Witches are Trouble...so says Time Magazine

So originally I wasn't going to post this here to my blog, but then I thought "Hey this is an article and an article is technically literature so why not post it to my blog?" Well here it is!

This article in Time Magazine by Jennifer Latson called "Why Witches on TV Spell Trouble In Real Life" (link to the article located at the end of post) talks about the Witch as a figure in pop culture. It has gotten a lot of heat from the Pagan community. Latson does say:

"The difference, of course, is that terrorists are real, while witches are not."

Many have have been upset with being compared to terrorists and with being told that we don't exist. If that's true then I must have missed the memo. You know what though, she's right! I'll explain why.

When I first read the article I'll admit I had a reaction. My first thought was humor and "how can anyone be ignorant?" But the more I read through it my thoughts changed to "OK let me go back and reread and research and see what is actually said."

I am a practicing Witch. I have been since I was sixteen years old and got Silver Ravenwolf's Teen Witch book. I read through all of the chapters and worked with the rituals and guidelines she had written down. Something about it resonated within me and I wanted to learn and experience more. I got any and all books that jumped out at me. From D.J. Conway's Dancing With Dragons to Christopher Penczak's Gay Witchcraft I read and worked with them all. While I didn't always agree with the author I stayed open enough to listen and take in what they had to say. I was a solitary practitioner until I was 22. By then I felt I had gone as far as I could with books and was eager to find a teacher. I went to a local metaphysical store I frequented and asked the owner if she knew of anyone who would be willing to teach me. She took me by my hand and lead me to a man standing in the crystal section of the store. After a couple of other meetings he and his wife took me into their Coven and I found my spiritual home. So I know in my heart and in my soul that I am a Witch, and I know that I exist. But Latson is still right when she says that Witches don't exist.

With all of the movies and TV shows the Witch has become a pop culture icon. The main theme that you see often is someone from ordinary, underprivileged, or abused backgrounds that finds out they have this extraordinary supernatural power. It opens up a whole new world to them and gives them new opportunities that they couldn't even conceive of before. But the fact still remains they don't exist! It's Television, it's fantasy, it's Hollywood and the entertainment industry creating a story that draws people in and gets them hooked. I'll admit I've watched Practical Magic, The Craft, Charmed and American Horror Story: Coven and I've really enjoyed them, but for the characters not for the magic. (Although I do wish that flying broomsticks were real. It would save me LOTS of money on travel expenses.)

The spells they do are not real, the witchcraft they practice is not real. That doesn't mean that the Witch can't be a powerful figure though. When you watch a show or film the Craft of the character is different. True there are similarities, but each character has talents and knowledge that differs from the other. This is true in modern day witchcraft. While there maybe some core elements that are the same from practitioner to practitioner each person brings an individual spice. It is one of the things that I love about witchcraft because it changes depending on who you talk too. The important thing is that the character can teach the viewer to embrace themselves because that is where true power comes from: when you allow yourself to Be-Who-You-Are in times of famine or feast you can accomplish things you didn't think you could before.

Now being compared to terrorists is not something new to me. Pat Robertson called gay activists terrorists not too long ago. As a gay man I chuckled a little bit. I don't usually take someone seriously when they say something like this because they are speaking from a place of fear and even anger at the thought of their way of life being threatened. But wait...isn't that what Emerson Baker was quoted in this article.

"Witches, like terrorists, 'threaten to wipe out everything you believe in. If they could, they would overthrow your government, overturn your faith, and destroy your society,” Baker writes."

I don't believe that Baker was referring to modern day witches as terrorists, but in reference to the days of the Salem Witch Trials when Puritans believed that people accused of being witches really did worship Satan and could do all the fantastical things that pop culture says we can do. So in that regard he is correct.

The Compact Edition of the Oxford Dictionary defines terrorist as "One who entertains, professes, or tries to awaken or spread a feeling of terror or alarm." To the Puritans this holds true. Witches did threaten their way of life and challenged every belief that they held dear because it was different from what they considered to be "normal". Yes in some cases it was thought that jealous neighbors simply wanted an accused persons land, but that is a debate for another time. Fear, like faith, can be a powerful motivator and a catalyst for change. Be it good or bad, a singular person or a whole community, unchecked fear can run rampant and cause horrors that we see in the news and history. But even that can inspire people to stand up for what is right despite the odds. Latson mentions how protest began to shift public opinion and that lead to end of the trials.

It is still true, however, that witches in media and modern day have been feared for the wrong reasons. I have had experiences where I have been I was going to go to hell because of my beliefs or been told that I am delusional. But I keep my head held high because as a Witch I believe that I am an agent of change. I create change within myself that causes change in the rest of the world. I embrace my power and continue to discover Who-I-Really-Am so that I can be a better person and role model for others.

Now do I believe that this article is an outright attack on paganism and witches? No. But let's face it magickal folks: we are trouble! Because we are mirrors for others and often they may not like what they see.

Time Magazine Article:
http://time.com/3532279/witches-halloween-salem/

Interview with Professor Emerson Baker author of A Storm of Witchcraft:
http://www.philipvickersfithian.com/2014/10/the-authors-corner-with-emerson-baker.html

Lock In by John Scalzi

Title: Lock In

Author: John Scalzi

Genre: Scifi/Fantasy

Raiting: 4 Ninja Stars

In this Hugo Award winning novel written by John Scalzi the world has been ravaged by a sickness called Haden's syndrome. People who are infected, called Hadens, are locked inside their minds interacting in the world through machine bodies known as Personal Transports or through another persons body. And in this world someone is using the new technology to commit murder.

I usually steer clear of these kinds of books because the thought of a future disease in the world kind of makes me nervous (go figure). But the mystery aspect of this story is what got me hooked. The sickness is not the highlight of the novel, Instead Scalzi uses it to show how society has been affected by it. For example because Haden's affects the brain by physically changing it, science and technology has advanced to such a degree that the brains structure has been completely mapped. The degree of which the disease affects someone varies. The most extreme cases causes a person to be trapped inside their bodies and have to rely on things like a Personal transport to interact with the physical world. They also have the option of going into a vast cyber world where they can either have their own space or interact with other Hadens and make connections. For others while the disease still changes the structure of the brain, it doesn't lock them in their bodies. Instead they have the potential to use technology and training to become Integrators. They have the consciousness of someone else put into their bodies and allow that person to become physically real for a short while. However, Integrators are quite rare and usually monitored and controlled by an agency. Not many people can afford to use an Integrator often.

I enjoyed this book mainly for the story line. The main characters have a common theme that you find in most mystery stories. One is from a well-off family who decides to become an FBI agent and the other is the seasoned veteran who is very good at their job, but complications from their past makes them a little dodgy at times. Scalzi uses first person writing to give the view and experience of one of the FBI agents who is a Haden lock in. It gives us a unique view of the world watching the way he interacts with people and things and just how he goes about his daily life. The Haden's syndrome reminded me a little bit of the Encephalitis Lethargica epidemic that occurred between 1915 and 1926 where people became catatonic.

There is also a political aspect in this book as well. The U.S. Government had classified Haden's as a disability. But with all the jumps in technology that support is going to be ending. The book takes place around the time when a bill ending support has been passed and the unrest that it is starting to take place. On the other side is a Hadens Separatist movement calling for Hadens to abandon the physical and reside solely in the digital world. So while this future may seem a little distant there are relatable examples that help the reader identify with the characters. Debate and politics doesn't seem to have changed much in the future.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to get to the end so I could find out "who dun it!" If you're looking for a unique read I say check this book out.

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

Title: American Gods

Author: Neil Gaiman

Genre: Scifi/Fantasy

Rating: Five Ninja Stars!

Description: Shadow is an ex con who, upon being released, meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday and is whisked off into a world close to our own. Along the journey Wednesday laments to Shadow about how many of the Old Gods are being replaced by new ones and how even the new ones are being replaced by even newer ones. This is due to human attention and focus ("worship" if you will) shifting, especially in America. Something that Wednesday says about the situation is: "They made me. They forgot me. Now I take a little back from them. Isn't that fair?" (Page 275). In a way this is a cautionary tale to us all about taking care of what we have created and what happens to gods and legends when they are forgotten.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the character development. We see how Shadow goes from ex con to confident man by the end of the story. In him the reader can find something that they can relate to and connect with. Wednesday becomes the boss that we like to be around, but is someone we can only handle in small doses. While Gaiman doesn't outright say which of the gods the different characters represent, he drops small hints and lets us guess who they might be. They are obvious, but not too obvious. The plot and the detail that is put into the story helps create a great mental picture not just for the material world, but also the immaterial that the characters visit at one point. Let yourself get lost int story and you can feel like you're there.

Welcome and Intro!

Welcome to my blog!

As an avid reader of literature I wanted to create a blog where I could share my love of it. Here you can see what I have read so far and my opinion of different books and authors. I'm always looking for suggestions for what to read so if you have any books you would like to see here let me know!

Rating system:
Since I am also a martial artist the books here will be rated with ninja stars rather than just regular stars (hehe). Rating is done from 1 - 5, one being the worst and five being the best. If I find a book exceptional look for a loud KYEAH! in the title description.

Disclaimer:
The writings and ratings of this blog are my opinions. I am not being paid by publishers, authors or agents to post them here. I have no intention to slander or hurt anyone's feelings with my words. With that being said I welcome you one and all!