What it means to be a witch

[tjkphilosopher]

I have been discussing what it means to be a true witch with actual witches and those who practice the craft on another message board. Many of them were very impressed with how Joss portrayed witchcraft. Also were pleased with Charmed at first before it got bullied by the old wb network to abandon its principles. Can check out what we discuss on unknowncountry.com boards.

With only one exception, we no longer have any such series.

It will be a real shame if the new series Hex doesn't come back for a second of many more seasons. It did an excellent job carrying on with what Buffy and Angel started.

 

[nerd4hire]

I have some good news-bad news concerning Hex, for you. They made a second season. It was cancelled after that.

http://www.after-darkness.com/showthread.php?t=1375&page=3

 

[Schillaci]

I have been discussing what it means to be a true witch with actual witches and those who practice the craft on another message board.

Oooh. Do you think if I went to the message board and called them phoneys and hags they'd put a curse on me??!

Do true witches fly on brooms?!

There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the Doors.

 

[tjkphilosopher]

I hope that is not true about Hex. Although wouldn't surprise me. No one has the courage to explore what Hex was exploring.

I hope you are kidding about calling real witches hags. They won't put a hex or curse on you but they will instruct you on what witches are all about. These are very passionate and spiritual people. Like myself. The spells that Willow and Tara did are accurate. Spells are very involved and requires a witch's total focus and concentration.

 

[Schillaci]

By the way, is there a point to this thread?

I opened up the site you were promoting. They have a news story "free energy is real". That's all I need to know.

Real Witches, it appears, are synonymous with "scientific" nutjobs and idiots.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I think you may want to check who your talking to on the internet. I couldn't see any of them saying that how magick is portrayed in any movie, TV show or book is accurate!

No witch expects to see a results to their spells like they do on TV. Most see it exactly the same way a Christian would a pray. They Pray to Go, Wicca's do a spell, and both expect the same same out come. I Think.

 

[Wicked]

I hope that is not true about Hex. Although wouldn't surprise me. No one has the courage to explore what Hex was exploring.

I hope you are kidding about calling real witches hags. They won't put a hex or curse on you but they will instruct you on what witches are all about. These are very passionate and spiritual people. Like myself. The spells that Willow and Tara did are accurate. Spells are very involved and requires a witch's total focus and concentration.

You do know theres no such thing as actual magic? I mean the kind Willow and Tara did? Cos it doesnt sound like you do.

How can the spells Willow and Tara did be acurate if people cant actually do those spells?

 

[nerd4hire]

Many of them were very impressed with how Joss portrayed witchcraft. Also were pleased with Charmed at first before it got bullied by the old wb network to abandon its principles.

It's OK tjk, I know what you're talking about. Like there actually is a Book of Shadows in Wicca practice right? It doesn't help you travel through time, or anything like that, but it does catalogue the history of the coven, or some such thing. Or in Get it done when they pour a circle of sand around Willow. Wicca's do that. I think it's called a magic circle, or something like that. Or the multiple functions of crystals, and it goes on.

And yes, I've also heard those who claim to have an interest in Wicca say they are impressed by how BTVS tries to remain true to the basic tenets of the craft.

 

[Xander]

I was re-reading an article "How Buffy Changed Everything" and part of it is religion. Some head of the UK Pagen society or something said a lot of people had been interested in the religion through Buffy. Those who stuck with it were those that realised the show portrays the principals, and how it can benefit your life. Those who dropped out were those who thought you could float and make knives fly around and such. So its a good segueway into the real religion I think.

 

[tjkphilosopher]

The point of this thread is to find out who watched both buffy and angel for the mystical elements. Those who don't believe in such than this thread is not for you and I won't waste my time with. Life is too short. If some of you don't believe than why did you watch.

A quote of Willow's sums up nicely what wiccans and other practitioners of the craft believe. "Everything is connected"

 

[Wicked]

If some of you don't believe than why did you watch.

Because it was an entertaining show. You dont believe everything you watch do you? Do you believe in vampires and demons too?

The point is, people dont watch these shows because they belive everything in them. They watch them because they are entertainment.

 

[Joamna]

I can't say I believe in the kind of magic they do in the show, I'm very skeptial to these things in general. But my ex-roomate was a Wicca, we watched Buffy together and she said that things in the spells they did were smilair to the spells she did, but like some of you alread said, she didn't expect magic in the literal sense, but more to get guidance in her life.

 

[Schillaci]

The point of this thread is to find out who watched both buffy and angel for the mystical elements. Those who don't believe in such than this thread is not for you and I won't waste my time with. Life is too short. If some of you don't believe than why did you watch.

I refuse to believe for one second, that you or anyone else watched Buffy and Angel to study up on mysticism. The very reason that people don't believe it is why a lot of people would have watched the shows, because they're not reality. They're an escape from it.

A quote of Willow's sums up nicely what wiccans and other practitioners of the craft believe. "Everything is connected"

You don't have to be a wiccan or anything of the sort to understand that eveything is connected. It doesn't mean anything. Give me proof.

I can't say I believe in the kind of magic they do in the show, I'm very skeptial to these things in general. But my ex-roomate was a Wicca, we watched Buffy together and she said that things in the spells they did were smilair to the spells she did, but like some of you alread said, she didn't expect magic in the literal sense, but more to get guidance in her life.

When you say guidance, could you substitute guidance for focus?

 

[nerd4hire]

Yeah tjk, I also may have to switch sides here. I'm hoping the words came out wrong, but it sounds like you're saying nobody without a believe in witchcraft has a right or reason to watch, or read, anything where a witch may be a character. To which my response would be, "Huh?..."

I'm hoping the words just came out wrong though. I'm thinking maybe what you meant to say was, "If the idea the basic formats for rites and rituals found in Wicca can sometimes found in BTVS and other series involving witchcraft offends you, perhaps you'd be more comfortable avoiding a thread which wants to discuss that".

Please tell me that's what you meant to say, because the other thing is just wrong past the point "matter of opinion" would excuse it. It would kill an otherwise useful discussion.

 

[tjkphilosopher]

That is another way of explaining the point of this discussion.

The vampires and demons represented what was brewing inside of many people. In buffy and angel spells were used to destroy those monsters. Spells can be used to stop people from acting upon the anger boiling up to the surface.

 

[Angel's vision]

Spells can't destroy the Monsters because the type of monsters in BtvS and Ats are not real so neither are the Spells lol.The type of spells wiccans do in real life i can guess are not like the ones in the show.it is all due to poetic license.I watched both shows because they bring escapism and entertainment.

 

[Schillaci]

That is another way of explaining the point of this discussion.

The vampires and demons represented what was brewing inside of many people. In buffy and angel spells were used to destroy those monsters. Spells can be used to stop people from acting upon the anger boiling up to the surface.

It seems to me, from some comments I have read, that "spells" and wicca are just odd forms of meditation. The intent is to improve focus and well being. There is nothing actually "magical" that is happening, it is just a way of improving the mind and body. Am I wrong?

 

[Faith]

Well its clear from posts that everyone has a different opinion on what they think Wicca is and what it means.

Which to me shows that its like any other religion - open to our own interpretation, its what you make of it and what you believe in it. It will mean different things to different people. And for that reason I don't believe in 'generalising' it.

You can argue with each other until the cows come home but at the end of the day we will all think something different about the same topic.

 

[nerd4hire]

I learned a couple of interesting factoids about Wicca, the last time I had a discussion on the subject.

Although it claims roots in ancient Paganism, the actual religion going under the term Wicca is relatively new, and I get the impression steadily evolving.

Also there are many different flavors of Wicca, with their own distinct rites, rituals, and methods of operation. Some stuff seems to be pretty much generally accepted though. For example they pretty much all know what a Book of Shadows is, even if they might not all be keeping one.

 

[Joamna]

When you say guidance, could you substitute guidance for focus?

Maybe, as I wrote I'm not the one that is into Wicca it was my roomate, so really I'm just writing whatever little I remember from her.. eh.