Erica's Witchyness and general Witchyness of BW2

[kgt]

I have seen a few posts about Erica's chant "By earth and water and fire and smoke, Persephone I invoke" ... this thread is an overall examination of the Elements and a few other Witchy things involving BW2. I have split it up into sections, to make it an easier read.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

The element of Earth

1. Earth, is the element that grounds and anchors, with strength and resilience

2. A Witch draws on the energy of Earth when they have physical work to do, if they need physical nourishment and sustenance, and when they need to feel more ‘grounded’ and secure

Erica finds comfort and strength in Goddess Spirituality, in which she can perform creatively in it's rituals, as there are no 'set rules' in how a person should practice. Wicca is a religion that makes sense, it is dynamic and logical, loving and responsible, sensuous and holy.

3. A Witch’s ties to Earth is the body. The Goddess teaches us to live authentically within out bodies, whatever their shape, appearance, or functionally

this explains in the ‘rewinding of the videos’ in the ritual, Erica acts as an nude altar.



4. Gravity is a manifestation of Earth

this explains Erica’s rocking back and forth

5. The Season associated with Earth is Winter (time of darkness)

Winter is associated with Persephone

6. The Time associated with Earth is Night

Erica’s ritual was performed at night

7. The Sense associated with Earth is Touch

this explains Erica touching the ground

8. Dancing is an Offering of Earth

Erica does dance, when they are drinking and smoking weed, as the living altar, and swinging round the tree

9. Jewellery is an Offering of Earth

Erica wears a Pentagram, and Crystals (I think). The Pentagram represents the 5 elements, earth, air, fire, water, and spirit (Deity/Human Spirit).

10. Nudity is an Offering of Earth, a naked body represents the dropping of illusions and social masks

Erica is semi nude a lot

The element of Air

1. Air, is the element of inspiration and creative stimulation

2. A Witch draws on the energy of Air when they are working with dreams or mysteries, or when they need to free trapped energy

The Blair Witch mythos is shrouded in ‘dreams’, mysteries, and Elly’s trapped energy. Which also explains Erica's Widdershins ritual. 'Widdershins' means 'Against the sun' (anti-clockwise) in the Northern Hemisphere and clock-wise in the Southern Hemisphere

3. The Universal Feminine is the sudden breeze that shoves us on the street or turns our umbrella inside out. It is a sign to pay attention, or that some necessary work has been neglected

Erica wants to commune with Elly, the Secret of Esrever is: “Seek me no further or the children will again walk free”

4. Sound is a manifestation of Air

Erica’s chanting

5. The Season associated with Air is Spring (time of freshness)

Spring is associated with Persephone

6. The Time associated with Air is Dawn

7. The Sense associated with Air is Hearing and Smelling

Erica is ‘listening’

8. Incense is an Offering of Air, it is used to stimulate the mind, and inspire it’s marriage with the soul

Erica burns incense during her ritual

9. Knives are an Offering of Air, there cutting edge, there ability to separate things as the mind analyzes

Erica pricks herself with her Athame (ritual knife) when Kim interrupts her ritual, the other Tourist group are slaughtered with blades etc

The Element of Fire

1. Fire, is the element of dynamic energy and change

2. A Witch draws on the energy of Fire when they need the qualities of independence, self-confidence and swift effective action

3. In the Universal Feminine’s fiery face, She consumes and destroys. Like roaring fire flames, She feeds off that which we cast off, the garbage and waste of our lives. Out of this sacrifice, however, energies a new form.

4. Heat is a manifestation of Fire – Erica has this element represented by candles

5. The Runes (which look burned into their flesh) could be a representation of Fire

6. The Season associated with the element of Fire is Summer (time of heat)

7. The Time associated with Fire is Noon

8. The Sense associated with Fire is Sight

Erica is watching for ‘signs’

9. Candles are an Offering of Fire

10. Ash is an Offering of Fire, since the Ancient times they were a symbol of humility, sorrow, and even a chance for new beginning. Rise like a phoenix from the flames, letting personal hang ups blow away like ashes

The Runes burnt into skin look like they have a thin coating of ash

The Element of Water

1. Water, is the element of emotion

everyone’s emotions are heightened

2. A Witch draws on the energy of Water when they need to draw on wisdom, when they feel the need to be nurtured and when they would like to have greater emotional harmony

Erica wants Elly to be her mentor (experienced and trusted adviser), Erica wants greater emotional harmony after all the ‘creepy stuff’

3. The Universal Feminine as Water represents the unknown: the dark water that conceals what lies beneath the surface

4. Love is a manifestation of Water

5. The Season associated with Water is Autumn (time of harvest)

Harvest is associated with Persephone

6. The Time associated with Water is Dusk

7. The Sense associated with Water is Taste

8. Blood is an Offering of Water, it is the act of offering, not the amount

Erica cuts her finger with her Athame (ritual knife), the other tourist group are slaughtered on Coffin Rock

9. Sexual Fluids are an Offering of Water

This explains in the ‘rewinding of the videos’ in the ritual, some of them having sex

When Erica chant's "smoke"

There could be a number of reasons for this:

1. Incense smoke is a Natural Symbol of the element of Air

2. Smoke from a fire is a Natural Symbol of the element of Fire (Fire transforms objects into new forms: heat, light, ash, and smoke)

3. 'Smoke' rhymes with 'Invoke' (Invoke means to call a deity into oneself)

Is Erica invoking Persephone's energy to come back from Winter into Spring?

When Erica chants "Persephone"

There could be a number of reasons for this:

1. Persephone: Greek; Demeter's daughter and Queen of the Underworld as well as Harvest. She lives with Hades in the Winter as the Earth sleeps and waits her return in Spring when everything blossoms with joy.

2. Demeter: Greek; Earth Mother archetype. Mother of Persephone. Excellent Goddess where birthing or small children are involved

The Blair Witch mythos does mention 7 children.

[Tweek]

Wow. You put a lot of thought into that. Sounds like you know your stuff. Kudos

Not a big fan of BoS and never bothered to look very far into this stuff. I assumed it was just made up by the writer(s). Maybe not.

[kgt]

Thank you very much! I could have written more, but didn't want to overload everyone!

Paganism is a religion, also known as Wicca. It is a serious religion for people of all ages, a religion with belief in and worship of specific deities or The Universal Feminine (Goddess), a religion closely aligned with Nature. Any magic is secondary to that worship and is only performed when there is a real need for it.

Wicca is based on the writing by Gerald Gardner, an Englishman who, in the 1940's through to his death in 1964 was instrumental in popularizing modern Wicca.

Wicca is a contemporaneity form of Pagan Witchcraft owing much to the mid-20th century work of Gerald Gardner. While Gardner represented Wicca as being a magical tradition existing for centuries in much the form he described in in books, it's clear now that he was much more like the innovative, creative Wiccans of today, formulating his own form of Witchcraft from a wide range of influences. Wicca wasn't Gardner's invention any more than rock and roll was Elvis Presley's. Both, however, were enormously influential in changing and popularizing their chosen fields. Using the word "Wicca" in this sense if useful in differentiating modern Pagan Witchcraft from the many other species of Witchcraft around the world.

[kgt]

Erica chants ”By earth, and fire, and water and smoke, Persephone, I invoke” ten times. A Witch usually chant’s about the five elements, five times for the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and the fifth element which binds the universe together in harmony: Spirit.

I have explained above the possible reasons why she invokes Persephone, however I feel the following chant, would have fitted as well: ”With fire, with water, with earth, and with air. I invoke from the Goddess Persephone, Her protection and care!"

I feel this would still have fit within Erica’s Wiccan beliefs ... in Wicca, The Goddess (Feminine) energy is omnipresent, existing constantly in all things in equal intensity; and the God (Masculine) energy is more dynamic, in that He comes and goes and sparks change and movement in the state of things, He is a constant force connected to the Goddess as Her consort, lover and son.

The Universal Feminine (Goddess) is all-powerful, all knowing, and omnipotent. She waxes and wanes in presence, reflecting the coming and going of all things, the expanding and contracting of our lungs (if in a group, each person is breathing in the breath that has been in each other’s lungs. In a way it’s like making love – the intimacy of sharing breath, when acknowledged and focused upon, is a beautiful and powerful expression of unity), the ebb and flow of the ocean, the heave and sway of universal energies, the beginning and ending of our lives. Her sight is upon all things and within all things. The Universal Masculine (God) unifies everything as He is the Son/Consort/Lover of the Goddess.

I do believe there is a Universal female and male energy, it is energy polarization. One of the fun things about the Divine Feminine is that She gets to meet, play and share love with the Divine Masculine. I believe They are the dual aspects of one Spiritual energy, life/death; passive/aggressive; masculine/feminine; light/dark. I love it when the flow of masculine and feminine ebbs back and forth between Them, this is delicious when They play it together. Either can be every light or dark, a yin yang dynamic. They’re pulled apart and pulled back together again. What They represent is the polarity in whatever dance They explore, so They are magnesticaly drawn together. The wholeness of one Spiritual psyche. I think if there were no humans on earth, there would still be a sense of spirituality, because there would still be the cycles of nature – of life and death, or birth and rebirth.

[kgt]

I watched BW2 with the commentary, and I found it interesting that the Ritual used in the movie was based on the practices of Anton LaVey.

In the ritual, Erica was the nude altar.

In Satanism, a Living Altar, is a nude woman who sits or lies draped across the large stone mantle (trapezoidal shape, 3 to 4 feet high and 5 ½ to 6 feet long can be specially constructed for the woman to lie upon), flesh gleaming in the dim light, knee bent modestly, hair flowing over the edge of the mantle ... a living altar of flesh, evoking lust and making the blood burn, becoming the point of concentration for all in the room, the carnal focus of the will of all participants.

In Satanism there are three main types of rituals, Compassion (for oneself and others), Lust (to release unrequited sexual urges) and Destruction (to cleanse oneself of anger towards someone who has done you an injustice).