The Witch Who Builds Her Own Ladder

Hey witches, 

It’s been a bit since I last posted, I hope you all are having a great holiday season so far. I was planning to make a practical post to get myself back into the swing of things, but let’s be real, nothing much is happening in time of year. I might as well keep it fun—or at least as fun as I can be. I must admit that I am newly sober right now in preparation for dry January (I’m a stoner), but I like to think I’m still a fun time.

I’ve spent some of my previous posts discussing the second and third movie of the X trilogy and I thought I’d complete the trio together by bringing it home, back to the first movie and giving my overarching perspective. One could say I’m going backwards by having the last post about the first movie, but I don’t think that I could bring home the true meaning until giving the characters the equal analysis as they deserve. 

Side note: If you haven’t read these posts and want more context, I’ve linked them below:

• The Final Girl’s Lesson: Why Maxine Minx Is the Only Resilience Coach You Need
• Other Side of the Coin: What Could You Learn to Stop Doing from Pearl?

When paired with the additional knowledge of Maxine and Pearl, a further review of this movie can extrapolate a new meaning. I believe the interaction with Pearl and Maxine show the complexity within human disposition and the struggle for progress.

When they first meet, we see what happens to Pearl and the tragic ending she’s decided on. Notice I said decided on and not fated. We’re forced to make do with what we’re given because life is a series of circumstances, but that also doesn’t mean we don’t have the ability to change the things we can. Seeing Pearl and her attitude on things, it’s less of a surprise that her life would end up like this than you’d initially assume if you didn’t see her prequel.

That’s not to say that people with hard lives deserve it, you can still do everything right and things can go wrong, but it’s not about that. It’s about the resilience to keep trying, which is something Pearl doesn’t do. In contrast to Pearl’s stagnancy, Maxine keeps moving forward towards something, in spite of her circumstances. That leads to the final confrontation between the two where Maxine announces her mantra and ultimately becomes triumphant.

Pearl and Maxine were enemies, but that doesn’t mean that part of yourself doesn’t have to be. The movie is about these parts mixing, but within yourself, it shouldn’t be one over the other. You shouldn’t villainize yourself or parts you don’t like in favor of something else. It’s a reminder that these two exist within you in some form or another, it’s more about navigating those parts of yourself to get to where you want to be.

People can be strong, but weak, smart, but stupid; you get the gist of it. Seeing them together reminds me of the battle that happens within a person’s internal struggle. X is a reminder that you always have choice in life.

As I said in my Together post, not making a decision about something is making a decision. Keep that in mind as you navigate the new year. Those small daily decisions play into that bigger picture. As they say, this is the first day of the rest of your life. Accept the things you can’t change but always remember to work on the things you can.

Question for you: do you feel more closer to Pearl or Maxine at this time of your life? Let’s talk about it.

Until next time, witches. Take care of yourself and lookout for each other.