The
Charmed Ones
and
Wiccan Shuns
What is Wicca
Contrary to popular belief, the Wiccan religion is not as old as some may think. As product of the mid twentieth century, Wicca is a relatively new branch of paganism. Thought by many of it followers to be a very balanced and peaceful way of life, it is "an eclectic religious belief system centering around gods, goddesses, and nature worship"(Carm, Para. 1). It has no holey book of teachings passed down through the generations, but rather relies on the individual own understanding and journey. The closest thing to a religious text for most Wiccans would be The Book of Shadows where some wiccan followers write down spells, thoughts, and give accounts of their own spiritual experiences.
Note: Wicca is a very individualistic religion, specific to each independent person. Each Wiccan to the next may have his or her own understanding and practices. So as you read on, know that what is said may not be true for all followers of Wicca.
Pentagram
A Neopagan/Wiccan symbol of faith
Wicca In Charmed
If Charmed had to be described in one sentence it would sound something like this. Three witches with supernatural powers who battle Demons to save the world form the ultimate evil. In that sentence alone, the show has already gone against a particular Wiccan belief. It is said that within the Wiccan religion "there is no ultimate figure of evil leading the world into darkness through temptation" (Fisher, p35). This Idea of the demon or fallen angel is more closely related to Christianity than Wicca. It is believed that" individuals are responsible for their actions" (Fisher, p34). Rather than being governed by an ancient set of rules or a few individuals, wiccans are left to decipher what is right and what is wrong on their own. Their mistakes are seen as lessons that they may grow from or continue to be tested on.
Though charmed may incorporate demons, it does embody the importance of learning from ones mistakes and doing the right thing. An evident example of this within the show would be the consequences of personal gain. The witches are taught time and time again that selfish acts, especially the ones that involve magic, will have far reaching consequences.
The Ultmate Evil
The Charmed Ones vanquishing demons
I can still cast spells and do the power of three thing. Whatever the problem is it seems more natural than supernatural.
Quote by Phoebe
Magic and Ritual
Supernatural Powers
Through out the series, the sisters are regarded as having supernatural powers. However Fisher describes how "magic is not a supernatural force" due to the fact that it implied that magic is outside of nature. As a nature based religion, Wiccan’s describe magic as the "the manipulation of energies found within the natural world". Any person who has seen even an episode of this show can attest to the fact that at no pont do the sisters give any thought about nature when preforming any kind of magic.
Ritual
Another misconception brought on by popular culture that Charmed embodies, is the effortless use of magic. The three sisters are able to access their powers at will, dependent only on their urgency. However the Wiccan faith is considered extremely ritualistic, and there is no exception when it comes to magic.
Elements of magic and ritual common across Wiccan and Neo-Pagan traditions include:
A) Grounding and centering energy, which includes stating or acknowledging intentions
B) Raising and directing energy
C) Visualization of divine or sacred forces that practitioners have a personal connection to or that represent symbolically the focus of desired change.
As seen above, the practice of magic takes a lot more work then the wave of a wrist. It is said to take strong visualization with the intent of "moving energy to create change in the world" (Fisher, p. 203)
Light and Dark Magic
During the series, Phoebe falls in love with a demon name Colet Turner. In an attempt to turn Phoebe to the dark side of magic, he tricks her into marrying him through a dark binding ceremony. Shortly after the ceremony, Phoebe finds out she is pregnant with Coles baby, and starts to exhibit dark powers common of demons. Sadly, this idea of good and bad or light and dark magic is a product of myth. Magic by many Wiccan’s is considered "not and of itself harmful" (Moe, Cates & Sepulveda, p. 43). The "distinctions between so-called white and black magic arise more from popular media and folk-beliefs about magic" (Moe, Cates & Sepulveda, p. 43)
The Book of Shadows
Is a real book possessed by many followers of Wicca. It's a place where they can write down spells, thoughts, and give accounts of their own spiritual experiences. Almost like a religious journal.
The Charmed Ones fighting the Ultimate Power of Evil
The Elders
Within the show Charmed, the three witches are governed by a higher power called The Elders. The Elders are a collection of the most powerful Whitelighters and are referenced as the creators of the power that be. Though they represent the highest power or Gods, as the series unfolds it is revealed that even their power is limited.
Though I would like to say that this idea of The Elders is total fluff, I can not. Wicca recognizes many faces of a God or Goddess and "no one form is more accurate than any other" (Fisher p.45). That being said, at no point during my research did I come across the term Whitelighter or Elder. I also did I find there to be any accounts of a physical representation of a higher being other then in nature.
Another problem with these God like figure within Charmed is how the sisters view The Elders.
"Oh, the Elders don't know anything. What a shock." - Paige
"Well, sometimes we don't want to work with the elders." - Piper
As seen in the two examples above, they often speak badly of The Elders, and more often then not go against their word rather then follow it. To most Wiccans, "[Their] gods and goddesses are of utmost importance to [them], and [they] take their reverence and celebration to heart" (Fisher p. 45). It is obvious that within this show, that is not the case. The sister’s actions and use of their gifts are governed more by their emotions than these Elders.
A Higher Power
Nature Based Religion
The last point I will touch on in reference to Charmeds representation of the Wiccan faith is how it has left out NATURE. As I previously mentioned, Wicca is "an eclectic religious belief system centering around gods, goddesses, and nature worship"(Carm, Para. 1). It is from and for the flow of energy through nature that magic and ritual is believed to be preformed. Yet at no point in the series is nature or the flow of energy brought into discussion. Instead it features witchcraft and magic as a means of preserving the greater good by fighting evil.
Just as in Christianity, Wicca has a number of ceremonies that welcome an new life into the world as well as ceremonies for people that are interested in making a commitment to the Wiccan faith. During my research I found a number of texts that referred to a Wiccaning or naming, but a lot of them contradicted each other. In all my confusion, I decided to meet with a lady who defined her faith as Pagan spiritualism, as a way to get a better understanding of what I had read. What I came to understand was that a naming within the Wiccan religion was most always preformed short after a child’s birth. However a Wiccaning could be preformed shortly after a child’s birth, but can also take place once the child is old enough to make the decision to choose this spiritual path on their own. Within the show Charmed, they preform a Wiccaning on Pipers first born son Wyatt shortly after he is born, so by all means this can be considered an accurate time to do so. Nonetheless, I would assume that if all the ghosts from ones family line showed up for the Wiccaning, a Wiccan would be just as shocked as you or I.
Naming/ Wiccaning
Wyatts Wiccaning