Challenge entry: This is one of my fave episodes from one of my fave podcasts. This is how I started working with Freyja!
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Challenge entry:
These are the ones I have been able to dredge up form my memory but I am sure there are others lurking somewhere in the abyss that is my brain. memories enter there never to be seen again!!!
BOOKS
Agnes Nutter from Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (one of my all time favourite books.
Granny Weatherwax of Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett.
(Recently I have been reading a lot of books with a witch as the main protagonist, although they are good not one stands out)
TV & FILM
Bonnie Bennett from Vampire diaries
Marie Leveau from American Horror Stories
Samantha Stephens from Bewitched, just a nose twitch, epic! (and a shout out to Great Aunt Clara, who was a bit bad at being a witch, but so sweet)
Sabrina Spellman of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (the second being darker and better but the first being the witch you always wanted to be, with just a point of the finger)
Thelma Bates from Hex (though not technically a witc she had powers and could enter peopleās dreams ā and I had a bit of a crush on her)
Stevie Nicks in the American Horror Stories: Coven ā there have long been rumours about Stevie being a witch and after this you listen to her songs in a different light.
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Challenge Entry
A few of the books that are pivotal in my search for answers
Seven Arrows
The Holy
by Daniel Quinn
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Tantor Audio
- The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More
- By: Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Some of the practices that have led me to Witchcraft are my interest in herbalism and its relation to the powers of plants, Reiki and the powers of intention and the interest in the old religions.
The best source for media on the Craft is of course Spell8.com and all of you in our coven
Love and Light
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Challenge Entry (Part 1)
2020 was a very stressful and uncertain year for many Americans. That year was the year that encouraged me to start my journey as a witch, a path that I had been interested in for most of my life, despite my Catholic upbringing. That year, I also decided to start playing some horror video games, a genre that I had avoided up until then. I decided to started with one of the most well-known and popular horror series: Resident Evil. I started with Resident Evil: Biohazard in preparation for the release of its sequel Resident Evil: Village. Biohazard is probably the scariest game in the series, but it was a thrilling ride and it made me a fan of the series. Resident Evil 4 Remake was released on March 24, and Iām currently doing a second play-through on hardcore mode until Sony and Naughty Dog fix the disastrous PC port of The Last of Us Part 1.
Though the games take their storylines seriously, it includes some campy scenarios and one-liners.
The series technically doesnāt have witches or magic, but many of its elements do fall under the realm of science fantasy, since viruses, parasites, and mold donāt have the power to give people superhuman abilities or turn them into a grotesque monsters. Village had more of a fantasy element with the introduction of classical fantasy creatures such as lycans and vampires.
Another thing I noticed about the series is that there are different colored herbs that you can combine which heals part of your health, all of your health or increases your health bar. Herbs have been used for millennia to heal and to treat illnesses, so I thought thatās a subtle pagan element of the series.
casually throws an image of Leon from Resident Evil 4 Remake to end this post
Image from Capcom
What? No! One of my reasons for playing Resident Evil is most certainly not for the sexy male protagonists! 
runs away
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They really are! I think they came at the right time in my life and I have fond memories of reading them over and over. Youāre right, it might be time to read them again!
Love that you took your name from one of the characters in the book! 
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It just occurred to me right before I saw your post that I forgot to mention Anne Riceās Mayfair Witch series!!! While I am not a fan of the current TV series, I loved the books and have them all in hardcover! Meeting Anne at a book signing for Servant of the Bones years ago was a delight!
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Two of my all-time favorite depictions of witches in media are Cassie Nightingale from The Good Witch, and the Owens sisters from Practical Magic.
If you have not seen either of these, this post may contain spoilers ā youāve been warned!
Practical Magic (1998)
Based on a book by Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic is a wild ride from start to finish. It details the lives of two sisters, Sally and Gillian Owens, a curse on the love lives of the bloodline, a back-to-life abusive criminal boyfriend, the joining together of a neighborhood, and difficult lessons learned the hard way. I havenāt read the book (yet) but the movie is one of the first movies I saw that portrayed witchcraft as something more than spellbooks, magic words, and evil women.
While yes, the movie does show Sally Owens lighting a candle by gently blowing on the wick, thereās much more to it than that. She owns a store of botanicals, shampoos, lotions, and so much more. Each one is specially crafted for a specific purpose ā and she takes special orders for specific ailments! I mean, come onā¦thatās exactly what witches do in a community!
Her sister, Gillian, is the wilder and free-spirited one of the two. She is more experienced in manipulative magic and herbs. She uses this to keep herself safe when sheās with her boyfriend, the abusive criminal. I mean, he ends up dead because he was given a little too much Belladonna by Sally while she was trying to rescue herā¦
The stigma of witchcraft is also shown in the movie because of Sallyās two children. They are bullied in school and made fun of. Thereās even a chant that the school kids say to the girls ā then one of the girls curses the lead bully with chickenpox, so he got what he deserved. 
While the movie focuses on Sally and Gillian, their two aunts play a wonderful role in the movie, too. Theyāre not lead characters and donāt actually have a lot of screen time, but if I had these two women in my life as a kid, who knows what I would have learned!
Thereās one point in the movie that I remember very clearly. While Sally and Gillian send the young children off with the Aunts (so they can try and clean up the mess of the dead boyfriend), they start talking about dancing naked under the moon or around the Solstice fire (I canāt remember which). Itās funny to me because Sally gets upset about it and one of the Aunts says something about the nudity being optional. You can watch that clip below!
If youāve never seen Practical Magic, I highly recommend putting it on the watch list. Itās where the infamous quote in the witchy world comes from.
I watched this on Netflix, first starting with the series, and I immediately fell in love. I plan on going back and watching all of the movies that came before the series ā there are seven movies plus the series (that has seven seasons!) This show is based around Cassandra āCassieā Nightingale, a mother and a witch who uses her powers for the good of the community she lives in.
I think my favorite thing about this whole franchise, or at least the series, is just how realistic it is. There arenāt any waving of wands, magic words, and flamboyant movements with CGI effects. Itās no Harry Potter, thatās for sure! In the very first episode of the series, Cassie gets new neighbors late at night. They were struggling to open the lockbox on the doorknob that contained the key, so Cassie went over to say hello. They were talking when she encouraged them to try one more time, a 13th time, and the lockbox opened.
Sam: Iāve tried it about a dozen times, it wonāt open.
Cassie: Maybe thirteenās the charm. Give it a try.
Sam: Okā¦ I will, butā¦ I donāt think itās gonnaā¦ makeā¦ [lockbox opens]
Cassie: Oh, thirteen gets such a bad reputation but itās actually been a very lucky number for me.
Sam: You have the magic touch!
Cassie: Some people say I do.Read more at: https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?t=16790
Cassie owns an antique store called Bell, Book, and Candle. She also specially blends different teas, oils, and concoctions for the people of Middleton, the small town she lives in. When someone walks into her store, she always knows exactly what they need, whether it be an item in her store or a blend to help with some sort of ailment ā mental, physical, or spiritual!
Cassie also has a habit of helping the strangers that come to stay at Grey House, a landmark for Middleton, the house Cassie and her family live in, and a bed and breakfast. From guests going missing, people with ulterior motives, and long-lost family and friends, just about everyone that stays at Grey House has a problem or two solved with the help of Cassie.
I really enjoy how normalized her behavior is. The town doesnāt question her when she gives advice. They donāt question her when she gives them herbs to try, oils to use, or a tea to drink. They just accept her for who she is, and she gets to help people along the way. No one in the show outright calls Cassie a witch. She doesnāt call herself a witch, but itās definitely witchcraft behavior!
So yeahā¦I could talk about (and watch!) these two shows all day. Itās really hard to find realistic interpretations and representations of witchcraft in any sort of media. Itās one of the reasons I love the work of author MA Phillips. She writes whatās called magical realism and her characters are witches, druids, and magical people set in the modern world. Itās not fantasy at all, and itās great!
I wonāt go into her work in this post but you can read some of my thoughts on my blog if you want.
Okay, I think thatās enough for nowā¦ 
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Iām also a huge Anne Rice fan!!
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There are so many amazing entries this week 
Iām sorry if I donāt get reply to every single one, but I have read them all so far!
Donāt mind me as I add a few books to my TBR list! 
Umm yes, this is also in my challenge entry 
I forgot that one of the Aunts said that! One of my favorites is just the normalization of things like dancing naked under the moon and consent!
I really liked the first season, and I watched Coven, but parts of it just arenāt for me. I really enjoy the story behind them, though! I think itās something aboutā¦I donāt know itās hard for me to put words into sentences about it. I did really enjoy AHS: Coven, and it was an interesting take on witchcraft and the history behind it!
Oh man, I remember those games! I used to love playing them that and Kingdom Hearts!
I forgot all about this movie! Thank you for giving me the reminder ā I know what Iām doing later!
I remember when she was really popular in the Tumblr witchcraft space! 
Iām glad to see sheās still around making content and writing about witchcraft! 
Oh my Gods, I remember watching this movie with my mom! 
So many good memories here lol thank you! Iām gonna have to watch this with her again sometime soon.
I remember trying to read this book in Jr. High ā like 8th grade or something ā and it was so big and thick that my English teacher was getting irritated that I hadnāt finished it yet for my report because of course I had to choose this book to do a report on! I still, to this day, have never finished it. I need to find it again. I wonder if our library has it!
Aww, youāre so sweet! Thank you!
This is one of my most favorite books! I plan on reading it again very soon, most likely with my daughter. It changed the way I view the world in such a profound way that I canāt even begin to explain it. Iām glad other people have enjoyed it as well!
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My Favorite āWitchy Mediaā Movies:
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HƤxan (1922)
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I Married A Witch (1942)
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Witch Hazel - āBewitched Bunnyā (1952)
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Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
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The Witches (1990)
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Hocus Pocus (1993)
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The Craft (1996)
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Practical Magic (1998)
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The Blair Witch Project (1999)
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Twitches (2005)
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Twitches Too (2007)
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American Horror Story: Coven (2013)
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The Witch aka āVVITCHā (2015)
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The Love Witch (2016)
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Gretel & Hansel (2020)
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Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021)
My Favorite āWitchy Mediaā Podcasts:
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Seeking Witchcraft (Seeking Witchcraft)
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New World Witchery (Cory & Laine)
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Witch Wednesdays (Witch Wednesdays)
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The Witching Hour with Patti Negri (Patti Negri)
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Comfy Cozy Witch Podcast (Jennie Blonde)
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That Witch Podcast (That Witch Next Door)
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The New Witches (Maria Ruiz, Laura Pagliaro)
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The White Witch Podcast (Carly Rose)
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That Witch Life (That Witch Life)
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The Witch Next Door (Emily Morrison)
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Art Witch (Zaneta Sykes)
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@Missa Hi, how are you?! Iām so excited that youāve seen Haxan! Iāve been wanting to see that & the US-released version of it titled, Witchcraft Through the Ages since I found it on the list the other night! I had no idea about either of them & me being meā¦ Iām like well what is this Malleus Malifecarium (Hammer of Witches)ā¦ so now thatās also on my list of things to look into as far as the history of witches & paganism.
Iāve seen a few other mentions of series, whether book, movie, TV, or podcast that Iām very interested in from these entries too! I had recently found Anne Riceās āThe Mayfair Witchesā on TV but couldnāt really watch itā¦ there was something that I just I donāt knowā¦ & then found out that it was a book series, so I have that on one of my book lists. (I have lists separated by things like non-fiction, fiction, series, genreā¦ itās a weird organizing list thing for meā¦)
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Challenge Entry
I have a LOT of things I have watched and read that have inspired me, as I am a movie and book nut. But Iāll see if I can note the most impactful ones.
The Dark Crystal was one of my first. As was The Last Unicorn. The fantasy and magic, sometimes simply in the flow of energy and the balance of light and dark (or imbalance) really impacted me. In The Dark Crystal I really loved Aughraās orrery room (with the moving planets) and the Mystics with their chanting and connection to the flow of nature. I also loved how Kira could talk to the animals and knew about natural healing remedies. She was like a Druid.
The flow of energy through the power of love and courage shown at the end of the animated Secret of NIMH stuck with me from the time I was very young. I also loved Nicodemus and his wisdom (reminds me of Gandalf).
Star Wars isnāt pure fantasy or magic per se, but the Force and how itās described informed how I see the world.
My love for fairies, both light and dark, came from Willow and The Labyrinth. The magic in Willow (and his wand) really excited me when I was little. Itās still one of my favorite movies. Iāll never forget seeing Willow in the theater and how much it impacted me. I still watch it for inspiration.
My love for mythology was probably sparked most heavily by the 80ās Clash of the Titans and the 60ās Jason and the Argonauts. It really opened me up to polytheism even though it took years for me to accept my interest!
Some fun movies are Witches (the original one), Hocus Pocus, and Harry Potter (the earlier ones). I also love Practical Magic (the movie much more than the book). I love the aunts and their witchy house.
Call me weird, but I love the first Ewok movie (The Caravan of Courage) because it shows more of the Ewokās shamanism and healing. They have a little magic-using Ewok who has a staff with a glowing crystal on top. That always got me excited. Much like the Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson, with Gandalf and the Elves. Though I am most inspired by the Hobbits.
Books would be mostly Roald Dahl when I was younger. I had several other fantasy books I loved as well. Itās hard to sort through them in my mind. Itās been across decades.
For actual instruction, Scott Cunninghamās work and Raymond Bucklandās āThe Treeā are inspirational for me. The Dharma of Star Wars was eye opening. Also the Bhagavad Gita when I was practicing Hinduism.
Iām sure I could come up with a bazillion more things that inspired me, but those popped to the top of my mind. I still refer to many of them when I need that spark.
Edit: I have to add the Good Witch show. Itās really uplifting and a bit more realistic as far as how to use intuition as a magical person. I really love it. Also Kikiās Delivery Service. Very cute and inspiring for when you donāt believe in yourself.
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Weekly challenge:
Iām excited about this challenge! I am a truck driver so i listen to a lot of audio books. I mostly use Audible, but have used a few others. Most of my books that i listen to always include witches, shifters, fairies or any other supernatural. I didnāt realize they had witchy podcast. I will be checking into those today. 
As i was reading through some of the entries i discovered a lot of new things to check out. Thank you!
I am currently in process of building my Facebook group and tiktok for witchy related things. I found a few new ideas reading post.
Iām sorry my post is all broke up. I found the challenge right before i was getting ready to start my drive shift so i had to hurry. I will probably come back and add another post later that is a little more put together if that is permitted.
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I have always had an interest in all things magical - my sister is 10 years older than me, and is Wiccan. She began when she was around 17/18, so I was very young - and we shared a bedroom. I stole her Solitary Witch book and found a passion. I grew up with a love for Fantasy, even to this day, if a book is magical and has vampires, elves, and maybe a hot fae - itās my kinda book. The first fantasy book I fell in love with was Spellfall by Katherine Roberts. I remember checking it out from the library so often, the book basically fell apart. I remember the cover had a unicorn on it and my childhood heart was obsessed. I am in my thirties now, and I still gravitate towards the fantasy books. Anything with a little magic. Another series I adored growing up was The Night World series and The Secret Circle series by T. J. Smith. And the House of Night series by P.C Cast.
Like a lot of people - I fell in love with Charmed, Harry Potter and all of those shows.
Some of my favourite Witchy books on my Kindle are:
- A Tea Witches Grimoire.
- The Eclectic Witchās Book of Shadows by Deborah Blake.
- Faery by John T Kruse.
- The Witches Cookbook by Fortuna Noir.
- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.
- and my number 1 series ever - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. This world captured my heart. It has everything a fantasy nerd loves.
As for TV shows and moviesā¦
- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Sabrina was one of my fave shows growing up, this darker version fits my emo kid aesthetic and I love it so much!
- The Worst Witch - still a classic.
- Merlin.
- Shadowhunters - not necessarily witches, although there are warlocks, but the is an adaption of my all time favourite book series.
- Charmed - as I mentioned, but OG not remake.
I have a thousand other books (literally, my Kindle has over 1k books on it - anything from fantasy, romance (a lot of spice - donāt judge me!) and cookery, I hoard books!) and itās almost impossible to name the ones I love.
<3 thanks for listening to the ramblings of a fantasy nerd.
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Much of my media inspiration comes from The chilling adventures of Sabrina, some of the books that I would look at that my mother had, she was interested in witchcraft but never followed through with it. LOTR, Salem, numerous American Indian movies.
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Iām not sure if anyone else mentioned this app. Itās called #SelfCare. Itās about doing daily activities to get you out of a funk. Itās helped me lighten my mood many times! Thereās a virtual altar, pick a card tarot, plant divination, petting your cat, crystals, bubbles, moon phases, lighting a candle and meditating on your intent, even daily chores such as picking up laundry. Most of all, itās about taking time for yourself. When you complete the tasks, you get an object for your altar.
Here are a couple photos from my game:
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OOooh this looks great! Thank you for sharing. Iām downloading it now 
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Itās time for a friendly reminder:
This challenge will soon close
If you would like to participate and havenāt done so already, please post about your challenge experience(s) by the deadline:
ā Tuesday, April 11 at 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time)
My read/watch list seems to have been hit with a growth spell- there are so many great shows, movies, books, apps, channels, and much more being shared! 
Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their favorite witchy media so far- I can tell that many of these things are very close to the heart Itās an honor to hear about them!
If you havenāt already shared an entry but would like to join in, this is your friendly reminder that you still have a bit of time left to do so!
Blessed Be!
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CHALLENGE ENTRY
I love picking out magic detail in witchy movies. My favorite is Harry Potter but unfortunately I canāt really remember very many right now. (My Harry Potter memories better not be gone **** it lol) As much as I love a Harry Potter marathon, my head canāt handle that much screen time or binge reading time right now so weāre stuck with what I can remember.
One that jumps out at me of course is that Elder wood is respected almost to the point of fear.
Iāve seen a version of the Wiccan Rede that in place of āā¦burn it not or cursed beā is āā¦round it thrice and leave it beā not a popular opinion but it is respected in the movie just the same.
There are 7 years of school as in 7 degrees in some teachings.
The Vail as an entrance to Summerland, Hall of Souls and what have you
The idea of Pure Blood could be seen similar to the thoughts of some that the only real Witches are Hereditary Witches.
Moving onā¦
Benjamin Christensenās, HƤxan is considered by some to be the one from which all others came in terms of Witchy movies
There is some historically accurate detail about Salem in Hocus Pocus that give it a nice witchy touch.
Three Mothers trilogy is almost witchcraft formed into fiction
The are a few fictionalized references to witchcraft in Twitches
The Crucible has an extra witchy feel with itās rather accurate detail of The Salem Witch Trial
Bedknobs and Broomsticks. The bedknob with itās being imbued with intention and itās activation certainly make the spell feel like a Spell. And the average woman who has the ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary rather like all of us.
If you were trying to find witchcraft in every movie you could sight The Wizard of Oz only in that a witch can choose to be good or evil.
Another perhaps reach is Tinkerbell. Yes, Tinkerbell. If you look at the different types of fairies, Fast-flying (wind that can cause both good and destruction) Water, Animal and so on, one could see them as different Goddesses. And the Dust Keepers could be seen as protectors of Tree of Life.
The book series Hollows by Kim Harrison has witchcraft pretty much on every page. It is my absolute favorite book series, unfortunately that and one part that is a rather accurate description of Hedge Magic are pretty much all I remember. I guess Iāll have to buy all of the books whether I have read them or not
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You can always read Harry Potter fanfiction to see if you remember canon. And itās usually better than the books anyways. LOL!
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