched - Samantha Stephens


Charmed - Piper, Phoebe, Paige (and Prue)


WitchiePoo - HR PufNstuf


Maleficent - Sleeping Beauty


Witches of Eastwick - Alex, Jane, Sukie


Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Sabrina Spellman


The Witches - The Grand High Witch


The Wizard of Oz - Elphaba


Oz The Great and Powerful - Theodora


The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe - The Snow Queen


Hocus Pocus - Winifred, Sara, Mary

ERMEGERRD

my childhood -

Sabrina and hocus pocus <3

But I do enjoy charmed.

[Vigilias]

The Craft, Hmmmm...

I'm afraid I'm a little long in the tooth to find these programmes truly representative of paganism, although it seems they have lead to resurgence in young people taking up Wicca. I wonder what Gerrald Gardener would have made of Sabrina, Buffy, Angel, Twilight and The Craft etc.

I catch these programmes when I'm channel surfing and stop for a few minutes but always find my self thinking, "Oh, for pete's sake!" or "Ohhh PUR-LEASE!!!" Come on, fire balls from your hand, instant teleportation or whatever to the... whatever it is, underworld, other side, Hell, or whatever.

They seem to appeal to teen-age loners with low conditions of self-worth and an interest in Goth culture or something, makes them believe that all they need to do is call them selves a Witch or a Wiccan and all of a sudden they have a niche.

The practice of Wicca, as some here already well know, is not about sending out curses, hexes and fireballs, we don't sod about sticking pins in little wax dolls (That's Haitian Vodou). Wicca is a way of life as much as a faith. Ye gads, I've recently even stopped killing house spiders because I don't feel it's right to kill another creature simply because it looks ugly and creepy. I've began imagining them as little lesbians wearing 18 hole Doc Martin boots and giving them names! It helps because I really DO NOT like spiders.

I'm a sort of multi-faceted coin, a three-edged sword because while I try as far as possible to follow the Wiccan Rede, I also have a background in counselling and psychology and physical sciences before that.

I look at some of these programmes and can't help thinking also how much they've departed from the old folk lore. I mean there's artistic license and there's taking the urine! Still, when it comes to the Vampire mythology even Bram Stoker tweaked things a bit. He has Dracula turning in to a Wolf and jumping overboard from the wreck of the ship that transported him from his Carpathian homeland to North East Yorkshire. An evil spirit crossing running salty water - we use salt to cleanse for gawds sake! Still it's a cracking good yarn.

I've actually been to Whitby in Yorkshire where the Stoker set his story, climbed the 99 steps to Whitby Abbey (or what's left of it thanks to King Henry VIII and his reformation) which became Carfax Abbey and Draculas English home. Again, an evil entity taking up residence on Hallowed ground, I think not - unless it was a literary device to convey sacrilege. I've seen the so-called "Dracula's Grave", a stone sarcophagus whose occupant was long ago dispossessed of is resting place , probably to provide a drinking trough for livestock.

But anyway, I've just become aware that I've got a bit unravelled and had a Vigesque ramble or rant - you choose - I don't know!

Harmless entertainment or a dismal misrepresentation of THE Craft, I know which gets my vote.

Okay, I'm off for a mooch around today's threads, see if anyone needs toothpaste persuading back in to the tube or if I can arbitrate between two or more protagonists/combatants in a gay drama - wish me luck...

And Blessed Be!

[Pix]

^^

Not all witches are Wiccan. In any case almost none of the witches claimed any connection to Wicca...there was Buffy and the Craft obviously drew a bit of inspiration from it (not that it was portrayed at all realistically of course).

And while I'm perhaps overly optimistic I believe that most (dare I hope for the vast majority?) of people can tell the difference between entertainment & real life just as most can tell that Bless the Child isn't how real Christianity works, that is to say most people (Christian and otherwise) are going to realize this is NOT going to happen when you go to church to pray (and this is tame, many parts in the movie are as wild as anything in The Craft):




At least I hope so. If not...well I don't blame the storytellers for it anyway. Their purpose is to entertain, not to educate, and those being entertained should know that.

Btw, Gerald Gardner said that gays were "cursed by the Goddess" in one of his books (Witchcraft Today, IIRC). Luckily Wicca has drawn enough free thinkers that such has become ignored and even reversed now (though a few homophobes still exist in it). That would give him one more thing to dislike about the Willow & Tara storyline.

[Counselor]

...also The Craft was just a clique of angsty teenage prodigies, real witches would think they were silly spoiled girls.

[MisterTinkles]

[SIZE="4"]Unfortunately the "poll" options only allow 10 choices, so I tried to keep it to the most notable witches worldwide......or, the most famous witches worldwide, whichever thought option you decide to adhere too.

I could have come up with a top 20, but as I said, the poll options only go up to 10.[/SIZE]

[MisterTinkles]

As for witchcraft, wicca, and paganism....they are all separate views of the same whole. As is Catholicism, Protestants, Baptists, Buddhism, etc.....all different aspects of the same whole.

Witchcraft is not really Wiccan, but there are Wiccan witches. Wiccan witches are not the same as those witches who practice witchcraft. Wiccan witches are what I call "earth witches", "herbal witches", or "seasonal witches". Wiccan witches dont really practice magic, they practice the art of sorcery and healing through the four elements, herbs, light, and love.

Non-Wiccan witches who practice witchcraft, do so for self gain. Not really evil, but selfishness. Some do for evil purposes, but most of them do it for self gain.

Pagans dont really practice magic's or witchcraft. They are pretty much the "flower children" of the Wiccan set. Yes, there are different sects of Paganism, and some are not friendly and even border on devil worshiping, but real Paganism is for people who want to believe there are better forces at work in the universe than some made up "one god" who is in charge of everything.

Anyway, thats what Ive learned in my life, about those subjects. Out of all of those, I understand witchcraft and Wiccan witchcraft the best.

[Eros]

I demand Bonnie Benett in this poll >:c

[MisterTinkles]

I demand Bonnie Benett in this poll >:c

Definitely not "notable" or "famous" since I have no idea who he/she/it is.