Witches are women claimed or popularly believed to possess magic powers and practice the art of sorcery. Witches often employ the aid of spirit-helpers or familiars.

Witches are said to inherit their powers, and are rumoured to practice their sorcery in private. Accusations of witchcraft and sorcery are often public and explicit.

Witchcraft is often associated with heresy, and the origins of witchcraft could arise from pre-Christian, pagan cults. Hunts, trials and executions of witches became common during the 16th and 17th century in Europe. Wicca, also called neopaganism, is a revival of witchcraft for the 20th century.

Common abilities of the witch include: Being able to influence another person’s body or property at will. Witches may also conjure the dead, although this is also often attributed to necromancers. Witches are also thought to be able to cast spells, see auras, conduct séances, chant mantras and manipulate energy.

Witches at Halloween may be distinguished by their towering black top hats. They will typically be dressed all in black, and may also carry a magic broomstick that they have enchanted to fly. A familiar, such as a toad or a black cat, may also accompany witches. Witches are sometimes thought to make their spells in large, bubbling cauldrons, employing all sorts of foul ingredients.