Happy Halloween witches! Or should I say Samhain.
This is the time of year when the veil is at its thinnest. When we are able to connect to the netherworld or the “other side,” it is also the time of year that I associate the most with the dark feminine.
It is my personal hypothesis that the reason women love fall so much is that it evokes a desire within to return to our wild feminine roots. Yet in our modern world, we’ve replaced the rituals of Samhain, a time when, in most pagan and folk traditions, individuals would honor and connect with their ancestors, with pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween candy, and costumes.
While I am all for a good night of indulgence and debauchery now and then (my roots do hail from New Orleans on my father’s side), as I find myself getting older and the more I dive into the history of women and healing practices - I’ve notice myself wanting to return to the natural rhythms of the earth and the symbolic cycles of nature.
Or in other words, leaning in to my dark feminine aspects or those aspects of myself which make up my Aura function, which is where the archetype of the witch resides.
Therefore, in thinking of a spooky-themed movie to apply the Yonic Model of the Self to women’s self-actualization journey in honor of this autumn season, I could think of no better movie to watch than the iconic 1998 film, Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as based on the novel by the same name written by Alice Hoffman.
So sit back and make yourself some midnight margaritas, and let’s get into it on this extra special witchy spooky season themed episode!
***Warning: Spoilers***
The movie follows the main character, Sally Owens (Bullock), a recent widow who has just lost her husband, Michael, played by Mark Feuerstein.
Bullock as Sally from Practical Magic
She moves back to her hometown with her two witchy aunts and her two daughters, which we can view as crone and maiden versions of herself and her twin sister Gillian, played by Nicole Kidman.
In the film, like most women, Sally begins trapped in her Veil function. Or her light, feminine qualities she has foreclosed on in order to avoid being seen as “weird” or different. She is convinced she just wanted a nice quiet life with her husband, Michael, who represents the archetype of prince charming, in order for her to integrate her Ego function or light masculine qualities.
Feuerstein as Michael from Practical Magic
Sadly, the Owens women carry a generational curse, causing all of the men they fall in love with to die, which is a metaphor for the wounded masculine in Sally and within the collective consciousness of women due to experiences through history, such as the Witch Craze.
Thus, in the beginning of the movie, Sally, like most women, is seeking external approval by rejecting her dark feminine or Aura function aspects of herself in order to gain approval from the external conscious world she must navigate. Thus, she attempts to deny the presence of the curse or her own magical powers as a witch, thus revealing her internalized goddess-witch spectrum.
Thus, as the movie progresses, we come to know Sally’s twin, Gillian, who represents her dark feminine or Aura function, played by Nicole Kidman.
Kidman as Gillian in Practical Magic
Unlike Sally, Gillian fully embraces her dark, witchy aspects, and thus she is meant to contrast Sally’s internalized “good girl” or goddess archetype.
Throughout the movie, Gillian forces Sally to integrate her witch archetype and reclaim her healing powers as a witch, especially when it comes to covering up their murder and reanimation of her abusive ex-boyfriend Jimmy, who represents the dark masculine or Sally’s Daemon function, played by Goran Višnjić.
Višnjić as Jimmy in Practical Magic.
It is through defeating Jimmy and embracing the help of the townswomen that Sally is able to save Gillian, her Aura function, and reconcile her own goddess-witch spectrum.
Thus, she is able to reclaim both her light and dark feminine aspects through the Veil and Aura functions as well as her light and dark masculine aspects by integrating her Ego and Daemon functions.
Thus, to represent the coming together of all of her four functions of the Self. Sally is able to finally find love with the skeptical detective turned believer in magic, Gray Hallet, played by Aidan Quinn, and the Owens curse on the women of the family is lifted.
Quinn, as Gary, shows with one green and one blue eye to represent how he embodies both the dark and the light masculine.
Thereby, allowing Sally to complete the process of Anamnesis, or what I refer to as women’s self-actualization process, and to fully embrace all aspects of herself.
Thus, the Owens women, all three generations (maidens, mothers, and crones), celebrate by embracing their magic for all the townsfolk to see as they jump and fly off the roof of their home for Halloween.
Reminding us of the importance of falling in love, and the healing power of relationships, since ultimately they allow us to become further connected to ourselves.
OX,
Your Dark Fairy Godmother.
If you want to learn more about to reconcile your inner goddess-witch spectrum, click to access the goddess-witch spectrum course below:
To read more about my Yonic Model of the Self or my Yonic Theory detailing women’s self-actualization process, you can purchase the first edition of the Yonic Journal using the link below or listen to part 2 of the Yonic Model of the Self.
