Magickal Aha

   


     I was 14 years old when The Craft was released. I've seen it so many times I could close my eyes and watch it on the back of my eyelids without missing a scene. By the time the movie was out in theaters I was already hiding witchy/pagan/magickal books under my bed, far away from judgmental eyes. I learned a lot from that movie: don't mess with someone's free will, if a night on the beach with friends causes marine life to wash ashore it's time for new friends and make sure your mom is asleep before you start trying to levitate your friends.  The most important thing I learned was that:         

"The only good or bad is in the heart of the witch."

     I was so struck by Lirio's (dope name) words and I've carried them with me since the first time I heard her say them.  Truth be told, a lot of those books hiding out under my teenage bed weren't very good.  At that stage in my studies of witchcraft I didn't know any better and I was just grabbing any book with the word witch on it.  So many of them drew a deep line right down the center of magick. There was white magick and black magick (I disliked those terms right from the start), pick one and use it. You could either be Glinda or Bellatrix.  Lirio's words were an AHA moment (for lack of a better phrase...  no seriously, I'm sorry) for that 14 year old novice. Magick was everywhere and it was neutral.  It would go wherever I directed it with whatever intention I attached.  The realization was freeing and also a warning. I was in control but I had to be careful with my words, actions and intentions.  

"Careful girls, you don't want to end up like Nancy."

     It was an unexpected moment at a movie theater in some mall in New Jersey.  In the years since, I've come to expect and have even grown accustomed to odd synchronicities and regular whacks in the head from the universe.  Did you have one of these moments early on in your magickal life?  What was the lesson? How did it present itself?  Tell me in comments!  <3 

BB

~A

Squad Goals...  minus the crazy

American Horror Story: Coven Didn't Put A Spell On Me

     During a Q&A session with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan Murphy -creator of American Horror Story- revealed that a future season of the show will be a Murder House, Coven crossover. WHAT!? Murder House, which was season 1 of the long running show, is one of my favorite seasons of AHS. Coven (season 3), not so much. I enjoyed Coven but was also vexed by it. Now that the crossover season has been announced I can't help but wonder how the two seasons will meet. With the highs of Murder House and lows of Coven, will the crossover season be a dud or rousing success? The announcement reminded me of a venting session... I mean blog post I wrote about AHS: Coven and I decided to share it again.  Re-Posted below



     OK, I may end up being burned at the proverbial stake for what I'm about to say but it has to be done.  American Horror Story: Coven didn't, in this witch's opinion, live up to the hype.  I've been holding my tongue and keeping my opinions to myself until the entire season aired.  I had high hopes for Coven.  Since AHS season one scared the crap out of me and AHS season 2 twisted my brain into a knot (and scared the crap out of me), I was sure that season three would be the best season of the show to date.  Plus, c'mon, the season was based on witches so obviously I was going to watch and dissect every frame of the show.  Initially when I heard what direction the creators were taking with this season I cringed but was also excited.  I cringed because we all know just how terrible witches have been (and continue to be in some cases) portrayed in television and film.  We usually end up with a vicious, monster under the bed, I'll get you my pretty type of character with a one track, black magick mind. I was excited because I knew the characters would be much more than that.  I knew they would have depth accompanied with great storytelling and I was excited to see what tricks Ryan Murphy and his band of crazy creatives would come up with.  

      I have to admit, after the first few episodes I was hooked.  The idea of a modern day witch school is something every person that's ever wielded a wand, shuffled a tarot deck or celebrated a sabbat has dreamed of at some point in their magickal lives.  Zoe finding out she was a witch and being sent away to the academy was a great opener and a great way to draw the viewer into the mystery of the school.  The dynamic between Zoe and Madison was great writing.  Seeing them on screen was like watching the physical manifestation of the spectrum of light and dark with Nan as the voice of reason, meeting them in the middle.  Their relationship was filled with butting heads, short shorts and inappropriate zombie sex.  Zoe and Madison were like the bickering sisters in a family that are constantly at each others throats.  They will murder each other over the boy they both like but will also defend and have compassion for each other (sometimes).  There is no light without the dark and vice versa just like there would be no Zoe without Madison and vice versa.  

Fierce!!

     Jessica Lange as the power hungry, devil-may-care Supreme was, obviously, superb. Jessica Lange could play a nonverbal, motionless puddle of mud and still manage to draw you into the character.  The same could also be said for Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy and Sarah Paulson.  The characters were intriguing, the actors chosen for each role were perfect and the stories told in the first half of the season, leading up to the holiday break, were amazing.  It was reminiscent of American Horror Story: Murder House (Season 1) in my opinion.  When the show went on hiatus I was annoyed and couldn't wait for it to return.  I wanted to know where the stories were taking the characters and the coven. The first half of the season set up a beautiful house of cards that was inevitably going to fall into place when the show returned.... right?
     Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.  The second half of the season was a confused jumble of stories that ended suddenly and awkwardly with no tangible resolution.  There was so much going on during this season that the 13 episodes the show was given just wasn't enough to end every story line properly (or maybe it was and they just didn't do it right).  There were too many minor story lines and pointless sidetracking that took time away from the big picture of Coven. For example: 

• Luke Ramsey and his crazy, bible thumping, murderous mother Joan.  What purpose did they serve in the grand scheme of the show? 
• Kyle and his pedophile mother.  This was unnecessary on so many levels and did nothing to enhance the story.  
• Cordelia and her witch hunter husband trying to conceive a baby.  What was the trouble? Was he doing something to keep her from conceiving? Was that ever answered because if it was I missed it.  The sole purpose of that scenario was to put a little sex magick on the TV.
• Madame LaLaurie vs. Marie Laveau....  This was pretty pointless and I'm still trying to understand why LaLaurie was there to begin with.  Kathy Bates played the character beautifully but if she was never there to begin with the story wouldn't have suffered.  With the amount of venom between these two women the final outcome should have been explained better and garnered more screen time.  Hmmm.... Maybe Madame LaLaurie could have discovered that Marie Laveau also gave her some of her magick when she made her immortal. Madam LaLaurie begins learning magick while with the coven. BOOM, fight to the death.
• The Sacred Taking...
• Ummm... why did Nan have to die and why was her death pointless and anti climatic?? I would have loved to see her participate in the 7 wonders and kick a little witchy ass.
• Marie Laveau serving up fresh baby once a year to Papa Legba was completely uncalled for.  

         

   What would I have liked to see in season 3 of AHS: Coven??

• How about a little more school?  It's an academy for witches after all.  I would've loved to see those girls sitting in a classroom with Cordelia standing at a chalkboard.  **It's leviOsa, not leviosA** Wrong story but you see where I'm going with this.
• More flashbacks to what the academy was like when there were wall to wall young witches.
• I would've loved to see more background/flashbacks of the girls in the academy. What were their families like? What magickal mischief did they get into before the academy besides killing with sex and burning people that demanded  fried chicken??
• Who was Cordelia's father?!?!?  Flashbacks and some back story for that train wreck of a relationship would have been better time spent than some of the other extraneous parts of the show.
• No, really, why is Nan dead?
• The battle between the witches and hunters could have been handled better and told with more depth. 
• Why exactly does Zoe kill every man she has sex with and how, if at all, is she able to overcome or control that ability?
• Why was Cordelia affected so deeply by her grandmothers' jewelry?
• The portrayal of voodoo, Marie Laveau and Papa Legba made me a little sick if I'm being honest.  Most people will know why and if you don't, maybe there will be a separate blog post about that at some point in the future.  
• I would've appreciated seeing them give a little more time to Queenie and her feelings about being the only person of color in the coven.  My reasons for that are mostly personal and selfish.  I've been where Queenie was so many times in my life, beginning with school and well into adulthood and seeing that explored a bit more would have made me happy. 
• The ending and Cordelia becoming the next Supreme was way to obvious. Someone should have come in at the last minute and thrown their hat into the ring for the role of Supreme. Umm.... I don't know... someone like Nan! Misty could have found Nan in hell, resurrected her and sent her back to the coven.

I really want that house!

     Both of the above lists could go on and on and on but I think I've made my point.  There were so many things that could have been left out altogether and so many subplots that could have been expanded upon.  Not to mention the things that made absolutely no sense.  For example, how was Kyle able to kill Madison? She's a bad-ass witch that holds 5 or 6 of the 7 wonders so how was he able to kill her?  And if the Supreme is suppose to be completely healthy (Madison was out until returning from the dead without her heart murmur and Nan couldn't be Supreme either) how was Cordelia able to ascend the throne? She was infertile (we think) and had plucked her eyes out of her head.  The show wandered and meandered about, never fully tying up loose ends or telling a complete and satisfying story.  If I can be blunt (and down right crass) for a moment, the show left me and most viewers with a stinging pair of blue balls. AHS: Coven came to a deafening crescendo by mid-season but failed to deliver the rest of the way.  Was I disappointed with AHS: Coven? Yes.  Have I given up on the series? Absolutely not.  Highs and lows are inevitable and after two seasons of highs, the American Horror Story franchise has found itself at a low point.  The opportunity to regain their status as best show ever is completely possible.  The show is already slated for a 4th and 5th season so Ryan Murphy and his team have a chance to redeem themselves.  

     I didn't hate this season. There were things about it I loved tremendously.  The characters, the funny moments, the house etc.  I especially loved the way the show ended.  Cordelia stepping into her power and getting closure with her mother was fulfilling after watching Fiona grind her under her heel the entire season.  Cordelia kicking down the broom closet door and announcing to the world that 'we're here, we're witches, get used to it' was a moment that gave me chills.  Seeing the line of young women outside waiting to come inside and learn the craft was an inspiring moment.   If nothing else, this season of AHS is an example of how far magick and witchcraft has come.  The current wave of witches in pop culture is continuing to grow and Coven has certainly helped it along. This season of American Horror Story left much to be desired but I still love, support and will continue to watch the show.  If nothing else, it entertained me on boring Wednesday nights and brought witchcraft further into the mainstream where it belongs.

Loved her! Burning her at the stake twice was a bit redundant.

Bright Blessings,
~Amethyst 

BooooOOOOK!!!

Beltane

     I'm sneezing uncontrollably.... HUZZAH, Beltane is here!

     Raise your hand if you went to catholic school... I did and in high school I remember the May Crowning was always a pretty big deal. I think this day was given special attention because my high school was girls only and the day was all about Mary. A choir geek, I still remember all the songs we'd belt out during the liturgy. (Sweet Mary we crown thee with blossoms today, queen of the angels, queen of the May...) I knew from a very early age that I wasn't christian like the rest of my family and felt no connection to the symbols all around me at school.  However, I loved and looked forward to the May Crowning. What pagan kid growing up surrounded by christian but not christian symbols wouldn't? The large marble chapel was filled with different flowers, spring air wafted through open doors and windows and every statue of Mary on campus was crowned with a wreath of flowers. Those moments were when I felt closest to my inner spiritual home and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy Mary getting some attention and gratitude. Every year around this time I'm swept back to that choir loft, to that marble chapel and the statues dripping in flowers.

Then I grew up, cracked a book, met a few witches and discovered that May crowning-esk celebrations were common place all over the globe and had been for years and years.... and years....

Erect the maypole and hand me some ribbon. Witches it's time for Beltane!!

     Beltane celebrates the weaving together of masculine and feminine energies and the most widely known symbol of the day is the maypole. While some anthropologists believe the maypole was just a general part of celebrating the return of summer and the abundance of the land, pagan folks have a different view of the symbol. The maypole is a phallic symbol, representing the God. The wreath at the top and ribbons represent the Goddess. When the maypole dancing begins and the ribbons are wrapped around the pole, the Goddess and God are "joining" (keeping it PG folks), thus creating and giving new life. The Goddess receives the fertility of the God and together they create abundance in the land, among the animals and bring forth new life in general. 

Ways to celebrate:

• Shake your tail feather and do a little maypole dancing
• Find a garden and plant stuff
• Go for a walk/hike and pick flowers and collect herbs 
• Decorate your home and altar with flowers, hang herbs to dry
• BONFIRE 
• Volunteer. Clean up a park, work in a community garden etc
• Feasting
• Make garlands 
• Build a fairy garden
• Get hitched!!  LOTS of handfastings happen on or around Beltane

    Above all, enjoy the day and practice safe maypole dancing. As above, So below. As within, So without. Beltane Blessings to you all and Blessed Samhain to the Pagan folk in the Southern Hemisphere!!  

New Book Alert!!

Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance, is releasing a new book on March 1st...

"Starhawk, who cofounded the Reclaiming tradition of modern paganism in 1980, has been writing for the pagan community since she published her first book, The Spiral Dance, in 1979. The modern pagan community is comprised of people who identify as witches, pagans, neopagans and more. With The Spiral Dance, Starhawk became a leading voice in the neopagan movement, which is marked by the burgeoning of earth-based, goddess spirituality in the 20th century.

The writer now has a new book, a follow up to her 1994 epic The Fifth Sacred Thing, coming out March 1. 

The book, City of Refuge, is set in a utopian and pagan-influenced San Francisco in the year 2048 just after a devastating war with the totalitarian South. As the city struggles to regain stability, it quickly becomes apparent that its troubles are far from over."

Click Here to read the full article on Huffington Post

Procter's Ledge, Confirmed Site of Salem Witch Trial Executions

     "The wooded spot overlooking Walgreens on Boston Street is unremarkable. The rocky ledge of knotted trees is surrounded by houses, and the path to the top is unpaved.

     But the days of anonymity for the site known as Proctor’s Ledge are over. Researchers announced this week they have confirmed the plot is where 19 people accused of witchcraft were hanged in a wave of hysteria that swept this seaside city in 1692.

     Salem plans to mark the ignominious spot, Mayor Kimberley Driscoll said. The memorial is expected to be modest, the mayor said, given the lack of easy access or parking at the site.

     Still, Driscoll said: “This is part of our history, and this is an opportunity for us to be honest about what took place.”"

To read the rest of the article click here: Boston Globe