The use of crystals has long been associated with various spiritual practices, including witchcraft. Crystals are believed to possess unique energies and properties that can be harnessed for healing, protection, and manifestation. While their association with witchcraft may be one aspect of their usage, it is essential to differentiate between the cultural and historical practices surrounding crystals and the misconceptions or stereotypes attached to witchcraft. Crystals have been used for thousands of years in various cultures and religious practices. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians and Greeks believed in the spiritual powers of crystals and used them in their religious rituals. In many indigenous cultures, crystals are highly regarded for their spiritual significance and are used in ceremonies and healing practices.

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Thu, November 30, 2023 | 00:10

'Spicy' R-rated talk show 'Witch Hunt' returns for season 2

Posted : 2022-07-28 17:06

Updated : 2022-08-01 14:21

By Kwak Yeon-soo

"Witch Hunt," an R-rated talk show that received a huge amount of attention among young people by talking frankly about sex and dating while giving out practical relationship advice, is returning for a second season after seven years.

The first season, which was aired on JTBC between 2013 and 2015, not only addressed topics that are popular with young people, but also included viewer involvement by inviting audience members on the talk show and letting them share their relationship problems. The term, "green light," which translates to a "good sign of love," was popular among young people after being used on the show.

"Dating culture is constantly changing, but there is not enough content that deals with two sides of love: one bright side and the other dark side. I wanted to create a show that openly discusses how young people engage in romantic relationships and what makes them happy or anxious about relationships," producer Hong In-ki said in a recent written interview released by Tving, the over-the-top (OTT) platform that will release the show's second season.

"Our aim was to give young people a space where they can think through their feelings about sex and power dynamics in relationships," Hong added.

Unlike the first season, which featured all male hosts, the second season will consist of four MCs from different genders and age groups, to highlight the generational differences when it comes to providing solutions to relationship problems.

Comedian Shin Dong-yup, lyricist Kim Eana, music producer Code Kunst and singer Bibi, along with a group of guests, will join as the main hosts.

"I think that the four of them are capable of sharing adult jokes without offending or humiliating others. They never cross the line with jokes," he said.

After filming the first episode, Code Kunst said, "I realized how we could have sensitive conversations while being considerate toward each other." Shin, who is returning as the main host in season 2, said, "It felt like chatting with my best friends."

Hong also shared his thoughts about launching the show on a streaming service.

"I think releasing the show on an OTT platform is good because it guarantees creative freedom. We will cover various subjects over eight episodes and share stories of love and sex that people struggle to talk openly about," he said.

"I hope 'Witch Hunt 2022' becomes the kind of show you would want to watch with a friend or partner on a relaxing weekend evening," he added.

"Witch Hunt 2022" is scheduled to premiere on Aug. 5. Rapper Nucksal and actor Joo Woo-jae will appear as guests on the first episode.

Witch Hunt review – a downright offensive attempt at political horror

A n unfortunate effect of Jordan Peele’s masterly Get Out is the recent slew of horror flicks that have also attempted to double as explicit social commentary, yet end up either ineffective or tone-deaf. The slavery horror Antebellum is a prime example, as is the cringey trailer for the forthcoming Karen. And now we have this extremely clumsy film that hinges on the premise of a modern, dystopian US where magic exists but is outlawed.

The film opens with the literal and metaphorical definitions of “witch-hunt” being typed across a blank screen, so all hopes of subtlety fly out the window. The story explores a young girl’s growing pains amid the legal and social persecution of witches. High schooler Claire (Gideon Adlon) tries to fit in with her prejudiced friends while hiding her own fearful secret: her mother is a part of an Underground Railroad-like system that helps the witches cross into Mexico for asylum. Initially resentful of the operation, Claire confronts her own intolerance after developing a friendship with two orphaned young witches whose mother is burned at the stake.

Like a lot of low-budget horror movies, the VFX aren’t great; this would not necessarily be a problem if the film had crafted an atmosphere of actual suspense. Instead, random horror elements – jump scares and the like – are inserted into a story that would have worked better as a thriller. The political commentary is on even shakier ground: the film appropriates images of real-life oppression against people of colour, such as border patrol buses taking the undocumented to detention centres, but the witches are invariably white women – it is not only careless but downright offensive. Though examining how women’s bodies are controlled and surveilled by the state – there’s a scene where Claire is subjected to a medical examination for witch moles – such points ring grossly hollow. All in all, this is a horror that’s neither clever nor scary.

Witch Hunt is released on 5 July on digital platforms.

‘Witch Hunt’ Review: The Entire U.S. Becomes a Modern-Day Salem

A teen’s family runs a safe house for persecuted witches in this supernatural tale stronger on political allegory than thrills or chills.

Dennis Harvey

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Striking a middle ground between teen fantasy “The Craft” and deadly serious political allegory “The Handmaid’s Tale” is “Witch Hunt,” writer-director Elle Callahan’s second feature. Her first, the 2019 “Head Count,” was a strikingly assured supernatural mind-bender, albeit one a little too understated for some genre fans. By contrast, this sophomore effort is comparatively conventional and straightforward in depicting paranormal themes, even given the added fillip of overt current-events commentary. It’s a more uneven work nonetheless, with some odd storytelling missteps and signs of budgetary constriction. Still, the fanciful tale of minority persecution in a U.S. not so different from our offscreen reality should easily attract acquisition interest around its SXSW premiere.

A grim prologue shows a manacled woman burned at a present-day New England stake in front of her two redheaded daughters. We then jump ahead three months to meet SoCal high schooler Claire (Gideon Adlon), whose classmates including mean-girl friend Jen (Lulu Antariksa) variously tease, bully and avoid any peers suspected of having “magic in the blood.” They also get homework assignments like writing papers on the 11th Amendment — a recent Bill of Rights addition that serves to deny those same folk the rights normal citizens enjoy. Being a witch isn’t strictly illegal … yet. But things are heading in that direction, with rising levels of prejudicial public hysteria, and federal Bureau of Witchcraft Investigation agents like Hawthorne (Christian Camargo) acting like bloodthirsty Grand Inquisitors.

All of which is rather awkward for Claire, who lives in a rambling remote farmhouse with widowed mother Martha (Elizabeth Mitchell) and twin younger siblings (Cameron and Nicolas Crovetti). She can’t invite friends over, or happily join in witch-bashing banter, because mom uses their home (which conveniently has hidden passageways between walls) as a safe house on a sort of underground railroad smuggling witches to Mexico, which is still granting them asylum.

The family has already received incoming refugees Fiona (Abigail Cowen) and Shae (Echo Campbell) — the two sisters who saw their mother’s gruesome demise back east — when their last “guest” gets caught en route to the border by Hawthorne and fellow BWI personnel. She too meets a fiery end, while a net tightens to ensnare any fleeing-witch enablers in the area.

A classic sullen teen, Claire is further disgruntled by the new arrivals. But she can’t help growing intrigued by friendly, seemingly serene, slightly-older Fiona, or feeling sorry for poor Shae, whom her own same-aged brothers refuse to play with. Meanwhile, Claire worries she might have some forbidden “powers” herself (despite lacking the telltale red hair). When she recklessly takes Fiona to a local bar, they inadvertently create a telekinetic ruckus that is sure to blow the family’s already-imperiled cover.

That Claire would endanger them all thus strains credulity. There are other misjudged elements, like an early encounter with a demon or some such that seems meant as a major plot element, yet never gets explained or utilized again. “Head Count” rested on unsettling ambiguity and tension, two things lacking here. It had little use for action, which Callahan doesn’t show much flair for in “Witch Hunt,” where it’s more important. Beyond a couple decent jump scares, the fantastical elements are handled in pedestrian fashion. Even a principal villain’s fate staged so it offers scant satisfaction, or even clarity. Some subpar effects work adds to a sense that Callahan may have had to cut corners in executing her full original conception.

What does get articulated fully here is the sociopolitical dimension, in which fantasy ideas invariably amplify punitive recent real-world trends regarding the rights of women, minorities and immigrants, complete with a heavily patrolled border “wall.” There’s also room to address xenophobia, prejudice and misogyny cloaked in patriotism, plus the popular pull worldwide toward fascistic leaders and police-state policies.

Some of this is pretty on-the-nose, if not excessively so for something partly aimed at a YA-type audience. Still, witchery works well as a metaphor, here being another thing blamed as a “choice” when in fact its practitioners were “born that way.” The script makes casual, interesting use of traditional superstitions, as well as the Salem trials’ reverberations. (Just what witches can or can’t do is left rather murky, though.) More a supernatural drama than horror, or even a thriller, “Witch Hunt” is in the end primarily an effective cautionary fable about intolerance, sweetened with genre elements.

In a competent cast, Cowen and Mitchell fare best. Production values are OK but sometimes feel a little sparse, with design contributions professional but uninspired. The modest “Head Count” also had a firmer grip on making the most of compositions and pacing.

In many indigenous cultures, crystals are highly regarded for their spiritual significance and are used in ceremonies and healing practices. Witchcraft, on the other hand, is a diverse and complex belief system that encompasses different traditions and practices. It is not solely centered around the use of crystals, but rather incorporates a wide range of tools, rituals, and beliefs.

‘Witch Hunt’ Review: The Entire U.S. Becomes a Modern-Day Salem

While some witches may utilize crystals in their practices, it is important to recognize that not all crystal users are practicing witchcraft, and not all witches incorporate crystals into their craft. The belief that crystals are inherently connected to witchcraft can stem from a lack of understanding or misconceptions about the practice. Witchcraft itself is a diverse and individualized spiritual path, with practitioners incorporating various tools and practices according to their personal beliefs and traditions. Crystals may be used by some witches as tools for energy work, divination, or spellcasting, but this does not mean that all crystal users are witches or that all witches use crystals. It is crucial to approach the topic of crystals with an open mind and respect for different cultural and spiritual beliefs. Crystal usage can be seen as a personal and individual practice, guided by one's own intuition and intentions. While crystals can be a meaningful and powerful tool in connection with spiritual practices, it is essential to separate their usage from misconceptions or stereotypes about witchcraft..

Reviews for "A Beginner's Guide to Incorporating Crystals in Witchcraft"

1. Megan - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Is crystal usage connected to witchcraft". I was hoping to learn more about the historical and cultural significance of crystals and their use in different belief systems. However, the book barely scratched the surface and focused too much on debunking the connection between crystals and witchcraft. I understand that the author wanted to address misconceptions, but it felt like a missed opportunity to explore a fascinating subject in more depth.

2. Derek - 1 star - "Is crystal usage connected to witchcraft" was a complete waste of my time and money. The book is filled with biased arguments against the connection between crystals and witchcraft, completely disregarding the experiences and beliefs of those who practice it. The author's dismissive tone and lack of nuance make it clear that they had a predetermined agenda and were not interested in presenting a fair and balanced discussion. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking genuine insights into the topic.

3. Haley - 2 stars - I was hoping for a more balanced perspective in "Is crystal usage connected to witchcraft" but found the book to be one-sided. While it did provide some interesting information about the history and uses of crystals, it felt like the author had a strong bias against any association with witchcraft. I wish there had been more exploration of different viewpoints and a more open-minded approach to the subject matter.

4. Gregory - 1 star - I found "Is crystal usage connected to witchcraft" to be extremely dismissive of the beliefs and practices of those who believe in the connection. The author's insistence on debunking and discrediting any connection between crystals and witchcraft felt condescending and disrespectful. The book lacked the depth and insight I was expecting and instead focused on promoting a narrow-minded view. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in a fair and balanced exploration of the topic.

Unearthing the Secrets: How Crystals Aid in Witchcraft Rituals