October Winds

October is my favorite month of the year. There are certain things that trigger happy October feelings for me. The first is when the temperatures finally dip into the high 60sF and low 70sF. Then there's breathing in the first scent of fire in someone's fireplace. (It took the place of burning leaves when I moved to Texas.) Then there's reading Something Wicked This Way Comes. And then there's...

Practical Magic. Of course, Practical Magic. No film is perfect. It has some issues, of course--largely in the representation department. (There are no women of color featured in the story. And I can't recall any people of color at all...except maybe the dead guy...maybe.) That said, I dearly love this movie. It's about sisters, family legacies, secrets, women's issues (domestic abuse, motherhood, sexuality...) and the power women can have when joined together for a common cause. Also...love. I've always appreciated how it avoided the stereotypical witch tropes. I'm pleased that someone actually may have spoken to an actual witch, did some research, and may have attended a circle once. It isn't enough. This time of year is horrible in that it propagates the stereotypes that are so damaging to women in general and pagans specifically.[1] Yes, yes. It's all in good fun...that is until someone loses their job because "witches are evil  right?"[2] Anyway, Practical Magic.

Wow, does that misrepresent the tone of the movie. Anyway, the novel by Alice Hoffman is completely different from the film. The only things in common are the characters' names, an old house, two aunts raised Jillian and Sally, and the abusive boyfriend/murder issue. Everything else is completely different. I say this because I love Alice Hoffman's work. I enjoyed the book.

And the prequel novel is out! ZOMG!!! I'm a little confused. Because there's no mention of Sally's mother. (How can the Aunts be the Aunts without their being Sally's mother's sister?) Plus, I seem to recall the novel implied the Aunts were much older than they appeared, but I trust Hoffman. She'll work it out. And I CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT.

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[1] My wedding anniversary is on October 31st. My mother and my sister--both extremely thoughtful women--often give us little anniversary gifts. Largely, they know I adore Halloween. So, they send Halloween things. This year it was a His and Her coffee mug set. 

I'll let you spot the sexism in this picture.
[2] There are no pagan cops. Except there are. They aren't permitted to wear pentacles--unlike Christians who plaster their world with their religious icons and no one says much of anything about it. Only recently have pagan soldiers been allowed a pentacle on their grave. So, yes. This continues to be a problem.