Is Fantasy considered Witchcraft?
Growing up, every kid in my class had either heard, read, or seen Harry Potter.
Harry Potter was and still is the “It” movie. My class took a field trip to Harry Potter world at Universal, and I was so excited to ride the castle ride with my friend, until she said her mother wouldn’t allow her to. I thought it was weird since Harry Potter was such a loved and magical movie. She told me the reason her mother wouldn’t let her watch or even get near anything Harry Potter was because it was ‘Witch Craft”, meaning every single fantasy movie or book that I liked, I couldn’t show my friend because it had magic within its contents.
There’s a bad rep with some parents when it comes to the Fantasy genre because of the magic within it. The conflict between magic in fantasy and whether it’s bad or considered “witch craft”, is very prevalent within strict parent households. I had asked my friend’s mother why she wasn’t allowed to like magic or magical things, and she said it was because “All magic is evil, and the devil owns it.” It’s a strange concept though, because my friend could watch the anime “Full Metal Alchemist,” which some might argue is very close to magic. Alchemy is a science that makes the impossible real, but the only difference between that and magic, is that it’s not really used in many fantasy books. All fantasy books use some sort of magic, but alchemy is a special kind of science that’s unique to its own self. But the real issue is that there are a lot of kids who aren’t allowed to read or watch about these amazing magical worlds because some parents think magic is evil, when they really don’t understand what it’s about. Magic is no different than science, in the way that they both can make anything happen, good or bad. This day and age everyone should be allowed to watch or read fantasy, especially kids. Kids need to know that reading or watching anything about magic is okay, and that being creative and having imagination isn’t “witch craft” or an “Evil” thing, but a fun thing!
Reading a fantasy book is no different than reading a science fiction book. But because some fantasy books use the words “magic” and “witches”, it turns a lot of extreme people off, particularly religious people. We as people should not be so scared of fantasy and magic, to the point where we won’t even allow children to explore this amazing and creative genre. Instead all kids should be given the chance to explore these majestic magical worlds, and to let their creativity flow. But the first step into making this happen, is to change the view on fantasy.
If you’ve grown up with a taste for fantasy, situations like these are not uncommon to you. It leads into the question of what constitutes as good and evil?
Who makes the decisions on what is good magic and what is bad magic? People? A church? A religion? A nation? Whomever you are and whatever you’re writing about, if it’s fantasy, it’s magic. And I would hope that no matter what forces may push against you, you continue to write anyways. The only way we will get to the bottom of this magic mystery is by continued experimentation and exploration.
Go write something magical!
-Silver the Bard: “If you haven’t heard from me, assume I’m dead and avenge me.”
-Majestic_Ness: “Don’t cry about dreams that don’t come true today. Sometimes ya needs ta try another way!”
