>>*<< Bad Witches Are Out; Good Witches Are Now In. >>*<<
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Merry Meet To All,
The Wicked Witch Is Dead?
The Wicked Witch Is Dead
Bad Witches are out; Good Witches are now in.
What do you think? Discuss.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Bad Witches Are Out; Good Witches Are Now In.
~ by Phyllis W. Curott
Can you imagine Cybill Shepherd, Roseanne Barr, Olympia Dukakis, Tori
Amos, Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde, Sarah McLachlan, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Erica Jong,and Camille Paglia standing in a circle together beneath a gorgeous full moon? I can.
Why? Because they are among some of America's most prominent
celebrities, authors, and performers who have discovered the Goddess. Goddess spirituality is now the fastest growing spiritual practice in America and popular artists are openly and enthusiastically bringing this ancient wisdom to the attention of the media and the American public. And where they go, their audiences are sure tofollow.
While Goddess spirituality takes many forms, the most popular is the
contemporary revival of witchcraft. America is discovering that behind the mask of the wicked Witch is the beautiful face of the Goddess. Witchcraft, also called Wicca, is actually the ancient, pre-Christian spirituality of the Goddess. The word "witch" comes from the
Anglo Saxon word wicce, meaning a wise one.Unfortunately, the word
also evokes the image of a green-faced hag riding a broomstick and brewing evil potions, a stereotype vividly brought to life by actress Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz," Bette Midler in "Hocus Pocus" and the recent "Blair Witch Project." This gender-based stereotype points us in the direction of the hideous hag's origins and her persistent
presence in popular culture. We've all grown up with countless fairy
tales about the wicked witch with deadly powers. The hags of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" have convinced generations that witches conjure our darkest natures with noxious eye of newt. Durer's
woodcuts show her to be ugly and mis-shapened. But where did this
vision come from?
In the late 1400's, worship of the Goddess was branded satanic by the
Catholic Church. Though there is no devil in the Old Religion of the Goddess and witches do not worship him, hundreds of thousands were tortured and killed. Almost 90 percent of these victims were women and those who survived lost nearly all legal rights, became chattel, were
prohibited from owning or inheriting property, receiving an education, practicing medicine or the Goddess's religion.This prolonged period of
persecution, known as the Witchcraze (now recognized as the women's Holocaust) assured the domination of the stereotype of the wicked witch. And over the centuries, the hag came to personify the culture's shadow, the culture's fear of women--their powers to give birth, their sexuality, and spirituality. Fairy tales, plays, pictures, and sermons perpetuated this
vision.
Times are changing and the Goddess is returning. In the past forty years, pop culture provided at least one good witch a decade: Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Veronica Lake in "I Married a Witch," Kim Novak in "Bell, Book and Candle," and Elizabeth Montgomery in "Bewitched." Today, good witches are everywhere, with Hollywood at the
forefront of a radical shift in public perception. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock portrayed sister witches in "Practical Magic," which captured the
number one spot at the box office when it opened. When Sandra explains that "there is no devil in the Craft," and "there's more to magic than spells and potions," millionsheard important messages that hopefully will enable real witches to practice their religion in peace and safety and with public acceptance.On television, two new shows, "Sabrina" and "Charmed," feature strong, independent young women who are witches; a character on an afternoon soap opera regularly exclaimed "Oh my Goddess!" and conducted charming
Goddess rituals as part of the plot; and the NBC sitcom, "Friends," devoted an entire show to the female characters discovering their inner Goddesses. But while these shows and films portray positive characters, they rely on silly special effects that perpetuate the stereotype of witches having supernatural powers (like freezing time or making objects move). The powers that witches cultivate are not supernatural; they are completely natural, divine gifts latent in all of us. From spiritual practice, witches know that magic is not about commanding and controlling, but about consciousness and communion; they have discovered that by living in harmony with nature, they live in harmony with the divine, and that real magic flows from our connection to that divinity.
In television shows, including "Picket Fences," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Judging Amy," that present witches as sympathetic, realistic
characters who practice a bona fide religion, a different problem arises. These witches tend to fall into agender stereotype; that is, they are exclusively female. In fact,there have always been male Witches (not warlocks), and their numbers are rapidly increasing.
Witchcraft is also increasingly receiving serious attention from the "hard" media. During the last year, the release of "Book of Shadows" and the
presence of witches in the military prompted respectful stories about witchcraft as a Goddess religion in every major daily newspaper, in major magazines, and on top television shows in the U.S. and abroad. Wiccan protests against "The Blair Witch Project's" reinforcement of the negative stereotype were also given respectful coverage in the news media.
According to The New York Times, Wicca is also the fastest growing,
most lucrative subject in the publishing field. Witchcraft, at this moment, is undergoing a major transformation--stories about witches are increasingly become stories by witches. No longer confined to the broom closet, witches are increasingly public and confident in the exercise of their rights to express themselves and the truth about their religion.
But more importantly, the witch is once again retrieving her and his role as the culture's shaman, the teller of myths that are our collective dreams. The witch is again telling sacred stories that chronicle and inspire our encounter with divinity. As a witch, the story I tell in "Book of Shadows" is a spiritual journey to discover the Goddess within.
It is a story of challenge and transformation, a story of the spirit in the "material"world.
It is the story of real magic. -
okie...if there r no more bad witches...than who r we gonna burn at e stake?Kidding....
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In this Era, Is there any Stake anyway?Originally posted by harryryan:okie...if there r no more bad witches...than who r we gonna burn at e stake?Kidding.... 
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Originally posted by OCEANOS:
that's y say joking mah.....
[b]In this Era, Is there any Stake anyway? [/b] -
Any other commentary after reading the Article by High Priestess Phyllis Curott?Originally posted by harryryan:that's y say joking mah..... Anyone please do... 
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Merry Meet To all,
What is a Good Witch? What is a Bad Witch? Discuss.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Merry Meet To All,
I see "Witch" is too niche for the Local interest perhaps... Untill now there is not much response...
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Merry Meet To All,
How can you tell the difference between a Good Witch and a Bad Witch?
A bad Witch does not do the research before their magick. Seriously, the difference between a good Witch and a bad Witch is much the same as it would be between a good person and a bad person. It is not the ability that is different, but the ethics and morals of the individual. Most Wiccans hold themselves to a very high standard of behavior, which includes respect for nature, for others and for ourselves. We have a saying -- "A witch is as good as their word." A failed witch will find their magick deserting them; and the consequences of their misdeeds will see that their evil actions bring them no joy, nor success, nor power. These poor souls (sometimes called oath-breakers) aren't really witches anymore -- they are failures.
What do you think? Discuss.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Merry Meet To All,
There are many types of Misconceptions about Witches.
Most of these misconceptions fall into several categories. The first is that there is no such thing as a practicing Witch -- that the only Witches you ever see are fictional media Witches. This misconception is followed closely by the idea that there are good Witches and bad Witches who practice "White" and "Black" magic respectively. The next most common misconception is that Witches are more powerful than "normal" people. Other misconceptions involve the way a Witch is supposed to look or behave.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
haiz...does e world know e difference between a good witch n bad witch anyway?
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Merry Meet Harryryan,Originally posted by harryryan:haiz...does e world know e difference between a good witch n bad witch anyway?
Well Many probably don't as they been misled by Media since that is the Norm of Society therefore there were many misconceptions. Humanity has the Fear of Unknown & every Individuals will react differently so we can't really blame anyone but there may be few who are more Open-minded & Open-hearted! So why bother? Time will Tell. Let them witness it themselves.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Originally posted by OCEANOS:
yup...pple r often swayed by wat e media says.
[b]Merry Meet Harryryan,
Well Many probably don't as they been misled by Media since that is the Norm of Society therefore there were many misconceptions. Humanity has the Fear of Unknown & every Individuals will react differently so we can't really blame anyone but there may be few who are more Open-minded & Open-hearted! So why bother? Time will Tell. Let them witness it themselves.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos[/b]