The Season of the Witch?
TWH — Earlier this summer, The Wild Hunt noted that two major witch-themed films, Practical Magic 2 and Disney’s Hexed, were headed to screens this fall. As it turns out, they will have plenty of company.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as the Owens sisters in Practical Magic 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 film. Based on Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic and directed by Susanne Bier, the sequel returns to the Owens family curse, ancestral magic, and the supernatural legacy surrounding generations of Owens women. The film opens internationally Sept. 9 and in North American theaters Sept. 11.
Disney’s Hexed, the studio’s 65th animated feature, arrives Nov. 25. The coming-of-age fantasy follows Billie, a teenager who discovers unexpected magical abilities and is transported to the hidden realm of Hexe, where family secrets could alter the magical world of witches.
But there’s more.
The witches of American Horror Story: Coven return for the anthology series’ 13th season, premiering Sept. 24 on FX and Hulu. Sarah Paulson returns as Cordelia Goode and Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery, alongside numerous American Horror Story veterans, including Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy, Gabourey Sidibe, and Jessica Lange. Plot details remain closely guarded, but promotional material suggests the Coven witches will figure prominently in the new season.
Slavic folklore gets its turn with Yaga, an eight-episode Canadian supernatural mystery inspired by Baba Yaga. Adapted from Kat Sandler’s stage play, the series follows a private investigator and detective searching for a missing fishery heir as their investigation leads toward mysterious suspects, witchcraft, and supernatural forces. Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, and Clark Backo star. Yaga premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 10 before arriving on streaming platforms in October.
Anime is joining the season of the witch as well.
Maebashi Witches – Emoemories: Blooming Witches, a compilation film based on the 2025 anime series, arrives in Japanese theaters Oct. 23. The story follows five teenage girls whose magical abilities allow them to help make other people’s wishes come true. The theatrical version revisits the original series’ mixture of witchcraft, friendship, music, and coming-of-age themes.
Finally, The World’s Strongest Witch premieres on Japanese television Oct. 7. The fantasy-comedy follows Lorna, a young witch rejected by her family after receiving an apparently useless magical ability. That ability turns out to be a skill called “Internet,” giving her access to an extraordinary store of information that transforms her fortunes.
From the Owens family and the witches of Coven to Baba Yaga, magical girls, and even a witch armed with the Internet, witches will be unusually difficult to avoid on screens this fall.
How this wave of witch-themed entertainment might shape perceptions of Witchcraft and the Pagan community remains to be seen. Some conservative Christian media are already sounding alarms, warning that productions such as Disney’s Hexed make Witchcraft appear beautiful and appealing while continuing to characterize Witchcraft and occult practices as Satanic.
Those reactions are emerging months before some of these productions reach audiences, suggesting that this fall’s season of the witch may also revive familiar debates about Witchcraft, popular culture, and religion.
Get the crystal balls ready and stay tuned.
Events
ARDANTANE OFFERS ONLINE COURSE IN PAGAN LEADERSHIP
with Amber K
“Keys to Pagan Leadership” online will be offered Tuesday evenings, Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and Oct. 6, 7- 9 p.m. Mountain Time.
This online series of SIX 2-hour ONLINE classes (Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mountain Time, beginning September 1) provides foundational training for current and future Pagan leaders and clergy, and a valuable review and new perspectives for experienced ones.
The course is taught by Amber K, Executive Director of Ardantane. She is a Wiccan priestess with more than 45 years’ experience, who has written or co-authored 11 books on Wicca and Paganism. In her mundane life, she spent 50 years teaching leadership for various government and private organizations.
Participants who complete this course and other requirements may be eligible for Pagan Clergy Ordination through Ardantane.
- WEEK 1: Overview of Pagan Religions; Group Organization and Dynamics
- WEEK 2: Leadership Styles and Skills, Facilitation
- WEEK 3: Communication, Pastoral Counseling
- WEEK 4: Ritual Design and Leadership
- WEEK 5: Administration, Community Relations, Legal Requirements
- WEEK 6: Personal Presentation, Self-Care, Interfaith Networking
- Registration fee: $150 for non-members, $120 for Ardantane Members.
PLEASE REGISTER at the website (ardantane.org). Be sure to add the number of tickets you want before clicking the Blue GET TICKETS button. Registration closes at 5 PM Mountain Time on Monday, August 31.
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Deck: The Grimalkin Tarot, by M.J. Cullinane, published by independently by the author (2020)
Card: Five (5) of Pentacles
The week ahead has the possibility of some hardships due to reserves running low being highlighted. There is also the potential for feeling isolated, alone, and left out. While it may feel that way, help is accessible and available when the focus is shifted outward. The ability to pool resources and share what is needed between those who have deep bonds is likely to be the best way forward.
Conversely, if times have been tough, the likelihood of a shift that will offer better opportunities and abundance is in the mix. Working through difficulties can help us to see a greater value in community and the mutual support to be found within it. Sometimes, just the kindness expressed by even a random stranger can help to renew hope and a more positive outlook.
Meanwhile, in Lithuania…
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Short legs, loud voices, and highly developed noses were on display earlier this month as 150 corgis descended on Lithuania’s capital for the fifth annual Corgi Race Vilnius.
The event, held Aug. 15 in Vilnius’ Vingis Park, drew dogs and their humans from nine countries, including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Britain, and the United States. Organizers said the gathering has grown considerably since its first year, when only 40 corgis from a single city participated.
Ninety-four corgis competed in the main event, racing through qualifiers and semifinals before facing off in a 25-meter (82-foot) final. American corgi GG (short for Gustave the Girl Dog) claimed the championship, followed by fellow American Mr. Corgington. Two-time champion Moka of Lithuania finished third.
Speed, however, was only one path to glory.
Thirty-eight corgis strutted their stuff in a costume parade, where Amigo won both the judges’ and public votes with a knight-inspired ensemble. Latvian corgis Tora and Rusty shared honors in the “smartest nose” competition, searching for hidden treats. Mr. Corgington recovered from his second-place racing finish by claiming the prize for loudest bark.
Organizers have taken to calling Vilnius the “European capital of corgis.”
The Wild Hunt congratulates all the very good dogs involved. We remain unable to confirm whether the smartest-nose competition involved treats, divination, or both.
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