Halloween, also known as Samhain in the Wiccan tradition, is a significant holiday for Wiccans and pagans alike. It is a time when the veil between the worlds is said to be thin, allowing for easier communication with spirits and ancestors. In Wicca, Samhain is celebrated as the Witches' New Year and marks the end of the harvest season. During Samhain, Wiccans often choose to use their Wiccan name instead of their given name. This special name holds personal and spiritual significance, reflecting the individual's journey in the craft and connection to their chosen deity or deities. Using a Wiccan name during Samhain allows practitioners to fully embrace their spiritual identity and connect more deeply with the energy of the holiday.
It might be offensive if it were intelligent enough to grasp the message it’s conveying, but one thing I cannot accuse the film of is intelligence; no, it’s just an excuse to throw cheap CGI at us, any underlying theme purely unintentional.
And then wouldn t you know it one of them pops back to life as a demonic witch, presented here as a super-powered amalgamation of horror fantasy baddie clichés. Actually, It s Good is a new column in which we revisit movies that received less than a 15 percent critics scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and re-rate them ourselves.
Using a Wiccan name during Samhain allows practitioners to fully embrace their spiritual identity and connect more deeply with the energy of the holiday. Choosing a Wiccan name for Halloween can be an exciting and meaningful process. It is a time for self-reflection, self-discovery, and embodying the essence of the holiday.
‘Season of the Witch’ movie review: Nic Cage hunts witches in medieval thriller
At the very beginning of Dominic Sena’s Season of the Witch, three women are hanged and then drowned for suspected witchery; presuming that isn’t enough, the local priest drags their bodies out of the river and prepares to burn them.
And then – wouldn’t you know it – one of them pops back to life as a demonic witch, presented here as a super-powered amalgamation of horror/fantasy baddie clichés.
OK, so there really were witches. Season of the Witch might seem to legitimize the medieval witch hunting, or hey, take it a step further, the witch hunting in contemporary US politics.
It might be offensive if it were intelligent enough to grasp the message it’s conveying, but one thing I cannot accuse the film of is intelligence; no, it’s just an excuse to throw cheap CGI at us, any underlying theme purely unintentional.
The film opens with some brightly-lit battle scenes as Templar Knights Behmen (Nicolas Cage) and Felson (Ron Perlman) slaughter thousands in the name of God and the church before having a crisis of conscience. Each 10-second, PG-13 battle comes with handy “Siege of…” labels; otherwise, you’d swear they only changed the lens filter and CGI backdrop.
After that, we’re plunged into a world of (literal) darkness as our now-deserter heroes agree to transport a suspected witch (Claire Foy) to a group of monks in an isolated monastery in order to, ahem, cure the Black Plague. The remainder of the film is so underlit – an effort, I presume, to hide some particularly shoddy CGI work – that we frequently cannot make out what is going on.
Along for the ride are Priest Debelzaq (Stephen Campbell Moore), Knight Eckhart (Ulrich Thomsen), a choir boy aiming to be knighted (Robert Sheehan) and, no joke, Hagamar the Swindler (Stephen Graham).
I recall an episode of The Simpsons that featured Homer the Thief and Zohar the Adulterer; here, they try to pass it along with a straight face. Foy is quite good as the imprisoned girl, but the rest of the cast doesn’t have much of anything to do.
That includes Perlman, who has more screen time here than usual but nothing to show for it outside a series of lame one-liners, and Cage, who just sits around stone-faced, muttering in a low gravelly voice.
I kept waiting for the traditional Nic Cage wigout scene, which never comes; he raises his voice above a whisper precisely once during the entire film. Few actors have his kind of film-to-film range, from batshit crazy (most recently in a brilliant Bad Lieutenant performance) to here, where he’s so impossibly boring you want to leap into the screen and shake some life into him.
The film only rarely comes to life, but for all the wrong reasons, during a rickety bridge sequence that blatantly cribs from Clouzot’s Wages of Fear (and Sorcerer, it’s underrated remake, and hell, all those other movies with rickety bridge sequences), or a laughable CGI wolf attack sequence (one by one the wolves become “wolfier,” as if they were shapeshifting from wolf into “wolf” – this must be seen to be believed), or the goofy-as-all-hell apocalyptic climax, which attempts to right all the wrongs of the rest of the movie.
Season of the Witch is not a good film by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it bad enough to entertain on the level of a Wicker Man, which a noteworthy 5% on the Tomatometer might lead you to believe. It’s dull and dreary and a definitive mediocrity, an 80-minute Nic Cage medieval epic that I daresay you know what you’re getting into when you walk into the theater.
The 98-minute film opens with a man throwing three accused witches off of a bridge—a worrying start, to say the least. The fiendish witch-slayer then expresses his desire to pull the three witch corpses out of the river and set them aflame as part of some sadistic Christian ritual, but his companions don't heed his warnings. Later, he sneaks back under the cover of darkness to finish the deed. There it is heavily implied that the women weren't wrongly accused by the patriarchal, oppressive religion—at least not all of them—because a supernatural force erupts out of one of their decaying bodies and demolishes the priest.
Some practitioners may choose a name that resonates with the energy of Samhain, such as "Raven" or "Hallow." Others might choose a name that represents their personal spiritual journey or connection to a specific deity, such as "Luna" for those who connect strongly with the moon goddess. It is important to remember that choosing a Wiccan name is a deeply personal decision. It is not necessary for all Wiccans to have a special name, and some may choose to use their given name during Samhain or in their everyday practice. The decision to use a Wiccan name should come from a place of intention and connection to one's own spiritual path. Overall, using a Wiccan name during Samhain adds an extra layer of magic and significance to the holiday. It allows practitioners to step into their spiritual identity and embrace the energy of the season. They may choose a name that resonates with the energy of Samhain or reflects their personal journey in the craft. Ultimately, the choice of a Wiccan name for Halloween is a personal one that adds depth and intention to the celebration of this sacred holiday..
Reviews for "From Witchling to Witch: Embracing Your Magical Identity with a Wiccan Name for Halloween"
- Sarah - 1 star
I was really excited to try "Wiccan Name for Halloweeb" as I love all things Wiccan and Halloween, but I was extremely disappointed with this product. The content was poorly organized and lacked depth. It felt like the author just scratched the surface of Wiccan traditions without giving any real insight. Additionally, the writing style was dry and monotonous, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a comprehensive exploration of Wiccan practices related to Halloween.
- Michael - 2 stars
As a beginner in Wicca, I was hoping "Wiccan Name for Halloweeb" would provide me with insightful information about incorporating the spiritual elements of Halloween into my practice. Unfortunately, I found the book to be quite confusing and disorganized. The topics were all over the place, and it felt like the author was trying to cover too many things without going into much depth. The lack of clarity made it challenging to understand the concepts being discussed, especially for someone new to Wicca. I think this book had potential, but it ultimately fell short of my expectations.
- Emily - 2 stars
Although I appreciate the effort to create a resource specifically for Wiccans during Halloween, "Wiccan Name for Halloweeb" didn't meet my expectations. The content was too basic and lacked the depth I was hoping for. It felt like a quick overview rather than a detailed guide. Additionally, the book had numerous grammatical errors and typos, which made it difficult to read. I understand that self-published books may have some imperfections, but these errors were quite distracting. Overall, I can't say I would recommend this book to fellow Wiccans looking for an in-depth exploration of Halloween traditions in Wicca.
- David - 1 star
I found "Wiccan Name for Halloweeb" to be a complete waste of time and money. The information provided was shallow and repetitive, offering nothing beyond what a quick internet search could provide. The writing style was uninspiring, and the lack of any real substance made reading this book a chore. I was hoping for fresh perspectives and unique insights, but instead, I was presented with regurgitated cliches. I would advise anyone interested in Wicca and Halloween to look elsewhere for a more substantial and well-crafted resource.