Real Witches Are Offended by True Blood

While scanning the interwebs for something amusing I stumbled across something that didn’t amuse me at all, but instead triggered an internal groan and eye roll. I discovered an article about real Wiccans who are offended by how witches are portrayed on True Blood. You know, True Blood, that totally fictional TV show about vampires, werewolves and fairies… yeah, apparently they don’t grasp the fact that it’s not a documentary. Anyway…

According to the article, real life Wiccans are upset by Marnie Stonebrook, the medium and leader of a Wiccan group, who becomes the physical conduit for Antonia, a long dead witch seeking revenge on vampires.

“I’m absolutely disappointed with the portrayal of Marnie,” said Taarna RavenHawk, a witch and professor of biology at a college in New England.

“When Marnie gives up her ‘power within,’ which is a witch’s ability to practice the craft without harming others, it allows possession by Antonia who becomes the controlling entity. Marnie lets it happen. It’s unconscionable a witch would act this way.”

She wasn’t the only one to speak against the show, Elaanie Stormbender, a witch and mother of five who lives in Jackson, Mississippi, said that all of the members of her coven are unhappy with Marnie’s behavior. “When witches invoke a spirit, they take precautions and retain full control to banish,” she said. “Marnie didn’t stay in control, so she’s entirely to blame for giving herself over to being possessed.”

The article goes on to discuss how Marnie’s behavior leads people to believe that witches abuse their power, that Marnie’s recklessness makes real witches look bad. Seriously? It makes real witches look bad? It’s a TV show guys! Yes, there are loads of dumbasses out there, but most folks know better than to believe in a vampire show on HBO.

Now, I’m not a total bitch, I do understand where they are coming from. I used to be obsessed with learning everything about Wicca, and even practiced it for a short while, so I understand why they are frustrated by the fact that what is shown in the show is nothing like real life. But I am also a realist, I know the difference between entertainment and reality. True Blood is not an educational film on proper Wiccan practices, it’s a TV show meant to entertain the masses with boobs and blood.

Fortunately, not all of the Wiccans interviewed for the article were so clueless.

“My witch friends are rabid fans of True Blood, and watch it every week,” said Ellen Dugan, a witch and priestess of a six-member coven in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dugan, the author of Practical Protection Magick and Natural Witchery, said that Marnie’s portrayal contains a sensational element, but noted that her witch friends laughed during Marnie’s levitation scene.

“Most witches have a good enough sense of humor,” she said.

Thank you Ellen for that sense of humor, obviously more Wiccans need it.

What do you think of Wiccans being offended by True Blood? While I understand where they are coming from, I think they are being totally ridiculous.

– Moonlight

By Moonlight

Moonlight (aka Amanda) loves to write about, read about and learn about everything pertaining to vampires. You will most likely find her huddled over a book of vampire folklore with coffee in hand. Touch her coffee and she may bite you (and not in the fun way).

6 comments

  1. I understand their complaints, especially since Wicca tends to get bad press. On the other hand, it seems to me unreasonable to suggest that all fictional portrayals of real Wiccans be of those who always follow the rules, always do the wise thing, never have moral or spiritual failings, etc.

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  3. I really like the movies The Craft (one of my favorite movies ever), Burn Witch Burn, and Hocus Pocus, but I’ve never imagined that these represented real world Wiccans / pagans whether as an historical tradition or contemporary subculture. Nor am I particularly interested in Wicca (any more than, say, Methodism or Hinduism) as actually practiced, although I have met some Wiccans.

    Same with cinematic vampires and werewolves vs their real world counterparts, those who claim to actually be vampires (sanguinarians, psychic vampires) and weres/shapeshifters (generally as a psychological identification with a totemic animal). To be sure these are much smaller subcultures than self-identified witches/Wiccans/pagans. But I don’t assume that the movies have anything to do with them, and I’m simply not interested in their beliefs and lifestyles.

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