I have a feeling that my girlfriend is a witch. Every time I see her, I can't help but notice the mysterious glint in her eyes and her uncanny ability to know things before I even say them. It's as if she possesses some kind of supernatural power that she keeps hidden from the world. I first started to suspect something was amiss when I noticed strange occurrences happening around her. Objects would move on their own, and I would hear whispers in the wind that seemed to be directly addressing her. She always brushed it off as coincidence or my imagination playing tricks on me, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than met the eye.
She always brushed it off as coincidence or my imagination playing tricks on me, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than met the eye. As we spent more time together, her peculiar abilities became more apparent. She had an uncanny knack for controlling the elements – making rain stop with a flick of her wrist or summoning gusts of wind when she was in a hurry.
Enlightenment Proves Elusive In 'Witches Of America'
There's no such thing as an objective cultural history; that's just the nature of the beast. Every student brings something to their research, and every reader brings something to the text. And that's before you get into the idea of memoir as an approach unto itself. Documentarian Alex Mar walks this tricky line in Witches of America, a quasi-memoir that blends her research into the history of witchcraft and the occult in America with a personal search for meaning within them. This is a book smart enough to know you can't be dispassionate about a religious quest. But it's not an easy journey — for her, or for us.
The central tension of the book is ostensibly the chasm between modern doubt and modern belief: The ritualized mantras of Wicca and the Ordo Templi Orientis have a distinctly self-help tilt, but also seem to require an emotional openness and credulity that's easy for mainstream religious types to dismiss (or condemn). Amid this, Mar sketches a history of twentieth-century occultism and witchcraft, from the legacy of Aleister Crowley and the O.T.O. to the hodgepodge of Pagan beliefs on display in a hodgepodge of locations: Outdoor gatherings, celebratory hotel conventions, Gnostic Masses in abandoned churches. And though Mar has clearly researched the history of the movement with scholarly remove, it proves inevitably harder to stay detached when things get personal.
In some ways, that's the point of the piece. Readers looking for a survey of modern witchcraft are unlikely to seek out so personal an account. (Don't worry, she's still aware of the appetite for prurient detail that accompanies her increased immersion in Wiccan and occult subcultures; if you ever wanted to know what exactly goes into the host at a Gnostic Mass, now's your chance.) The Wiccan priestess Morpheus slides slowly from Mar's subject to her friend — Mar speaks glowingly of her and attempts at intervals to make her a Wiccan feminist lens — but when the coven inducts a crow corpse because Morpheus is convinced it holds a spirit, Mar writes about it with a careful lack of commentary; she knows the audience isn't sold.
This is a book smart enough to know you can't be dispassionate about a religious quest. But it's not an easy journey — for her, or for us.
But though Mar openly acknowledges how academic observations take a backseat to her desire for fulfillment, that doesn't make the balance easier to maintain. Some chapters raise questions: How does she feel about the distinctly Wiccan language she uses in emails to Morpheus about spells for a straying boyfriend? Others just raise eyebrows: In the interview chapter "Sympathy for a Necromancer," 'Jonathan' cites a high school breakup as the reason he began to break into cemeteries, behead corpses and ensorcel the heads. Mar claims Jonathan represents any religious person trying to make sense of death — but she also notes he's "attractive," with an intense magnetism that we must assume prevents anyone from crossing him.
And there are missed cues among the questions Mar asks about Wicca and the O.T.O., as when she notes ritual elements lifted piecemeal from the spiritual practices of other cultures without examining cultural response, or how Wiccans reconcile these disparate elements beyond her teacher's "Whatever works."
Some of these disappointments, I'll admit, come from finding the cultural research aspect of the book more engaging than Mar's personal journey. Her writing is compelling, her internal life less so, and though her personal experience is the spine of the story, it wasn't what drew me along. But just as I was writing this review, a woman next to me was talking to a friend about her recent beginner outings into spiritualist practice. She said she understood how strange it all sounded, reading meaning into seemingly disconnected things, but (leaning forward, the picture of a believer) she said, "I just — want all this to be happening for a reason, you know?"
To me, it's a coincidence; any city is full of people hunting for meaning in a sea of disconnects, until even the popcorn truck at the Labor Day street fair sounds like a religious barker. The priestess Morpheus would say this conversation was a sign, sent to open my eyes to those for whom this book will resonate. And the point of Witches of America is to find out which one of us Alex Mar becomes. Read it or not; do what thou wilt.
Genevieve Valentine's latest novel is Persona
And there are missed cues among the questions Mar asks about Wicca and the O.T.O., as when she notes ritual elements lifted piecemeal from the spiritual practices of other cultures without examining cultural response, or how Wiccans reconcile these disparate elements beyond her teacher's "Whatever works."
I even caught her speaking to animals as if they understood her, and they would seemingly respond. Her knowledge of obscure and ancient rituals was also alarming. She would often lose herself in old spell books, poring over pages written in ancient languages with complete fluency. I would catch glimpses of her chanting and performing rituals when she thought no one was watching, as if she was tapping into a world beyond our own. Despite all this, my girlfriend maintained an air of secrecy, never directly acknowledging her supernatural abilities. It was as if she was consciously hiding her true nature from me, afraid of the potential consequences of revealing her powers to the world. While I was initially intrigued and fascinated by her mystical aura, my unease grew as I became more entangled in her world. I couldn't help but wonder if I was in over my head, involved with someone who possessed powers beyond my comprehension. The internal struggle between love and fear has consumed me. On one hand, I am drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Her enchanting presence and mysterious abilities have captivated me in a way that no one else ever has. On the other hand, I am terrified of what her true nature might mean for our future, and whether I can truly handle the depths of her powers. Though the logical part of me tells me that witches aren't real and this is all just a figment of my imagination, the signs and experiences I've witnessed with my own eyes speak a different truth. Whether my girlfriend is a witch or not, I am certain of one thing – she is a powerful force to be reckoned with, and she holds the key to a world beyond our own understanding..
Reviews for "Witchy Ways: How to Tell if Your Girlfriend is a Practicing Witch"
1. Ethan - 2/5 stars - I found "I have a feeling that my girlfriend is a witch" to be quite disappointing. The plot was predictable and lacked originality. The characters were one-dimensional and I didn't feel invested in their story. Additionally, the writing style was simplistic, and it felt like the author was rushing through the story without clearly developing important details. Overall, I was expecting a more engaging and captivating read, but unfortunately, this book fell short.
2. Emma - 3/5 stars - "I have a feeling that my girlfriend is a witch" had an intriguing premise, but it ultimately failed to live up to my expectations. While the initial concept was promising, the execution felt lackluster. The pacing was uneven, with long stretches of mundane events interrupted by abrupt plot twists that didn't flow naturally. The characters lacked depth and often resorted to clichés. Despite these flaws, the book did manage to entertain at times, but overall, I wished for more depth and development in the story.
3. Jason - 2.5/5 stars - "I have a feeling that my girlfriend is a witch" had an interesting premise, but it failed to keep my attention. The story quickly became repetitive, with the protagonist constantly questioning his girlfriend's supernatural abilities without much progression. The climax offered little surprise and felt rushed, leaving me unsatisfied. The writing style was mediocre, lacking in descriptive prose and failing to fully immerse me in the story. While there were moments of potential, the book ultimately fell flat for me.