On Current TV | July 13, 2008 | 16 comments

Hocus Pocus Club

aaronstone
On the 10th May this year Witchfest England takes place. This is one of the largest and most popular gathering of Witches in the world. Featuring talks, workshops and an esoteric market. Interest in Occult is rising in the UK which some Christian movements blame on the rise of TV, film and books such as Harry Potter and Buffy. We talk to the event organizers, performers and Witchfest festival goers about what it is that they practice and why people should know about it.
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    On Current TV,   VC2 on TV,   Current Event,   Current Eventi,   1 more
  2. tags:
    UK,  On Current TV,  VC2 on TV,  United Kingdom,  10 more
  3. credits:
    aaronstone Producer, Emily_RS Producer, ltopham Editor, more
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16 comments // Hocus Pocus Club // Video

  • Pinkpasty
  • blanch
    • 0
      blanch  

    • I don't think it's accurate to describe this as a religion - at least not in this context - it appears to be more of a subculture. I find it hard to believe that people are really attracted to the 'beliefs' of wicca; I think they are more attracted to the out-there-ness, outcast-ness, wanting to belong to something that was once illegal and frightening to people. Sheep trying to be individuals.

    • 1 year ago
  • sgwhites
    • 0
      sgwhites  
    • blanch:

      Wow, that's making an awful lot of assumption. It's true that there are some people who are pretty out there, but a lot of us are attracted to the beliefs of Wicca and paganism. Unlike some other religions, Wicca and paganism require you to be responsible for your own actions and morality; there's no intercession of clergy to cleanse you of your sins. Following a path like this is actually a lot of work, which tends to weed out people who are just in it for the shock value, at least as serious practitioners.

    • 1 year ago
  • BFAM_RVS
    • 0
      BFAM_RVS  

    • Am I the only one who wants to go to this party to hook up with some of these witch hunnies, I mean, there are some gorgeous girls there

    • 1 year ago
  • TryThisOn
  • zeephile
    • 0
      zeephile  

    • I actually went to this and had a lot of fun. So many people are still in the broom closet around others but when we get altogether it can be a real party. Its wonderful to find people that understand you. And how can Christian groups blame rising paganism on Buffy and Harry Potter? Paganism was around before the Bible was even written! Even fact, so-called "Christian" holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween have pagan roots.

    • 2 years ago
  • LindseyIndigo
    • 0
      LindseyIndigo  

    • It's an interesting topic, but alas not a particularly interesting treatment. I just got a bit bored with the talking heads and the run-of-the mill actuality. Was there a way for the subject to dictate the form a little more perhaps, to follow a really strong character (a guided tour of the event from a big personality would have been great, for example), or for the director to stamp a stronger personality on the film? It felt like you could see this kind of film in a segment on a regional news programme, so something more strongly 'Current' and stylish would have been more engaging methinks...

    • 2 years ago
  • malathion
    • 0
      malathion  

    • i have never met a self professed "witch" who , if i called her on a friday night , had anything better to do than me , and that's disturbing really.

    • 2 years ago
  • sgwhites
    • 0
      sgwhites  
    • Image

    • Great pod! I really liked it.

      But, a lot of people dispute the claim that Wicca can be connected to an ancient, pre-Christian religion. Wicca, as a religion, really developed with Gerald Gardner around he 1950s.

    • 2 years ago
  • Saladin
  • Nefri
  • Leaora
  • bamboombango
  • zeephile
  • Denica_Cassandra
  • achromatic
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