Practical Magic!

No, I'm not blogging about how to cook your dinner without touching the stove - this blog is about the 1998 movie, "Practical Magic", starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing.

I absolutely adored the characters, particularly the Dianne Wiest character of "Aunt Bridget." (She's on the right in the B andy W photo.)

  

The movie, which was taken from the book "Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman, involves the story of two sisters who were raised by their Aunts Francis and Bridget in a fabulous old Victorian house.  For me, it is this house which has the starring role in the movie.  You'll see why here:

Pretty cool structure, eh?  Unfortunately, it was built just for the movie and was only a facade, as you can see from the in progress photo here:

As with any hedgewytch, the kitchen is the heart of the home.  Although my mountain cottage kitchen is much smaller (and darker), I take inspiration from this design:

I adore all the glass and cloche arrangements.  I've been inspired to use a few in my own hedgewytchy cottage kitchen:

The Practical Magic conservatory is another intriguing room filled with plants, herbs and mysterious hand blown glass:

The last photograph is of Gary examining the conservatory with interest, prior to meeting with Sally to discuss the disappearance of Gillian's boyfriend.

If you've seen the movie, you know that one of the final scenes takes place in the parlour, another fine and wytchy room.

The parlour is comprised of soft, moss greens and nature colors with framed botanical pressings on the walls.  A soothing room filled with comfortable furniture and good memories.  The painting done on the walls somewhat resembles a Tree of Life motif.

All in all, the interior and exterior design of the home for this movie was done with great detail and care.  I have found it to be intriguing and inspiring, and I hope you've enjoyed the tour.

Happy Practical Magic!

Gee WHIZ!

I make ONE little trip to Mexico and everyone's still talking about it. SHEESH!



It's Wednesday ....... must be video day!

I'm afraid of the evil tarot and pentagram!

As most of you know, I've been interested in tarot for years. I enjoy both reading for friends and having my own cards read by others. Once in awhile I'll still shell out $30 to see what a good reader has to say but mostly I read, or a good Milwaukee friend will read for me. (You know who you are, Jurg.)

Lately I've had people ask why anyone would want to have their cards read. I admit, this question often seems to come from the seriously non-curious. Nevertheless, it's a good question. Why would anyone want to have someone else seemingly dive into their lives and personal affairs?

My first response to that question is this: insight. To me, the first and foremost tool of tarot is to give one insight into either a general or specific situation in her/his life. Tarot is the exploration of options, a presenter of choices, a purveyor of power ("knowledge is power"), and a method of directing our focus on what concerns may be imminent.

Of course there are many other ways of using the tarot: as a ritual tool, access to our unconscious, focus for meditation, clarification of goals, understanding dreams or even creating dreams.




Tarot is not used to cast evil spells or make others do what they do not wish to do. There have been rather accurate past portrayals in the media of witches, witchcraft and the use of esoteric tools, but most often witches, tarot, books of shadows and other accoutrement are depicted as in some way evil and tools of wicked intent. Nothing could be further from the truth.



Just as the tarot is not a tool of malevolent scheming, neither is the pentagram a symbol to be feared. Do you know what the pentagram represents? It is a five pointed star representing elements: air, earth, fire, water and spirit. It is a tool of protection, not fear.

The number five is considered to be mystical and magickal. We have five senses (those which are known as the common senses). Five toes, five fingers, five pillars of the Muslim faith, five daily times of prayer, five wounds of Christ on the cross.

Every person is a star!



There is a tarot layout which is done in the shape of the five pointed pentagram. By the way, the symbol you often see us wearing is actually called a pentacle, which is a pentagram within a circle.

One "suit" of the tarot card deck is called pentacles, or sometimes coins. This suit represents prosperity, finances, business ventures. The ace of pentacles can represent a new, prosperous beginning.



So you see, tarot cards and pentagrams are actually a wondrous celebration of life, nature and spirit.

Those are today's words. Spread 'em, ok? (All right, that was a little wytch joke.)

Sarah Palin and Witches

This morning I was reading a news article about Governor Palin's church in Wasilla, Alaska. Seems to be quite the conservative, Pentecostal, "we must convert you in order to save you" kinda place. In fact, as Governor she gave a speech to a class of newly minted missionaries (you know, those who are destined to go forth and convert the rest of the poor world to their one and only TRUE religion) telling them "that our leaders, that our national leaders, are sending [soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we are praying for -- that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."



Well, I suppose it's reassuring to some to think that this unwarranted, illegal mass murder going on in Iraq is God's plan. That then makes it all okie dokie and we can sleep well at night knowing we're only murdering in the name of God ....... oh yes, and to keep us safe from those nasty Iraqis (Muslims, you know .... can't trust 'em).

Now don't get me wrong here ...... I have absolutely nothing against praying, meditating, concentrating or just plain giving life a lot of focused thought. As far as I'm concerned, their God IS my God in a roundabout sort of way ...... even though I see spirituality in a bit of a different light. You see, my Goddess does not tell me to go out and murder people. She doesn't speak in tongues (unless you consider the loving sounds of nature to be tongues) and in fact has never instructed me to go about any type of violence. Given that, perhaps my God is a different Goddess from theirs. At least her attitude is different.

But I digress, as that discussion will be a different BLOG.

What I got to thinking about this morning was the far right wing fervor over this Pentecostal Mrs. who was chosen as the Republican running mate to "the maverick." What makes us in any way assume that her (and her church's) type of thinking is anything but WAY over the line, off the board, and into The Twilight Zone any less than say, the Moonies (remember them?), the Hale-Bopp Comet followers (I hope they're up there somewhere) or our Haitian neighbors who dance with snakes and stick needles in dolls? The difference is that there are more of the Evangelicals ....... many more.

Before you jump to conclusions, know that I believe that there is validity in almost every choice of religion. I believe that there is a high power. For me that power is nature itself. Can you imagine anything which is at the same time much larger than any one of us and yet still reactive to the actions of all mankind?

Mama Nature amazes me every single day. Today I am loving her choice of gentle rain, dark skies and contemplative mood. She tells me what I can do on any given day (if I don't wish to get soaked): work in the garden, stay indoors and read by the fire, sweat like a marathon runner or bundle up in my fuzzy knee boots. On the other hand, we have made her quite angry and she is reacting in response to our overuse of modern day technology by giving us warmer temperatures, increased rain, more tornadoes, flooding and more and harsher hurricanes. Yes, I am willing to take responsibility for our part in this weather transition and think that THIS is what our leaders should be talking about: the reality of the world's climate change and what we can do about it, rather than leaving it to our children and grandchildren to fix once nature's wrath has gone to much higher levels and they are left to suffer the consequences of our actions.

Once again I digress. Here's my point (and thank you, Ellen, I do have one). What if we put a nature-based believer into office. Someone you might call a Pagan or a Wiccan or a Witch. Someone like me who believes that there is a higher force in everything: within every human being, in the animals, plants and every living thing. How would this person be received by the masses? Would we find ourselves with another Pope Gregory IX, burning people at the stake because they did not believe that the Christian God was the ONLY God allowed? Just how enlightened are we today, I'm left wondering, if our separation of church and state is so defunct that we have this Evangelical Christian running for the second highest office in the country and thinking that the Iraq war is "God's war"?

I am scared by this woman. You may laugh, but it's true. I am scared by anyone in a potential leadership position who wants to tell me what God I should believe in, what God is telling us to do, and what choices I need to make with my very own body and soul. THAT is terrifying. THAT is what we came to this country to escape, is it not? Well, that and drinking tea and paying taxes all the time.

We already have the taxes, which will increase substantially in order to pay for this debacle of an Iraq war. Do we want to add a Religious Dictator to the mix, also?