Hocus Pocus Halloween

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Magic And Halloween

Halloween draws near. It's time to bask in the spells of magic and make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

Getting in the mood for Halloween demands a viewing of the movie Hocus Pocus. It has become a Halloween tradition. It’s time to curl up with warm drinks and popcorn in front of the wide screen to watch this classic movie.

Hocus Pocus

Disney's 1993 movie, Hocus Pocus, is a light-hearted show the whole family can enjoy. True to Disney style, there's just enough play on words to keep the adults entertained too.

Get ready for magic and time travel.

“Hocus Pocus revolves around the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who are resurrected inadvertently, 300 years after their deaths, on the eve of Halloween in 1993.

Hanged as witches those many years past, they live up to their reputations and wreak havoc across Salem. Only a teenage boy (Omri Katz), his girlfriend (Vinessa Shaw), his little sister (Thora Birch) and a talking cat (Sean Murray) are able to stop them. ”

I Put A Spell On You

In Hocus Pocus the witches cast a magic spell over the entire town. 

However, apparently a magical spell was also cast so the movie wouldn't disappear into obscurity. The film has developed a loyal cult following.

“Critics tore apart the horror comedy, but it then went on to establish a cult audience thanks to its release on home video. ”

Who says magic's not real?

The Sanderson Sisters – Three Witches

“Bette Midler as Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson, the buck-toothed leader of the Sanderson sisters. She is the eldest and the wickedest of the sisters, as well as the most intelligent. She has a great knowledge of dark magic. Her robes are green.

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, the second witch sister. Often complimenting and comforting her domineering older sister Winnie, she likes to eat children. Her powers are smelling children. Her color is red.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, the youngest and most beautiful witch sister; she also is ditzy and vague. Her powers are mesmerism (by singing a siren song), which she uses to lure children to feed upon their life force. Her somewhat revealing robes are purple.”
— Wikipedia

Wicked And Delightful

Listen to the resonant ring of Winifred's voice, "SISTAHS !!!" as she calls to her beloved sisters. They are bonded in a coven as sisters and witches, even if she does call them idiots at one point.

The three sister-witches are a goofy bunch (after all, it's a horror comedy) and while they’re pretty silly, their magic is certainly wicked enough. Sucking the life out of young children qualifies, don't you think?

Sarah's Enchanted Song

As the witches fly on their broomsticks, Winifred calls forth to Sarah:

“Use thy voice, Sarah,
Fill the sky!
Bring the little brats to die!
Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha...”

Sarah sings a melodious song as she weaves a thread of magic to lure the children of the town to the witches' lair. Perched on her flying broomstick, Sarah coos her lullaby into the night sky. Her dulcet tones melt onto the children, mesmerizing them into obedience.

“Come, Little Children, I’ll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come, Little Children, the time’s come to play
Here in my garden of magic...”

Come Little Children

Sarah sings only one verse of the song, but its haunting melody enchanted people near and far.

Who is the author of the song's lyrics?

Some claim it was written by Edgar Allen Poe; that is simply not true. To add to the confusion, more verses were tacked on to create a longer version of the song.

It's our good fortune that author D. Melhoff launched an inquiry into the matter. Leaving no stone unturned, Melhoff's research on the topic provides the most satisfactory answers.

The first verse was written by Brock Walsh for the Disney movie Hocus Pocus and the music was composed by James Horner.

The origin of the added verses remains shrouded in mystery. Perhaps that's how it should be when you're dealing with a song that leads to the supernatural.

You can read all the circuitous details found by D. Melhoff in the post entitled: Who Really Wrote the Poem "Come Little Children"?

The singer, Erutan, also performs a full version of the song. She created a YouTube video with images from the movie Pan's Labyrinth as a cover.

Happy Halloween.

 

Cinderella, Kindness And Magic

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Cinderella

Cinderella, the Disney movie, is coming in March 2015. Watching the promos, I cannot wait. The movie trailer made me a little teary-eyed.

Really. I even surprised myself.

Just look at this glass slipper. And I don't even like heels!

However, the Fairy Godmother tells Cinderella, "You'll find they're really comfortable." Frankly, I never argue with a Fairy Godmother.

I felt like I was 15 years old again. Magical possibilities and right-overcoming-wrong made my heart soar. This Disney movie trailer has all the right effects of swelling music and sparkling magic combined with a timeless story.

The Disney Movie Trailer For Cinderella


Chosen For The Part Of Cinderella

As I watched the video trailer, I found myself thinking, gosh, Cinderella seems so familiar. Who is that young lady? Even her voice seemed familiar. Wait, wait, don't tell me...

Oh, of course, beautiful Rose from our beloved Downton Abbey. British accent and all. What a perfect choice for this Cinderella movie.

What a thrill it must have been for her to be chosen for the part. Can you imagine it? Getting the call that said, "Yes, you've been selected among thousands to play the part of Cinderella."

Lady Rose, Lily James the actress, aka Cinderella, gracefully and delightfully evokes a sense of youthful awe and magic. I find myself believing, if only for a moment – "it could happen" – that wonderful suspension of disbelief.

Kindness, Goodness And Magic

I love the emphasis on kindness in this movie. We could all use a lot more kindness in the world. Even the Dalai Lama XIV talks about it in this quote:

Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible.

Cinderella's mother shares with her a secret - "have courage and be kind" - which is wonderful advice for all of us. I, for one, would like to see kindness "win" more often.

I'm not particularly disposed to the idea of a Prince Charming coming to save me, in any literal sense, but I can certainly enjoy a story about it. These fairy tales are a part of my growing up.

Fairy Tales And Archetype

Fairy tales are universally appealing. They are old stories that have been handed down across the centuries and are told over and over again.  Fairy tales have archetypal energies that speak to something universal within us.

Good wins over evil; right succeeds after being wrongly treated. Having these energies enacted right in front of us appeals to our collective subconscious.

In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature.

Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, argued that the root of an archetype is in the “collective unconscious” of mankind. The phrase “collective unconscious” refers to experiences shared by a race or culture. This includes love, religion, death, birth, life, struggle, survival etc. These experiences exist in the subconscious of every individual and are recreated in literary works or in other forms of art.

Story telling is an important part of who we are. The stories comfort and entertain us and we bond together by sharing a common story line, nodding in agreement over the plot and outcome.

Even the highly commercialized Disney empire, keeper of fairy tales during the past century, has scored “direct visceral hits” with films that have captured the “power and the melodrama of the stories in their original form." -Maria Tartar

Photo of Cinderella dressed in her ballgown to go the ball. Image from Disney poster for the movie.

Cinderella goes to the ball. 

Applying Universal Energy To Archetypal Energies

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®), can direct energy to parts of the story that personally resonate for them. Every topic is touched on in Cinderella – the death of a family member, ideas of right and wrong, the downtrodden, love and redemption. Watching the movie while applying TRT® hands-on is a great way to stay centered and aware.

Maybe you have little ones who have to see the movie. TRT® hands-on during the movie is a great time to catch up on a little extra energy for you.

Relax And Enjoy The Show

Of course, it's also possible to enjoy the show and not worry about archetype or any other deeper meaning.  I like to sit back and use my TRT® hands-on to enhance relaxation and enjoyment of the movie.

As for me, I also have a small, magical ability to tell the future. I predict we will be seeing a lot of little girls in Cinderella costumes next Halloween.

 

Halloween – A Magical Night Beckons

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History Of Halloween

Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, as far back as 2,000 years ago. Samhain, (pronounced say-win or sow-in) means summer's end, and it was the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

For people who survived on crops that grew in the fields and animals that were pastured, it was a significant cycle. 

Samhain started at sunset on 31 October and ran until sunset on 01 November.

All Saints Day, All Hallows Eve And Souling

All Hallows Eve is also the night before All Saints Day on 01 November which is celebrated by Christianity, particularly the Catholic Church.

All Saints Day is a time to honor all the saints and to offer prayers for the souls of the dead.

“In England, from the medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of “souling” on Halloween.

This involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.”
 

You could hear soulers singing: "a soul cake, a soul cake, have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake."

Or, how about this little refrain:

“Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven’t an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all”
 

This is part of the history behind the custom we now have of trick-or-treating. Children go from door to door with the phrase "trick or treat" in hopes of a reward of candy.

Halloween In The United States

Halloween traditions in the United States include pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating and costume parties. Traditional colors are orange and black and link to the Samhain holiday. Orange symbolizes the colors of the crops and turning leaves, while black marks the 'death' of summer.

Decorations feature skulls, witches and bats, black cats, tombstones and ghosts. Candy corn is a not-to-be-missed Halloween candy. Costumes are to be as creative as possible.

It's a secular, but not a federal holiday which means we don't get the day off from work. Given all the activity around Halloween, it seems like we should have it off.

Artist, Robert Ingpen

What Are Your Plans For This Magical Night?

October 31 will be here in the blink of a black cat's eye.

Do you have children? Perhaps you are already head-to-toe in costume fabrics and materials, busy making outfits for your little ones. What's the costume flavor of the year?

Maybe you're picking out a costume for yourself – for your own Halloween festivities.

“In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.

The practice of guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going “guising” around the neighborhood.”
 

Organizing a party for Halloween?

Pumpkins need carving, decorations need to be hung and caramel apples await a sticky demise.

Do your plans include a visit to a haunted house?  

Spooky delights are lurking in the cobwebs and hallways of darkness.

Veils Disappear Between Worlds On Halloween

As the warmth of summer fades away, darkness and cold prevail. Winter is a time of year often associated with human death as the earth also "dies" before the rebirth in spring. Druids believed that the spirits of those who died the preceding year roamed the earth during the night of Samhain.

“The Druids celebrated this holiday with a great fire festival to encourage the dimming Sun not to completely vanish. People danced around bonfires to keep evil spirits away. Doors were left open in hopes that the kind spirits of loved ones might join them at the hearth.

Spirits from the other side were either entertained by the living or they found a body to possess for the incoming year.

Dressing up like witches, ghosts and goblins protected the living from being possessed.”
 

Halloween is still considered to be a magical night when the veils between our worlds of the dead and the living become transparent. As the veils disappear, spirits who have passed to the other side can cross back over; the dead walk among the living.

The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year has ancient origins. It's found in many cultures throughout the world.

Even the most skeptical among us become just a little superstitious on this night of shadows and spirits.

Are you organizing little ones as they tap dance through Princess, Dinosaur, and Spider-Man costumes? Be sure to take a little time for yourself, too.

Happy Halloween.