Category:Witches

The coven from 3.09 Malleus Maleficarum.

A witch, also known as a sorcerer or warlock, is a person with the power to effect change by magical means aka witchcraft".

There are three types of witches:

natural witches are born with magical abilities e.g. Rowena
trained witches who are trained and mentored by mentored by Grand Coven approved witches. e.g. Alicia Banes
"borrowers" gain their power through deals with demons e.g. Amanda Burns, Elizabeth and Renee Van Allen

Some witches also have a companion known as a familiar who can appear in either animal or human form. It is notable that hunters like Sam, Dean and Bobby often use the same spells and rituals, but would not consider themselves witches.

Witches can be extremely long lived and very powerful. Only three of the witches encountered have been killed by Sam or Dean.

The Grand Coven is a council of witches who ruled and controlled the affairs of witches and guarded the lore. However, the Grand Coven and the witch community is now greatly weakened, after any years of attacks and witch hunts coupled with an organised effort by the Men of Letters to plunder them or their spell books and records, which they hid in various spell-guarded bunkers around the world. When a witch dies, willow moss is said to grow on the graves, making them easily identifiable to hunters.^[1]

Appearances

EPISODE	WITCH/ES
1.18 Something Wicked	Dr. Hydeker / Shtriga
3.09 Malleus Maleficarum	Amanda Burns, Elizabeth and Renee Van Allen. It is revealed Ruby was a witch when she was human.
4.07 It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester	Don Harding and Tracy Davis
4.12 Criss Angel Is a Douchebag	Charlie the Magician
5.07 The Curious Case of Dean Winchester	Lia and Patrick
7.05 Shut Up, Dr. Phil	Don Stark and Maggie Stark
7.15 Repo Man	Nora Havelock
8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin	Delta Mendota
8.15 Man's Best Friend with Benefits	Drexil, James Frampton and Spencer
9.04 Slumber Party	The Wicked Witch of the West
10.03 Soul Survivor	Rowena
10.07 Girls, Girls, Girls	Rowena
10.09 The Things We Left Behind	Rowena
10.10 The Hunter Games	Rowena
10.11 There's No Place Like Home	The Wizard of Oz
10.12 About A Boy	Katja
10.14 The Executioner's Song	Rowena
10.16 Paint It Black	Rowena and Olivette
10.19 The Werther Project	Rowena
10.21 Dark Dynasty	Rowena
10.23 Brother's Keeper	Rowena
11.03 The Bad Seed	Rowena
11.08 Just My Imagination	Rowena
11.09 O Brother Where Art Thou?	Rowena
11.10 The Devil in the Details	Rowena
11.13 Love Hurts	Sonja
11.18 Hell's Angel	Rowena
11.22 We Happy Few	Clea and Rowena
11.23 Alpha and Omega	Rowena
12.02 Mamma Mia	Rowena
[12.03 The Foundry]]	Rowena
12.04 American Nightmare	Rowena
12.06 Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox	Max Banes and Alicia Banes
12.08 LOTUS	Rowena
12.11 Regarding Dean	Catriona Loughlin, Boyd Loughlin, Gideon Loughlin and Rowena
12.13 Family Feud	Rowena
12.20 Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes	Max Banes, Alicia Banes and Tasha Banes
13.12 Various & Sundry Villains	Jamie Plum, Jennie Plum and Rowena
13.19 Funeralia	Example
13.21 Beat the Devil	Rowena
13.22 Exodus	Rowena

Witches in real life and lore

The term witch in its broadest sense refers to a person who claims to tap into some form of supernatural power. These people exists in cultures around the world, and may take the role of a healer or wise person in a community. Their powers could be used for either good or harm. The modern use of the term and its associations are rooted in the pogroms of the Middle Ages, against people, particularly women, who practiced any form of belief or healing that could be deemed anti-Christian. During these witch hunts in Europe and later North America, tens of thousands of people were tortured and killed based on the justification that they were in league with Satan.

In the 20th and 21st century, people who follow a form of Neopaganism may refer to themselves as witches. The most well known of these is Wicca, which originated in the 1930s, although its beliefs are formed on older pagan cultures such as those of the Celts and the Greeks. The religion involves the ritual practice of magic.