Customer Reviews

Intimate Portrait: Witches [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
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The video starts with a very broad overview of the Salem witch trials, along with some other historical events. It then features some very brief interviews with contemporary witches, amongst which Z. Budapest, Laurie Cabot and Janet Farrar. The focus is mainly on combatting stereotypes and making viewers aware of the possible discrimination that present followers of Wicca might suffer. It only gives the most basic information on the religion (a nature spirituality pretty much sums up what the video has to say), and makes several broad generalizations which are passed as facts regarding the history of Wicca and witchcraft. I'd say this is a good eye-opener for someone that has absolutely no idea that Wicca exists, but I'd urge them to get better factual information on history and also on the beliefs and practices of Wicca. Two good videos for those wishing to learn more about the last point are: "Discovering Witchcraft: A Journey Through The Elements" by Stewart and Janet Farrar and "Discovering Witchcraft: The Mysteries" by Stewart and Janet Farrar.

A good basic overview of the history of Witches. It focuses mainly on the persecution of women through the ages, I would have liked to have seen a little more about the men in Witchcraft. The Interviews with modern Witches are interesting, but leave you asking for more. Worth watching.

I bought this used and i must say that I loved it. My only dissapointment was that it wasn't longer. It had interviews with modern witches and I wish they had devoted some more time to that. The peice was mostly about the Burning Times, and I guess I wish they'd made two seperate videoes. I would have bought both. It was still excellent, I was very impressed with it.

Keep in mind that this a report of (primetime) television. So everthing has to go fast, flashy, styled...give the masses what they want...
I obtained this video because I wanted to see the interviews of farrar, budapest, cabot. This 45minutes begins in Salem; and gives a brief visual document of witches in the past and modern America.
As I said earlier; quick research is unaccurate research. They use the word 'wicca', 'athame' a.o. without saying one word of the creator of these words: Gerald Gardner!
He is the first person who used these words in this combination and associated to witches. It is like Gardner, Sanders, V. Crowley don't exist. Americans found their own way, but not without watching the European "wicca"first. In the interview with Budapest; the word feminist wicca doesn't appear.

A note for the non-American buyers: these videos are American VHS system. In Europe we use VHS PAL (in France VHS SECAM). Before obtaining videos make sure that you Video Recorder is able to play American VHS. Most new types of VCR can play both; PAL and NTCS.

I enjoyed this video as a basis of witchcraft. It goes into some history behind the burning times and really gets you thinking about the reasons that women were (and still are) persecuted. Then it breifly goes into Wicca, or modern witchcraft. It has an iterview with Laurie Cabot as well as someother well known witches such as Z. Budapest.

The people on this program are familiar mainstream writers that have contributed heavily to the emergence or re-emergence of Wicca. The significance of the program is not the contents but to get a first hand view of the writers (Z. Budapest, Laurie Cabot and Janet Farrar.) Naturally with most biographical films there is a spin placed on the subject matter to portray what they think will sell. Notice the green faced witch in the Wizard of Oz is shown; they completely overlook Glenda to good witch.

With all the hype and not much circumstances you may get the feeling that this is not a "how to" program. However the essence is not rigid rituals but the philosophy and religion behind Wicca.
This is not a "be all. End all" program but a portrait.


Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Includes Author's Book of Shadows)