Witch

“	The Italians call them Strega. The Yoruba of West Africa call them Aje, meaning mother. Where my mother was from, they called them Häxa. And here, we call them witch. Over the centuries vampires have fought them and fought beside them, bedded them and burned them. Whether adversary or ally they have been a force to be reckoned with.	”
	— Elijah about Witches in Après Moi, Le Déluge

A witch is a person who is born with the power to affect change by magical means (Witchcraft). While many witches are the self-proclaimed "Keepers of the Balance," other witches have been known to work against the Balance and use their power for personal gain.

The Balance of Nature

The Balance of Nature is a spiritual belief system based around the observance of the Earth and reverence of Mother Nature. The goal of many witches is to honor the design of nature and to maintain balance within the natural world. The balance of nature is intimately tied to one's spiritual relationship with the Earth, and the idea that all living things (e.g. animals, humans, plants, etc.) are considered sacred, as they are all different aspects of nature. Contemporary witches would also agree that using modern ceremonies, rituals and shamanic practices is the best way to attune themselves with the natural rhythms of the universe in their efforts to obtain guidance and knowledge from wiser known witches called "The Spirits." However, according to Gloria, who referred to herself as "old-school voodoo," it is implied that not all witches follow this belief system, and have the free will to choose how they wish to practice their power.

History

The origin of witchcraft remains unknown, however, it is known that witches have existed for many centuries passing down their knowledge and skills through generations of family lines. Contrary to popular belief, witches do not receive their powers from demons, nor do they worship the devil. Instead, witches consider themselves "the Servants of Nature," as they make it their duty to maintain balance within the world. Sheila Bennett had once stated to Bonnie that "witchcraft was rooted in psychic energy".

Magic

Main article: Witchcraft

Magic is a practice of witchcraft that encompasses many different types of activities including astrology, divination, spell casting, and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations and religions as well as many books and writings from ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world. Although the majority of traditional witches are commonly portrayed as being kind and selfless humans who use their powers to maintain balance within the world, in the case of Esther and Qetsiyah, it has been proven that some witches are independent thinkers who may go against the Balance of Nature by practicing their powers for dark and sinister deeds.

Powers and Abilities

Basic Powers

The basic powers of every witch include:

Spell Casting: The power to change and control events through the use of incantations and more.
Channeling: The power to invoke extra forms of energy by focusing on external forces.
Potion Brewing: The power to brew and concoct potions, remedies and elixirs that have supernatural properties.

Other Powers

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Telekinesis: The power to move objects and persons through mental influence.
Pain Infliction: The power to create excruciating migraines through supernatural means.
Elemental Control: The power to control and manipulate the elements of air, earth, fire, and water.
Divination: The power to divine future, past, and present events based off extrasensory perception.
- Clairvoyance: The power to divine future, past or present events through instinctive knowledge.
- Intuition: The power to divine future, past or present events through the use of instinctive knowledge.
- Premonitions: The power to divine future, past or present events through the observation and study of dreams.
- Psychometry: The power to divine future, past or present events through contact with or proximity to a certain object or person.

Uncommon Powers

Projection: The power to separate from one's body and project the mind to another location or to instantaneously travel from one point to another.
Transmogrification: The unique power to alter the physical structure of objects living or dead, changing their form.
Telepathy: The power that allows witches to access the minds of others through spells.
Possession: The power to jump one's spirit into the body of another, taking control of said host body.
Illusions: The power to alter the senses of others to perceive a false reality.
Dream Manipulation: The power to control people's dreams through spells.
Resurrection: The power to bring someone or one's self back from the dead.

Weaknesses

Disbelief: The act of denying or disbelieving in one's potential could cause a witch to inadvertently suppress their magical power.
Distraction: Denying a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective. Since most spells are spoken verbally and take time to take effect, witches are vulnerable to attack before their completion. Additionally, certain spells require items, tools, and/or special events during casting, therefore they can't be invoked on mere whim.
Emotions: A witch's magic is subject to the influence of their emotional state and may fluctuate according to them when untrained. According to Sheila Bennett, strong emotions such as worry and anger can fuel a witch's power while emotions such as fear may prevent a witch from properly accessing their powers.
Herbs: Ingestion of certain herbs can cause a witch to lose consciousness and prevent them from using magic for an undetermined amount of time. The Lobelia flower prevents concentration and the practice of magic and can be used to weaken a witch as one would weaken a vampire with vervain.
Huntress' Blood: A supernatural huntress' blood can suppress all magic of a witch when consumed, as well as prevent magic from working on said witch, as seen when the Armory could not perform a locator spell on Bonnie Bennett. Prolonged ingestion is toxic, and ultimately leads to the death of the witch. Once black scabs start appearing on their body, the infected witches have less than a week of life, similar to how Vampires react to Werewolf Toxin. There is no known cure to combat this disease.
Magic: Witches are still susceptible to the powers of witchcraft. This is inclusive of mystical objects such as Papa Tunde's Blade, and Dark Objects. A siphoner can siphon the magic from a witch and prolonged exposure may lead to death.
Mortality: Despite their mystical attributes, witches are still human and share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings (e.g. age, decapitation, disease, heart-failure, suffocation, snapped neck, etc.). However, witches can temporarily get around this weakness through the use of protection spells.
Overexertion: The excessive use of magic could lead to disorientation, nose bleeds, unconsciousness, and if taken to the extreme, death.
Nature: It is said that nature will always find a balance when witchcraft is performed and spells will always have loopholes. This means, among other things, that no being can be truly immortal.
Mystic Falls Founders Bell: An indestructible bell that amplifies the affects of the Staff of Arcadius when combined with the Maxwell Striker, allowing it to produce a frequency that disrupts psychic activity. It is also proven as effective on Witches and Siphoners as it is on Sirens since witchcraft has roots in psychic energy.

Tools

Main article: Witches' tools

Amulets: An object that is used to protect its wearer from harm.
Athames: A ceremonial dagger with a double-edged blade that is commonly used to direct energy.
Candles: A block of solid wax with an embedded wick that is commonly lit to to amplify a witch’s spell.
Cauldrons: A large metal pot that is commonly used to hold the ingredients for elixirs and potions.
Grimoires: A family journal is documented with magical recipes, rituals, and spells, and can also be used as a Talisman.
Herbs: Various flora used as ingredients to be incorporated into spells as binding agents
Stones: Various minerals and ores used to boost or bind a witch's spell.
Symbols: Seals drawn or written used as physical representations of spells.
Talismans: An object that is used to magnify a witch's power and or represent them supernaturally.

Spells and Rituals

Main article: Spells and Rituals

One of the defining characteristics of a witch is their ability to cast spells; a "spell" being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. A spell could consist of a ritual action, a set of words, a verse, or any combination of these. For reasons unknown, the majority of spells used by practitioners of Spirit Magic and/or Traditional Magic are spoken in an ancient language similar to Latin. However, witches who practice other forms of magic have been known to use spells in different languages; for example, the French Quarter witches of New Orleans performs many of their spells in language similar to French Creole, while the Travelers typically perform their spells in a language similar to Czech. However, the ancient witches Dahlia and Freya Mikaelson have been known to perform spells using a language similar to Old Norse.

Relationships

Nature

"Witches have a connection to the Earth. We can literally feel nature."

—Bonnie Bennett

The relationship between Nature and witches is a very deep and spiritual connection. While the majority of witches seem to respect Nature with just as much commitment and reverence as religious factions do about their churches or mosques, it has been proven that not all witches share this belief and have made malevolent acts against the Balance of Nature.

Witches

"Well the way he sees it all witches are family. We're all bonded together by a code of loyalty to help each other."

—Luka Martin

The relationship among witches is generally a positive relationship where witches not only help and protect each other, but often treat one another as members of an extended family. However, while the majority of witches feel it is their duty to help their fellow man, it has been proven that some witches may disregard this belief and turn against their own people if it comes to it, such as with their own safety, that of their loved ones or that of their own beliefs.

Humans

"They also know it's absurd. Can't be true. I'm just the kooky old lady who teaches occult at the university. No one truly believes. They just poke fun. And let 'em, don't let them know the truth."

—Sheila Bennett

The relationship between humans and witches is generally a positive relationship, although this was not always the case. Throughout the past, more than half of the human population lived in fear of the supernatural community. This fear caused many human parents to teach their children to hate and persecute all creatures who were different from them, especially witches. This eventually led to some of the world's most infamous witch trials that massacred hundreds (possibly thousands) of witches. While it has been implied that more than half of those who were accused were entirely innocent, according to Elijah Mikaelson, many of those who were killed in Mystic Falls were true witches. Throughout the centuries, it appears that the belief in the occult has dramatically declined to the point where Sheila Bennett suggested that many humans like to poke fun at witchcraft, a behavior many witches encourage to ensure their anonymity to the human world and allow them to quietly practice their craft in private.

Shamans

"Hear me, great spirit, hear me. We call upon you in this moment of need. We bring you an offering. A woman who desires justice for herself, for our tribe."

—Shaman Leader

The relationship between Shamans and Witches is largely unknown, but given their similar practices, one could speculate it would be neutral or positive. Like Witches they share a very deep and spiritual connection towards Nature, abiding by its Laws while even calling upon it to create the powerful Shamanistic Huntress.

Siphoners

"Before the 1900s, your mother fell in with a group of witches that were cast out of the Gemini Coven. They were known as Heretics, Siphoners like Kai."

—Jo

The relationship between Siphoners and witches is a negative one. Witches see Siphoners as abominations of Nature just like vampires. All known Siphoners have originated from the Gemini Coven and it has even been speculated that their existence is a magical side-effect of the coven's Merge ceremony used to determine their new leaders. Six Siphoners were cast out of the Gemini Coven sometime between 1858 and 1903, and during their exile, they crossed paths with the ripper vampire Lillian Salvatore, who, indirectly turned the first Heretic, and eventually turning the rest into the first (and possibly the only) true witch-vampire hybrids who could retain their ability to siphon magic even after their transformation. In 1972, another Siphoner, Malachai Parker, was born into the Gemini Coven. Since he had a twin sister, Josette, it was possible for either twin to become the leader of the coven depending on who survived the Merge ceremony. However, since Kai was still viewed as an abomination by the coven, including his parents, he began to distance himself from his family. Kai's parents saw that Kai was not fit to be the leader of the Gemini Coven, but also knew that if he were to Merge with Jo, his Siphoner nature would allow him to beat her, killing her and winning leadership of the coven.

The Spirits

"Witches talk, even on the Other Side. Who do you think makes all the rules?"

—Sheila Bennett

The relationship between the Spirits and the witches was more of a political relationship than a spiritual one. The Spirits were highly involved in the activities of witches and often communed with them during their rituals and spells. The Spirits were known to have created the laws of witchcraft and distributed punishments to any witch who disobeyed their rules. Since the collapse of the Other Side, all relationships between the Spirits and the witches have become extinct. However, a faction of witches in New Orleans are known to commune with a subsection of spiritual witches known as "The Ancestors."

The Ancestors

"New Orleans is full of ghosts. Our dead are always here, hovering. When supernatural creatures die they're doomed to spend eternity alone watching the world go on without them. Of course, that's not the cause for the ancestral witches, we linger in a different way. Consecrated in the Earth, replenishing its power."

—Genevieve

The relationship between the Ancestors and the New Orleans witches is more of a political one than a spiritual one. They seem to be a near divine pantheon to the living witches of New Orleans; the orders of the Ancestors are treated as divine edicts that must be obeyed. They are the power source of all New Orleans covens. The relationship between the Ancestors and the New Orleans witches varies from witch to witch. While some witches, such as the Elders, have a deep and powerful reverence for the Ancestors, other witches, such as Davina Claire have had a negative relationship with the Ancestors and view both their ethics and their political agendas as corrupt and sinister. Nevertheless, as the Regent of the nine covens based in New Orleans, Vincent Griffith has full access to the power of the Ancestors and may call upon them for assistance whenever need be. When a New Orleans Witch dies, her body is consecrated, and the magic in her bones and spirit are released into the Ancestral Well. While this restricts the witches, both living and dead, to New Orleans, it gives the coven the power, knowledge of hundreds upon hundreds of witches. However, every three hundred years, the connection between the living witches and the dead ones begins to wane. In order to rebuild this connection, The Harvest Ritual must be performed. Since the severing of the Ancestral Plane from Lafayette Cemetery , all relationships between the Ancestors and the New Orleans witches have become extinct and their power diminished. The link between the Ancestral and mortal plane has since been reestablished through a new Harvest Ritual.

The Travelers

"They're more like the ugly stepsister."

—Liv Parker

The relationship between the Travelers and the witches is an entirely negative relationship that dates back roughly two thousand years. During the Archaic period of Greece, the witches of the Greek community originally lived in blissful harmony with one another, until a powerful witch named Qetsiyah created the immortality spell. This controversial act caused the witches to divide into two subcultures: conventional and unconventional. The conventional witches saw the immortality spell as a violation of the natural law that all living creatures must die. These witches sought to border the limitations of magic by creating religious commandments that every witch would adhere to. However, a subgroup of witches who held unconventional beliefs about magic saw the immortality spell as a revelation of divine potential, and flouted the testaments of their peers. These differences of opinion created a rift between in the witch community that has lasted for more than two millennia and caused the witches to curse the Travelers with a spell that cut them off from all traditional magic, barring them from their connection to Nature.

Vampires

"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems... as much as we try to do to stay out of it."

—Sheila Bennett about vampires

The relationship between the vampires and the witches is a complicated one that is more often negative than positive. This is mainly due to the notion that since vampires were created from Dark Magic, and flout the natural design that all living creatures must die. Nevertheless, some witches, such Genevieve or Davina, are free-thinkers who have not only aided vampires, but befriended them. Other witches, however, have been known as "Witches for Hire" in regards to vampires, such as working to accomplish a common goal, combat threats from other vampires, or for simple business arrangements. While some are forced to work alongside vampires, these witches are not particularly fond of this label.

Werewolves

"Long ago, the witches and the wolves were at peace. Then came the vampires."

—Esther Mikaelson

The relationship between werewolves and witches is a neutral to negative relationship. Werewolves and witches have been shown to be at odds more than allies. Apparently the two species did once have a strong relationship with one another, however this was ruined by the inception of the vampires. However, witches and werewolves have been known to ally themselves with each other against their common enemy (the vampires), though these alliances are typically short-lived due to werewolves not wanting to be controlled. It was further revealed that the Werewolf Curse was cast upon a Native American tribe of Witches begetting the seven werewolf bloodlines.

Psychics

"All witchcraft was rooted in psychic energy. Before I knew I had magic, I believed I was psychic."

—Bonnie Bennett

The relationship between witches and psychics remains largely unknown; however, since witchcraft is rooted in psychic energy, psychics could be the precursors to witches, though no such indication is accurately known. The two most powerful of their respective species, Arcadius and Qetsiyah, have achieved very similar feats, such as creating new afterlife dimensions and bestowing varying degrees of immortality.

Notable Witches

Witch	Description	Status
Qetsiyah	Qetsiyah was one of the most powerful witches of all time who is most notably known for the creation of the Immortality Spell, as well as the Cure to immortality, the Anchor and the Other Side.	Deceased
Silas	Silas was a very powerful witch who was notable for becoming the very first Immortal.	Deceased
The Hollow	The Hollow is a powerful, Native American witch that was bestowed power from her tribal elders, which made her crave more power in life. Upon her death at the hands of her tribesmen, she created the Werewolf Curse. In death, she grew even more powerful and, according to Vincent, is one of the most powerful witches in history. She utilized Elijah's death to resurrect herself. After her second death, her spirit has been neutralized and contained within Klaus. Along with Elijah, they sacrificed themselves to end the Hollow.	Deceased
Markos	Markos was an ancient witch and also the leader of the Traveler subculture.	Deceased
Dahlia	Dahlia is the elder sister of Esther Mikaelson and was also one of the most powerful witches in history.	Deceased
Ayana	Ayana was a powerful Bennett witch and the mentor of Esther Mikaelson.	Deceased
Esther Mikaelson	Esther Mikaelson was one of the most powerful witches in history who is notable for the creation the Original family of vampires.	Deceased
Freya Mikaelson	Freya Mikaelson is the firstborn child of the Mikaelson family and was an extremely powerful witch due to the connective magic that bound her to Dahlia. Though the link has been broken and has been weakened, she continues to remain a powerful witch.	Alive
Witch of the Five	The Witch of the Five was a Bennett witch who was notably known for the creation of the Brotherhood of the Five.	Deceased
Cleo Sowande	Cleo Sowande is a witch with a special power of inspiration. She was born a muse, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, like her grandmother. She was taken by Malivore in 1464 but eventually escaped. She sealed herself away for centuries in an artifact until it could be opened by the one capable of killing Malivore. She attented the Salvatore Boarding School until she was consumed by Malivore.	Alive
Katerina Petrova	Katerina Petrova was a witch before transitioning into a vampire. After she ingested the cure centuries later, she was once again a witch and, to temporarily avoid death, performed the passenger spell on Elena. Her father was a former member of the Traveler subculture.	Deceased
Celeste Dubois	Celeste Dubois was a very powerful dark witch of the French Quarter who was notable for the possession of multiple bodies over the course of a hundred years.	Deceased
Beatrice Bennett	Beatrice Bennett was a very powerful ancestor of the Bennett family who lived during the 18th century. She, along with her mother and coven, are notable for imbuing the Maxwell Bell with magic to drive out the sirens as well as protecting the town from Hellfire.	Deceased
Emily Bennett	Emily Bennett was a very powerful ancestor of the Bennett family who lived during the 19th century. She is known for trapping the Tomb vampires underneath Fell's Church, as well as creating enchanted objects, such as the Gilbert Ring.	Deceased
Mary-Alice Claire	Mary-Alice Claire was a French Quarter witch and the ancestor of Davina Claire. She is known for the creation of many Dark Objects, alongside Astrid, under Kol Mikaelson's tutelage using Arabian witchcraft, known as Kemiya.	Deceased
Astrid Malchance	Astrid Malchance was a French Quarter witch. She is known for the creation of many Dark Objects, alongside Mary-Alice, under Kol Mikaelson's tutelage using Arabian witchcraft, known as Kemiya.	Deceased
Papa Tunde	Papa Tunde was a very powerful dark witch who specialized in Sacrificial Magic. Using this form of magic, he successfully desiccated and channeled the Original vampire, Rebekah. He's also known for the creation of the "Tunde Blade".	Deceased
Genevieve	Genevieve was an very powerful dark witch of the French Quarter. She was skilled in herbalism as well as having an adept mind for spellcraft, such as when she combined various spells from Esther's Grimoire to create the enhanced Moonlight Rings.	Deceased
Gloria	Gloria was a powerful witch who was able to slow down the aging process, living for over a hundred years.	Deceased
Josephine LaRue	Josephine LaRue was a very powerful witch, patron of the Dowager Fauline Cottage, and former Regent of the New Orleans covens. Her Safe-house Spell upon St. James Infirmary was powerful enough to even warrant Dahlia's wary.	Deceased
Bastianna Natale	Bastianna was an Elder and a powerful dark witch of the French Quarter. She advocated the Harvest and Reaping until her untimely death.	Deceased
Agnes	Agnes was a powerful Elder witch of the French Quarter. She is known for the hex she cast upon Sean O'Connell that lead to the massacre of his fellow seminary students.	Deceased
Sheila Bennett	Sheila Bennett was the grandmother of Bonnie Bennett and a very powerful witch. She is known for mentoring her granddaughter in magic and guiding her whenever the veil to the Other Side was down. In Bonnie's greatest need, she along with the other Bennett witches returned from peace to aid her in saving Mystic Falls.	Deceased
Moroccan Witch	The Unnamed Santeria witch of Morocco is a powerful practitioner who is known for taking down the Original Vampire, Rebekah. She is the creator of a powerful and dark resurrection spell, that Kol was weary of, as well as, presumably, the Cursed Stakes.	Alive
Joshua Parker	Joshua Parker was a powerful witch and former Leader of the Gemini Coven. He was notable for the incarceration of his son Malachai Parker via the Prison World Banishment Spell.	Deceased
Jonas Martin	Dr. Jonas Martin was a powerful witch and also the father of Greta and Luka. Throughout his life, he collected a vast array of grimoires. Despite his knowledge and skill, he could not resurrect he deceased son.	Deceased
Josette Parker	Josette "Jo" Laughlin is the firstborn daughter of Joshua Parker and twin sister of Malachai "Kai" Parker. She decided to relinquish her magic in her youth when Kai slaughtered her siblings. She would later regain her magic only to give it to Kai after the improper Merge Ritual.	Deceased
Kara Nguyen	Kara Nguyen was an Elder and very powerful witch of the Ninth Ward Coven. She was also a Versailles witch and the mother of Van Nguyen.	Deceased
Lucy Bennett	Lucy Bennett is a witch of the Bennett family and cousin to Bonnie. She was known for sealing the Armory's vault prior to her death.	Deceased
Jane-Anne Deveraux	Jane-Anne Deveraux was the mother of Monique Deveraux, sister of Sophie Deveraux and also a powerful witch of the French Quarter.	Deceased
Vincent Griffith	Vincent Griffith is a very powerful witch of the Tremé Coven who was under the possession of Finn Mikaelson. He was the Regent of the New Orleans Witch Community, until his impeaching by The Ancestors. With the Ancestors gone, he continued to lead the Witch Community and built peace among the vampires. Vincent was partially responsible for the re-connection of the Ancestral Plane with the completion of the new Harvest and Reaping Rituals.	Alive
Eva Sinclair	Eva Sinclair was a very dark and powerful witch who had been possessed by Rebekah Mikaelson. She excelled at sacrificial magic as she attempted to complete the Rite of Nines in an attempt to gain more power than that of the New Orleans Regent.	Deceased
Ivy	Ivy was a witch and the "Oracle of Jackson Square." According to Vincent, she was known to be the greatest seer in the city of New Orleans. Despite this power, she claimed that she didn't believe in looking further than one ought to into the future and that endings are not predetermined.	Deceased
Sabine Laurent	Sabine Laurent was the last witch who Celeste Dubois took possession of throughout the past.	Deceased
Sophie Deveraux	Sophie Deveraux was the maternal aunt of Monique Deveraux, sister of Jean-Anne Deveraux and was briefly an Elder witch of the French Quarter Coven.	Deceased
Alexis	Alexis was a witch and cypher who prophesied the destruction of the Mikaelsons and the coming of "The Beast".	Deceased
Dominic	Dominic was a powerful witch as well as the High Priest of the Hollow. Due to his loyalties to the Hollow, he circumvented death twice before being slain for a third and final time.	Deceased
Maddox	Maddox was a witch and a member of Klaus' inner trusted circle.	Deceased
Van Nguyen	Van Nguyen was a Versailles witch and a member of the Ninth Ward Coven. He was also the son of Kara Nguyen. After Vincent was shunned by the Ancestors, he was given Regency over the Nine Covens, and considered a very powerful witch until his untimely demise.	Deceased
Emma Tig	Emma Tig is a witch, teacher, and guidance counselor at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. She mainly watches over the lower grade level students and acts as the Younger Student Representative on the Honor Council. She protected the younger students and Lizzie Saltzman from the gargoyle, Petrotho, with an illusion spell.	Alive
Bonnie Bennett	Bonnie Bennett is a very powerful witch and the last living witch of the Bennett bloodline. She is most notably known for repeatedly saving the town of Mystic Falls and the people living there with the use of her magic.	Alive
Olivia Parker	Olivia "Liv" Parker was a powerful witch and also a member of the Gemini coven.	Deceased
Lucas Parker	Lucas "Luke" Parker was a powerful witch and also a member of the Gemini coven.	Deceased
Kaleb Westphall	Kaleb Westphall was a French Quarter witch who was possessed by Kol Mikaelson and was killed while still being possessed by him.	Deceased
Luka Martin	Luka Martin was a witch and also former friend of Bonnie Bennett.	Deceased
Greta Martin	Greta Martin was a witch and a member of Klaus' inner circle. She is the daughter of Jonas Martin and sister to Luka Martin. She is known for breaking the Hybrid Curse.	Deceased
Madison	Madison was a powerful dark witch and a former member of The Sisters.	Deceased
Ariane	Ariane was a powerful dark witch and untrained Seer to her coven, The Sisters.	Deceased
Davina Claire	Davina Claire is a very powerful, former Harvest witch, former Regent of the New Orleans covens prior to being shunned, as well as a former member of the Sisters Coven. She has since left New Orleans and her ancestral coven behind.	Alive
Monique Deveraux	Monique Deveraux was the daughter of Jane-Anne Deveraux, maternal niece of Sophie Deveraux and also a powerful Harvest witch.	Deceased
Abigail	Abigail was a powerful Harvest witch.	Deceased
Cassie	Cassie was a powerful Harvest witch who was under the possession of Esther Mikaelson. Once freed, she became apart of the Kindred before being killed by Freya.	Deceased
Amy	Amy is one of the 2019 Harvest witches who was chosen in order to perform the Harvest Ritual and reestablish the Ancestral Plane. With Jessica and the other two Harvest girls, they've successfully sent Klaus and Hayley to the Ancestral Plane to speak with Davina.	Alive
Jessica	Jessica is one of the 2019 Harvest witches who was chosen in order to perform the Harvest Ritual and reestablish the Ancestral Plane. With Amy and the other two Harvest girls, they've successfully sent Klaus and Hayley to the Ancestral Plane to speak with Davina.	Alive
Josie Saltzman	Josie Saltzman is the twin daughter of Alaric Saltzman and Josette Laughlin. She is also a Siphoner, a sub-classification of unique witches.	Alive
Penelope Park	Penelope Park is a witch and former student at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. She left with her mother, who got a job in Belgium, and plans to attend a witch-only school.	Alive
Alyssa Chang	Alyssa Chang is a witch and student at the Salvatore Boarding School. After she accidentally blew up her childhood home that left her orphaned, she essentially grew up at the Salvatore school. There, she has had a complicated history, particularly with Lizzie and Josie. Years later, this ultimately leads her to send them and Alaric to the 2018 prison world when an opportunity arises for her to take advantage of. Despite these troubles, she remains at the school.	Alive

Former Witch	Description	Status
Finn Mikaelson	Finn Mikaelson was a witch while possessing Vincent Griffith. While being a spirit imprisoned within his sister's necklace, he still possesses the ability to use magic.	Deceased
Kol Mikaelson	Kol Mikaelson was a witch before his transition into an Original vampire, as well as when he was possessing Kaleb Westphall.	Undead
Rebekah Mikaelson	Rebekah Mikaelson was a witch while possessing Eva Sinclair. Though she had the witch gene, she never tapped into her power.	Undead
Abby Bennett Wilson	Abby Bennett was a powerful witch who is notably known for the desiccation of the Original vampire, Mikael before being turned into a vampire by Damon.	Undead
Lenore	Lenore was a New Orleans witch who was skilled in sacrificial magic until she was possessed by Esther. She was later turned into a vampire by Rebekah and eventually, killed by Freya.	Deceased

Trivia

According to Abby Bennett Wilson, all magic is monitored by Nature and has consequential effects. She explained this to her daughter, Bonnie Bennett, when she informed her of how she always dreamed of a normal life and how after she defeated an Original Vampire named Mikael, she made the decision to abandon her family in order to live the life she so desperately desired outside of Mystic Falls. As punishment for deserting her lineage, Abby said that it was Nature (not the Spirits) that slowly took away her magic until she was completely powerless.
According to Bonnie Bennett, all witches have a spiritual connection to the elements of the Earth and the forces of Nature. Since most witches derive their magic from Nature, Bonnie explained how witches can literally feel the essence of life itself.
According to Emily Bennett, vampirism was an evil curse created from Dark Magic. She explained how some humans (such as Stefan Salvatore) are unfit to become vampires due to their gentle nature. Since vampirism is known to enhance the characteristics and magnify the emotions of a person, humans who are naturally benevolent will become even more benevolent as a vampire. However, since the basic nature of a vampire is to kill, many kindhearted vampires struggle to fight their urges to murder and more often than not, fall off the wagon by cutting off their humanity and going on a killing spree. These vampires become known as "Rippers."
According to Esther Mikaelson, the creation of the Original vampires was an accident as she never intended to turn her family into monsters, but merely to protect them from harm. After the death of her youngest son, Henrik, Esther and her husband, Mikael, feared the power of the werewolves and wanted to exceed them in superiority. With the support of her husband, Esther created a spell that would not only grant her family immortality, but would also make them faster and stronger than the wolves. Despite the countless warnings given by her mentor, Ayana, Esther used Dark Magic to successfully enact the spell, not knowing that violent behavior and an insatiable thirst for blood would become permanent side-effects.
According to Sheila Bennett, the Spirits are responsible for creating the laws on magic. Contrary to her granddaughter, Bonnie Bennett, Sheila has presumably always practiced Spirit Magic whereas Bonnie originally practiced Traditional Magic. Sheila hinted that she practiced Spirit Magic when she first met Damon Salvatore, whom she immediately disliked. When Damon asked how Sheila could hate him without even knowing him, Sheila informed Damon how the Spirits "talked" to her, and told her that he was an enemy of the Bennett family and discouraged her from trusting him. One year after her death, when Bonnie performed a manifestation spell which allowed the supernatural spirits of Mystic Falls to materialize, Sheila confirmed that the Spirits were responsible for creating the rules on witchcraft.
Hope Mikaelson is an active witch (from her grandmother, Esther) with an inactive werewolf gene (from her mother, Hayley Marshall and her father, Klaus Mikaelson), with a constant flow of vampire blood in her body (from her father, Klaus).
While the Bennett Family was said to have migrated to Mystic Falls from Salem, Massachusetts, it was later revealed that the Bennett family originated from Northern Europe and migrated to Mystic Falls over a thousand years ago along with the Mikaelson Family.
While the term "warlock" was originally used to differentiate the male witches from the female witches, it appears that "witch" is a gender-neutral term that applies to men and women. Luka Martin and Papa Tunde are the only characters that have been referred to as warlocks.
A subsection witches known as Siphoners are the only witches who have the potential to be turned into witch-vampire hybrids as they keep their ability to practice magic after being turned into vampires as a result of their siphoning ability.
- As hybrids, they can draw upon their vampirism as a source of power.
- This is in contradictory to what was previously shown; however, as all witches have the ability to gain power from external sources, to channel, yet none of these witches turned vampires had the ability to do so considering they are aberrations of Nature.
  - However, the fact that witches also possessed their own power in addition to their ability to channel magic from other sources is why they were unable to keep their ability to practice magic following their transformations. Siphoners, however, do not possess their own magic, and as a result, fall into a loophole of Nature's laws.
  - Following this, witches would still be able to draw magic in from outside sources. Furthermore, they should not be able to wield magic, regardless of how they obtain it.
Of the many witches shown throughout both series, only four have been explicitly stated to be among the most powerful in history: Qetsiyah, The Hollow, Dahlia, and Esther. However, no official hierarchy has been made among these four.
- However, executive producer Michael Narducci has stated that Dahlia is "the most powerful thing we've ever seen in this universe." ^[1]
Bennett Witches are well-known in the witch community. Considered one of the most powerful lineages of magic, many powerful spells have been seen to be linked to the blood of a Bennett witch, requiring a Bennett witch to successfully perform them.
In New Orleans, there are nine main witch Covens that form the majority of the witch community there.
Practitioners of Ancestral Magic can be stripped of additional power supported by The Ancestors if their Coven shuns them, weakening them.
- Also, as it was revealed by Davina Claire if a witch tries to murder the Regent they shall be hanged as punishment.
- Ancestral witches, that have been shunned, can further be punished if they continue to practice magic in New Orleans, as seen with Vincent Griffith.
The term "Seer" is a titular name for witches gifted with seeing into the past, present and future, more than a sub-set of witches. In other words, all Seers are Clairvoyant Witches (witches gifted with seeing into the past, present or future) but not all Clairvoyant Witches are Seers (specialize in the field). e.g. Many people are gifted in singing, but not all of them are Singers (they do not sing for a living or even specialize in it).
According to Michael Narducci, Hope Mikaelson "is the most powerful witch in the world." ^[2]
According to Sheila Bennett, All witchcraft is rooted in psychic energy. Which may make psychics the precursor species to all witches and that witches may simply be psychics that have learned to hone and tap into their supernatural abilities through the use of spells and rituals. This remains to be known.
Various other cultures of witches have been mentioned, though not elaborated upon, such as the following: "Strega" of Italy, "Aje" of the Yoruba people of Nigeria; West Africa, "Häxa" of Sweden, as well as Latvian (of Latvia), Santería (of Morocco), and Obi (or Obeah of Nigeria) witches.