Witches Send Blessing to 'Wicker Man'

To be sure, human and animal sacrifice -- a practice in many ancient religions -- has no place in contemporary Wicca. But if you look beyond that, many witches say that "Wicker Man" was one of the first popular films of its time to consider some of the aspects of the ancient traditions that make them relevant today.

"You clearly have to take the film as a product of its time, and as a piece of art and fiction, not documentary," says 40-year-old Australian-born witch, rock star and TV and radio personality Fiona Horne, who spoke at Harvard University earlier this year at a conference called " Witchcraft and Paganism in Contemporary Media."

"The conflict within the 'Wicker Man' character reflects on the conflict between Christians and pagans, especially when it comes to attitudes about women and sexual freedom," she says.

Horne says she met with director LeBute and had dinner with Cage three years ago, when they were first making plans for the movie, to share her views on the film and how it should be updated but had no formal role as a consultant.

"I really respect the work of both those guys," Horne says. "So it should be interesting to note what they will produce."

LeBute -- best known for "In the Company of Men," "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "The Shape of Things" -- is famous for examining the power struggle between men and women in sexual relationships.

In the new film, which has not been screened for critics, the island where Cage looks for a missing child has a female leader -- played by Ellen Burstyn -- and they live in a society that's been isolated from the contemporary world, without cars, TVs or any modern means of communication.

While "Wicker Man" has not been screened for critics, in promotional material for the film, the islanders are said to have a "strange, vaguely pagan belief system."

What attracts many people to Wicca is its belief in a god and goddess, and its celebration of nature and, especially, fertility. By some estimates, there are more than 200,000 practicing this faith in the United States, and perhaps as many as 1 million, with proponents claiming that it is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world.

But Wicca remains a controversial subject. Even the "Harry Potter" book and film series have come under attack from some religious groups for its depiction of witchcraft. Curott says that some publishers have been pressured not to stock her latest book, "The Love Spell"

"You don't see book burnings today," Curott says. "But things are going on that are, in effect, the same thing."