What It Means To Be A Modern Day Witch

 What It Means To Be A Modern Day Witch

Source: Creativecomms @Kim, from Rome

 

‘’I draw sigils on my skin with perfume oils and burn herbs for what I want to bring in for that day…’’

 

When most of us hear the word ‘’Witch’’ we think of flying brooms, cauldrons and ugly green faces. 

 

However, this is just the stereotypical Grimm’s brother tale, in fact, a modern-day witch is just an average person.

 

There are many ways to practice witchcraft, which don’t revolve around potions with rat toenails and a magic wand. It’s much more ethical than that.

 

Depending on the type of witch, most witches use tools such as tarot cards and crystals to practice their craft, whereas others make spell jars for abundance with a mixture of herbs and other natural earth elements.

 

I interviewed Hope Bilkey, who practices spirituality, and her preferred method is ‘’I use oracle cards, crystals and the power of manifestation.’’ She said.

According to Hope witchcraft is rather easy and beneficial to incorporate into day-to-day life. It creates room for more positivity and gives you a moment of mindfulness throughout the business of the day.

 

‘’I incorporate it in my life by practising affirmations and trying to put out what I would want to receive.’’ She said.

 

To understand witchcraft itself it is important to note the history of witches, especially regarding the Salem Witch Trials. 

 

 Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693.

 

‘’The Salem Witch Trials was a horrific genocide because men feared powerful women!’’ Hope Said.

 

Although most of the women weren’t actually witches and were wrongly accused, it is important to know.

 

Salem has used the town since to embrace witch culture and have many stores selling divination and spiritual tools.

 

When looking at witchcraft has often been associated with satanism and to worship the devil.

 

I interviewed Elizabeth Keogh who also practices witchcraft and is a firm believer that spirituality is in no way associated with anything evil nor negative.

 

‘’If you choose to associate yourself with the devil then yes, but if not then no.’’ She said.

 

Witches do consider witchcraft to be a form of religion and in ‘Wiccan’ culture, they worship what is known as deities. However, not all witches do this.

 

A deity or a god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. Commonly known gods for example are Zeus and Aphrodite.

 

‘’I have deities wanting to work with me, but I haven’t done so yet so no.’’ Elizabeth said.

 

Witches do create spell jars, but they don’t contain toad skin and the hair of an enemy. Most commonly they will contain things such as dried flowers and herbs, as well as notes of affirmations and candle wax coloured with intention (pink for love)

 

‘’Spell jars (also known as "witch bottles") are spiritual tools that can help people identify—and pursue—their innermost desires.’’ Says Sarah Regan, a spiritual blogger.

 

I think the purpose of witchcraft is to bring happiness and manifest goodwill into one’s life, which is the opposite of the typical stereotype.

 

So, in order to become a witch? Do you need to be able to move objects with your mind or have an acceptance letter to a witchcraft school given to you by an owl?

 

Well according to Hope, she says that anyone can be a witch. ‘’I don’t believe there are any requirements to be a witch, but it’s preferred if you’re doing it for the greater good and not to interfere with anyone’s life in a negative way.’’ 

 

Just like any other religion witchcraft is a way of life, not just a label. Witches believe in what they’re doing and feel that it is their purpose.

 

‘’You don’t tell people how to do their craft, it’s a way of life not a label or personality trait … you do what you feel.’’ Said Elizabeth.

 

There has been an uprise in ‘’modern witches’’ throughout recent years and the #witch on Tiktok has trended numerous times since 2020. Which is now obvious why, it is a harmless way of life that brings happiness.

 

Whether you believe in it or not, one thing that is undeniable is that it is not a negative practice and anyone from anywhere can practice witchcraft.

a snippet of my creative writing☁️

 The light hadn't even officially turned green when my foot stepped on the gas hard, as I attempted to navigate around the busy city streets.

clutch, gas, shift

I hated driving a manual car, especially when I could barely work it out.

Neutral to first or first to second?

My car bucked wildly twice before it lurched forward at the intersection. My heart felt like it was about to rip out of my chest and plop onto the floor. 

Once the bucking calmed down I was back at speed. A lot of speed.

I was running super late to the band I worked for first concert of their tour.

The traffic was insane for this late at night, but I was in the heart of the city. Everyone was going out for the night and I was stuck in it.

'Fuck!' I shouted, snapping out of my thoughts and slamming my foot on the pedal so hard my heel snapped right off. 

I groaned looking down at yet another pair of decent heels I had broken. 

Once the light turned green again I sped off, lighting myself a cigarette as I drove to calm my nerves.

Indulgence (Poetry)

 I suffer as much as I yearn,

I crave and I wonder.

Is the line of thoughts,

The good,

The bad,

So different? 

Diving Into The Filmmaking Process

 Diving Into The Filmmaking Process

‘’Coming up with the idea was an unusually backwards process that evolved from my love for the giallo film trend’’

Filmmaking is a challenging art to successfully achieve, especially as a film student, a lot of consideration needs to be done in pre, post and production. 

 We interviewed Cole Smith a film student, who was apart of making the short film Vittima, where he was the director, co writer and cinematographer.

The film is about a young woman who has recurring dreams of a mysterious threatening man.

 

‘’Her curiosity and fear deepen when evidence of the man begins to manifest outside of her dreams.’’ Said Cole.

 

Coming up with an idea for short film can be challenging, as there is a lot that goes into the plot that needs to be considered.

Cole stated that coming up with his short film was an unusually backwards process for him.

 

‘’My attraction to the genre comes from its insistence on style to generate impact, rather than focusing entirely on plot.’’ He said.

 

He explained that this was inspired by Deep Red, Suspiria and Opera, he liked how straight forward the narrative is allowing visuals to generate the visceral tone.

As a film student a good place to start would be finding a genre that you like and studying other films within that genre and techniques that they use to find what works best for yourself.

 

Within Vittima Cole incorporated camera techniques from Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson single point perspective and for dream sequences, David Lynch.

It took Cole ten drafts to come up with what he wanted for the film before moving on to storyboarding, which is a crucial step in pre production.

 

‘’When you’re storyboarding, you’re forced to ask yourself all those scary technical and logistical questions, ensuring you’re prepared for the shoot.’’ He said. 

 

Makingmistakes during this phase of production can have a damaging effect on a project.

 

It is all about preparation and you can never have too much of it before shooting, this ensures the filming process is easier and you’re able to know exactly what shots you need to achieve a certain feel.

 

The production part of a film already is a long process, Cole’s short film took 6 full days of filming.

 

‘’Each day of filming, we worked for approximately 12-16 hours.’’ He said.

 

 One of the hardest parts about filming a student film is that you do not receive mass funding, or even have a lot of money for production, which adds another difficulty.

 

Cole’s team had to fund themselves for Vittima, which meant a lack of access to a lot of materials that could help with filming.

 

‘’We had to limit the story to one location and two actors.’’ He said.

 

However, as long as you are aware of your personal budget and are realistic about what you can achieve you wont have many issues.

This means you wont have to miss out on any shooting, because you will not have to compromise due to budget if you prepare.

 

‘’I think understanding what your budget will allow you to shoot is an extremely important step that should be considered before even beginning pre- production.’’ He said.

 

Before going out and shooting, it is important to really analyze each shot so you’re confident when you begin the shooting process.

It is more than common when making a film you have missed a part and it can set back the whole production process.

 

‘’ My role on set as a director is to clearly communicate to all departments what I need from this scene, and if I can’t do that with confidence, I see it as a failure to completely understand the material I’m working with.’’ Cole said

 

A way as a student or a beginner filmmaker to get constructive criticism and an audience is to screen your film at a film festival.

This is crucial to develop your film making skills as you get a fresh audience’s perspective, which don’t know anything about the film and will have a different judgment and idea.

 

Submitting to a festival with one specific genre can also be a great way to screen your film, which is what Cole is looking to do next year.

 

‘’We’re leaning towards niche genre festivals, such as Horror ShowFest and Dracula Film Festival, whilst also submitting to more popular festivals such as Melbourne Underground Film Festival.’’ Cole said.

 

When searching for ideas for a theme you want to create for your film, start with something you would actually watch yourself.

 

Director, screenwriter and producer Peter Jackson who directed the Lord of The Ringsfranchise and many more, says it is very important to create a film that you enjoy.

 

“The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself.” He said.

 

This also helps with the researching part of pre production because if you’re researching a topic you enjoy, you’ll find the final execution will be well presented. 

 

‘’If you’re an expert in understanding a specific genre, then your knowledge should transfer powerfully to the screen.’’ Cole said.

 

For Cole, he enjoyed horror films so he started with incorporating horror techniques within his films.

 

‘’I think I’ve just always had a natural interest in storytelling, and then when I grew to about 12 or 13 years old I became obsessed with horror movies ... It was such a thrill to be terrified by a scary movie’’ He said.

 

Essentially, when creating a film production the pre production part is the most essential to perfect because this will reflect on your final productConsider your own interests if you are struggling to find a starting point, such as your favourite genre or directors techniques. Then after filming screen it at a festival to get critiqued which will help you develop these skills.

A Little Bit About Me

I have always loved to write and be able to share stories with others. 
This is why I decided to pursue my dream and I am now a 3rd year Journalism student at Latrobe University. 
I wish to use this blog to share my personal articles and all my other pieces of writing, to essentially build up my own portfolio.
If you have any enquiries, please contact me via email: @rosemaddie61@gmail.com

The Issue With Mental Health in Rural Victoria

 The Issue With Mental Health in Rural Victoria 

 

Mental health issues are a very significant issue in rural areas, due to lack of accessibility to help resources. There is major room for improvement in helping rural Victoria to have more facilities such as places to visit Psychologists and Therapists. 

 

There are a lot of different factors that go into this issue, such as natural events, isolation and lack of resources.

 

In rural areas, the regional economy is a key influence on mental health. Events such as drought, flood and bushfire can have heavy impact, especially in agricultural areas

 

I interviewed Hope Bilkey, who is living in Bright, Victoria and she says there is only one psychologist in her town. 

 

‘’There is only one psychologist in town and they are either completely booked out or you may face conflict of interest.’’

 

Elizabeth Keogh who also lives in Bright touched on dealing with the conflict of interest as well and being in a small town they wouldn’t be the only ones. 

 

‘’There is only one psychologist in town and if your mum or brother is seeing them you cant because it’s a conflict of interest.’’ She said.

 

Elizabeth loves living in rural Victoria as it is much more slow paced and peaceful then regional.

 

‘’I wouldn’t say living here is bad for my mental health, but the lack of access to health services is.’’

 

The reported prevalence of mental illness in rural and remote Australia appears similar to that of major cities. However, access to mental health services is substantially more limited than in major cities. Tragically, rates of self-harm and suicide increase with remoteness.

 

The public transport system is highly outdated in rural Victoria and for those without a vehicle face the issue of waiting lengthy times for busses and trains.

 

‘’Bus timetables are appalling and do not compensate for needs of people … I now need to travel one hour to Wangaratta (to see a psychologist)’’ Hope said.

 

Which means she spends a lot of time waiting around for busses just to seek some form of mental health assistance.

The rate of suicide among men aged 15-29 years who live outside major cities is almost twice as high as it is in major cities, which is caused from many variables that all fall under the accessibility issue.

Alisha Camilleri from Clonbinane prefers living in rural more so then regional.

‘’I don’t feel isolated I feel free.’’She says.

Alisha feels as though living in rural areas you’re not constantly reminded that people aren’t nice because you aren’t around people as much.

This shows that it isn’t rural Victoria that is the issue, it’s the lack of facilities and needs out in these areas to help with mental health and some changes need to be made.

Poetry Collection: Birds

 My Poetry 

Raven

 Nothing is nothing, although it is empty

Emptiness is cold, although it is quiet

Quietness is good, it soothes my aches

The aches inside of me feel like crumbles

Like splitting a biscuit in half, instead it isn’t a biscuit

A heart.

 

Think of my heart as a stone,

Cool and hard to love,

But unlike a stone it is easy to break,

It is too big and heavy in my chest

It is too forgiving but not forgetting

My heart.

 

My head, isn’t a friend

It tells me I’m nothing, it tells me I’m worthless

It tells me I’m bitter, it tells me I’m a waste

My head is convincing, I cannot ignore it

So convincing, I cannot control it

Sometimes I believe it

 

My body is a trap,

It is a garden on the outside

It is a fantasy on the outside

But on the inside,

It is a nightmare, it is a whirlpool 

I am a suffocation   

 

My eyes have seen everything

Every sin, every lie 

My eyes remember everything

Every scar, every goodbye

But my eyes never capture how I see

They show colour, I see only black

 

Black is a feeling,

Black is a memory,

Black consumes inside me

Runs through me like blood

But through me like venom 

It injects itself like a needle at night

 

The raven rules the night

I am a raven, button eyes, loud cries

No one understands me

I’m only okay at night, when it’s quiet

But my thoughts are loud,

I rule the cloudy night

Ugly Duckling

 I am the ugly duckling

I do not belong

I am easily forgotten 

I do not do 

 

I am the ugly duckling

I have an odd wing

I have two left feet 

And an abnormal beak

 

 

Life is hard for me

It is hard to fly

Sometimes it is hard to swim

Sometimes it is easier to stop

 

But you keep me going

You pick me back up

You stop me from drowning

You spread my wings, embrace the shadows

 

Sometimes I feel surrounded and weak

But you support me

Sometimes I feel shaky and broken

But you carry me

 

My limbs feel like trees

You’re my roots, deep within me

My beaks are whispers

You’re my secrets, kept within me

 

You changed me

You fixed me

You made me perfect

I am the swan

 

I am the beautiful swan

I have fluttering feathers

I glide along the water

I do I do

 

But I still fall for you

Phoenix 

Help!

Blue pill, Black pill

Left foot, Right foot

The darkness or the lightness

 

Lost!

I choose wrong, haunting me

The decision, breaking me

White noise, hurting me

 

Pure?

I thought so too.

I thought I could love, 

I thought I knew you,

 

Me?

I’m stuck in sticky glue,

Pulling and tying me to my troubles

I don’t belong with you, 

 

Ouch.

Just flickers of black flames 

They burn me inside and out

I rise from the ash,

 

I chose.

First Blue then Black,

Tasted both, bitter sweet

I am a phoenix.

Sparrow

 

A path, is my destiny

A wrong turn, is my choice

A stumble, is my opportunity

 

Is so little, so precious

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick

I am so little, so breathless

 

My life, is flowering

Only just the beginning, but slowly ending

A sunrise, a sunset

 

What is stronger than a heart?

Something that smashes over

And over a rollercoaster 

 

Handed to me on a silver platter

You’re served with a rope 

I allow you to strangle me

 

Purple around my eyes

Chains covering my thighs

I’m never leaving you

 

Like a candle in the wind

I blew out long before

You knew I did

 

The chains are made of daisy 

They smile at me

I can’t feel them

 

Watch it burn down you

Down your sparrow throat

Rabbit hole 

 

Falling and falling

Through the cracks

Cracks in the floor

 

You are Alice

But there is no wonderland

But there is madness  

 

Sanity?

Can you even see?

Can you even taste?

Dry lips

Sourness is all I taste

Can you fit my puzzle?

 

I’m on a come down

Spiraling around

And around you go