Wild cherry magic can be considered as a form of nature-based spirituality that incorporates the energy and symbolism of the wild cherry tree. The wild cherry tree, scientifically known as Prunus avium, is native to Europe, Western Asia, and parts of North Africa. It is known for its beautiful blossoms in the spring and its delicious cherries in the summer. In wild cherry magic, practitioners believe that the wild cherry tree possesses unique qualities and energies that can be tapped into for healing, transformation, and spiritual connection. These qualities are often associated with the tree's natural cycles, such as the blooming of its flowers and the ripening of its fruits. The wild cherry tree is believed to symbolize growth, renewal, and the cycle of life and death.
MaryAnn’s quick take: Eerie and sinister, operating on a more psychologically incisive level than the typical horror flick. until it tosses it all with a cop-out of an ending.
There are no genuine scares there are signifiers of fear that are meant to be scary merely because they are placed in front of a camera creepy clown dolls; silent sullen children; bare tree branches shifting in a breeze. Caleb eventually finds himself in the woods as well, which results in an amazing scene for the young Scrimshaw that has got to get the kid more work.
The wild cherry tree is believed to symbolize growth, renewal, and the cycle of life and death. Its flowers are seen as a representation of beauty, purity, and new beginnings, while its cherries symbolize abundance, prosperity, and the rewards of hard work. In wild cherry magic, rituals and spells may be performed to harness the energy of the wild cherry tree and to manifest one's desires.
The Witch Review
Writer-director Robert Eggers’ debut feature, The Witch, is a film that immediately transports the viewer to a strange and unsettling alien world: New England of the year 1630, where a Puritan family struggles to survive -- and stay together -- in the face of the brutal wilderness and mysterious, evil forces that surround their lonely, isolated farm.
But there’s more at work in this film than the tried and true horror notion of what lurks beyond, and it’s that chord of religious fanaticism and familial disintegration that really sticks with you long after the closing credits have rolled.
Loading PlayThe father of the family is William (Ralph Ineson of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and The Office), a devout man of faith whose belief system is apparently too extreme even for his fellow Puritan colonists. As such, William and his wife and children are expelled from the colony, and head out alone into the unknown with all of their worldly possessions strapped to an unwieldy wagon. They eventually find a plot of land on the edge of a forest, but as Eggers’ camera trains ominously on a single tree at the tip of the woods, it’s abundantly clear that this is not prime real estate at all.
Newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Thomasin, the eldest daughter who is caught between the needs of her family, her status as a girl on the verge of womanhood, and the extremely unwise and precarious situation her father has put them all in. While playing peek-a-boo in the field with her infant brother, the child suddenly disappears. We see a figure running off with the child in the woods, but the more startling image may be that very game of peek-a-boo, where Eggers puts us in the place of the baby momentarily as Taylor-Joy’s face hangs over us. It’s an odd thing, because Thomasin clearly loves her brother and is playing with him, but every time she uncovered her eyes and yelled “boo” I recoiled a bit.
The family doesn’t know who took the child, however, and this is the first blow of many for the clan. Thomasin isn’t accused outright, not at first anyway, of being responsible for the loss of the baby, but as things grow dire for the family she increasingly becomes a target of her mother’s (a creepy and fragile Kate Dickie, who also played the creepy and fragile Lysa Arryn on Game of Thrones) and her younger twin siblings’, who begin hurling accusations that she’s a witch. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Thomasin in The Witch.
Thomasin’s other brother is Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), who’s closer in age to her than the twins and beginning to feel the stirrings that any young teenage boy would. Of course, living alone with his family and with no other girls close to his age around (beyond Thomasin) isn’t an ideal situation, and this only adds another bit of unsettling texture to the dynamic of this household. Caleb eventually finds himself in the woods as well, which results in an amazing scene for the young Scrimshaw that has got to get the kid more work.
But it’s Taylor-Joy’s movie, as Thomasin tries to keep her family together even while all points lead to its complete and utter collapse. We can see that she is an innocent young girl who only means well, but are the twins right about her? Why is nature so ill at ease around her, anyway? Images of blood coming from a goat’s udder that she’s trying to milk, or a dead baby bird inside a cracked egg she’s handling, are haunting. Meanwhile, the film’s use of sound effects at times shocks the viewer into a sense of unease.
Some audiences may find the dialogue of the film challenging, as Thomasin and company speak in something approaching an authentic (one supposes) early 1600s New England Puritan dialect. The result adds to the otherworldly and off-putting feel of the drama, but it’s not a surprise that not a ton of that lingo has been included in the promotion for The Witch. Similarly, those looking for more conventional horror scares may not find what they’re looking for in this moody, creepy tale.
Loading PlayWhile all the performances in the film are notable, from the little ones to the parents and right on up through “Black Phillip” -- the family goat who may or may not be in tune with the dark forces surrounding the family -- Taylor-Joy stands out as the young, terrified girl who despite her best efforts faces the inexorable pull of madness that those around her exerting. Really, it began even before their move to the border of the dark woods, with a pressure to be righteous and pure and true to God that is so great that it seems virtually impossible to meet. The Witch has its fair share of witchcraft, but that’s not the only horror at play here.
Verdict
Robert Eggers (who won a directing award at Sundance last year for this film) makes his mark with The Witch, a remarkable tale of fear and horror that also serves as a very disturbing coming of age story. Anya Taylor-Joy also mesmerizes as the girl torn between her crumbling family and survival.
This isn’t a word that can be applied to many horror movies of late: eldritch. There is something truly eerily sinister seeping from The Witch, and it is electrifying in a way that is very rare for the genre. Eggers creates some astonishingly unsettling visuals — precisely the sorts of things you would expect to spring from the minds of people obsessed with the Bible, and particularly with the hellfire stuff — as bad omens seem to plague the family, including the disappearance of their newborn son seemingly into thin air. Griefstricken mother, Katherine (Kate Dickie: Game of Thrones, Catch Me Daddy), blames her eldest child, teenager Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), because she was watching the infant; and as another son is taken by a fever and seizures, fears of witchcraft grip the family. As the family turns on one another with increasing suspicion and violence, we are left to wonder just what is going on. Is the family’s isolation and the psychological stress they are under combining with father William’s (Ralph Ineson: Kingsman: The Secret Service, Guardians of the Galaxy) fixation on sin to drive them all mad? Or is the forest home to an actual evil that is out to capture their souls?
This can involve creating an altar with wild cherry blossoms or cherries, using wild cherry wood in magical tools, or incorporating wild cherry leaves or bark into potions and spell work. Wild cherry magic is also often associated with healing and protection. The wild cherry tree is said to have medicinal properties, and its bark and leaves have been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries. In wild cherry magic, these properties are believed to extend to the spiritual realm, providing healing for the soul and protection from negative energies. Overall, wild cherry magic is a practice that honors the energy and symbolism of the wild cherry tree and seeks to tap into its power for personal and spiritual growth. It can be a deeply meaningful and transformative practice for those who connect with the energy of nature and seek to align themselves with its cycles and wisdom..
Reviews for "Wild Cherry: a Mysterious Ingredient in Potions and Elixirs"
1. Samantha - 2/5 - I was really excited to read "Wild Cherry Magic" based on the hype surrounding it, but I ended up feeling disappointed. The story felt predictable, and the characters were not very well-developed. I also found the writing style to be quite simplistic and lacked depth. Overall, I think this book failed to live up to its potential and was a letdown for me.
2. Michael - 3/5 - "Wild Cherry Magic" had an interesting premise, but it fell short in execution. The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The protagonist's journey was predictable and didn't offer any surprising twists or turns. I also found the magical element to be underdeveloped and it left me wanting more. While the book had its moments, it didn't fully captivate me or leave a lasting impression.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I found "Wild Cherry Magic" to be a bit cliché and without any unique qualities that set it apart from other fantasy novels. The characters were one-dimensional, and their actions felt forced and unrealistic at times. The plot lacked depth and failed to fully engage me as a reader. Overall, I was disappointed by this book, and I wouldn't recommend it to those looking for a truly captivating and original fantasy story.
4. David - 2/5 - I struggled to connect with the characters in "Wild Cherry Magic" as I found them to be quite generic and uninteresting. The storyline was also predictable, and I knew exactly how everything would unfold from early on. The writing style was easy to follow, but it lacked the poetic and descriptive elements that I look for in a fantasy novel. Unfortunately, this book didn't leave a lasting impression on me, and I wouldn't consider it a standout in the genre.
5. Rachel - 2/5 - Though "Wild Cherry Magic" had a promising concept, I was ultimately disappointed by its execution. The pacing was slow, and the plot lacked excitement and tension. The main character's development felt rushed, and I didn't fully connect with her journey. Additionally, the magical element of the story was underwhelming, and I was left wanting more depth and exploration. Overall, this book didn't live up to my expectations and left me unsatisfied as a reader.