SUNDAY SEVEN: WITCHES IN FICTION

Witches are in and I am okay with getting away from the werewolf and vampire craze. We’ve had American Horror Story and the Coven, Julianne Moore will be playing a wicked witch in Seventh Son later this year, Angelina Jolie looks positively wicked as Malificent, and a certain green witch has been creating Havoc on Once Upon a Time. This past Sunday, the TV series Salem premiered. It’s been a while since Charmed, so I think we might be due. Though I am not sure how I feel about making light and soap opera-y with things that actually went down, but I know I will watch. I started thinking about my favorite witches beyond the obvious Hermione Granger and Miss Willow Rosenberg. Here are Seven of my favorites in film and fiction. So, of course, I have to ask…what are yours?

Mildred “Millie” Hubble (The Worst Witch) I grew up reading the Worst Witch books when I was a kid and then in 1986 I began watching the Worst Witch TV movie every year for Halloween on HBO. The film starred Fairuza Balk as Millie and Tim Curry as the Grand Wizard, but it also had Charlotte Rae (Mrs Garrett from the Facts of Life) and Dame Diana Rigg (Emma Peel from the Avengers). I loved Millie. Tabby couldn’t ride on her broom, so she carries Tabby in her bag, bored with the laughing potion make an invisibility one instead, and in the end she usually saved the day even if things went not as planned. Plus, Jill Murphy who wrote the books (starting when she was 15) based the books on her own experiences at school.

Esmerelda “Granny” Weatherwax (Discworld) “Not dead, just restn” Granny is awesome. Self-appointed guardian of her little country, member of the Lancre coven, and snarky as well, Granny is from the mind of the amazing terry Pratchett. I love Granny because she reminds me of my granny, tough exterior, completely unaware of the notion of tact, and yet loves who she loves fiercely. She may be a good witch, but good doesn’t necessarily mean nice. She is no nonsense and completely badass. "Don't do what you will, do what I tells you."

Sarah Bailey (The Craft) Let’s just say I went through a Craft phase while in high school. The whole goth catholic schoolgirl route and wanting my friends and I to play light as a feather, stiff as a board a lot (sorry no levitating). Robin Tunney plays Sarah in the film, the new girl who has a troubled past, but also has natural powers. Must be nice as I am still trying desperately not to be a Muggle. I am okay with a work accident that leaves me with superpowers. Where are my mutant powers anyway? Anyway, Sarah joins up with a group of girls rumored to be witches, Bonnie (Neve Campbell), Nancy (Fairuza Balk) and Rochelle (Rachel True). The girls start using their powers, but Nancy becomes greedy and wants to all powerful. After a student is killed, Sarah tried to bind Nancy’s powers so of course the coven turns on her. Bad for them as Sarah fights back. Seriously love this movie. Still. Sarah is awesome.

Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service) Kiki is awesome. A 13-year old witch, she leaves home to spend a year away from her village in a larger town in order to learn how to live independently by using and developing her magical abilities. Not only did I want Jiji, her cat, but I wanted to be Kiki. I understood Kiki. I related to her loneliness, I completely got wanting to find a new purpose to get my mojo back. But more importantly, just because you are vulnerable it does not mean that you are a failure or its ultimately going to lead to failure.

Gillian and Sally Owens (Practical Magic) Yep I have to have both of them. I read the book by Alice Hoffman before the film came out in theatres. When the film came out its tone was much different from the book which a lot darker, I still loved it for what it was. Gillian and Sally are two very different sisters, but ones who love each other very much. Sally has more talent for the craft while Gillian is more of a charmer of people. As much as Sally wants to keep her daughters away from magic, it is part of who they are. And I love how they embrace it fully at the end black hats and all. You are who you are. Also Midnight Margaritas!!

Morrigan (Dragon Age) Morrigan is a shapeshifting mage, raised and taught by her mother, Flemeth, in the wilds of Ferelden. She is also voiced by Claudia Black whom I love to little bitty pieces. Morrigan is great. She’s a bad ass, a welcome addition to my party of characters and I seriously had the worst time towards the end of the game deciding on Alistair or Morrigan when it came to who would leave my party. Admittedly I wanted my happy ending with both of them. Alistair as my honey and Morrigan as my bestie. Of course that isn’t exactly how it all plays out. It is confirmed that Morrigan will return in Dragon Age: Inquisition, so whoo hoo.

Piper Halliwell (Charmed) Piper (Holly Marie Combs) was my favorite of the Halliwell sisters. She is the one that I related to the most and the power I totally dug. After the Halliwell sisters get their powers Piper gets the power to “freeze” her surrounding environment. This can come in handy as can later manifestations of her powers which included molecular combustion aka blowing stuff up. Piper was the peacemaker of the family, the shy one, and the sweet one. Also she ran a nightclub and I was uber jealous. Plus her chef abilities came in handy when making potions. Finally I am a Piper/Leo fan for life.

Runners Up Include: Maharet and Mehare (Vampire Chrocnicles), The Scarlet Witch (Marvel), Nanny Ogg (Discworld), Thessaly (Sandman), Robin Sena (Witch Hunter Robin), and