Magic is an enchanting concept that has captivated humans for centuries. It is defined as the ability to manipulate natural forces and produce extraordinary phenomena through supernatural means. While magic is often perceived as a mere illusion or trick, there are some who believe in its existence and practice it as an art or a spiritual practice. One of the most intriguing aspects of magic is the idea of a "one-sumn gotta shake" – a phrase commonly used among magic practitioners. This phrase refers to the belief that in order to perform magic successfully, one must possess a certain level of energy or vibration. This energy is thought to be generated by shaking or moving one's body in a specific manner.
Practical Magic is a true cult classic. It flopped at the box office, got torn down by critics, and has enjoyed a slow rise to mainstream popularity. This film is charming, fun, and in some ways, unpredictable. Fans come in expecting a light-hearted rom-com with some magical elements, only to find a story that includes abuse, accidental killing, and dark magic. But no matter how bad the circumstances become, the characters can overwhelm the darkness with the help of the women around them.
For Gillian, ridding herself of Jimmy is like dumping the ultimate bad boyfriend He becomes the man who won t go away, who eventually and literally burrows into Gillian s soul and has to be excised. Years later, Sally gets a call in the middle of the night from Gillian, who is trapped in an abusive relationship with a violent man named Jimmy Angelov.
This energy is thought to be generated by shaking or moving one's body in a specific manner. The concept of shaking in magic can be traced back to ancient rituals and ceremonies that involved rhythmic movements or dances. These movements were believed to awaken the inner energy or spiritual forces within a person, allowing them to connect with supernatural powers and perform magical feats.
The Book That Inspired ‘Practical Magic’ Might Not Be What Fans Expect
The cult classic film has garnered a dedicated following, but those who read the movie's source material will probably not be impressed.
February 1, 2022 7 mins read“Practical Magic,” an adored cult classic from 1998, starred many well-known actors, including Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing and Dianne West. The film focuses on two sisters, Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman) Owens, who come from a long line of witches that began with their ancestor Maria Owens. At the ages of 11 and 10, these two girls tragically lose their parents and go live with their aunts, Frances (Channing) and Jet (West), in Massachusetts. Throughout the film, Sally and Gillian face many hardships, and the only way they overcome each obstacle is together.
The inspiration for the film came from a novel of the same name written by Alice Hoffman. Like most movies based on books, this one strays quite far from its original plot. Unlike most movies based on books, however, this one outperforms the original in every way. Fans of the film may even find the novel highly disappointing and possibly appalling.
The Owens’ Legacy
There are a few elements that play vital roles in the cinematic version of “Practical Magic.” One is magic itself. The Owens family comes from a line of witches that began about 200 years before the story begins. During the opening sequence, the aunts tell young Sally and Gillian about their ancestor, Maria Owens, who started it all. Each descendant of Maria (always female) inherits magical powers — a factor made evident numerous times throughout the movie. The aunts teach the girls how to use magic. Young Sally can create and cast spells, light candles by gently blowing on them, and, as an adult, you see her stirring beverages with her powers many times. Every Owens woman in the film uses witchcraft at one point or another, except for Sally’s young daughters, Antonia and Kylie.
However, magic rarely makes an appearance in the book. Only the aunts use their abilities, and it’s normally to help love-sick women claim the person they desire. Sally refuses to believe in magic, Gillian never uses it and Antonia shows no signs of having powers. Once Kylie turns 13, she gains the ability to feel the emotions of others, but this never plays out as an important element in the story other than to see Jimmy’s ghost later in the plot. In fact, the only “magic” that consistently appears is found in the physical beauty of certain Owens’ women, which instantly captivates any man who sees them.
Love or Lust
Love is another key component in the movie — the love between family and romantic relationships. The strong bond between Sally and Gillian plays a key role throughout the whole film. Viewers can easily see the love the entire Owens family has for each other. The movie also teaches the importance of falling in love with the right person.
The novel takes an entirely different approach to love. Sally and Gillian have self-absorbed personalities and never find a deep and meaningful relationship compared to their cinematic counterparts. Antonia treats Kylie like dirt throughout most of the book. The only person Sally appears to truly love is her deceased husband, and the author waits until the last chapter to explain how much the aunts love the nieces they raised.
To make the relationships more awkward, the author depicts all romantic affairs in a highly perverted fashion. She constantly refers to lustful behavior as love, and her ideas of a “healthy and loving relationship” are quite disturbing.
Bad Boyfriend
Not only are the more specific elements of the movie and novel different, but the wider plots differ as well. One of the two main conflicts in the film version of “Practical Magic” starts with the death of Gillian’s abusive alcoholic boyfriend, Jimmy. Sally tries to rescue Gillian from the clutches of her psychotic lover and ends up fatally poisoning him. After unintentionally offing Jimmy, Sally and Gillian freak out over the idea of going to jail for murder. They decide their best course of action is magic. Borrowing the aunts’ spellbook, Sally and Gillian successfully bring Jimmy back from the dead. Once revived, Jimmy tries to pick up where he left off and continues strangling Gillian. Sally responds by banging him over the head with a frying pan until he dies again. Since plan A failed, the sisters move on to plan B: burying Jimmy in the backyard.
With Jimmy twice dead and buried, Sally and Gillian believe they can move on. However, due to the spell, Jimmy turns into a powerful evil spirit who haunts Gillian. Eventually, he possesses Gillian and once again tries to kill her. To permanently get rid of him, the aunts conduct an elaborate ritual to banish him. This event brought the story to its climax and solved multiple ongoing issues in the movie.
In the book, the Jimmy scenario is only one of many meager incidents that transpire. One day, Gillian drives over to Sally’s house with a dead man, Jimmy, in her car under the assumption that she slowly poisoned him to death. To protect Gillain, Sally cleverly decides they should bury him in the backyard. Similar to the movie, they believe their problems are over. But somehow, Jimmy, without the use of magic, turns himself into an obnoxious poltergeist. When they grow tired of his parlor tricks, Sally and Gillian summon the aunts to get rid of him. After pouring an odorous concoction over the burial site, Jimmy is gone, and the problem is solved. The reader also learns that Gillian did not cause Jimmy’s death. The aunts can sense that his death was caused by some other unknown source.
The Curse
The second main conflict in the film is the Owens family curse. The first thing viewers learn while watching the film is that Maria Owens placed a curse upon her family that any man who dared to love an Owens woman would die. The curse first rears up when Sally and Gillian’s father die when they are only children. Their mother dies of a broken heart and the two girls end up moving in with their aunts. The curse shows up again many years later with Sally’s husband who also dies from the curse. One of the many issues resolved after the ritual that took care of Jimmy was the removal of the curse.
The “Practical Magic” book has no curse in it. Sally and Gillian’s parents do die, and so does Sally’s husband. None of these deaths have to do with the curse, however. These deaths only serve the purpose of moving the story along.
Usually, movies based on books lack essential story-building details, character development and other essential components that make the novel far more enjoyable. However, now and then a film succeeds in outshining its published forerunner. The 1998 “Practical Magic,” with its lovable characters, heartwarming story and touch of magic, happens to be one of those bewitching exceptions.
Usually, movies based on books lack essential story-building details, character development and other essential components that make the novel far more enjoyable. However, now and then a film succeeds in outshining its published forerunner. The 1998 “Practical Magic,” with its lovable characters, heartwarming story and touch of magic, happens to be one of those bewitching exceptions.
In contemporary magic practice, the idea of shaking has been adapted and incorporated into various forms of magic, such as spellcasting or energy manipulation. Some practitioners use shaking as a way to raise their energy levels and align themselves with the desired outcome of their magic. Others believe that by shaking their body, they can release any negative or stagnant energy, allowing for a clearer and more powerful connection to the magical realm. It is important to note that the concept of shaking in magic is highly subjective and varies among different magical traditions and practitioners. Some may believe that shaking is an essential component of their practice, while others may not incorporate it at all. Ultimately, the effectiveness of magic and the role of shaking in it largely depend on an individual's beliefs, intentions, and personal experiences. In conclusion, the concept of a "one-sumn gotta shake" in magic emphasizes the importance of energy and vibration in performing magical feats. While shaking may not be a universal practice in all forms of magic, it highlights the connection between physical movement and the manipulation of supernatural forces. Whether one believes in the power of shaking or not, magic continues to be a fascinating and mysterious aspect of human existence..
Reviews for "The Cultural Significance of Magic: One Sumn Gotta Shaje as a Global Phenomenon"
1. Sarah - 2/5 - I found "Magic one sumn gotta shaje" to be quite disappointing. The plot was extremely confusing, and it seemed like the story was all over the place. The characters were poorly developed, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The writing style was also quite messy, with choppy sentences and awkward dialogue. Overall, I didn't find this book enjoyable or engaging.
2. Mark - 1/5 - I couldn't even finish reading "Magic one sumn gotta shaje." The writing was extremely poor; there were numerous grammatical errors and typos throughout the book. The story lacked any coherent structure, and the characters were one-dimensional and uninteresting. I found myself constantly getting bored and confused, and I finally gave up on it. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
3. Emily - 2/5 - "Magic one sumn gotta shaje" was not my cup of tea. The writing style felt juvenile and lacked any depth. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, and the characters were shallow and unrelatable. The plot was scattered and hard to follow, with too many irrelevant subplots that didn't add anything to the story. Overall, I felt like this book was poorly executed and failed to capture my interest.
4. John - 2/5 - I was disappointed with "Magic one sumn gotta shaje." The story had potential, but it was poorly executed. The writing style was lackluster, with repetitive phrases and clichéd descriptions. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, making it hard to care about their stories. Additionally, the pacing was off, with the story dragging in some parts and rushing through others. This book fell short of my expectations.