My witch godmother is an extraordinary character who has always fascinated me. From a young age, I was intrigued by her mystical abilities and the way she could cast spells and brew potions with ease. She is not your typical godmother. Instead of bestowing wishes and granting dreams, she prefers to teach and guide. Her home resembles a magical laboratory, filled with books on spellcasting and potions. It is a treasure trove of knowledge where she spends most of her time experimenting with different ingredients and concoctions.
Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight
Whether you learned about it from watching Raiders of the Lost Ark or, even earlier, from reading Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier s European bestseller The Morning of the Magicians, who doesn t now know that Hitler and Nazi Germany were obsessed with the occult. As the author of The Theozoology, or the Science of Sodom s Apelings and the God s Electrons, Lanz frequently referred to lesser breeds as Tschandals, a derogatory term taken from the Hindu codes of Manu.
It is a treasure trove of knowledge where she spends most of her time experimenting with different ingredients and concoctions. Whenever I visit her, she always has a potion simmering on her cauldron. The aroma fills the air with an enchanting fragrance, and she eagerly explains the properties of each ingredient she uses.
It turns out ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ wasn’t so far off about the Nazis
Whether you learned about it from watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or, even earlier, from reading Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier's European bestseller "The Morning of the Magicians," who doesn't now know that Hitler and Nazi Germany were obsessed with the occult?
Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight
In "Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich" Eric Kurlander, professor of history at Stetson University, carefully tracks the fringe movements and lunatic beliefs that swept through Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In particular, he documents the intense interest in parapsychology, New Age fantasies and so-called "border science." Some Nazi leaders firmly believed that the Aryan race descended from the aliens who established Atlantis, that Satan was really a good guy and that werewolves actually protected clean-living Teutons against the ravages and sexual depredations of Slavic vampires.
Kurlander groups all these — as well as the Nazi obsession with the Holy Grail, witchcraft, Luciferianism, World Ice Theory, anti-gravity machines, astrology and pagan religions — under the rubric “the supernatural imaginary.” He begins his study with Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, champion of Ariosophy, “an esoteric doctrine that prophesied the resurgence of a lost Aryan civilization peopled by Nordic ‘God Men.’ ” According to Lanz, in 1909 he gave some issues of his magazine Ostara to a pale, shabbily dressed young man named Adolf Hitler. Of course, the future Führer may have just wanted the magazine for the pictures, since it was illustrated with — shades of Frank Frazetta! — “muscular Aryan cavaliers defending scantily clad blonde women from the advances of hideous-looking ‘ape-men.’ ”
As the author of “The Theozoology, or the Science of Sodom’s Apelings and the God’s Electrons,” Lanz frequently referred to “lesser breeds” as “Tschandals,” a derogatory term taken from the Hindu codes of Manu. Manu? In German theosophical circles it was commonly believed that India and Tibet preserved the hidden enclaves of ancient Atlanteans or even living Secret Masters. One lunatic named Guido von List “proved” that Baldur, Jesus, Buddha, Osiris and Moses were all pure-blooded Aryans. Witches were simply Earth mothers and practitioners of a traditional Indo-Germanic religion that Judeo-Christianity tried to eradicate. (This is similar to the long discredited thesis of Margaret Murray’s 1921 book, “The Witch-Cult in Western Europe.”) With growing frequency, the Jews were deemed the most pernicious Tschandals. Kurlander paraphrases the British racist Houston Stewart Chamberlain, who blustered that “heroic Aryans” sought “higher knowledge and creativity fuelled by their superior ‘racial soul,’ ” while “monstrous Semites” were “civilization-destroying materialists who lacked the capacity for transcendence.”
Throughout, Kurlander underscores the dangers of insane nationalism. Georg Kenstler proclaimed — with horrific consequences — that German territorial superiority required “Lebensraum,” or “living space.” Walther Darré affirmed the ultra-patriotic, almost mystical association of “Blut und boden,” or blood and soil. Erik Hanussen, the country’s “most flamboyant clairvoyant,” helped convince “millions of Germans that they were the ‘Chosen People’ and that the downfall of 1918 would be reversed by Hitler’s ability to make ‘the impossible possible.’ ”
As Kurlander stresses, Hitler's rise to power resulted from multiple factors — Germany's military defeat, onerous war reparations, economic chaos — but esoteric mumbo-jumbo clearly played its part. He examines the popularity of the extremist horror writer Hanns Heinz Ewers and parses the racist imagery of expressionist films such as "Nosferatu " and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Hitler apparently studied Ernst Schertel's "Magic" as a self-help manual, underlining personally useful passages, among them "He who does not carry demonic seeds within him will never give birth to a new world." Such a channeling of demonic power or "mana" has always been central to occultism. The psychologist Carl Jung would even assert that Hitler was a medium, a "mouthpiece of the gods of old."
Whether you learned about it from watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or, even earlier, from reading Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier's European bestseller "The Morning of the Magicians," who doesn't now know that Hitler and Nazi Germany were obsessed with the occult?
I am amazed at how she effortlessly memorizes recipes and understands the intricate details of each spell. My witch godmother has a special bond with nature. She is a true protector of the earth and believes in the magic it holds. She often takes me on hikes in the woods, pointing out different plants and teaching me their properties. She stresses the importance of using nature's gifts responsibly and in harmony with the environment. One of my fondest memories with her is when she taught me to fly on a broomstick. I was filled with anticipation and nervousness, but she reassured me that it was all about finding confidence within myself. With her guidance, I took my first flight, feeling the wind in my hair and the freedom in my soul. It was an experience I will never forget. Despite her mystical abilities, my witch godmother is down-to-earth and practical. She always reminds me that magic can be found in the simplest of things, like a smile or a kind gesture. She inspires me to embrace the unknown and to see beauty in the world around me. As I grow older, I realize how fortunate I am to have a witch godmother who has devoted her life to teaching and guiding me. Her wisdom and magical abilities have shaped me into the person I am today. I am grateful to have her by my side, reminding me of the magic that resides within me..
Reviews for "The Power of Moon Magic: Lessons from My Witch Godmother"
1. Sophia - 2 stars - I recently watched "My Witch Godmother" and I have to say, I was quite disappointed. The storyline was predictable and lacked depth. The characters were one-dimensional and there was no emotional connection established with the audience. Additionally, the acting felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to stay engaged in the film. Overall, I found "My Witch Godmother" to be a forgettable and underwhelming experience.
2. Liam - 3 stars - While "My Witch Godmother" had some entertaining moments, it ultimately fell short of my expectations. The plot seemed promising, but it quickly became formulaic and cliché. The humor also felt forced and didn't always land. Furthermore, the pacing was inconsistent, leading to a lack of cohesion in the overall story. I wanted to enjoy this film, but it simply wasn't able to hold my attention or leave a lasting impression.
3. Emily - 2.5 stars - I have mixed feelings about "My Witch Godmother". On one hand, the concept of a witch granting wishes was intriguing, but the execution was lacking. The dialogue felt disjointed and the exposition was heavy-handed. The character development also left much to be desired, as the cast felt more like stereotypes than fully fleshed out individuals. While there were a few bright spots, overall, "My Witch Godmother" failed to captivate and fell short of delivering a satisfying viewing experience.