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Wicca, Goth, alien abductions and Big Brother

19:24 / 30.05.05

One of this year's Big Brother contestants, Mary O'Leary, claims to be a "white witch" from Atlantis, and the object of no less than seven "alien abductions". She entered the house in a hooded cloak, carrying a broomstick, and celebrated her birthday by hanging a doll on a string above her bed.

She's 31.

One Kevin Carlyon, self-styled "King of the White Witches" is quoted in a tabloid as opining:

"She's not a witch. She had just drifted from one thing to another and her latest thing is trying to be a witch but the reality is that's just rubbish. Whatever she comes out with in terms of magic on Big Brother will be an absolute load of crap."

I'm interested in how Mary's perceived by Wiccans, Goths, New Agers, and so on. Can anyone recommend good forums for me to lurk around? And what do you think of her?

Tryphena Absent

20:22 / 30.05.05

If you want proof that Mary's not untypical you might want to pop along to witchvox and take a look. It's a bit less flaky than it used to be. I don't trust her inclination towards conspiracy and abduction but I think that the atlantis thing isn't that odd, a lot of 'white' witches* believe that your soul is reincarnated and a lot of hereditary witches (those who think it's travelled down the family line) believe that their families have roots in places that they percieve as specifically magical- Atlantis, the West Country, parts of Cornwall.

*I really dislike the term white witch I think it shows a willingness to view things as they aren't. What precisely is a black witch? I think the use of that term is something that Mary does deserve stick for.

20:44 / 30.05.05

I'm willing to believe flakiness is not confined to Mary; I guess it's just that, for someone so ready to castigate others for "not being themselves", there's a real feel of... I dunno, performance with her.

I mean... "I’m too spooky and witchy, I like to talk too deeply and have too many conspiracy theories and I’m too analytical"

Dunno whether witches claim, generally, to be "spooky and witchy" but I do know that individuals truly in the grip of conspiracy theories generally don't say, "I have too many conspiracy theories". It's like the Dracula/Addams Family thing; it feels like Goth-Lite somehow.

She must be a hot topic on New Age boards at the mo...

Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown

22:27 / 30.05.05

The thing I've never really understood about these "witch families" is...when the daughter of some suburban, middle class family starts declaring that she MUST be descended from a line of witches...where's her proof?

Where is the valid nature of this argument? And does it mean, in an odd, juvenile, Harry Potter-ish sort of way that those of us who came from totally white bread families, but practice magic now by will and desire somehow...less...than self purported hereditary witches?

White witch, black witch, red witch...why are there no magenta witches? I wonder if its sort of a great cosmic filing system, so that flaky witches can be easily sorted out by social priority when it comes time for some old god or another to get annoyed at them.

As for Atlantis...lots of people love Atlantis. Atlantis is a great place for folks with no real past life experiences to say they're reincarnations from, becuase no one can really prove you wrong. I don't doubt there are some legitimate Atlantean reincarnations out there, but with the great proliferation of them in the New Age community you'd think the Atlanteans were fluffy hippy mystics who spent all their time in the forests cuddling with little cute goats and spending half their time dancing naked in open fields.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

23:18 / 30.05.05

Uhhh... exqueeze me? A baking powder? Kevin Carlyon is having a pop at someone? That would be Kevin "Hey, can I get a virgin to be Loch Ness Monster bait" Carlyon? Kevin "I'm exorcising Crowley's old bed coz his white stains are Eeeeevilll" Carlyon? Kevin "Oh please look at me please please, oh god I'll die if you stop filming me, please put me in your documentary or I might have to get a proper job" Carlyon?

Just asking.

23:24 / 30.05.05

Thaaat's the one. After starting this thread, I Googled him, and the irony of his calling anyone's portrayal of Wicca a "load of crap" became readily apparent.

"I'M NOT JUST A WITCH - I'M THE WITCH!"

(Or, possibly more accurately, TEH WITCH!!!!1!!1!!!!!!!)

02:44 / 31.05.05

And people wonder why I left Wicca....

Less searchable M0rd4nt

07:47 / 31.05.05

(Disclaimer: I haven't actually seen Big Brother so judging Scary Mary purely on hearsay in contravention of regulation 2a/09157D ect ect.)

Sadly, this kind of crap isn't uncommon. It's the norm. The Temple might piss me off a lot of the time, but it is still pretty much the only nonuncunt forum I can bear to be around for any length of time.

07:51 / 31.05.05

All this is, is another attempt by the producers of BB to get free publicity by having another 'stereotype' in the house.

12:20 / 31.05.05

I agree that she's a bit'performancy' - she reminds me of Kate Bush a bit, and that broomstick she had when she came in was just gimmicky. Plus, eyes don't naturally open that wide, not all the time anyway.

But she may go some way towards lessing public mistrust of magic and new-agey stuff in the UK, especially as she's already the bookies' third favourite to win. And that would be a good thing.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

13:42 / 31.05.05

I'm glad that Mordant beat me to the Kevin Carlyon bits. And yeah, sadly the sort of behaviour that this Scary Mary displays is not at all out of the ordinary.

19:41 / 31.05.05

She is robot.

She is silly.

Tryphena Absent

21:00 / 31.05.05

And people wonder why I left Wicca....

Or why anyone stays.

21:28 / 31.05.05

I have not yet made my mid up one way or the other, although admittedly the whole arriving with a broomstick and big hooded cloak thing was a completely ridiculous thing to do; the littlest Harry Potter vote having gone to bed a good few hours beforehand.

However.

Regardless of whether Mary is or isn't what she claims to be, one must consider this:

Witchy Mary person:

Dear Gods, Goddesses and Godforms, spirits and deities, random manifestations and mythical winged beasts, please let me perform all my most intimate and personal rituals on national TV, (including that aura thing that I saw on Jane Goldman's psychic programme) and let me be watched by a thousand trillion teenagers all hooked on 'Buffy', 'Charmed', 'Sabrina the teenage witch' (and that other godawful programme made in America depicting a girl with Satan's soul who is desperate to find the Holy-goodness we all know lives deep inside her.)

Oh Gods, Goddesses (etc, etc,): Let me be the one to connect with them in a way no Big Brother contestant yet has, simply because the world is turning to TV dramas and children's books with a Pagan bent, and because all female teenagers everywhere know how to make a love-spell courtesy of their 'little book.'

My Gods, Goddesses (etc, etc,): Please let me scare them witless with my doll-pins and my black eye-liner, let me fool them with my love for Gothic music even though I have never heard the song "She Sells Sanctuary," let me perplex them with my silent, stary looks and let me help them wet their pants with the excitement of seeing a 'real live witch' who can do real live spells and stuff, actually here on actual live television.

My dearest Gods, Goddesses (etc, etc,): Hear my plea. Do not let me waver from my task, no matter how many people call me fake, stupid or 'not-even-kooky' because I am the chosen one. And in the name of all things black-cloak-like, candley, and that five-sided star thingy which I know has something to do with it; I will win that one hundred thousand pounds. For I have even been to Glastonbury once and my Mum and I actually walked up the Tor and back which is quite a long way.

***

Mary's plan is fucking brilliant, if you ask me.

15:37 / 05.06.05

To be abducted by aliens once would be unfortunate. To be abducted by aliens twice might be considered carelessness. To be abducted by aliens seven times seems nothing short of deliberate...

(damn, wish I knew that Wilde quote properly...)

Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown

17:07 / 05.06.05

Seven times suggests that the aliens have a secret porn collection for this person. Their FAVOURITE sex slave.

I wonder if the aliens make them wear goth gear and practice sexy Wicca ceremonies while they're on the alien ship...

All Acting Regiment

18:39 / 05.06.05

The whole problem I have is with beleiving that not one but three or more "unusual" factors have somehow latched on to her- I would have thought that Aliens, Atlantis and Wicca are mutually exclusive, are they not?

09:33 / 06.06.05

Well, yeah. It's all two degrees of seperation, if that.

Aliens are yer ancient astronauts, probably taught your Egyptians and your Mesoamericans how to build pyramids, do astrology and such like.

Atlantis itself was sposed to be a big reservoir of magic energies. Or at least they had techno-magic devices up the whaznat.

Just ask Aquaman.

Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown

22:47 / 06.06.05

Yes. Lets go ask Arthur Curry. I'm sure he could tell us loads about how Scary Mary is doing it wrong.

04:13 / 07.06.05

Cheers to Mordant for the Ceylon outing. I remember him from the "white stains of evil" newscrumb.

These shows deliberately cast very polar personalities to catalyse clashes. "The essence of drama is conflict" and all that.

19:30 / 11.06.05

Mary is a dweeby geek.

10:27 / 12.06.05

Thanks for that.

19:00 / 21.07.05

Xenophillia that is the art of communing sexually with Ultra (or Inner) Terrestials - latest trend in internet porn and fetish sites!