Fun fact #1 In the scene where they called the quarters and invoked Manon, the girls indeed seemed to raise up energy, whether intentionally or unintentionally, as the shooting of this scene was troubled by sudden tides flooding the circle and halting production. Fun Fact #2 Fairuza Balk, who plays Nancy, was already a practitioner during filming. She ended up buying and owning the magic shop seen in the movie.
Yes~ And Rachel True, the girl who played Rochelle, also started practicing at the time of the film. She published her own tarot deck quite recently too.
Manon was created for the film. But there is a strange on set story I read about the cast speaking of. In the scene where the girls call the quarters they were on a beach (obviously) and the tides got very active and the weather kicked up (like storming). The witchcraft advisor stated that she believed that it may have been due to the fact that Manon sounds very close to Manannan, who is an Irish God of water! I found that story super fascinating, as it crossed over between the film and real world practice!
@@juliereminiec4937 I don’t really understand what you mean? I know that it’s part of how Nancy becomes empowered, but I don’t know how it applies to my comment!
Regarding Rochelle's spell - When her spell was cast it was specified that nothing bad would happen to her bully as long as she didn't bully Rochelle. The angle was that harm she inflicted emotionally on Rochelle would manifest physically on her - Her spell was a kind of reflection spell. And while it was really bad, did weirdly seem to have a positive impact. Her friends didn't abandon the bully, and she also tried to talk to Rochelle with more kindness / no antagonism at the party later (Although Rochelle blew her off due to... well, all the things). It was not a kind result at all, so in the morality of the film it was a bad spell, but I like the way that spell was cast, and that the result, while rough as hell, did appear to force some introspection and a positive change in the bully.
In other words, the spell... did what it was supposed to do very well. Reflected her energy back at the bully and lead to her being a better person. No-one died, and everyone came out the other end better people.
Agreed, this spell was really well done, it’s why it frustrated me that all the girls were grouped into the idea that spells for personal gain are always bad. Because while they all had their reasons, some of the spells were far less damaging than others. Rochelle’s spell had that important clause and Bonnie didn’t want to harm anyone. It was a shame they were all lumped together.
@@HearthWitch it's possible that they were lumped together because of their actions in being in a pack mentality to Alpha Nancy. they did use magic to plague this girl with her worst fears. Nancy did try to kill her and I don't recall if they had a look at each other to say "dude... this is going too far." at the time. like the lady said "true magic is neither black nor white, it's both because nature is both. its the heart of the witch. I think it looked like the reflection spell was bad because Rochelle was feeling bad as the girl became a sobbing mess. I would feel just as conflicted... if I by some miracle punched my bully in the nose (i couldn't fight for shit) and I saw that her nose was broken, I'd probably feel bad forever.
Another interesting point (Spoiler to a nearly 30 year old film): It is implied that Sarah is essentialy an energetic battery. The other 3 girls never had any successful workings until she came along, and they all kind of fed off of her, and it is even evident near the ending that all except Sarah lost their power. Them being deprived of it had nothing to do with practicing for selfish ends, more with them simply leeching off of her.
I agree with the first part of your statement: Sarah was the real source of magic for all the group. But I understood it was Manon who deprived them of it, because of their selfish motives and how they had treated Sarah.
Her mother was a witch, the shop owner knew this from the ring Sarah was wearing, so Sarah inherited the powers but until she met the girls she hadn't thought about it much a part from strange things happening around her
I'd always understood that Sara was the only one who actually had any magic on her and the others ended up having that power 'reflected' on them due to being prt of her coven But then that possibility was removed from them due to that power being misused And Sara never lost any power because it emanated from her to begin with
Sarah was a natrual witch, meant she had to expend very little effort for effect once she knew the way. And the reason why the others list their powers is because Sarah bound them. In the movie, after her battle with Nancy, Sarah resumes her binding spell on Nancy, and I'm willing to bet that she bound the others too, even though it wasn't shown
@@PsychicRogue Yeah - the other two lost ALL their powers right after they used them (along with Nancy) to attack Sarah. Can hardly blame her for binding them as well.
As someone who was a teenager in the 90’s and completely enthralled with the idea of witchcraft, this movie is close to my heart. I absolutely love your breakdown of it. Thanks.
Nancy was the only one who said "hear me" not "hear us" like other girls. Which to me it translates how Nancy was the most selfish out of the group and the most power hungry.
The actual witchcraft shop was filmed was located in hamilton ontario canada. Sadly the shop closed during covid. 😢... was my goto for Witchy supplies. And actually was altered very little for the movie.
Amazing video as always. ❤ Btw Manon is a fictionaø deity. The film maker didn't want to invoce any real deities or any teen to mess with forces they didn't understand.
I think the reason their spells manifested the way they did was because their magick sensed their true intentions- even if they themselves did not. They had valid reasons to want what they did, but they cast those spells with feelings of anger, revenge, etc. So the magick was like- oh I gotchu girl. Just how I've always seen it. But omg thank you for this. I will forever love the Craft. I had my own version of this lil teen coven in highschool and ugh my heart. I gotta go rewatch it now lol
I thought that too...especially when I started to seriously look into witchcraft. I remember reading, in a book about spells, that intention is just as important (if not more so) as words.
@@MinasMagic exactly! Which is why we not only need to understand how magick works but how we ourselves - our minds and emotions work- if we want to cast successfully and without screwing stuff up lol
This feels accurate to me. Each of the girls were casting their spells with some form of negative emotions in their hearts, which tainted their intent. Thus, their magic tainted the path of their spells, but we also see that none of them except for Sarah truly find discomfort in what they have done (Rochelle does perhaps feel a moment of shock and horror when she encounters Laura nearly bald in the gym shower, clutching handfuls of hair and sobbing, but she doesn't recant what she did), so the taint just compounds.
I really enjoy The Craft. It's such a fun movie! I'd love for you to do a video on Practical Magic. When my coven and I went to see it at the theater, we cheered when Sally says "There's no devil in the craft."
This was the first 'witchy' movie I watched after I discovered Wicca & took some basic classes. I was a young adult who had just left my fundie upbringing & I couldn't believe all of this existed. It was really exciting to see it on the big screen in a representation that, for the first time I knew, mirrored what actual witches did. I also learned a few things that I picked up for my craft, esp the binding spell. The next movie that had this kind of impact on me was Practical Magic. They helped me open up my view of the world and seek out new ideas & thoughts in witchcraft, spirituality, deities and other religions. I think I need to watch The Craft again now to see what I see different from an old crone's eyes. **cackle**
@@dollcefina I always understood it as Sarah sort of instinctively downplaying/weakening her own innate power, given that the others always seemed a little jealous of how she could make things happen. This meant that with Nancy both feeding off Sarah's magic (after all, without her, the coven's spells had previously been entirely ineffective), and her being empowered by her invoking the spirit, she was able to overwhelm Sarah's timid, fear-weakened binding spell. We see this again in how Sarah panics and runs at the mere hint that the others are approaching, despite the shopkeeper insisting that her place of power was safe; Sarah can't find the power in herself to combat the other girls, until her back is to the proverbial wall, and she finally embraces her power and her true self.
"Manon" was indeed created for the purpose of this film. They didn't use any real world deity in order to avoid mispractice by potential new practicioners.
I was always so sad how “Hollywood” the last part of the movie got. I always felt it could have had so much more “substance” to the ending, but then again, it was still a 90’s teen movie, after all. Thanks for inspiring me to watch it again and look purely at the little details-fun idea!
Ugh, I absolutely HATED the second half of the first movie!!! I felt like it could've been a powerful feminist story, and instead, they threw it into the direction of the age-old misogynist idea that women and girls are disloyal bitches who ALWAYS turn on each other in the end, just to make it all sensational and shit. They could've made it more emotionally complex and ultimately redeeming. At least the much later sequel film went all-out feminist to make up for it, hahaha! That one was fun. Does anyone know if they're gonna make a further sequel in the form of a film or TV series, as (I won't write a spoiler, but) the ending of the second film looked SUPER interesting?? 😻
Funny enough: Fun Fact: The ritual they did in various parts and ways is the First Degree initiation Rite/Ceremony From the Gardnerian Tradition. This is From the First initiation degree: "O thou who standest on the threshold between the pleasant world of men and the dread domains of the lords of the outer spaces, hast thou the courage to make the assay?" (Place point of the Magic Sword or Athame to Postulant's heart.) "For I say verily it were better to rush on my blade and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart." Postulant: "I have two perfect words: perfect love, and perfect trust."
Personally I absolutely love The Craft, I watch it every Imbole and every Beltane, with a bottle of consecrated cabernet sauvignon of course lol. Fairuza Balk was just outstanding and she even said in an interview that she was basically an atheist before studying and practicing wicca, but was proven wrong when she experienced things that were otherworldly and supernatural. I also love Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell and of course Rachel True. They all had excellent chemistry and this movie was truly magical because it was filmed in the 90s. I was only 7 in 1996 so I am a true 90's kid haha. I have also shown this movie to several friends and they have all loved it.
I was brought up on this movie. Ironically, I had already started dabbling in the craft at age 6, and this came out when I was 8. So I felt like it was 'made for me'. Oh, the 90s, between this, Practical Magic, Buffy, and Charmed- what a magickal time to be raised. ✨️💖
The almanac Bonnie was reading from was actually "The Old Farmer's Almanac", an annual publication for farmers and people who grow their own flowers and vegetables. It was used as a prop for that particular scene.😊
I heard that Manon was created for the film because the advisor warned against using real deities because it would invoke them. They were worried that invoking deities for just a scene filmed would be disrespectful and cause issues.
hi, i'm 45 and i saw this movie 3 times in the theater back in the 90s as a teen already studying wicca (ie reading ALL the scott cunningham - it was a diff time then - dont judge!), even saw it on prom night cause i was a dateless wonder. i went to the theater to forget about...everything - but i digress although some do pan this movie - it was very influential to me and one thing i wanted to point out was the subtext of Sarah being a 'generational' witch whos powers were implied to be inherited from her mother who died in childbirth and the plot has her character 'grow' into her powers as opposed to the other three kinda wanna-be witches who didnt have power at all until she rocked up. thank as always providing wonderful commentary and context that i never even considered watching the film about the elemental symbiology of the characters, bonnie's burns - fire, rochelle's swimming water, for example and even though the movie was a blatant star vehicle for Neve Campbell's career - she was a lead role on Party of Five a popular fox drama at the time.... the movie was pivotal in all the co-stars careers. and so on... but i can go on FOREVER, but if any of you havent followed Rachel True on social media or checked out her tarot deck she produced, YOU SHOULD. and Fairuza Balk goes without saying cause she was the real deal off camera anyways. Much Love Yall
I agree with your assessment about the character Sarah being a ‘generational witch’ and the other three being the “students of being new witches”. I would think and not wanna-to-be witches. I also agree with the rest of your assessment.
My late husband was pretty knowledgeable about this stuff (I just had a passing interest, though I love this movie). He'd tell me the movie was like five degrees off accurate. Close, but not quite to a point where he thought it was intentional. More than enough to get someone interested, but not so accurate that people could do stuff beyond what they understood.
This movie is such a classic. I would like to add one more thing. It’s important to take care when invoking or evoking spirits or entities regardless of which tradition. Without proper understanding and protection, these practices CAN be dangerous. They can be unsettling and indeed cause psychological distress. Nancy was warned but she didn’t listen.
I've used the Llewellyn's Daily Planetary Guide since the 1980s, when I was a teen. Llewellyn publishes great almanacs! Practical Magic is a favourite of mine as well as Bell, Book, and Candle. Thanks, Hearth!
I am of this generation - coming of age (late teens/early twenties) - finding Witchcraft, first books (Cunningham/Ravenwolf, etc) - and eventually a community. Many of my friends are actually more fond of Practical Magic (if you have never read the book, I recommend) but we were so happy to just see representation and a not complete witchcraft=devil worship, and this was fun.
Isn’t it funny to see the teens and 20 somethings loving this movie when I was bullied right out of Wicca by gatekeepers that hated the “trend” back then the way some hate tiktok now. 😂 I will forever love this movie for awakening the witch in me.
I think what Bonnie issue was her lack of gratitude for her gift. She became just as nasty as the people who condemned her. Ego can make you as ugly as scars on your back. ❤ Thanks for this video. I love your voice for conveying knowledge. You are so warm and inviting. Thank you.❤
The craft is one of my favourite films so I found this very interesting, thank you. I grew up in the 90s and loved the variety of witchy resources in shops. I suggest practical magic, willow from Buffy the vampire slayer and the original charmed (the first 3 seasons have more witchcraft in them than seasons 4 -8).
I also read that 'Manon' was a fictional deity created for the film because I think they attempted to petition another popular deity - I'm imagining Hekate or Odin or something but weird stuff started to occur on set - so they invented Manon. But I also read that there was some speculation, in addition to the Mabon idea, that Manon may have been based on the Irish Sea God Manannán mac Lir - which would make sense considering they attempt to evoke the spirit at the sea. It may have been a blog on Patheos that explored the Manannan mac Lir discourse but yes so interesting! 😊Xx
something you forgot about was the reason they invited sarah into the coven in the first place. it was because bonnie saw her preforming magic unintentoally in class
The director talks about it in the commentary, that he was concerned about using real deities in the film, just in case they actually summoned anything lol. Manon is in reference to a French film he loved called Manon of the Spring.
I had been interested in and studying the craft prior to the films release (I was in high school at the time). While I understood it's a fictional account it was still a catalyst for me to further my studies and practices. I found it very powerful to see it being portrayed in popular culture instead of in shadows. It was something that some friends and I became very involved with and cemented our little coven - we all still gather regularly in our practices
It was the same for me! Oddly enough, I had just begun looking into various religious beliefs, as well as fortune telling and paranormal abilities, when this came out. It struck such a chord with me that I soon began reading specifically about witchcraft. I've been pagan ever since.
this movie defines gave me the ‘witches call’ i started practicing at 13 and then put it down , only practicing here and there for about 20 years and this past decade i’ve developed my own regular practice again where I incorporate witchcraft daily. u have such a great way of explaining everything. ur def my go to for enhancing my witchcraft knowledge quickly
I love that you touched on the shop owner. I loved her so much and thought it would’ve been amazing if they had another scene with her that lasted longer!!
I grew up in the 90's. Such an awesome time and I was glad to have been a teen then. I thought the movie was kind of corny but I still liked it. I like your channel. It reminds me of being that age again. I practiced Wicca. I grew up being very connected to nature. I was lucky to live in a gorgeous area in southwestern Pennsylvania called the Laurel Highlands. So Wicca naturally attracted me. My spirituality has evolved into sort of my own over the years but I still consider myself a witch and I still work with herbs and I still talk to the fae and the moon and all of that. Enjoy this time in your life and keep doing what you do.
They had an actual witch on the set as an adviser who was telling what and how to do certain things, Also Fairuza Balk (Nancy) was a practicing witch at the time.
We had a great life. Born in the 70s, grew up in the 80s and watched The Craft in the 90s 😊❤. I love the film so much and I watched it at the Odeon cinema in Hastings, UK with my mates and later with my oldest child on DVD. Bless you all. Skeet Ulrich aka Chris Hooker is so hot ❤
Although I didn't really like the movie that much when I watched it, it's super cool they included so many aspects and even complete rituals and spells that are true to real life and practice! I always love these kinds of videos from you, because it's such a fun way of sharing your vast knowledge with us and at the same time gives me a new perspective on the shows and a new appreciation for them. AND I'm learning a lot! 🙌 So thank you for sharing, as always! 🖤🤗
I loved this movie soooooooo much back in the 90s. It was *the* reason I jumped from studying shamanism to wicca back then~ Please do more of these movie/television/media reviews, this one was so much fun!
Loved this movie ! I was surprised how much they got right ! Maybe because after filming The Worst Witch, Fairuza Balk took an interest in the Craft and became Wiccan later on. I also love how they made one of the girls, Sara, a natural witch. We do exist !!! 😉
@@LaurenxOtt If we're going by the film's description, a "natural witch" is someone who has an inborn talent for magic even before they actively practice, and don't have to necessarily manifest power from an external source. Sarah mentions that she makes things happen, though they often go awry, telling the others how she once wanted it to rain, and a pipe burst in her ceiling, or how she once went deaf for three days after wishing it was quiet. She is also levitating a pencil atop her desk when Bonnie first notices her, making it spin point-down on the surface of her desk. Thus, she has the power innately, rather than it being a thing she's learned and practiced, and brought into herself from the world around her, like the other three were trying to do.
as a teen since birth I've literally been obsessed w da idea of being a witch da magic n power of nature, pyschichs, spirituality, everything I thank da universe for even drawing da movie to my presence. I also thank da universe for divine guidance n everything I have learned 😊.
I loved the movie (and still do) Gave me some inspiration (the invocation of the Watchtowers for example) as a Teen and I still appreciate the essential details like "As above - so below"
I wish we could have seen more of the shop owner in the film! She was such a cool person in the movie. I also wish we could have seen more of Sarah's mother. Since she was a witch her self.
I did my very first witch lore review on The Craft, but as I am not a practitioner, it was great to hear a different perspective on the film, love these videos. 🖤 We actually see images of the Thoth tarot deck and from the Grand Grimoire in the opening sequence too!
I absolutely love your channel! This was a great in depth look into this film. Shocking that this movie is fast approaching it's 30th anniversary. Also thank you for the reminder to everyone that WE are all not Wiccans.
I was 14 years old when this came out and I remember how much the older witches in AOL witchcraft chats were SO mean to me because they all hated this movie, the “trend” it caused, and especially Silver RavenWolf books. I remember being terrified to admit I liked The Craft. So people have been assholes since the Dawn of time if anyone’s wondering 😂
And that teen witch book by ravenwolf convinced me at the time that I was required to be in a coven and the only way for a teen to remotely meet people was via AOL chat rooms so it was a full vicious circle!
I love this movie! It was such an inspiration to me, sneakily watching it as a kid where my parents couldn't see. It's got such a powerful and iconic aesthetic, but so much of it is spot on (or at least based in actual practice) that we couldn't ask for a better gateway movie for the witchily curious. I'm not and never have been Wiccan, my path lies elsewhere, but the glimmer and flames and sparkles, and the excitement the girls felt as they learned what they were capable of doing - it's a dream of what drew so many of us to our own crafts. Especially, as you said, in the 90s, when resources and information were so few and hard to find. I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but Rochelle's actress, Rachel True, is a practicing witch with her own podcast and tarot empire. Excellent to see. :)
Mananan Mac Lir, the god of the sea. It did strike me similar and thought of the possibility of the summoning spell by the sea being a corroboration of this. This movie will always be close to my heart. I remember how watching it rekindled my own practice as I only practiced solitary at the time.
I've always wanted to be a witch since I was young (every Halloween; Mom: What do you want to be? Me: a witch) The Craft really got me more interested and then Practial Magic with Sandra Bullock locked me in (there is a movie called practical magic with a young Ryan Renyolds set in Paris, Ontario, that's why I specify). Then, reading more and more I'm finding the right path for me.
ngl this movie was my intro to the craft. I was 16 when it dropped and saw it with my two besties in HS. We started practising and after opening our coven, the walk from the park back to my house. I will never forget we were guided the entire way home, every 3rd driveway there was a cat sitting at the end of the drive. We passed by at least thirteen cats on the way home, and when we got back my mum's cat was waiting for us at the drive and walked us up the drive and into the house. I have never forgotten that. I've been a practising witch since then. I always tell people I started for all the wrong reasons, but I stayed for all the right ones.
Pat Devin who was a "Dianic Elder Priestess and a member of Coven Ashesh Hekat, as well as Public Information Officer of Covenant of the Goddess, Southern California Local Council." was the witch they hired to be a technical advisor to make sure the movie had some accurate and appropriate information.
YESSSSSS i wasn’t allowed to watch this movie as a kid and when i was a teenager i couldn’t seem to find anywhere to watch it!! i finally watched it the other day for the first time after so long of waiting and i was astounded by how incredible it was!!
Well certainly Practical Magic would also be a good film to review. Perhaps Chronicle would also be fun to compare against The Craft, as it's (at a basic level) a similar plot with boys instead of girls. It's not so much about witchcraft like the Craft is, more along the "a group of kids get magic powers and then chaos ensues because the abused one loses it" line.
This movie and many others was my gateway into witchcraft, so its very dear to me, i just luv that your talking about it 🫶🏼 love your vids there always so fun to watch
Just want to point out that Rochelle's spell very specifically says that it will only do anything at all to her bully IF her bully harms her first. It's a protection spell. I think there's a very strong argument that, although the spell did cause harm, it wasn't TO cause harm. Even Nancy's spell is to protect her from abuse, and though of course I don't condone the outcome, I don't think she specifically intended to kill him. I actually consider Sarah's spell the worst. The others are all some kind of healing or protective spells; hers is just revenge.
I mean, all we get of Sarah's "spell" is during the initiation ritual, where she says that she hopes to love herself more, and be loved by others in turn, with the mention of Chris in particular. The wording doesn't particularly read as vengeful, as her initial intent is self-love, and through that to manifest into external love, with hope that such will attract true love from Chris. She wasn't aiming to ensnare or manipulate him, she just had a genuine want for his interest and affection, and was hoping to grow more comfortable with herself in order to become more truly attractive to him, rather than as just another piece of tail. Unfortunately, her intent might have been tainted by her lingering pain at his treatment (telling the entire school that he got her in bed on the first night, and that she was terrible, thus potentially ruining her chances at a relationship with anyone due to his being the top popular guy of the school), but there's no real signs of directed vengeance in what's said. That she lets the influence of the coven take her to a bad place when she has Chris' devotion (using it as a means of malicious payback, treating him like a servant and leaving him hanging) is a sign of how her personality is being affected by what they're doing, just as much as the others, but she does ultimately realize that she's done something wrong, and seeks to undo her spell in order to remove his obsession. By comparison, in that same initiation scene, Rochelle literally calls out her bully when talking about wanting to not hate others for hating her, spitting "Especially little bleach-blonde pieces of _shit,_ like Laura Lizzie!", implying that she does in fact well-and-truly hate Laura, even as she's trying and wanting to be the bigger person. Not saying that she was necessarily aiming to cause harm either, but it's clear that there was a greater malice underlying her actions as the film went on.
Growing up I LOVED this movie. Even now. I heard in a podcast interview that Manon was made up because the with consultant (I think named Pat Devin?) did not want to influence the foolish into summoning a real deity without the proper knowledge or respect. Def need a rewatch soon. Blessed be!
To note, there's also another binding spell though not mentioned in the movie, it's very similar in structure as the one with the white ribbon, except you use cord and knot it (just make sure to set the intention that you're binding them to the cord, not yourself. In any binding, in any spell for that matter, be sure to be precise in your wording.)
I just watched it yesterday for the first time…and I can definitely see how this movie probably was a Queer awakening for some. And as someone who is out…damn. They’re all gorgeous. 😂
As a Wiccan, this is my favorite movie of all time and was kinda my introduction to the beliefs. I already did feel connected to the topics of such, but this did tie it together for me.
The Craft is my fav film of all time!!! It has the best soundtrack of all time & though its dated to modern times, its timeless for me as a quintessential 90s film of my childhood!
Thank you SO much for covering this movie! I squealed when I got the notification 🤣 I was around 12/13 when I saw this movie and I. Was. Obsessed. Of course as a young girl in the 90s my interest in witchcraft was growing and I couldn't believe this movie existed. I loved that her name was Sarah like me! Hehe. The beach scene is my favorite. I loved that they were using the power of the storm 🖤 ugggghhhh it's so good and so nostalgic for me. And I'm sorry but I kind of love when Nancy throws Chris out the window, just gonna say it 😆
Something you said about the shop keep made me come up with a conspiracy theory: you know how you go into a shop mystic shop and there are signs saying “steal at your own risk karma is real” or something like that. What if all the problematic things that happened to them were results of the shop keeper! They did use all the stolen goods in their rituals. Out of the 4 only one was able to keep her powers because she was honest and the shop keeper admired that! 🤯🤯🤯
I have seen this movie since the 90’s but during that time I made friends with a Wiccan. It was my first experience with witchcraft or anything like it. It had a huge impact on my life. I want to watch the movie again now 😅
Love this video! Thank you for confirming my practices. 🙏🏼 Would love to see a similar video of 'Practical Magic' as I'm a solitary witch. 🧙🏼♀️ Blessed be!! ✨
I've been waiting for this video for years and I am so exited to watch it! The Craft is one of my favourite movies and I am so interested in your opinion about it. The Craft is actually what got me into Wicca in the first place.
Thank you for respecting non-Wiccan ideologies. I myself, find more joy in practicing "black magick" and even chaos magick instead of "white magick". I also don't believe we get "westernized karma" back 3x.
Awesome video. I love the fact that you are factual on what went on behind the scenes, the points of what went on in the film and how they relate to witchcraft and Wicca. I also want to say thank you for not Wicca bashing as it's been all to common lately and starting to become annoying.
I have to admit that this movie is a 90s classic! it was the first movie that introduced me to magic practice, I ended up as a chaos magician but I still respect the wiccan and witchcraft community.
1) I love the movie The Craft 2) thanks for the insight 3) I love learning more about Witchcraft and thanks for calling my attention so I can spot the information
Loved this video! Love The Craft since i was a young teen! Thank you for your take on it! I was wondering if you'd ever seen The Witches of Eastwick? (1987), Wicked Stepmother ( 1989 with Bette Davis) , Teen Witch (1989) Or The Wicker Man (1973 original and 2006 remake)? I enjoy those as well! 💜
Fun fact #1 In the scene where they called the quarters and invoked Manon, the girls indeed seemed to raise up energy, whether intentionally or unintentionally, as the shooting of this scene was troubled by sudden tides flooding the circle and halting production.
Fun Fact #2 Fairuza Balk, who plays Nancy, was already a practitioner during filming. She ended up buying and owning the magic shop seen in the movie.
I love fun facts like these 😊
Really? I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing.
Neat. 😊
I think she became Wiccan after filming The Worst Witch.
Yes~ And Rachel True, the girl who played Rochelle, also started practicing at the time of the film. She published her own tarot deck quite recently too.
Manon was created for the film. But there is a strange on set story I read about the cast speaking of. In the scene where the girls call the quarters they were on a beach (obviously) and the tides got very active and the weather kicked up (like storming). The witchcraft advisor stated that she believed that it may have been due to the fact that Manon sounds very close to Manannan, who is an Irish God of water! I found that story super fascinating, as it crossed over between the film and real world practice!
Enchantress : Would this be a All power Spell' ?
Nancy : I drink of my sisters & I ask for All the Power Of Manon
@@juliereminiec4937 I don’t really understand what you mean? I know that it’s part of how Nancy becomes empowered, but I don’t know how it applies to my comment!
I thought Manon the sin of greed?
@@EveLunarmoon that is mammon.
@@EnchantressOfAvalon ah I see thank you very much, guess it just sounded similar I didn’t think the spelling be the same
Regarding Rochelle's spell - When her spell was cast it was specified that nothing bad would happen to her bully as long as she didn't bully Rochelle. The angle was that harm she inflicted emotionally on Rochelle would manifest physically on her - Her spell was a kind of reflection spell. And while it was really bad, did weirdly seem to have a positive impact. Her friends didn't abandon the bully, and she also tried to talk to Rochelle with more kindness / no antagonism at the party later (Although Rochelle blew her off due to... well, all the things). It was not a kind result at all, so in the morality of the film it was a bad spell, but I like the way that spell was cast, and that the result, while rough as hell, did appear to force some introspection and a positive change in the bully.
In other words, the spell... did what it was supposed to do very well. Reflected her energy back at the bully and lead to her being a better person. No-one died, and everyone came out the other end better people.
Agreed, this spell was really well done, it’s why it frustrated me that all the girls were grouped into the idea that spells for personal gain are always bad. Because while they all had their reasons, some of the spells were far less damaging than others. Rochelle’s spell had that important clause and Bonnie didn’t want to harm anyone. It was a shame they were all lumped together.
Rochelle's spell also became a s revenge spell
@@HearthWitch it's possible that they were lumped together because of their actions in being in a pack mentality to Alpha Nancy. they did use magic to plague this girl with her worst fears. Nancy did try to kill her and I don't recall if they had a look at each other to say "dude... this is going too far." at the time.
like the lady said "true magic is neither black nor white, it's both because nature is both. its the heart of the witch.
I think it looked like the reflection spell was bad because Rochelle was feeling bad as the girl became a sobbing mess. I would feel just as conflicted... if I by some miracle punched my bully in the nose (i couldn't fight for shit) and I saw that her nose was broken, I'd probably feel bad forever.
Yes!
Pretty sure the chant was “now is the time, this is the hour, ours is the magic, ours is the power”
That’s correct! I always chanted along with them.
@@JollyGoodJewWitch So do I ..I even changed the chant ( I changed the ours to mine ) ,so a Solitary could chant it
"...an example of a standard witch's altar, and by that i mean it's covered in stuff." -i love that quote! thank you Hearth! 😊
Another interesting point (Spoiler to a nearly 30 year old film):
It is implied that Sarah is essentialy an energetic battery. The other 3 girls never had any successful workings until she came along, and they all kind of fed off of her, and it is even evident near the ending that all except Sarah lost their power.
Them being deprived of it had nothing to do with practicing for selfish ends, more with them simply leeching off of her.
I agree with the first part of your statement: Sarah was the real source of magic for all the group. But I understood it was Manon who deprived them of it, because of their selfish motives and how they had treated Sarah.
Her mother was a witch, the shop owner knew this from the ring Sarah was wearing, so Sarah inherited the powers but until she met the girls she hadn't thought about it much a part from strange things happening around her
This made sense🎉
The Craft : Legacy is the mirror of The Craft in this way
Lily is the fourth
What you've mentioned is very similar to the beginning of The Craft : Legacy
I'd always understood that Sara was the only one who actually had any magic on her and the others ended up having that power 'reflected' on them due to being prt of her coven
But then that possibility was removed from them due to that power being misused
And Sara never lost any power because it emanated from her to begin with
The coven was actually Nancy's, but yes, Sarah's natural witchcraft gave it the oomph it needed.
Sarah was a natrual witch, meant she had to expend very little effort for effect once she knew the way.
And the reason why the others list their powers is because Sarah bound them. In the movie, after her battle with Nancy, Sarah resumes her binding spell on Nancy, and I'm willing to bet that she bound the others too, even though it wasn't shown
@@PsychicRogue Yeah - the other two lost ALL their powers right after they used them (along with Nancy) to attack Sarah. Can hardly blame her for binding them as well.
Sarah's power was amplified ,because she didn't use it for Personal Gain /to harm /kill others ( Nancy) ...
As someone who was a teenager in the 90’s and completely enthralled with the idea of witchcraft, this movie is close to my heart. I absolutely love your breakdown of it. Thanks.
Nancy was the only one who said "hear me" not "hear us" like other girls. Which to me it translates how Nancy was the most selfish out of the group and the most power hungry.
The actual witchcraft shop was filmed was located in hamilton ontario canada. Sadly the shop closed during covid. 😢... was my goto for Witchy supplies. And actually was altered very little for the movie.
I have a “we are the weirdos mister” license plate frame 🦇
❤
@@teslagoth9401 I have a shirt!!
Amazing video as always. ❤
Btw Manon is a fictionaø deity. The film maker didn't want to invoce any real deities or any teen to mess with forces they didn't understand.
Yes. And also, as I understand it, mostly the film maker didn’t want to dishonour any acctual dieties nor persons/practitioners working with them.
I think the reason their spells manifested the way they did was because their magick sensed their true intentions- even if they themselves did not. They had valid reasons to want what they did, but they cast those spells with feelings of anger, revenge, etc. So the magick was like- oh I gotchu girl. Just how I've always seen it.
But omg thank you for this. I will forever love the Craft. I had my own version of this lil teen coven in highschool and ugh my heart. I gotta go rewatch it now lol
I thought that too...especially when I started to seriously look into witchcraft. I remember reading, in a book about spells, that intention is just as important (if not more so) as words.
@@MinasMagic exactly! Which is why we not only need to understand how magick works but how we ourselves - our minds and emotions work- if we want to cast successfully and without screwing stuff up lol
This feels accurate to me. Each of the girls were casting their spells with some form of negative emotions in their hearts, which tainted their intent. Thus, their magic tainted the path of their spells, but we also see that none of them except for Sarah truly find discomfort in what they have done (Rochelle does perhaps feel a moment of shock and horror when she encounters Laura nearly bald in the gym shower, clutching handfuls of hair and sobbing, but she doesn't recant what she did), so the taint just compounds.
I really enjoy The Craft. It's such a fun movie! I'd love for you to do a video on Practical Magic. When my coven and I went to see it at the theater, we cheered when Sally says "There's no devil in the craft."
I agree would love to see a video on Practical Magic. My fav other than the Craft.
I love Practical Magic that's one of my favourite movies ✨️🌙
Sally : Witchcraft isn't only spells &potions
I, too would love to see a video on Practical Magic.
Yes. Please do Practical Magic.
I was obsessed with this movie when I was a teen, I bought it on video and made everyone I could to watch it.😂
My favourite movie between the age of 8-10.
It's a classic!
This was the first 'witchy' movie I watched after I discovered Wicca & took some basic classes. I was a young adult who had just left my fundie upbringing & I couldn't believe all of this existed. It was really exciting to see it on the big screen in a representation that, for the first time I knew, mirrored what actual witches did. I also learned a few things that I picked up for my craft, esp the binding spell. The next movie that had this kind of impact on me was Practical Magic. They helped me open up my view of the world and seek out new ideas & thoughts in witchcraft, spirituality, deities and other religions. I think I need to watch The Craft again now to see what I see different from an old crone's eyes. **cackle**
I've always wanted to know, how come Sarah's binding spell had no effect whatsoever on Nancy?
@@dollcefina I always understood it as Sarah sort of instinctively downplaying/weakening her own innate power, given that the others always seemed a little jealous of how she could make things happen. This meant that with Nancy both feeding off Sarah's magic (after all, without her, the coven's spells had previously been entirely ineffective), and her being empowered by her invoking the spirit, she was able to overwhelm Sarah's timid, fear-weakened binding spell. We see this again in how Sarah panics and runs at the mere hint that the others are approaching, despite the shopkeeper insisting that her place of power was safe; Sarah can't find the power in herself to combat the other girls, until her back is to the proverbial wall, and she finally embraces her power and her true self.
"Manon" was indeed created for the purpose of this film.
They didn't use any real world deity in order to avoid mispractice by potential new practicioners.
and just think of the Archetype for Manon,that has been built up by now
@@josephperkins4857
The closest thing thing I can think of is "The Universe/Cosmos/The All".
I was always so sad how “Hollywood” the last part of the movie got. I always felt it could have had so much more “substance” to the ending, but then again, it was still a 90’s teen movie, after all. Thanks for inspiring me to watch it again and look purely at the little details-fun idea!
Ugh, I absolutely HATED the second half of the first movie!!! I felt like it could've been a powerful feminist story, and instead, they threw it into the direction of the age-old misogynist idea that women and girls are disloyal bitches who ALWAYS turn on each other in the end, just to make it all sensational and shit. They could've made it more emotionally complex and ultimately redeeming. At least the much later sequel film went all-out feminist to make up for it, hahaha! That one was fun. Does anyone know if they're gonna make a further sequel in the form of a film or TV series, as (I won't write a spoiler, but) the ending of the second film looked SUPER interesting?? 😻
The Second half of The Craft depicted what happenes when Magick is used against another witch
It usually esculates into a magickal war...
Funny enough: Fun Fact: The ritual they did in various parts and ways is the First Degree initiation Rite/Ceremony From the Gardnerian Tradition.
This is From the First initiation degree:
"O thou who standest on the threshold between the pleasant world of men and the dread domains of the lords of the outer spaces, hast thou the courage to make the assay?" (Place point of the Magic Sword or Athame to Postulant's heart.) "For I say verily it were better to rush on my blade and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart."
Postulant: "I have two perfect words: perfect love, and perfect trust."
Personally I absolutely love The Craft, I watch it every Imbole and every Beltane, with a bottle of consecrated cabernet sauvignon of course lol. Fairuza Balk was just outstanding and she even said in an interview that she was basically an atheist before studying and practicing wicca, but was proven wrong when she experienced things that were otherworldly and supernatural. I also love Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell and of course Rachel True. They all had excellent chemistry and this movie was truly magical because it was filmed in the 90s. I was only 7 in 1996 so I am a true 90's kid haha. I have also shown this movie to several friends and they have all loved it.
I was brought up on this movie. Ironically, I had already started dabbling in the craft at age 6, and this came out when I was 8. So I felt like it was 'made for me'. Oh, the 90s, between this, Practical Magic, Buffy, and Charmed- what a magickal time to be raised. ✨️💖
The almanac Bonnie was reading from was actually "The Old Farmer's Almanac", an annual publication for farmers and people who grow their own flowers and vegetables. It was used as a prop for that particular scene.😊
wouldn't the front of the Almanac have to be covered ( copyright issues) ?
It also Could have been Llewellyn's Magickal Almanac
Actually, I believe it was the Llewellyn's Magical Almanac. It looks very similar to the Farmer's, but specifically for witchcraft.
@@MsMarvelDuckie And the cover of the farmer's almanac would be a different color
@@KatyaReminiec9399 Yup, Farmer's is yellow. This was not the right color.
I heard that Manon was created for the film because the advisor warned against using real deities because it would invoke them. They were worried that invoking deities for just a scene filmed would be disrespectful and cause issues.
Definitely loved it!
1 Practical Magic
2 The Craft
3 The Witch
Thank you for this
Three very different takes on witchcraft.
hi, i'm 45 and i saw this movie 3 times in the theater back in the 90s as a teen already studying wicca (ie reading ALL the scott cunningham - it was a diff time then - dont judge!), even saw it on prom night cause i was a dateless wonder. i went to the theater to forget about...everything - but i digress
although some do pan this movie - it was very influential to me and one thing i wanted to point out was the subtext of Sarah being a 'generational' witch whos powers were implied to be inherited from her mother who died in childbirth and the plot has her character 'grow' into her powers as opposed to the other three kinda wanna-be witches who didnt have power at all until she rocked up.
thank as always providing wonderful commentary and context that i never even considered watching the film about the elemental symbiology of the characters, bonnie's burns - fire, rochelle's swimming water, for example and even though the movie was a blatant star vehicle for Neve Campbell's career - she was a lead role on Party of Five a popular fox drama at the time.... the movie was pivotal in all the co-stars careers. and so on... but i can go on FOREVER, but if any of you havent followed Rachel True on social media or checked out her tarot deck she produced, YOU SHOULD. and Fairuza Balk goes without saying cause she was the real deal off camera anyways. Much Love Yall
I agree with your assessment about the character Sarah being a ‘generational witch’ and the other three being the “students of being new witches”. I would think and not wanna-to-be witches. I also agree with the rest of your assessment.
My late husband was pretty knowledgeable about this stuff (I just had a passing interest, though I love this movie). He'd tell me the movie was like five degrees off accurate. Close, but not quite to a point where he thought it was intentional. More than enough to get someone interested, but not so accurate that people could do stuff beyond what they understood.
This movie is such a classic. I would like to add one more thing. It’s important to take care when invoking or evoking spirits or entities regardless of which tradition. Without proper understanding and protection, these practices CAN be dangerous. They can be unsettling and indeed cause psychological distress. Nancy was warned but she didn’t listen.
I've used the Llewellyn's Daily Planetary Guide since the 1980s, when I was a teen. Llewellyn publishes great almanacs! Practical Magic is a favourite of mine as well as Bell, Book, and Candle. Thanks, Hearth!
I love Practical Magic, and Bell, Book, and Candle too! Got them both in my collection! 😊💜💜💜
bell,book & candle has a witch hunter in it... It also makes fun of witch craft
I love Bell Book and Candle. I watch it every time it’s on TCM.
I am of this generation - coming of age (late teens/early twenties) - finding Witchcraft, first books (Cunningham/Ravenwolf, etc) - and eventually a community. Many of my friends are actually more fond of Practical Magic (if you have never read the book, I recommend) but we were so happy to just see representation and a not complete witchcraft=devil worship, and this was fun.
Isn’t it funny to see the teens and 20 somethings loving this movie when I was bullied right out of Wicca by gatekeepers that hated the “trend” back then the way some hate tiktok now. 😂 I will forever love this movie for awakening the witch in me.
I think what Bonnie issue was her lack of gratitude for her gift. She became just as nasty as the people who condemned her. Ego can make you as ugly as scars on your back. ❤
Thanks for this video. I love your voice for conveying knowledge. You are so warm and inviting. Thank you.❤
Bonnie also became Narcissistic
Narcissim is thinking more highly of oneself and projecting it onto others
The craft is one of my favourite films so I found this very interesting, thank you. I grew up in the 90s and loved the variety of witchy resources in shops. I suggest practical magic, willow from Buffy the vampire slayer and the original charmed (the first 3 seasons have more witchcraft in them than seasons 4 -8).
Oh Willow :3 my favorite tv character~ season 6 of Buffy was truly amazing ^^
@@denisek7 💯 agree
If you could please do a video on the film Practical Magic and examine that in a similar way to how you did The Craft, that would be amazing!!
Circles and cardinal directions, seasons, celestial alignments and earth/nature spirits are really prevalent in Medicine Wheel practices too!
I also read that 'Manon' was a fictional deity created for the film because I think they attempted to petition another popular deity - I'm imagining Hekate or Odin or something but weird stuff started to occur on set - so they invented Manon. But I also read that there was some speculation, in addition to the Mabon idea, that Manon may have been based on the Irish Sea God Manannán mac Lir - which would make sense considering they attempt to evoke the spirit at the sea. It may have been a blog on Patheos that explored the Manannan mac Lir discourse but yes so interesting! 😊Xx
something you forgot about was the reason they invited sarah into the coven in the first place. it was because bonnie saw her preforming magic unintentoally in class
I like that movie but I LOVE Practical Magic and Charmed so much Will you please do those too, Thank you
She put the lime in the coconut and drank m both up 🍋🥥🍸
The opening, where the three girls are sitting and chanting, is my favorite part of the movie.😊
Practical Magic would also be lovely!!
The director talks about it in the commentary, that he was concerned about using real deities in the film, just in case they actually summoned anything lol. Manon is in reference to a French film he loved called Manon of the Spring.
I had been interested in and studying the craft prior to the films release (I was in high school at the time). While I understood it's a fictional account it was still a catalyst for me to further my studies and practices. I found it very powerful to see it being portrayed in popular culture instead of in shadows. It was something that some friends and I became very involved with and cemented our little coven - we all still gather regularly in our practices
It was the same for me! Oddly enough, I had just begun looking into various religious beliefs, as well as fortune telling and paranormal abilities, when this came out. It struck such a chord with me that I soon began reading specifically about witchcraft. I've been pagan ever since.
this movie defines gave me the ‘witches call’ i started practicing at 13 and then put it down , only practicing here and there for about 20 years and this past decade i’ve developed my own regular practice again where I incorporate witchcraft daily. u have such a great way of explaining everything. ur def my go to for enhancing my witchcraft knowledge quickly
The Craft and Practical Magic are 2 of my favorite movies. Thank you for another great video. Blessed Be! 💜🖤
Mine, too!
I love that you touched on the shop owner. I loved her so much and thought it would’ve been amazing if they had another scene with her that lasted longer!!
I grew up in the 90's. Such an awesome time and I was glad to have been a teen then. I thought the movie was kind of corny but I still liked it.
I like your channel. It reminds me of being that age again. I practiced Wicca. I grew up being very connected to nature. I was lucky to live in a gorgeous area in southwestern Pennsylvania called the Laurel Highlands. So Wicca naturally attracted me. My spirituality has evolved into sort of my own over the years but I still consider myself a witch and I still work with herbs and I still talk to the fae and the moon and all of that. Enjoy this time in your life and keep doing what you do.
They had an actual witch on the set as an adviser who was telling what and how to do certain things, Also Fairuza Balk (Nancy) was a practicing witch at the time.
We had a great life. Born in the 70s, grew up in the 80s and watched The Craft in the 90s 😊❤. I love the film so much and I watched it at the Odeon cinema in Hastings, UK with my mates and later with my oldest child on DVD. Bless you all. Skeet Ulrich aka Chris Hooker is so hot ❤
Although I didn't really like the movie that much when I watched it, it's super cool they included so many aspects and even complete rituals and spells that are true to real life and practice! I always love these kinds of videos from you, because it's such a fun way of sharing your vast knowledge with us and at the same time gives me a new perspective on the shows and a new appreciation for them. AND I'm learning a lot! 🙌
So thank you for sharing, as always! 🖤🤗
I share your comment and truly thought out reaction! I could not have said it better. ❤ Lovely words!
My mom got me a big circle rug with a pentacle on it for my birthday last year, absolutely one of my favorite tools.
Hope everyone had a wonderful equinox!
I loved this movie soooooooo much back in the 90s. It was *the* reason I jumped from studying shamanism to wicca back then~
Please do more of these movie/television/media reviews, this one was so much fun!
Loved this movie ! I was surprised how much they got right ! Maybe because after filming The Worst Witch, Fairuza Balk took an interest in the Craft and became Wiccan later on.
I also love how they made one of the girls, Sara, a natural witch. We do exist !!! 😉
Curious what you mean by natural witch. Arent we all natural witches?
@@LaurenxOtt If we're going by the film's description, a "natural witch" is someone who has an inborn talent for magic even before they actively practice, and don't have to necessarily manifest power from an external source. Sarah mentions that she makes things happen, though they often go awry, telling the others how she once wanted it to rain, and a pipe burst in her ceiling, or how she once went deaf for three days after wishing it was quiet. She is also levitating a pencil atop her desk when Bonnie first notices her, making it spin point-down on the surface of her desk. Thus, she has the power innately, rather than it being a thing she's learned and practiced, and brought into herself from the world around her, like the other three were trying to do.
as a teen since birth I've literally been obsessed w da idea of being a witch da magic n power of nature, pyschichs, spirituality, everything I thank da universe for even drawing da movie to my presence. I also thank da universe for divine guidance n everything I have learned 😊.
I loved the movie (and still do) Gave me some inspiration (the invocation of the Watchtowers for example) as a Teen and I still appreciate the essential details like "As above - so below"
I wish we could have seen more of the shop owner in the film! She was such a cool person in the movie. I also wish we could have seen more of Sarah's mother. Since she was a witch her self.
The shop owner was definitely my favorite person in the movie, she was inspiring!
I did my very first witch lore review on The Craft, but as I am not a practitioner, it was great to hear a different perspective on the film, love these videos. 🖤
We actually see images of the Thoth tarot deck and from the Grand Grimoire in the opening sequence too!
Hearth, Could you do a What Practical Magic Got Right segment?
I’d definitely love to see that.
I absolutely love your channel! This was a great in depth look into this film. Shocking that this movie is fast approaching it's 30th anniversary. Also thank you for the reminder to everyone that WE are all not Wiccans.
I HAVE BEEN SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS! ❤ Please do one on the Craft Legacy, too!
I was 14 years old when this came out and I remember how much the older witches in AOL witchcraft chats were SO mean to me because they all hated this movie, the “trend” it caused, and especially Silver RavenWolf books. I remember being terrified to admit I liked The Craft.
So people have been assholes since the Dawn of time if anyone’s wondering 😂
And that teen witch book by ravenwolf convinced me at the time that I was required to be in a coven and the only way for a teen to remotely meet people was via AOL chat rooms so it was a full vicious circle!
Yessss more of this series! I also love the my witchy week one u did a few weeks ago. All my support 🌸
I love this movie! It was such an inspiration to me, sneakily watching it as a kid where my parents couldn't see. It's got such a powerful and iconic aesthetic, but so much of it is spot on (or at least based in actual practice) that we couldn't ask for a better gateway movie for the witchily curious. I'm not and never have been Wiccan, my path lies elsewhere, but the glimmer and flames and sparkles, and the excitement the girls felt as they learned what they were capable of doing - it's a dream of what drew so many of us to our own crafts. Especially, as you said, in the 90s, when resources and information were so few and hard to find.
I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but Rochelle's actress, Rachel True, is a practicing witch with her own podcast and tarot empire. Excellent to see. :)
Mananan Mac Lir, the god of the sea. It did strike me similar and thought of the possibility of the summoning spell by the sea being a corroboration of this. This movie will always be close to my heart. I remember how watching it rekindled my own practice as I only practiced solitary at the time.
I've always wanted to be a witch since I was young (every Halloween; Mom: What do you want to be? Me: a witch) The Craft really got me more interested and then Practial Magic with Sandra Bullock locked me in (there is a movie called practical magic with a young Ryan Renyolds set in Paris, Ontario, that's why I specify). Then, reading more and more I'm finding the right path for me.
ngl this movie was my intro to the craft. I was 16 when it dropped and saw it with my two besties in HS. We started practising and after opening our coven, the walk from the park back to my house. I will never forget we were guided the entire way home, every 3rd driveway there was a cat sitting at the end of the drive. We passed by at least thirteen cats on the way home, and when we got back my mum's cat was waiting for us at the drive and walked us up the drive and into the house. I have never forgotten that. I've been a practising witch since then. I always tell people I started for all the wrong reasons, but I stayed for all the right ones.
Pat Devin who was a "Dianic Elder Priestess and a member of Coven Ashesh Hekat, as well as Public Information Officer of Covenant of the Goddess, Southern California Local Council." was the witch they hired to be a technical advisor to make sure the movie had some accurate and appropriate information.
YESSSSSS i wasn’t allowed to watch this movie as a kid and when i was a teenager i couldn’t seem to find anywhere to watch it!! i finally watched it the other day for the first time after so long of waiting and i was astounded by how incredible it was!!
Well certainly Practical Magic would also be a good film to review. Perhaps Chronicle would also be fun to compare against The Craft, as it's (at a basic level) a similar plot with boys instead of girls. It's not so much about witchcraft like the Craft is, more along the "a group of kids get magic powers and then chaos ensues because the abused one loses it" line.
This movie and many others was my gateway into witchcraft, so its very dear to me, i just luv that your talking about it 🫶🏼 love your vids there always so fun to watch
Just want to point out that Rochelle's spell very specifically says that it will only do anything at all to her bully IF her bully harms her first. It's a protection spell. I think there's a very strong argument that, although the spell did cause harm, it wasn't TO cause harm. Even Nancy's spell is to protect her from abuse, and though of course I don't condone the outcome, I don't think she specifically intended to kill him. I actually consider Sarah's spell the worst. The others are all some kind of healing or protective spells; hers is just revenge.
I mean, all we get of Sarah's "spell" is during the initiation ritual, where she says that she hopes to love herself more, and be loved by others in turn, with the mention of Chris in particular. The wording doesn't particularly read as vengeful, as her initial intent is self-love, and through that to manifest into external love, with hope that such will attract true love from Chris. She wasn't aiming to ensnare or manipulate him, she just had a genuine want for his interest and affection, and was hoping to grow more comfortable with herself in order to become more truly attractive to him, rather than as just another piece of tail. Unfortunately, her intent might have been tainted by her lingering pain at his treatment (telling the entire school that he got her in bed on the first night, and that she was terrible, thus potentially ruining her chances at a relationship with anyone due to his being the top popular guy of the school), but there's no real signs of directed vengeance in what's said. That she lets the influence of the coven take her to a bad place when she has Chris' devotion (using it as a means of malicious payback, treating him like a servant and leaving him hanging) is a sign of how her personality is being affected by what they're doing, just as much as the others, but she does ultimately realize that she's done something wrong, and seeks to undo her spell in order to remove his obsession.
By comparison, in that same initiation scene, Rochelle literally calls out her bully when talking about wanting to not hate others for hating her, spitting "Especially little bleach-blonde pieces of _shit,_ like Laura Lizzie!", implying that she does in fact well-and-truly hate Laura, even as she's trying and wanting to be the bigger person. Not saying that she was necessarily aiming to cause harm either, but it's clear that there was a greater malice underlying her actions as the film went on.
Growing up I LOVED this movie. Even now. I heard in a podcast interview that Manon was made up because the with consultant (I think named Pat Devin?) did not want to influence the foolish into summoning a real deity without the proper knowledge or respect. Def need a rewatch soon. Blessed be!
The vid that needed to be made!! I hope anyone just starting out sees this! 🥰
To note, there's also another binding spell though not mentioned in the movie, it's very similar in structure as the one with the white ribbon, except you use cord and knot it (just make sure to set the intention that you're binding them to the cord, not yourself. In any binding, in any spell for that matter, be sure to be precise in your wording.)
I just watched it yesterday for the first time…and I can definitely see how this movie probably was a Queer awakening for some. And as someone who is out…damn. They’re all gorgeous. 😂
I saw the movie back in 1996. I loved it. So emotional. Thank you for explaining things around magic🔥
I love that movie and it was very interesting hearing you explain the Wiccan influences. Well done.
As a Wiccan, this is my favorite movie of all time and was kinda my introduction to the beliefs. I already did feel connected to the topics of such, but this did tie it together for me.
The Craft is my fav film of all time!!! It has the best soundtrack of all time & though its dated to modern times, its timeless for me as a quintessential 90s film of my childhood!
Thank you SO much for covering this movie! I squealed when I got the notification 🤣 I was around 12/13 when I saw this movie and I. Was. Obsessed. Of course as a young girl in the 90s my interest in witchcraft was growing and I couldn't believe this movie existed. I loved that her name was Sarah like me! Hehe. The beach scene is my favorite. I loved that they were using the power of the storm 🖤 ugggghhhh it's so good and so nostalgic for me. And I'm sorry but I kind of love when Nancy throws Chris out the window, just gonna say it 😆
Something you said about the shop keep made me come up with a conspiracy theory: you know how you go into a shop mystic shop and there are signs saying “steal at your own risk karma is real” or something like that. What if all the problematic things that happened to them were results of the shop keeper! They did use all the stolen goods in their rituals. Out of the 4 only one was able to keep her powers because she was honest and the shop keeper admired that! 🤯🤯🤯
I have seen this movie since the 90’s but during that time I made friends with a Wiccan. It was my first experience with witchcraft or anything like it. It had a huge impact on my life. I want to watch the movie again now 😅
Love this video! Thank you for confirming my practices. 🙏🏼
Would love to see a similar video of 'Practical Magic' as I'm a solitary witch. 🧙🏼♀️
Blessed be!! ✨
I've been waiting for this video for years and I am so exited to watch it! The Craft is one of my favourite movies and I am so interested in your opinion about it. The Craft is actually what got me into Wicca in the first place.
I was a teen when this came out and Fairuza Balk was kinda right up my lane
Thank you for respecting non-Wiccan ideologies. I myself, find more joy in practicing "black magick" and even chaos magick instead of "white magick". I also don't believe we get "westernized karma" back 3x.
Wow, that’s pretty much the binding spell I use. (Only I usually use black twine) neat.
I’ve always really enjoyed The Craft. It feels super 90s with it’s style and soundtrack.
Awesome video. I love the fact that you are factual on what went on behind the scenes, the points of what went on in the film and how they relate to witchcraft and Wicca. I also want to say thank you for not Wicca bashing as it's been all to common lately and starting to become annoying.
this is my favorite movie ever and influenced me to start my own witchcraft journey. thank you for this video. it was very informative and fun
I appreciate your teaching. You are a blessing and Im learning so much from you. Keep it up my friend 🧙🏽♂️🪄
My favorite fictional Witch band are the Hex Girls. I hope that we see more of Sally's powers in the future.
I truly do appreciate that you stress that the crystals must be water safe! thank you thank you thank you.
You are the baddest witch 😎 really cool to see you do a full video on this after hearing you talk about it for awhile, awesome job!
Truly enjoyed your insight on The Craft. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Practical Magic. Thanks so much!
I have to admit that this movie is a 90s classic! it was the first movie that introduced me to magic practice, I ended up as a chaos magician but I still respect the wiccan and witchcraft community.
Watched the film so many times lol 😂 probably one of my favs ❤
1) I love the movie The Craft
2) thanks for the insight
3) I love learning more about Witchcraft and thanks for calling my attention so I can spot the information
This is one of my favorite movies and even though the last half is weird, I still love it.
Loved this video! Love The Craft since i was a young teen! Thank you for your take on it! I was wondering if you'd ever seen The Witches of Eastwick? (1987), Wicked Stepmother ( 1989 with Bette Davis) , Teen Witch (1989) Or The Wicker Man (1973 original and 2006 remake)? I enjoy those as well! 💜
Very informative. I'm not drawn to witchcraft but it is fascinating to me thanks to this movie, and I learned a few new things I didn't know before.
you should do a video on Practical magic.