Witches are supernatural beings who are born with the power to affect change by magical means (Witchcraft). Witches are very long-lived and seem to reside primarily in the supernatural realm. To keep their society secret, witches avoid reveling their powers to mortals.
Characteristics
Witches are more or less "human", and their physiology is only subtly different from that of ordinary mortals.
Life Span
Witches seem to naturally age at a far slower rate than normal humans and thus they have a much longer life expectancy than mortals. For example, both Hild and Zelda are over six centuries old, but only biologically appear to be in their late twenties to early thirties.
Spells or potions can also be used to manipulate a witch's physical age.[1][2][3]
Half-Witches
Witches can successfully breed with other species. The most prominent example being the offspring of a witch and a mortal. These hybrids possess the same magical powers their witchly heritage offers, but, due to being half-mortal, their powers don't manifest until their 16th birthday (whether or not this is the case with other witch hybrids is unknown); in reference to raw power, human/witch hybrids seem to be just as powerful as full-witches, however, due to receiving their powers later in life, they tend to be far less experienced in using their powers. These hybrids are somewhat resistant to certain magical afflictions common to witches, but can still be affected by mystical maladies to an extant. According to Sabrina Spellman, half-mortal and half-witch hybrids can potentially live for centuries, but as they're half-mortal, they still suffer from some of the effects of human mortality (i.e. common colds or the consequences of breathing in high quantities of noxious secondhand smoke).[4]
History
The origin of witchcraft remains unknown; however, it is believed that witches have existed since the beginning of humanity, passing down their knowledge and skills through generations of family lines. Contrary to popular belief, witches don't receive their magic from demons, nor do they worship the devil.
Powers and Abilities
Depending on their level of skill, witches possess a number of magical abilities. By joining together, witches can increase their magical strength. Among their many supernatural talents are:
- Spell Casting: Witches can cast spells, invoking some sort of magical effect such as:
- Charms: Spells that alter an object's inherent qualities (i.e. its behavior and capabilities). For example, a spell to levitate an object or change its color can be considered a charm.
- Transfiguration: Spells of this nature alter an object's form or appearance.
- Conjuration: Spells that magically create objects out of nothingness. Such spells can also be used to conjure the elements (e.g. a storm, fire, water, etc.).
- Hexes and Jinxes: Spells such as these affect an object or person in a negative manner; jinxes are amusing, almost playful, spells whose effects are irritating and only cause minor inconvenience to the target, while hexes cause major inconvenience to the target.
- Curses: Truly malevolent acts of magic, whose intent is to affect the target in a strongly negative manner.
- Molecular Transference: A magical form of transportation, through which a witch can disappear from one location and reappear in another. Similarly, a witch can magically transport an object or even other beings from one place to another.
- Levitation: Witches can defy gravity and float a few feet in the air. Sabrina Spellman was known to float a few feet when she slept.[5]
- Potion Brewing: Witches can brew and concoct potions, liquids that have been magically enhanced to possess supernatural properties.
- Longevity: Witches are extremely long-lived, aging at an especially slow rate; while Zelda and Hilda Spellman appear to be young women, many episodes confirm they're actually hundreds of years old. Most likely their delay in aging doesn't occur until a witch reaches adulthood.
Weaknesses
- Astrological and Atmospheric Phenomenon: Certain atmospheric and even astrological phenomena can impose limitations or unusual side-effects on a witch's magic. For example, due to not being accustomed to the atmospheric conditions, Sabrina's powers were temporarily knocked-out by the high altitude when she traveled up a beanstalk to save her then boyfriend Harvey Kinkle.[6] Sunspots are also known to cause molecular instability in witches.[7] Zelda also claimed that if Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune were to align in the ninth parallel of the seventh quadrant, witches would lose all their powers for the duration of the astrological event.[8]
- Bermuda Triangle: A witch's magic doesn't work in the Bermuda Triangle, however, their every wish comes true. The only stipulation is that a witch can only make one wish at a time and cannot make another wish until their previous wish is fulfilled.
- Distraction: Preventing a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective.[9]
- Emotions: A witch’s emotional state can influence their magical abilities and their powers can fluctuate accordingly. According to Zelda Spellman, strong emotions such as stress can "short" a witch's finger and thus prevent them from properly accessing their powers.[10] Furthermore, a witch's motivation can also influence the potency of there spells, seeing as how Sabrina could not just reverse her Aunt Irma's spell on Aaron just for the sake of breaking it, but Harvey was able to use Sabrina's own magic to break Irna's spell because he was trying to make Sabrina happy.[11]
- Lava: According to Zelda Spellman, lava is the only substance that can destroy a witch.[12]
- Laws and Regulations: Witches are also limited by spells and officiated laws imposed by the Witches Council. These spells, most likely cast as a collective, seem to alter or regulate the way witchcraft is accessed or practiced. Breaking the decrees set forth by the Witches Council can result in punishments ranging from banishment to minor fines.
- Magic: Witches are still susceptible to the powers of magic. This is inclusive of mystical objects such as the Star of Orion. Witches can seal their spells, preventing other witches from tampering with or altering their spells. Despite this, a witch may still impose other spells to circumvent their will. Failure to regularly exercise their witchcraft can cause a witch's magic to become pent up and manifest itself spontaneously regardless of a witch's intent.
- Mystical Ailments: Witches can suffer from several cases of magical illnesses or afflictions that can be mystically debilitating to their craft or well-being. Normally after an accurate diagnosis of their condition, a witch can be properly treated, and return to full-power and vigor.
- Physical Impediments: A witch cannot perform certain acts of magic should their hands be incapacitated in any way. Depending on how a witch works their craft, should their pointer finger(s) be broken, sprained, or removed, said witch would be rendered powerless until their finger was restored. Despite this, a witch can still brew potions to achieve a multitude of effects.
- Plastic #7: Number seven plastic repeals a witch's magic. When Sabrina broke her biosphere for school, her magic had no effect when she tried to fix it as her project was made out of number seven plastic.[13]
- Witch Hunters: A very small amount of mortals are born with the witch-hunting gene that makes them want to ferret out witches.[14] They can unknowingly sense magic and seem to have an innate distaste for witches. Should a witch inadvertently reveal themselves to a witch-hunter, they are turned into a mouse for a hundred years.
Spells and Rituals
*This list only includes official spells found in tomes of magic and not spells made-up by witches.
- Silence Spell: A spell to silence another.
- Requirements: Affix the taste organ of a humped ruminant adjacent to one's dentation.
- Used by: None.
- Rabbit Conjuring Spell: This spell allows a witch to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
- Incantation: Abracadabra!
- Requirements: A hat and a magicians wand.
- Used by: Sabrina used this spell while practicing her magic.
- Sporting Events Spell: A spell to manipulate the outcome of a sporting event (i.e. to win, lose or tie).
- Requirements: Pump arm three times and point.
- Used by: None.
- Spell to Conjure a Rollerblades: This spell allows a witch to conjure rollerblades.
- Requirements: Old shoe-box and a gift from a quick footed animal.
- Used by: Sabrina used this spell to make inline skates, however witches have strict copyright laws ever since the seventies when witches "way over did the Gucci," and she could not conjure a brand name rollerblade.[15]
- Passion Spell: If a witch wants something enough and says it three times, it might just happen.
- Incantation: Say the thing desired three times.
- Requirements: Extremely powerful desire.
- Reverse Spell: To reverse the spell, a witch needs to say their passion spell backwards.
- Used by: Sabrina unknowingly used this spell when she was babysitting, making the baby she was watching a fully grown man. Zelda and Hilda also used this spell to summon Randy Travis. Sabrina latter used this spell to summon both Eddie Cibrian and Brad Pitt.[15]
- Full Body Duplication Spell: A spell to create a clone of the witch casting the spell. The clone is however rather dimwitted and can only comfortably say three phrases predetermined by the witch who created them.
- Incantation: Double Double Toil and Trouble.
- Requirements: None
- Used by: Sabrina cast this spell so that she her double could secure her attendance at Harvey's Halloween party while she was forced to attend her family celebration. Hilda also used this spell so that her double could take her place at her family gathering, however Zelda quickly noticed the switch.[16]
- Reanimation Spell: This is a "gift certificate" to spend half an hour with the deceased of your choice.
- Requirements: As the gap between the living and the dead is weakest on all hallows eve, a witch can only use it on Halloween; filling in the name of the deceased person the witch wishes to see and putting it through the mail-slot in a reanimation room.
- Used by: Sabrina was gifted a Reanimation by her aunts Zelda and Hilda, and she used it to speak with her deceased mortal grandmother.[16]
- Just Desserts Spell: A spell that that guarantees the victim get what’s coming to them.
- Incantation: Adder's fork and blind worm's sting. Lizard's leg and howlet's wing. For a charm, a powerful trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble. Fair is foul and foul is fair. Hover through fog and filthy air.
- Requirements: A cauldron to mix unknown ingredients for a potion.
- Used by: Sabrina and her aunts used this spell to get revenge on Sabrina's math teacher, Mr. Rothwell.
- Finding Spell: A spell used to find something the caster has lost.
- Cupid Summoning Spell: A spell used to summon cupid in order to facilitate his help in manipulating love.
- Sabrina's First Incantation: Love is beautiful, love is alive. Send me cupid for five ninety five.
- Sabrina's Second Incantation: Love is beautiful, it's never corrupt. Send me the six dollar cupid unless the rates have gone up.
- Requirements: None.
- Used by: Sabrina used this spell to summon cupid and pay him to make a boy named Kirk go on a date with Valerie. Sabrina latter tried to use this spell to have Cupid make Hilda temporarily attracted to Willard Kraft. However Cupid required Hilda to sign a release form to prevent lawsuit due to her not being a minor and Sabrina declined his service.[18]
- Charlie McCarthy Spell: A spell that allows a witch to make another act like a dummy. While the victim still has their motor skills, the caster has to talk for them.
- Incantation: Be a dummy, be a fool. switch off your brain but please don’t drool.
- Requirements: None
- Used by: Sabrina used this spell to force her aunt Hilda to go on a date with Willard Kraft.[18]
- Power Outage Spell: Temporarily disables a witch's powers for the duration of the spell.
- Incantation: You haven't been nice, you haven't been cordial, so for the next five minutes, you're gonna be mortal.
- Requirements: None
- Used by: Sabrina used this spell to neutralize Dante's powers as he was using them recklessly.[19]
- Boy Brew: A potion that temporarily turns a girl into a boy.
- Incantation: None.
- Requirements: Snips, snails, puppy dog tails (synthetic), and eye of newt.
- Used by: Sabrina used this potion to turn into a guy so that she could get personalized information from Harvey.[20]
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Tools
There are several items that a witch can use to fully control and hone their skills in witchcraft.
- Book of Magic: Most witches seem to own a spell book, a family tome detailing their genealogy and with a collection of spells and potions. Sabrina's spell book, The Discovery of Magic, was enchanted with photos and images of relatives, specialists and other magic users that assisted in her understanding of witchcraft.
- Cauldrons: A large metal pot that is commonly used to hold the ingredients for elixirs and potions.
- Crystal Ball: A glass ball used by witches to remotely view other places or events.
- Laptop: A portable potion brewing system containing the most common and useful ingredients used in witchcraft. Zelda Spellman called it an expensive but valuable investment.
- Toaster: A 20th Century device magically enchanted to receive messages and correspondence between Earth ("the mortal realm") and the Other Realm.
- Vacuum: A 20th Century replacement to the broomstick; used as an alternative to self-levitation.
Notable Witches
- Main article: Witches
Trivia
- Sabrina continues the tradition of a supernatural Other-Realm started by the 1960s-70s supernatural sitcom, Bewitched, as well as the tradition of female witches having given names that end in "a."
- Unlike the comics, animated adaptations and televised movie, male witches are not referred to as "warlocks" in the series, possibly due to public connotations the word has with black magic and devil worship. The word "witch" is thus used as gender neutral in the Sabrina's universe.
- Some witches display bigotry against mortals.
- The existence of witches does not necessarily seem to be common knowledge to all of the supernatural community, given how in Sabrina Down Under, the merman Barnaby was unaware that witches truly existed.
- If you steal a hair from a person's left pinkie knuckle and the hair curls, then that person is not a witch.[21]
- Witches have the ability to give up all their magic willingly.[22]
