Wicca, Magick and the Paranormal: Kindred Spirits Season 5 Premiere Thoughts
As someone who has grown up with a very religious parent and having been taught the principles of Christianity over the course of my childhood, I want to first say I understand the initial hesitation and/or fear that investigative techniques such as Tarot Cards, rituals, and magick can bring. The thought that Wicca was associated with the devil and hell were two go-to thoughts myself and my family had when I was younger, and seeing some of the techniques practiced in the season 5 premiere of Kindred Spirits would probably have scared me as a child.
However, things have definitely changed since I was a kid.
I am no longer a practicing Christian, nor do I affiliate or believe in any particular religion. However, I am not an outright Atheist either and have found myself somewhere in between the two. One thing that has fascinated me in recent years has been the practice of “magick”, through beliefs such as Wicca. What really draws me to this is not the belief in “dark forces” or some sort of evil minion of the devil tricking me like some Hollywood film. No, the true nature of Wicca and magick is what appeals to me, and that is the belief in natural energy.
The typical viewpoint of Wicca involves the Horned God and Triple Goddess, with their nature typically regarded as henotheistic, with the possibility of lesser deities residing within these two “greater gods”. I won’t get too into my interest and/or theories regarding this particular theology, as it varies and it would take over the true concept for this review. What this all boils down to is the true study of energy that encompasses our world and ourselves, something that I hope to learn more about in the years to come.
So when Amy and Adam invited two of my favorite investigators to the season 5 premiere of Kindred Spirits, (Greg and Dana Newkirk), I was instantly drawn to it. Watching the episode was a pleasant experience, especially after the year in which paranormal investigations weren’t quite as prevalent due to the pandemic.
The group’s natural dynamic and persistence to find the truth utilizing whatever means available to them made this episode shine brightly, and the evidence captured was incredibly unique.
The overall response to the episode was fascinating to see, as most of the responses I found were incredibly supportive and people seemed to love the direction they took. However, it isn’t at all surprising to see some of the people online who found the episode to be lacking due to the inclusion of magick and rituals utilized by Greg and Dana. From the use of Tarot to sound bath rituals and utilizing dirt from the property of the owners at the entrances to the home, some viewers believed this to be either “hokey” as one Facebook user described it or even “evil”, as some naturally view these practices as related to evil after years of being told Wicca and magick is one thing and one thing only.
I wanted to take the time not only to sing my praises for this amazing show and its crew, but I wanted to set the record straight just a little bit, and hopefully, those of you reading this come here with an open mind and a willingness to hear what I have to say. As always, I encourage everyone to do their research and not just take my word for any of this, and to verify your sources as you do so.
Magick, Tarot, and Wicca, and everything associated with these practices is not “evil”.
That is a combination of years of religious organizations attacking anything pagan or outside the norm of their viewpoints and demonizing these practices in order to keep their followers devoted only to their purview, along with the years of Hollywood making the scariest films possible to perpetuate this stereotype.
The truth of the matter is true Wicca, particularly those that practice light or good magick, are simply communing with nature and utilizing the Earth around them. I won’t pretend to know the intimate details of Wicca as I have not practiced it thus far. Yet I have never once witnessed anything scary or evil in the practices utilized here.
The other truth here is that some of the practices that Wicca utilizes are really not as different from other religions or beliefs as one may think, such as the utilization of various herbs and scents and oils during ceremonies or rituals depending on the belief system. As for things like the Tarot, your belief in whether or not magick or even the spirits at the John Proctor House managed to guide Dana to pick the cards she picked is really up to you. Just don’t view it as evil. As they explained in the episode, the “Devil” card that was drawn was not necessarily meant to represent the actual Devil, but instead could represent an idea or thought, as they believed the spirits of the home could believe the investigators were devils for the use of magick as they had lived during the Witch Trial era of history.
In other words, don’t take things at face value due to religious or Hollywood experiences. Take the time to really understand someone else’s point of view or practices, and you may realize something isn’t as “evil” as you may have thought. I actually applaud Amy and Adam for working with Greg and Dana in the home and finding the evidence they did. The way forward in a paranormal investigation is for everyone to find ways of dropping their prejudices and working together utilizing their various skills and knowledge, rather than fighting over who’s right and who’s wrong.
The true concept of the investigation on last week’s premiere was the power of intention. Intention is a powerful force that actually manifests as energy, and can impact so many things, including a paranormal investigation. Utilizing the magick and rituals they did in the episode in order to help the spirits within the home was an inspired choice and one that I hope to see more often as the show goes on. The combination of technology (EVP, Estes Method Dual Sessions, etc) with the sound bath ritual and Tarot made this one of the most well-rounded investigations I’ve seen on TV, and really sets the standard for what should be utilized for all investigators going forward.
One of the strongest premieres the show has had, I would highly recommend viewers give this episode a watch and I thoroughly look forward to the rest of this season.
What were your thoughts on the Kindred Spirits premiere? Leave your comments down below.
