December 22, 2015

Many pagans and witches enjoy seasonal music, but Yuletide is a special conundrum. There is so much wonderful traditional music out there, full of nature imagery, holly, ivy, running deer, starlight, snow, etc. But it’s generally still regarded as Christmas music. There are a few modern songs written for Yule, but some of them are kind of goofy (like Dar Williams’ “The Christians and the Pagans” which is clever and cool as a social statement, but not terribly melodic or... Read more

October 28, 2015

You didn’t think we’d get through the month without a major witch war in Salem, Massachusetts, did you? Ah, Salem. Charming seaside town, with a storied history of being a major commercial port. It went through some hard time in the 1970s (economic downturn and changes in shipping industry) and the town fathers (and maybe the mothers) decided that making it into a tourist destination would be a good idea. But what to focus on? OH YES, the witch trials.... Read more

October 27, 2015

It’s that time of year again. That holiday beloved (sometimes begrudgingly) by witches. Late autumn in the Northeast United States is a stunningly heady time: the colors, the scents of decaying vegetation, the dark storm clouds giving way to sun, the chilly mornings laden with frost giving way to afternoons full of buzzing insects, and let us not forget the orgy of foods we associate with the season: pumpkin spice everything, apples, cider, cider donuts, squash, and slow-cooked deliciousness in our... Read more

October 1, 2015

Well, folks, it’s that time of year again. Pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking, wool sweaters, suede boots, black cats, broomsticks, and witches! Every year there seems to be an explosion of articles on the web about witches just in time for Hallowe’en. While some of them profile actual witches, or take a look at folklore, a great many of them seem to be inspired by portrayals of witches in media. And that means telling you how to Dress Like an... Read more

August 12, 2015

Sigh. The Media Witch strives for accuracy in reporting. She sure as heck doesn’t like spreading rumors. So when she sees blog posts like this one, which is trying to spread a rumor that the upcoming season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY (a show that’s been written about here quite a bit, since Season Three, COVEN, was all about witches) is being cancelled, she tends to see red. And not in a good Myrtle-Snow-wearing-red-for-a-pop-of-color kinda way, either. You know how I... Read more

August 7, 2015

NBC News has issued a follow up report on their coverage of the triple homicide in Pensacola, Florida that was characterized by local law enforcement (specifically the spokesperson for the county sheriff’s office) as being a “ritualized Wiccan killing.” Once this particular news article hit social media, reactions were swift and volatile. Many pagan spokespersons took it upon themselves to contact various media outlets and offer their thoughts on the erroneous assumption that Wicca (a modern religion based upon nature... Read more

August 5, 2015

Okay, first off, that headline may be misleading. It is highly unlikely that a “Wiccan Ritual Killing” took place ANYWHERE, let alone sleepy Pensacola, Florida. What DID happen, according to this article from NBC NEWS,  is that the local Sheriff’s office spokesperson, one Andrew Hobbes, decided that a triple murder that took place on July 28th must be a “Wiccan Ritual Killing” because of “the injuries to the victims, the positions of the bodies and also the person of interest right... Read more

July 31, 2015

Blessings of Lammas to you all! Summer is a very busy time in the media witch’s world, because I work outdoors in summer as a gardener. I love this work as it keeps me in touch with nature’s changing rhythms, colors, textures and perfumes, and helps keep me sane for the long winter indoors when I tend to work in offices and classrooms. But summer is also the time of exciting new developments in the movies and television programming, so... Read more

June 10, 2015

“What shall we do, little sisters? The sky is falling.” ~~Mary Warren, in her journal THE SISTERHOOD OF NIGHT is a layered and complex film masquerading boldly as a teen drama. Somehow it manages to be a cautionary tale of technology addiction,  a coming of age romance, a meditation on history repeating, and a celebration of individuality. It’s also about the alluring idea of witchcraft and how it permeates those pockets of our culture where adolescent females congregate. Mary Warren... Read more

May 18, 2015

Last night, I attended the MAD MEN finale event at the Museum of the Moving Image in NYC (where there is a wonderful exhibit on display including sets and costumes from the iconic show). As a blogger for the Basket of Kisses website I was invited and offered to read tarot for the event’s attendees. The Angel/Judgment card came up a couple of times in peoples’ readings; so it was interesting that it came up a THIRD time when I... Read more


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