Depictions & Perspectives

I think it's interesting how many depictions we have of one particular topic and how many different connotations can surround that; how one topic can evoke both comedy and tragedy, laughter and fear, intrigue and disgust. I think this is how both media and society have created witchcraft to be. 

Take movies like Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown for example. When I immediately think of these, I think of happiness, joy, laughter. They're not too frightful or fearful. They have a lighthearted air around them. Conversely, there are movies like The Witch and Blair Witch Project that evoke feelings of fear, horror, and thrill while watching. They're so different, yet so like. No one would think twice about the fright level of the first, but there's a whole slew of people that would refuse to watch the latter. One topic, a million different feelings. How can this be?

I believe it all lies in perspective. The perspective shapes the material. However the director or writer or even the viewer choose to look at the topic, or whichever angle they dive in from is how the subject matter will be received. Is this not how witches still seem to be in society today?

We have the lighthearted, jubilee witch that we see at Halloween time. Kids dress up as her, decorations depict her frame. In the third grade I dressed up as a pink schoolgirl witch with a broom to accompany. I wasn't scared of my image in the mirror., but instead thought I looked awesome! I thought my witch outfit was so cool at the age of eight and yet, there's no way you'd catch me watching a horror movie that involved witchcraft at that same age. The closest thing I got to "scary" was Harry Potter. 

Wicca is a religion of sorts that seems to be a bit of a taboo topic. I remember it being brought up in my senior year world religions class at my private Christian high school. The topic had to be talked about lightly, and tip toed around. Witchcraft was against the Bible. Wicca meant witches which meant evil. And yet, we celebrated halloween and dressed up as witches for school plays. One topic and different rules. 

It's interesting how multifaceted witches are. Both good and bad, a famous figure and a mindful fear. It gets me thinking how many other things we have in life that are viewed both are benevolent and malicious that we don't give a second thought to. We choose the perspective unto which we view things as a society and as individuals. I wonder if a more intentional cognizance of that would change the direction of our civilization.