Hope Bonarcher watches Practical Magic 2 and explores the film’s portrayal of witchcraft, drawing out three striking parallels with themes found in the Christian faith. From generational curses to sacrificial love, she asks what Christians can learn from the occult themes running through this highly anticipated sequel.
Practical Magic 2, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, legitimate movie star royalty for us OGs, has the star power to draw bums to seats. Sadly, so does witchcraft, the movie’s theme. Like a big screen Hallmark movie dressed in occult hues, on steroids, the sequel to the late 90s cult classic comes due to a resurgence in our culture’s embrace of all things witchy. Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Florence and the Machine, who graces the movie’s soundtrack, have all waxed poetic publicly about their witchy ways; and the box office has been listening because the film was popular enough to break the spell of the summer blockbuster, Spiderman-Brand New Day.
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Not gonna lie, I did wonder how many of my fellow seat mates actually identified as witches, pleading the blood of Jesus as I stumbled down the dark aisle to my seat.
I braved the in-person cinema experience so you don’t have to. Not gonna lie, I did wonder how many of my fellow seat mates actually identified as witches, pleading the blood of Jesus as I stumbled down the dark aisle to my seat. I was surprised to find so many references in sorcery and witchcraft that are similar to elements of our Christian faith – counterfeits that reject the power of God’s holiness in lieu of lesser powers, that can make one over as a mini god in their own image.
Here are just three I found noteworthy.
In a former piece for Woman Alive, I touched on the elements of witchcraft that are tied to cultural traditions and ancestry. One draw to the lure of the occult for many women is the idea of greater self-understanding through deeper knowledge of the ancient wisdom of their ancestors. In the film, Kylie, the daughter of Sandra Bullock’s reticent witch character, Sally, must travel back to her ancestral homeland in England to break the love curse that plagues her family. A magical book called ‘The Left Handed Book of Shadows’ bids her, what she seeks is in the land of her ancestors, and that she ignores her heritage to her own peril. One character laments, “we’re all pallbearers of our ancestor’s pain” (insert eyeroll here – sorry, just saying).
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This is similar to the biblical theme of Christians’ ancestral lineage through the Israelites
This is similar to the biblical theme of Christians’ ancestral lineage through the Israelites, God’s people chosen out of pagan ancestry through Abram. God changes his name to Abraham, which means ‘father of many’, and through one ancient ancestor the Hebrew lineage which led to our Christian faith was born. Sally and her family are in bondage to their 10th great grandmother, who was burned at the stake for being a witch, and even decades of renouncing and resisting the witchery that has enslaved her family in a love curse that fatalizes any true love relationship they embark on (for the man), can’t break the blood ties that have bound them through the ages.
The only place I’m used to hearing about blood more than this movie is church on Sunday. Blood rituals are a darker theme throughout the film; and yes, the Hallmark vibes exit stage left each time someone stabs themselves or someone else to exact a covenant. Over and over in Leviticus 17, the Bible states that life is in the blood. Ultimately, it’s the supernatural blood of Jesus Christ that saves. In the film, the sisters and daughter have to physically co-mingle their blood to engage the ultimate power, giving them advantage in their spiritual battle with opposing forces. Thankfully, Jesus accomplished this for every believer on the cross, no messy stains or blades necessary.
READ MORE: Why are women so fascinated by witches?
(Spoiler Alert) It’ll be no surprise to Christians that the only thing to break the curse against the Owens sisters’ ability to sustain romantic love is another witch’s life being sacrificed. They really could have been more original. One altruistic, self-sacrificing witch must lay down her own life so true love can be sustained. I don’t think it’s a coincidence one of the love interests strongly resembles a heavily tattooed Jesus. The Bible isn’t the greatest story ever told for no reason. There truly is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. Someone paid that ultimate price already 2000+ years ago. It can never be duplicated, imitated or replicated, not even by a witch.
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