Witches – More Mysterious Than Just a Pretty Face

Are witches real? Of course, they are. However, there is not much resemblance between real witches and anything you have seen in pop culture. Let’s look at the world of actual witches and those who practice Wicca.

Witches in Pop Culture

Witches have been of great interest in pop culture. From TV series to star-studded movies, witches hold their own in the ratings.

The Wizard of Oz

Although the movie The Wizard of Oz is 83 years old, it remains a classic. For the first time, we saw witches as entertainment. Those who have seen this movie could never forget the “I’m melting! Melting!” monologue of the Wicked Witch of the West as Dorothy douses her with water.

There are four witches in The Wizard of Oz, one from each of the four cardinal directions on the compass. Two are good, and two are wicked. The Wicked Witch of the West is the most remembered of the four. She was green in colour and rode on a broom, two distinguishing attributes of pop culture witches, especially at Halloween. Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, also plays a prominent role in the movie. In contrast, Glinda wore a princess dress, was constantly waving her magic wand and was a bit of a “goody-two-shoes”.

So, in summary, this movie informs us of three specific details about witches:

There are good ones and wicked ones.
Those from the north and south are good, while those from the east and west are evil. Who knew?
Witches, at least wicked ones, are green and ride on brooms.

Bewitched

Bewitched was a TV series from 1964 to 1972 and is subsequently still being shown in reruns in syndication. It was and still is very popular. The storyline is about an attractive young witch falling in love and marrying a mortal. Her mother is very disappointed with her daughter’s choice of husband. She interferes as much as she can in their day-to-day lives to come between them and show her daughter the error of her ways. (I’m not sure, but I think this is in the general job description of a mother-in-law.)

She usually succeeds, but her desire to do good and her mother’s interference and other wacky relatives sometimes lead her astray. Also, she can’t resist using her witchcraft, which can accomplish mundane tasks faster and more efficiently than the old-fashioned human way.

The plot gets more exciting and unpredictable when the witch/mortal couple has a baby. Will the baby girl take after her mother or her father? When she becomes a toddler, we soon learn she has magical powers that happen spontaneously. The mother will have to teach the child how to control her powers.

In the meantime, we witness comedy based on witchcraft that the parents try to keep hidden from the husband’s family, their mortal friends, and especially a nosy neighbour. It was entertaining, to be sure, but not a typical day in the life of a real witch.

Charmed

The TV series Charmed lasted for eight seasons, from 1998 until 2006. It was a top-rated series about three witchy sisters who, in their free time, fought off a constant barrage of various demons to save the world as we know it. When the oldest sister dies at the end of season three, the producers replace her with a long-lost, unknown half-sister to the other sisters.

It takes three to fight demons or more likely to get good ratings for the network. The other two sisters couldn’t go on without a third to reestablish their deadly trio. The three plus-one stars of the show were young, beautiful, intelligent, and dangerous. Anyone watching this show would think, “Ah, so that’s what witches are like.” But, not so, my friends. Let’s take a look at reality.

No Witches Here

The infamous Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693 were the beginning of the notoriety of witches. A similar rounding up of witches, so to speak, had happened earlier in Europe, but this was the first and only time it happened, at least en masse, in the new Americas. Legend has it that witches were burned at the stake. However, that’s not the way it happened.

Of over 200 people accused of witchcraft, 14 were convicted and hung; no burning at the stake. When we think of witches, most people think only of women, and we will look at that later, but five of the victims were men. Another man was pressed to death because he wouldn’t give a plea, and at least five more died in jail.

So why were there so many witches in a small town such as Salem, Massachusetts, and the surrounding areas? That’s just it; there weren’t. The political environment, religious extremism, and a corrupt judicial system contributed to mass hysteria and false accusations. Those ultimately convicted were deemed guilty by their friends and neighbours before they even went to trial based only on rumours and innuendos. However, acts passed in 1957 and 2001 forgave eleven of those convicted of witchcraft in the late 1600s. But you can’t change history. You can only hope to learn from it.

Could this kind of thing happen today? Think about this very carefully before you answer. Extreme political changes are happening all over the world. With social media, many people no longer seem to be able to think for themselves. A few wolves are leading herds of sheep and are not always going in the right direction. Religious leaders sacrifice honesty and common decency for charisma in their top politicians. And the sheep follow. So, could it happen again?

Contemporary Witches

Being a witch or practicing witchcraft is not something one inherits through bloodlines; it is a lifestyle choice. Many women and sometimes men are making this choice. They come from all areas of life. For all you know, your neighbour might be a witch.

It’s not something most witches would talk about in casual conversation unless someone else brings it up first. They’re not ashamed or embarrassed about their chosen lifestyle. It seems they’re just not as interested in converting others to their spiritual faith as many people from other religions seem to want to do. And yes, to them, witchcraft is their religion.

So, what does it mean to be a witch? Well, Wicca is a religion whose members practice witchcraft and nature worship. Witches can be women or men. However, male witches are often called warlocks. They assemble in covens, groups of 10 to 15 like believers. They may perform magick rituals under a full moon, perhaps in the nude, chanting in ancient tongues and using wands and daggers as props. Using these rituals is how they become one with nature.

It is against the Wiccan creed to harm anyone with their spells or incantations. Their intent is always for good. However, as in all religions, some may interpret the teachings to presuppose superiority and use that to harm others. However, regardless of what you see in the movies, witches are not devil worshippers. That’s not to say that no witches are devil worshippers. Still, it is generally not part of the Wicca experience.

Their rituals may seem unorthodox to most, but their beliefs are about love, peace, and harmony with nature. Naturally, people fear what they do not know or understand. And so it is with witches.

And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment

Here is an intriguing choice for you:

Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest, recorded in 1973. The music and the lyrics give me a feeling of the purpose of a Wiccan moonlight ritual.

The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.

Vocabulary

resemblance – noun; a likeness or similarity; alike or almost the same
Wicca – noun; the religious cult of modern witchcraft; the religion of witches
hold their own – verb phrase; maintain one’s position; not be defeated or lose strength; to keep up with the best
monologue – noun; a long speech in a play, film, etc., spoken by one actor esp. when alone; just one person speaking
cardinal directions – noun; the four main points of the compass; north. south. east. and west
attributes – noun; qualities ascribed to a person or thing; what a person is like
“goody-two-shoes“ – noun; a person who is too good
syndication – noun; television or radio program available to independent broadcasters; when a popular television series is still shown long after the series has finished
wacky – adjective; crazy, madcap, goofy; strange but in a likable way
mundane – adjective; dull, routine; of or pertaining to everyday life; routine things a person does every day
spontaneously – adverb; acting or done or occurring because of sudden impulse from within; not planned; just happens
barrage – noun; concentrated artillery bombardment over a wide area; strong and many (in this context)
notoriety – noun; well known, esp. unfavourably; famous but not in a good way
en masse – adverb; in a mass, all together, or as a group; many all together
hysteria – noun; an emotional state caused by grief or fear, etc.; fear getting stronger and stronger in a group
innuendos – noun; an allusive or oblique remark or hint, usually disparaging; negative suggestions about a person not necessarily based on fact
charisma – noun; the ability to inspire followers with devotion and enthusiasm; able to attract attention from many people
coven – noun; an assembly of witches; a group of witches
magick – noun; magic performed by witches
creed – noun; a set of principles or opinions, esp. as a philosophy of life; of a group, rules and guidelines to live by
presuppose – transitive verb; assume beforehand; without a doubt
unorthodox – adjective; not orthodox; not normal in most people’s opinion

Comprehensive Questions

Are witches popular in pop culture?
Yes or No
At the time of this writing, how old is the movie The Wizard of Oz?
(a) 8 years old, (b) 18 years old, (c) 28 years old, or (d) 82 years old
How many witches are there in The Wizard of Oz?
(a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) four
Was Glinda the Wicked Witch of the West?
Yes or No
In the TV series Bewitched, the witch/mortal couple had a child.
Was it a boy or a girl?
In the TV series Charmed, how many original sisters are there?
(a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) four
During the infamous Salem witch trials, were any witches burned at the stake?
Yes or No
Based on this article, were those convicted of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials given a fair trial?
Yes or No
What is the common religion of witches today?
According to this article, are witches generally devil worshipers?
Yes or No

Answers

Resources

Wikipedia – Salem witch trials
Cosmopolitan
On Milwaukee