WITCHES

Witches

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Witches and Other Creatures

Superstition paints a very dark picture of witches, they are described as old, bent, unattractive, bow legged, stringy haired practitioners of dark magick, always accompanied by their ever faithful and equally dastardly familiar. It was believed that a witch was unable to shed tears unless succumbing to the pain of torture, whereby the witch would cry and at this point it was said they lost their powers. Severe punishments for practicing witches were imposed from the seventh century and in the twelfth century the death penalty was brought in.

A much darker picture has been painted of female witches whereby male witches are always described more creatively. This old fashioned image of a witch couldn’t be further from the truth, there are many creative, talented, beautiful, caring witches in the world who are healers, magicians, teachers, writers, dancers, singers, astrologers, numerologists, astronomers, chemists, scientists and the list goes on. There was a time when chemists, physicists and astronomers were believed to be witches. Many of the well known classical witches such as Circ and Canidia, were beautiful and powerful, treating their craft with great reverence. Witchcraft is more widespread today than you can possibly imagine, it cuts through barriers of creed and culture. Among the seemingly everyday people, going about their day to day lives, there are witches and witchcraft is still one of the most misunderstood arts.

Ingredients the ancient witches used are still used today and witches, like their ancient counterparts, incorporate astrology and numerology in their practice, this is often an integral part of spell casting.  There are two types of herbs and plants used by witches, one is of a healing nature the other of the noxious variety. Those using the former where considered “white witches” they used herbs for healing and they removed curses from animals and people, they also used special chants and dances to make crops grow and prepared love potions for those who wanted someone to fall in love with them. Those using the latter were considered “dark witches,” these witches were the malevolent ones, they cursed people and laid spells upon animals. A true witch has the ability to cast spells and most witches cast the benevolent type of spells, it is a small proportion of witches who practice malevolent spell casting.

Witchcraft flourishes today just as it did in the Middle Ages, and many groups carry on the ancient ceremonies and beliefs. The wiseman and the wisewoman are still revered and they are expected to care for and protect animals and people. Most witches today can be looked upon as benevolent and a mixture of counselor, healer and spell caster. Witchcraft is still surrounded in mystery and feared by some, but witches are generally nurturers who want to practise their craft creatively, with a “do no harm” motto.

The witch’s familiar is a creature in tune with nature and one of the witch’s closest relationships, it is rare to find a witch who doesn’t have a familiar. These supernatural pets have extraordinary powers of their own and any animal can be a familiar, although cats are the first animal to come to mind when familiars are mentioned. In the nineteenth century a farmer sought legal advice, and wanted compensation because he believed a local witch had sent her familiar to bewitch him.

Witches believe that one of their most powerful plants is mistletoe and no witch would be without this, it is held above all other plants and herbs, another popular and well used plant is laurel which was prized by the Romans and the Greeks, it was believed to bring good health. Elder was credited with the power to conjure devils. Witch hazel and honeysuckle protect cattle from having spells cast upon them. The Normans considered the elm tree to be the tree of justice and historically it is believed that violets will keep witches at bay. Italians find oranges and lemons to be very useful in spell casting, the orange is associated with the Sun and the lemon is associated with the Moon. The goddess Diana (Queen of the Witches) used vervain to keep evil away, and those who are superstitious still use it today. It was believed witches flew with Diana and that Diana had the ability to turn herself into a cat, she also kept a dog by her side at all times. Transmutation was an ability many witches were believed to have. The goddess Diana called the goddess Aradia to her side and bestowed upon her special powers, the first of which was to grant lovers desires, so when a witch prepares a love potion she calls upon Aradia to enhance the spell.

In Hungary it is believed that a man has the ability to become a werewolf by choice and he can turn back by choice, but a woman is changed into a werewolf as punishment for her sins. Those afflicted are suddenly overcome by wolf fever and when it reaches its peak they run naked into the woods and become wolves, and when in human form they become more like wolves as each day passes. The more superstitious people believe this is the result of the evil eye. Over the centuries there have been many stories of transmigration, mythology is filled with these tales. The witch Circe had the ability to turn her lovers into swine

Since the beginning of time certain stones and gems have been sought because they bring good luck, while others are shunned because they are believed to bring bad luck, those practicing the dark arts use the potent  “bad luck” stones for their dark spell casting. The ancient Egyptians used precious stones for their rituals, believing various stones had different degrees of power. The combination of astronomy and geology lead to stones being associated with birthdays, they became known as “birthstones,” the mineral world holds many secrets and witches for centuries have used stones to cleanse their homes and to keep evil away. Because of a vampire scare in a cemetery in Belgrade over a century ago, all the graves were opened and some bodies had spikes put through them, others were burned and the ashes scattered, this was done because the people believed that the dead turned into vampires. There was a theory that if an animal, possibly a familiar, passed over a dead body then the dead body became a vampire. Some believe that after a witch dies she becomes a vampire.

In ancient times would be witches went through an initiation to see if they were worthy to be a fully fledged witch, they were often required to go through some form of torture, such as sitting for long periods of time without sleep and food and in uncomfortable positions. In some parts of the world would be witches were drugged and starved and their mental resilience broken, this made them open and receptive to the witch-doctors, after the witch-doctors administrations they were able to perform a variety of magick feats that they would otherwise not have been able to do. In the Amazon the initiation is so severe that the subject in some instances dies. In communities where there are witch-doctors and shamans hold a revered position, they are responsible for fertility, the growth of crops, rain or lack of rain and for war and peace. In communities the witch-doctor or shaman had more influence than the chief and was looked up to by all.

During the Middle Ages if someone believed themselves persecuted by demons they would then change their name in the hope they could not be followed by the persecutors. In modern times many people consult an astrologer and if their name does not at up to positive numbers, they believe that by changing their name they can effect a positive change in their karma.

Among the Irish and the Malays there is the belief that fairies have power over man if they know a person’s name, therefore a person must not be called after dark. In British Columbia the Kwakiutl Indians take a criminals name from them and to get the name back a high price has to be paid. Magicians in Tibet are expected to perform extraordinary feats which are completely beyond the ability of the layman.

Paranormal experiences have been documented through the ages and explanations have differed as cultures and technologies have changed.Other generations were closer to the spiritual realms due to having no electronic distractions, homes were quieter once darkness fell making it easier to tune into other realms, people were more aware of spiritual energies. Even though the world has television, radio, mobile phones, computers, people are still aware of and fascinated by paranormal happenings. There are those who still try to find a link between science and the supernatural. Everyone has extrasensory experiences although some individuals are more sensitive to these experiences than others. Many fey people have precognitive dreams, they are shown in images what is to happen in the future.

There are many instances of the good work performed by witches, although the stereotypical witch is still a broomstick riding, cauldron stirring, black clad, pointy hatted old crone riding through the night casting spells as she flies by. Many people practice Witchcraft and Wicca as a religion, both honour the feminine as the goddess, these witches and wiccans practice healing and align themselves to the higher energies, using witchcraft for the good of others. Being a witch is a spiritual journey, it requires trust and faith in the powers that be to assist you on your journey.

Warlocks

WARLOCKS



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Warlocks
Species information
Related to
Witches
Distinction(s)
Using Witchcraft
Absorbing the powers ofWitches
Affiliation
Evil
.

Warlocks are an evil race of magical beings that hunt, capture and killWitches for power. In the Hierarchy of Evil, warlocks are beneath demons and as such they are virtual second class citizens in theUnderworld. They may be ex-witches who have evolved into beings of pure darkness through dedication to evil in a manner comparable to how Good witches and Whitelighters are dedicated to Good. The term is not gender-specific and refers to witches who have gone down the path of evil, rescinding their humanity after committing an irrevocable act of evil – to kill a witch and steal his or her magic and powers.
While many Warlocks may be former witches, this is not the only way to become one. Warlocks can be born with their dark powers making their magic inherited from their parents. Familiars can also become Warlocks after killing their charges.


Contents [show]

HistoryEdit
Significant Warlock MomentsEdit
The warlock Nicholas is the reason that the Halliwell sisters go through most of their lives without knowing they were witches. In 1975, he tricked their mother Patty Halliwell into granting him immunity from their powers in exchange for their lives. Sometime after the youngest,Phoebe was born, their grandmother Penny Halliwell bound their powers and stripped their memories of witchcraft to protect them from being hunted by evil.
It's revealed that in the near future scientists were going to discover a virus that specifically infected all three-eyed warlocks, destroying the entire race. In order to stop this from happening, the Warlock Gavin traveled from the future with the hope of killing the science team responsible before the discovery could be made. Unfortunately for him the Charmed Ones vanquish him before he could kill all the scientists involved. Whether or not this possible future trully comes to fruition is unclear as future events foreseen will have been dramatically changed by Gavin's actions in the past. If it does however, that warlock race may come to an abrupt end ("The Truth Is Out There... and It Hurts").
The most powerful line of warlocks of all time was the Rowe Coven. Much like the Halliwell/Warren line, each generation of Rowe warlocks grew even more powerful, culminating in the arrival of three brothers who would form the most powerful evil force in history. However, Prue helped the youngest of these brothers, Brendan, permanently suppress his warlock side and destroy his brothers. During this episode, it is revealed that a half warlock(presumably also a full warlock) can permanently strip his powers by becoming a priest ("When Bad Warlocks Go Good").
It was long thought that warlocks couldn't be found by scrying, even though they are technically still witches. However, it is possible to track a warlock by scrying for one or more of the powers he has stolen, since a witch's power technically remains alive even after its user dies ("Blinded by the Whitelighter").
When The Source of All Evil is wounded in battle by the Charmed Ones, a warlock faction tries to usurp the Underworld. The warlocks of the faction hold many powers, several of which were stolen from demons, guaranteeing their death at demon hands if they failed. The Charmed Ones killed several of the faction’s members when recovering the Ring Of Inspiration but some Warlocks chose to flee rather than die at their hands("Muse to My Ears").
In an ironic twist, it was the actions of the warlock Nigel and his evil witch girlfriend Robin that motivated Penny Halliwell to become one of the most deadly demon-killing witches in history. After Robin took the life of Penny's husband Allen Halliwell, she got so consume by rage that she vanquished both evil beings. Before Allen's death Penny was a pacifist, but when he died she changed and became committed to using her magic to vanquish demons. Penny later taught (after her own death) everything she knew to her granddaughters, helping them to become the Charmed Ones ("Witchstock").
Powers and AbilitiesEdit
Basic Powers
Spell Casting: The ability to cast spells and perform rituals. A notable example is the warlock Bacarra, who used Latin phrases as spells to achieve various effects.
Potion Making: The ability to brew magical potions.
Scrying: The ability to scry for lost objects or beings through the use of a scrying crystal and a map.
Active Powers
Power Absorption: The ability to absorb and gain ownership of the powers of other beings. Warlocks can absorb the powers of Witches and other beings by stabbing and killing them with an Athame.
Blinking: The ability to instantly teleport from one location to another by blinking one's eyes. This is a highly common power among Warlocks, though not all Warlocks are shown possessing this power.[1]
Individial Powers: Due to their ability to aborb the powers of other beings, Warlocks are seen with a great variety of magical powers. The various sub-species of Warlocks are also shown possessing individual powers not displayed by other Warlocks species, such as the Dragon Warlock possessingFire Breathing and The Collectors possessing Knowledge Absorption. It may also be possible for born Warlocks to inherit powers from their line similar to Witches.
Other Powers
Immortality: The ability to possess an infinite lifespan and an arrested aging process. Nearly all Warlocks are immortal, though there are a few exceptions. A notable example is the Familiar WarlockShadow, who whould not achieve immortality until he had shed the last of his Familiar life. It is unknown if born warlocks such as the Rowe Coven are immortal as they do age, especially in the case of the half-warlock Brendan Rowe.
Magical NotesEdit
Vanquishing SpellsEditJeremy returns and is vanquished a second time
Warlock SpellEditThe Power of ThreeWill Set Us Free,The Power of ThreeWill Set Us Free,The Power of ThreeWill Set Us Free!
Melinda's CurseEdit
(To Curse Matthew Tate into Melinda's locket)Ingredients needed:assorted herbs,a Spotted Owl Feather,a leather bagand a locket.Combine the herbs and make it into a fine powder.Put the powder into the leather bag and add the owl feather.Put the bag into fire and let it burn while chanting the spelland holding the locket open, pointed to the to-be-cursed warlockOutside of Time!Outside of Gain!Know only Sorrow!Know only Pain!
Phoebe Halliwell's Warlock Vanquishing SpellEditEvil is a faithful Foe,But Good does battle Best.We Witches will with these Words,Waste This Warlock's Evil Zest.
To Kill a Female WarlockEditThrough This BookWeave This SpellCreate the PainOf Heaven to HellMay She SufferUntil She CriesHer Tears Will DryAnd Then She Dies
Spell to Vanquish EamesEdit
Witches can weaken warlocks by using their witchcraft to create specific spells to counteract a warlock's specific powers. This was the case with the infamous witch killer Eames. ("Blinded by the Whitelighter")Time for Amends and a Victim's Revenge,Cloning Power turned Sour,(to Disable his cloning)Power to Change turned to Strange,(stopped transmogrification power)I'm Rejecting Your Deflection.(negated his power to deflect)
PotionsEdit
Blinding PotionEdit
The Charmed Ones created a potion that would blind Warlocks and prevent them from Blinking. ("Muse to My Ears")
Becoming a WarlockEdit
There are several ways in which Witches and other beings can become Warlocks:
For a Witch to use his or her powers to kill another witch and take his or her powers. ("Something Wicca This Way Comes")
For a magical Witch to be married to a Warlock in a Dark Binding ceremony. This ritual can be conducted without consent and will turn the Witch into an evil Warlock despite his or her previous moral inclinations. When the dark priestess Dantalian married Prue Halliwell to the warlock Zile, she and her sisters all became Warlocks due to their connection This rituals also converted the Book of Shadows into a Grimoire. However, for the conversion to be complete, the new warlocks must each kill an innocent. The conversion can be reversed by vanquishing the Warlock that entered the marriage, which will anull the marriage and the conversion. ("Bride and Gloom")
To be born to one or more warlock parents. Two warlocks can produce a child, that will be a warlock upon birth, such as two brothers of the Rowe Coven. Brendan Rowe, however, a man born of a warlock father and a mortal mother, chose to renounce his evil nature and became a priest, shedding his warlock side. ("When Bad Warlocks Go Good")
For a Familiar to kill his or her Witch. The Familiar then takes on human form and obtains the powers of his or her Witch. Once this is done, the new Warlock must shed the last of its familiar nature before midnight of the next New Moon in order to become immortal. ("Pre-Witched")
Warlock Sub-SpeciesEdit
The Collectors: Warlocks who are able to drain and absorb knowledge through needle-like finger protrusions. After draining their victims information from their head, the victims may lose part of their memories or become catatonic. A Collector can also put information back in someone's head, which revives the person. A Collector's greatest weakness is his thirst for knowledge.[2]
Dragon Warlock: According to the Book of Shadows, the Dragon Warlock is the twisted spawn of a dragonand a sorceress. This warlock is known to be the most feared and powerful witch killer there is. The Dragon Warlock possessed the powers of Fire Breathing, Flight and Super Strength.[3]
Familiar Warlocks: When a Familiar betrays and kills its charge, it becomes a Familiar Warlock, taking on human form and taking the powers of its Witch. To become immortal, the new Warlock must shed the last of its familiar nature before midnight of the next New Moon. In the case of a feline familiar, the warlock must die nine times in order to gain immortality or be cursed to be an animal for all eternity.[4]
Three-Eyed Warlock: A breed of Warlocks from the future that possess a third eye which emits a deadly beam to kill innocents.[5]
Familiar Hunters: Low-level Warlocks that target and kill witches' Familiars with the purpose of leaving them more vulnerable to the attack of evil.[6]
Rat Warlocks: A breed of warlocks with the power to Shapeshift into rats.[7]
Hereditary Warlocks: A breed of Warlocks that is born as such, inheriting their magic from one or both parents similar to how Witches are born. The only known hereditary warlocks are of the Rowe Line, which was prophesied to bring about three brothers that would be essentially be an evil Power of Three. The Rowe Covenconsisted of two pure Warlocks, Greg and Paul Rowe, and the half-warlock Brendan Rowe.[8]
Demonic FormEditThe warlock Greg Rowe in his demonic form
Some warlocks have displayed a demonic form much like some Upper-level demons. Only Greg and Brendan Rowe displayed demonic forms (Paulalso possess one, but is never seen); which could mean that only hereditary warlocks possess this ability. This form can be immediately triggered by anger. Presumably, this would enhance their power. Once someone regains control of their emotions, they can return to their human form.
SpeculationEdit
Throughout the show, Charmed has never been completely clear on what the actual definition of a warlock is. This has lead to a divide amongst fans who go by various definitions though the most commonly disputed one is how a warlock differs (or not) from an evil witchand so fans have been let to infer what they can from the episodes available, with some believing that .
In the very first episode of Charmed, ("Something Wicca This Way Comes") (as well as in the unaired Pilot), Phoebe explains what the basic nature of a warlock is, as told by the Book of Shadows:
Phoebe to Prue: "A bad witch, or a warlock, has but one goal: To kill good witches to obtain their powers."
Now, not only does this tell the viewer what the general goal of a warlock is but it also shows that bad witches or warlocks are the same. However, it is important to remember that just like with good witches, who also have their own personal goals and achievements, that this is a generalized view of a goal for warlocks. They may also have others such as Devlin and his faction who tried to collect Muses in order to organize the Underworld. Eames is another example who tried to kill all Whitelighters, albeit in order to kill witches and take their powers faster and more effectively. Throughout the show, warlocks have been shown to only hunt and kill good witches rather than mortal innocents (with the exception of a few mortals who were killed by warlocks like Devlin and Bacarra) while evil witches seem to harm and kill both mortal and magical innocents.Piper and Phoebe remain tasteful, while evil.This definition of a warlock is echoed again in Bride and Gloom. In this episode Dantalian turns Prue evil and marries her to a warlock with what appeared to be a dark version of a Handfasting. Later on, this moral corruption spreads to Phoebe and Piper who also become evil. Leo then calls them warlocks, because of their giving in to evil. This heavily implies that witches who have turned evil (bad witches) are warlocks and revisits the ideal from the first episode.
Warlocks have been shown in the past to use basic witches powers as well, such as the familiar Hunter who could scry and Bacarra who could cast spells and make potions, further hinting at the idea that Warlocks are indeed evil witches and that the terms are synonymous.
However, some beings on the show termed as evil witches rather than warlocks that possess very un-warlock like traits. For example, Warlocks tend to use their active powers more than basic ones (if ever) and they usually get around by blinking. The Evil Witch in Happily Ever After, went after the Charmed Ones using fairytale magic rather than active powers and teleported in a puff of smoke as opposed to Blinking. Several other bad witches on the show have displayed this trait too, such as Christy who never blinked and the Stillman sisters.
Some Evil Witches like Tuatha have familiars too, whereas no warlock has before, however this could just be because of the fact that most warlocks were born as such and Tuatha's familiar was carried over from her days as a good witch.
Some fans have speculated that the difference between Warlocks and Evil Witches is that bad witches are actually practitioners turned evil and Warlocks are Magical Witches turned evil. This would certainly explain why a lot of warlocks use their active powers more than their basic ones and why evil witches are often the inverse. However, the actual definition of a Practitioner witch has never been fully described and so one can't ever know for sure, as even the only canon, non speculative reference there is for the definition of a warlock, which is that they are synonymous with evil witches (demonstrated in the first episode and echoed for some time later on), has been effectively retconned by the show's non-uniform use of the two classifications afterwards.
Some fans also speculate that an evil witch, sometimes confused with a Warlock, is a witch who renounces The Wiccan Rede, and uses his/her powers for personal gain and evil, sinister means, though they do not kill witches for their powers and do not sell their soul to the forces of evil. As shown in Bride and Gloom, when witches turn evil, they renounce their right to a Whitelighter.
The first evil witch encountered by the Charmed Ones, was Tuatha, with many more following the same basic trend. The Charmed Ones have faced many evil witches, including the Wicked Witch of Fairy Tales, the Evil Enchantressand the Stillman Sisters.
NotesEdit
According to Prue Halliwell, there are 19 specific Warlock vanquishing spells in the Book of Shadows, as mentioned in "They're Everywhere".
Some interpret warlocks to be evil witches stating a warlock possesses Wiccan powers and breached theWiccan Rede by killing innocents; however harming innocents is a breach of the Rede but killing good witches primarily (if not solely) to steal their powers is beyond a breach of the Rede or a simple personal gain spell or curse harming an innocent; it is sheer madness, inhumanity and evil signifying behavior marked only by the vilest of the Forces of Darkness.
While some warlocks are so powerful they require vanquishing spells, while some can be simply vanquished by potions or strong powers, like Piper's molecular combustion power.
Warlocks were featured more often in the earlier seasons.
The word warlock is derived from the old-English "waer logga", which means "oath breaker". The word was used by the Christian church as a derogative way to label Pagans. This origin could also be linked toCharmed's definition, since warlocks have acted against The Wiccan Rede, which could be considered an oath.
Warlocks are not considered demons either by witches or demons. Warlocks are said to be inherently and irredeemably evil, and are said not to bleed, however, this has not always been the case such as with Jeremy Burns. A possible reason why some warlocks bleed while others do not could be based on their heritage; a warlock who is half-mortal will bleed due to his/her human-half, but a full blooded warlock or spawn of two warlock parents will not bleed due to lack of his/her humanity.
Although warlocks are second class citizens in the underworld, some of them seems to possess conections to high members of the Demonic Hierarchy, like in the case of Rex Buckland and Hannah Webster. Also, in the Alternate Reality of future Bacarra where Cole Turner became the ruler of the underworld, the class system change under his rulership. Warlocks and demons were united as equals, giving evil one of his greatest triumphs in decades.