The Wiccan religion is a contemporary pagan religious movement that emerged in the mid-20th century as a revival of ancient European pagan beliefs and practices. Wicca is a nature-based religion that worships the gods and goddesses of ancient pagan traditions. Wiccans believe in the existence of a divine power that permeates the universe, which they refer to as the God and the Goddess. These deities are seen as embodying masculine and feminine energies, respectively, and are worshipped and honored in rituals and ceremonies. Central to Wiccan beliefs is the reverence for nature and the cycles of life. Wiccans view the natural world as sacred and seek to live in harmony with it.
Wiccans view the natural world as sacred and seek to live in harmony with it. They celebrate the turning of the seasons, known as the Wheel of the Year, and perform rituals and spells to connect with the natural forces and energies. Wicca is a decentralized religion, meaning that there is no central religious authority or hierarchy.
Why The Last Witch Hunter (2015) is a Good Fantasy Movie
Recently I watched The Last Witch Hunter (2015), it had all but escaped my notice at the time of release and I began watching it knowing very little other than I assumed there was a witch-hunter in it and that he was the last one.
The opening scene in my opinion, is one of the best in the entire movie. It begins with a vast landscape shot with a small band of desperate figures traversing a barren land. One of them holds a wooden cross. Finally, we see what they are journeying towards, a huge tree in the middle of a barren wasteland surrounded by mountains. Instantly I’m thinking of the nordic world tree, Yggdrasil. Later it is revealed that this is in fact something called a plague tree, still it is interesting they chose a huge tree as the symbolic antithesis to the christians here. The imagery works quite well, a small band of faithful standing against a symbol of an old world, an old way which threatens their existence.
They enter the tree and we learn they are here because of the Black Plague (~1350), interesting historically because there is an argument that the origins of witch hunting, so common in the 16th century, can be traced back to the Black Plague.
Here we have, in my view, an incredibly well executed scene that provides both suspense, and when the action begins, accurately conveys the chaos and strangeness of the foe they face. The portrayal of magic in this movie is simply remarkable, it is dark, gritty and chaotic; there is a real effort made to convey its ‘otherness’ to the audience throughout the movie. There are no Michael Bay explosions.
Our first interaction with magic is a man throwing an axe at a witch (which does absolutely nothing) upon his attempt to retrieve it, the handle grows thorns; he then recoils, spasms, falls to the floor and begins to excrete wasps. Thats some fucked up shit. Some creepy guy then jumps in from off-screen and claws through another guy’s breastplate which - as if the poor sod’s day couldn’t get any worse - then begins to buckle inwards crushing him to death in his own armour.
After Vin’s character kicks some butt and deals with some mind-trickery involving his dead daughter, he kills the witch queen and she curses him to live with his grief for eternity. After this we move 800 years forwards in time (the plague didn’t start in Europe until around 1350 and it came from the south not the north but meh they get the tone right, it’s not a documentary)
The gritty texture of the magic in this film has a firm foundation in the folk stories and legends from the time of the story’s genesis. Is skilfully done and massively gratifying to see for a history and fantasy nerd like myself. Later in the movie a child is lured into a side alley by a trail of gummy bears to find a gummy bear tree, so very Hansel and Gretel. It's these intelligent and incisive uses of folklore that give this movie something really special. It’s not done clumsily either, it’s subtle and that makes it all the more impressive. Unfortunately you have to actually be willing to see complexity in an action movie with Vin Diesel in it. Those who walk in expecting a Fast & Furious movie demanding minimal brain use will miss it. (Shocking for a supposed action movie I know)
Speaking of Vin, he’s really good in this. I mean really good, he’s bad ass and everything you’d expect from Vin Diesel in an action movie; but he is nuanced in this, convincing. The only real point of criticism I have is the lack of explanation of why his character is not more vengeful towards witches, having lost his family to them. I mean he goes from walking into the plague tree ready and wishing for death in his vengeance for his family to a reasonable and measured detective of witchcraft who isn’t over zealous in anyway, nor is he resentful to witches in general. But to be honest I can understand why there isn’t much of that, I mean this is a fantasy movie cut down to about an hour and a half of screen time. That’s impressive, the movie manages to convey a complex and nuanced tone and hint at a intricate world within while maintaining a succinct and frugal nature. There is no piece of this movie that is wasted, it all comes together like a good detective story. Every minor character is utilised, either in the motivation for other more integral characters or in service to the plot. That’s hard to do when your looking at a fantasy story, and in my view The Last Witch Hunter manages to do this without sacrificing the grandiosity of fantasy storytelling.
The Film really tackles the immortality thing well too, this is before Deadpool remember, they focus on pain, mental trickery and deception as obstacles for the protagonist. Vin is more of a detective in this than anything else to be honest, and the interesting thing is that it’s not solely his immortality that pulls him through these situations in the plot, nor is it action hero-y abilities. It’s his intelligence.
There is really a lot to talk about here in this movie, for instance where is God in all this. Kaulder is supposedly this divine weapon but the source of his immortality is a Pagan one not a Christian one and as such in the end it is revealed to come with a price other than the traditional “haha you wish for death and can’t have it”. Which speaks volumes about how utterly the film masters the elements it utilises.
For what one would think is a christian vs paganism focused film, simply looking at the broad strokes of the setting (Church vs witches), God is really significantly passive. Which is actually really cool, the whole divine warrior shtick is so boring and it adds a mood of authenticity to the protagonist. This again is a testament to how cognisant the filmmakers are of the ground on which they walk. They are hyper-aware of the essential dichotomy between Christianity and Paganism. Paganism is active in the world, the gods do things, magic is viscerally powerful whereas Christianity is based in blind faith and the soul and the struggle of man on earth. Kaulder isn’t some god-like divine warrior, perfect in every way, he’s a man who lost everything and is forced to live in that state for eternity.
By the way this film has 16% on rotten tomatoes, really?
Am I wrong about this movie? Finding a really well executed, succinct and stylistically thoughtful fantasy movie is a rarity and as far as I see it The Last Witch Hunter is a great example of how to do fantasy on the big screen. Despite this the film seems to get shunned by critics (who expect a F&F action flick) and I barely heard of it when it was first released. Would love to hear from people who think it is bad and why they think so, I can't see it.
After Vin’s character kicks some butt and deals with some mind-trickery involving his dead daughter, he kills the witch queen and she curses him to live with his grief for eternity. After this we move 800 years forwards in time (the plague didn’t start in Europe until around 1350 and it came from the south not the north but meh they get the tone right, it’s not a documentary)
Wiccans practice their faith in small groups known as covens or as solitary practitioners. These groups or individuals often gather in circles to perform rituals and ceremonies, which involve chanting, dancing, and the use of symbolic objects like candles, incense, and herbs. There is a strong emphasis in Wicca on personal experience and autonomy. Wiccans are encouraged to develop their own connection to the divine and to explore their spirituality through self-discovery. They may study and incorporate various magical practices, such as divination, spellcasting, and energy healing, into their spiritual path. Wicca has gained significant popularity and acceptance in recent decades, particularly in Western countries. It is recognized as an official religion in some countries and is protected under laws that guarantee freedom of religion. Despite this, Wicca still faces misconceptions and stereotypes in society, often being associated with witchcraft or dark magic. In summary, the Wiccan religion is a contemporary pagan faith that embraces nature worship, celebrates the cycles of life, and honors the divine masculine and feminine energies. Wiccans seek to live in harmony with the natural world and practice their faith through rituals, ceremonies, and the exploration of personal spirituality..
Reviews for "The Role of Secrecy and Secrecy in Wiccan Religion: A Complex Dynamic"
1. John - 1 star: I found the definition of the Wiccan religion to be very vague and weak. It did not provide enough information to truly understand what this religion entails. Furthermore, the definition seemed to rely heavily on stereotypes and misconceptions about Wiccans. It would have been much more helpful if the definition had been more thorough and accurate.
2. Sarah - 2 stars: I was disappointed with the definition of the Wiccan religion. It felt like a superficial overview that barely scratched the surface. I was hoping for more in-depth information about the beliefs, practices, and history of Wicca, but all I got was a generalized and shallow description. As someone who is genuinely interested in learning about different religions, this definition left me feeling unsatisfied.
3. Emma - 1 star: The definition of the Wiccan religion provided was highly misleading. It painted Wiccans as nothing more than a group of people who perform spells and worship nature. While these are aspects of Wicca, the definition failed to acknowledge the spirituality and deep connection to goddesses and gods that Wiccans hold. It felt more like a misinformed stereotype rather than an accurate portrayal of the religion. I would not recommend this definition to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of Wicca.
4. Michael - 2 stars: I was hoping for a clear and concise definition of Wicca, but unfortunately, the one provided fell short. It lacked proper structure and organization, making it difficult to follow. The definition jumped from one concept to another without providing sufficient explanations. For someone who is unfamiliar with Wicca, it was confusing and frustrating trying to piece together the meaning. Overall, I was disappointed with the quality and clarity of the definition.
5. Samantha - 1 star: The definition of the Wiccan religion was riddled with inaccuracies and misconceptions. It seemed like it had been written by someone who had a limited understanding of Wicca and had relied on stereotypes and myths. As someone who values accuracy and authenticity in religious definitions, I found this definition to be highly disappointing. It provided a distorted and misleading depiction of Wicca, making it difficult for newcomers to truly grasp the essence of this religion.