Wild witchcraft refers to a form of witchcraft that is deeply connected to nature and the natural world. It is said to tap into the raw power and energy of the Earth and its elements. This type of witchcraft often involves working with herbs, plants, crystals, and other natural entities. Rebecca Beyer, a prominent author and practitioner of wild witchcraft, has written extensively on the topic. In her books, she explores the different aspects of this magical practice, including its history, rituals, and beliefs. Beyer emphasizes the importance of developing a deep connection with nature and a reverence for the Earth.
"Once you see it, it’s too late."
La Llorona and The Curse of La Llorona are two films ostensibly about the same figure in Latin American folklore but each film plays to an entirely different audience. La Llorona and The Curse of La Llorona are two films ostensibly about the same figure in Latin American folklore but each film plays to an entirely different audience.
Beyer emphasizes the importance of developing a deep connection with nature and a reverence for the Earth. One of the key principles of wild witchcraft is the idea that magic is all around us. Practitioners believe that by tapping into the natural world, they can harness its energy and use it to manifest their desires and bring about positive change.
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
In 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona, recently widowed caseworker Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini) is struggling to balance her grief against the caregiving needs of her children. When she is assigned the case of a mother who has locked her children in a closet in a bid to save them from the murderous spirit, La Llorona (Marisol Ramirez), events are set in motion that ultimately culminate in a showdown between mothers.
In our first scream, La Llorona has managed to breach the entry of the Tate-Garcia household where she has absconded with Anna’s daughter, Sam (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen). Knowing that La Llorona intends to kill her child, a frantic Anna follows the two into the water where a battle ensues.
On the surface, the screams informing this scene register as a guttural reaction of a mother attempting to save her child from a dangerous situation. But they also stem from an intersection of anger and grief. As the audience, we know that Anna is struggling in her role as a single parent, and part of the emotion fueling this scream is a hybrid of sadness and anger that she alone is responsible for protecting her family. It is an obligation that weighs heavily on her and that prompts frequent doubts as to whether she alone is enough for her children. Interestingly, the complexity of the scene suggests that perhaps she is correct to be worried.
Although Anna and La Llorona have encountered one another previously, this moment marks their first physical interaction. This should be a moment that assuages Anna’s concern over whether her abilities alone as a mother are enough to protect her children. After all, her instinct to race into the water to save her daughter ties into our cultural expectation that good mothers are self-sacrificing. But complicating this scene is the arrival of Olvera (Raymond Cruz), a former priest Anna has enlisted to help her protect her family against La Llorona. As Anna battles underwater to free Sam, Olvera engages in a hybrid of ritual and prayer above the water that culminates in his placing his hand in the water and breaking La Llorona’s control of the situation. In this moment, Olvera reads as the paternal presence to Anna’s maternal one. Previously, Anna noted that her husband was the religious one and Olvera’s status as a former priest makes him the ideal husband surrogate. Anna is only able to save Sam with Olvera’s help and that reality suggests Anna’s worries that she alone is not enough is based on some truth. Her screams are an awareness that she was right all along; she really can’t protect her children alone.
The idea that children fare better in two-parent households is an inherently patriarchal one. But is it an idea that might resonate with horror film fans? Research indicates that in 2014, among young adults ages 18-25, 55% of young men disagreed with traditional gender roles that cast fathers as the breadwinners and mothers as the homemakers, a substantial difference from the 83% of young men who disagreed in 1994. If we consider that this demographic is also the core demographic to which horror films are traditionally marketed, Anna’s enlistment of a husband surrogate potentially reads as approval of traditional gender role norms. It is a curious position for a genre build upon norm violation.
This quasi-nuclear family dynamic also comes into play in our next scream. Alone in the attic, Anna’s two children are stunned when La Llorona appears to them in her human form. Thinking she has finally found one of her lost children, La Llorona quickly resumes her spirit form when Anna and Olvera appear.
What is especially interesting about the female screams heard here is how they frame two entirely different experiences of maternal grief. The initial scream comes from La Llorona as she charges toward Anna. Having just mistakenly believed reunification with her deceased children was imminent, La Llorona’s scream is a powerful intersection of grief and anger-fueled in no small part by a desire to lash out at mothers who still have their children. La Llorona’s grief is complicated for the audience because while we see her sadness and yearning as she caresses the face of Anna’s son, we also know that her children died as a result of matricide. There is an implication that she deserves her grief in a way that Anna simply does not. For her part, Anna’s scream is a renunciation of La Llorona’s pain. As the mother for whom the audience is positioned to align, Anna’s grief is acceptable because she did nothing to deserve it, unlike La Llorona.
This issue of which mother deserves our sympathy is then complicated by the film’s explicit privileging of white motherhood. We know that in her human form, La Llorona is a Mexican woman. And we know that the only other mother the film introduces us to is Patricia Alvarez (Patricia Velásquez) who is also a Latina. Like La Llorona, Patricia’s arc is one of a mother who seeks to be reunited with her deceased sons. But unlike La Llorona, responsibility for their deaths, which occur after Anna dismisses Patricia’s fears of La Llorona as a silly folktale and removes the children from her home, does not reside with Patricia. Rather, her monstrosity is connected to her willingness to sacrifice Anna’s children to La Llorona in return for her children. No space of empathy is granted to the character until she reverses her decision and allows Anna the opportunity to save her children, an opportunity previously denied to Patricia by Anna. That the film depicts its two Latina mothers as menacing while casting its white mother as an innocent reflects a significant and deep bias in how North American motherhood is framed in popular culture largely by whiteness.
Coontz, Stephanie, and Virgina Rutter. Council on Contemporary Gender and Millennials Symposium, 31 Mar. 2017, contemporaryfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FINAL-CCF-Gender-Millennial.pdf.
Doyle, Nora. Maternal Bodies: Redefining Motherhood in Early America. University of North Carolina Press, 2018.
The Curse of La Llorona. Directed by Michael Chaves, performances by Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, and Patricia Velásquez, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2019.
This can be done through rituals such as meditation, spellcasting, and communing with nature spirits. Beyer also emphasizes the importance of ethics in wild witchcraft. She encourages practitioners to use their powers responsibly and with the utmost respect for the natural world. This means being mindful of the impact of their actions on the environment and taking steps to minimize harm. Another aspect of wild witchcraft is the celebration of the changing seasons and the cyclical nature of life. Witches who practice in this tradition often align their magic with the cycles of the moon and the changing of the seasons. This can involve performing rituals and spells that are specific to certain times of the year or working with specific elements or energies that are associated with each season. In conclusion, wild witchcraft is a form of witchcraft that is deeply connected to nature and the natural world. It involves working with the elements and tapping into the raw energy of the Earth. Rebecca Beyer has played a significant role in popularizing this form of witchcraft through her writings and teachings. By emphasizing the importance of ethics and a deep connection with nature, practitioners of wild witchcraft strive to live in harmony with the Earth and harness its power for positive change..
Reviews for "The Dark Side: Rebecca Beyer's Approach to Shadow Work in Wild Witchcraft"
1. Mary Johnson - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer. The book promised to explore the intriguing world of witchcraft but failed to deliver. The author's writing style was dry and dull, making it difficult to stay engaged. Additionally, the information provided was very basic and didn't go into much depth. I expected to learn about different types of witchcraft, rituals, and spells but instead found repetitive and uninteresting content. Overall, I found this book to be a wasted opportunity and would not recommend it to anyone seeking a comprehensive guide on witchcraft.
2. David Thompson - 2 stars - "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer was not what I expected. While the book did touch upon certain aspects of witchcraft, it lacked the depth and substance I was looking for. The information provided felt surface-level and didn't give me a true understanding of the topic. Additionally, the organization of the book was confusing, making it difficult to follow the author's train of thought. I wish the book had delved into specific practices and rituals rather than providing vague and general information. Overall, I was left wanting more from this book and would not recommend it to serious seekers of witchcraft knowledge.
3. Sarah Thompson - 2 stars - I was quite disappointed with "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer. The book lacked the depth and detail necessary to truly explore the world of witchcraft. I found the writing style to be monotonous and unengaging, making it difficult to stay interested in the content. The author also failed to provide practical examples or exercises to help readers connect with the material. I was left feeling unsatisfied and underwhelmed by this book. If you're looking for a comprehensive and informative guide on witchcraft, I would not recommend "Wild Witchcraft".
4. Michael Williams - 1 star - I regret purchasing "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer. The book was poorly written and lacked any real substance. The information provided was basic and unoriginal, failing to offer any new insights or perspectives on witchcraft. Additionally, the author seemed to focus more on personal anecdotes rather than providing valuable information. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of witchcraft as it fails to deliver on its promises. Save your money and look for a more well-researched and informative book on the subject.
5. Emily Davis - 1 star - "Wild Witchcraft" by Rebecca Beyer is one of the worst books I've read on witchcraft. The author's writing style is bland and lacks any real enthusiasm for the topic. The book fails to provide any practical guidance or useful information for those wanting to explore witchcraft. It felt like reading a poorly written high school essay rather than a well-researched and informative guide. Overall, I found this book to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone looking to learn about witchcraft in any meaningful way.