(RNS) — Marvel Studios television series «Agathe throughout”, which ends on Disney+ on Wednesday (October 30), is full of witchcraft lore, cinematic references and symbolism.

And modern witches are here for that.

“They really do their research,” said Opal Luna, a witch, author and crafter in Florida, “and I appreciate that.”

A spin-off of Marvel’s “WandaVision” miniseries, airing in early 2021, “Agatha All Along” picks up from the final episode of that series with Agatha, played by Kathryn Hahn, who was magically enslaved by Wanda, known as the name Scarlet Witch. The series follows Agatha and her comrades – including Lilia (Patti LuPone) and Rio (Aubrey Plaza) – as they seek to regain their magical powers.

It’s all standard TV witchy fare, but “Agatha” draws real-life witches with an aesthetic that directly aligns with a long legacy of magical storytelling — a teenage witch’s bedroom is littered with memories of witchcraft films – and on the modern practice of witchcraft. In one episode, the creators imagine the characters as characters inspired by the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot cards, a classic card game first published in 1909, with Agatha as the Three of Swords, Lilia the Queen Cups and Rio Death.

Opal Moon. (Courtesy photo)

“The people who wrote this must have some background in paganism, witchcraft or something,” Luna said. The characters are “not all typical Halloween witches.” (Marvel Studios did not respond to a request for comment.)

Inspired by the show, Luna plans to include its theme song, “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” in her rituals this year celebrating Samhain, a pagan holiday honoring the dead that is celebrated between October 31 and November 7. Luna thinks this will become a pagan staple for years to come.

The song, composed by Oscar-winning duo Kristin Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who wrote “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen” and the heartbreaking “Remember Me” from Pixar’s “Coco,” is about “a dangerous journey” leading to a reward. Agatha and her clan search for their lost power; Luna’s Samhain ritual is a spiritual walk into the underworld to confront death and discover wisdom.

Marshall WSL, a witch and co-host of the “Southern Bramble” podcast, agreed that the song encapsulates “the journey of the (modern) witch” in her own power, he said.

Fans of the series from the witchcraft community also appreciate the complexity of the characters. Many modern witches, Marshall said, find their path to witchcraft through trauma or grief, turning to the practice as an alternative method “to realize their inner strength and power.”

Teen (Joe Locke), left, and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone) in “Agatha All Along.” (Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 Marvel)

As a “heavily bullied kid” and outcast from a very small town, Marshall sees a parallel between his own story and Teen’s character, with his Jewish history and queer identity.

“Agatha is complicated,” Marshall added. “None of us, as individuals, are truly all love and light. … We all have a range of emotions. Agatha is “all witches”.

Marshall WSL. (Courtesy photo)

Marshall was pushed to create a talisman for himself modeled after a necklace Agatha wears in the series. The necklace, based on an 18^thItalian brooch from the 18th century, depicting the daughters of the pagan god Zeus, three dancing graces. The series calls the trio “maiden, mother and crone,” another detail that “speaks to modern witches who work with (the Triple Goddess),” Marshall said.

“Agatha All Along” is not the first series or film to strike a chord with practitioners of modern witchcraft. “Bewitched,” which aired from 1964 to 1972, as well as “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996-2003) and “Charmed” (1998-2006), all inspired modern-day witches.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, said David Salisbury, a Washington, D.C., witch doctor, author and activist, witchcraft-related movies and shows were everywhere. “It was very exciting to see all these fantastic stories of witchcraft ‘on screen’ and then go online (to the ever-expanding Internet) to research and connect with other witches,” said Salisbury said. “It was a perfect storm of inspiration and access.”

Salisbury said 1996’s “The Craft” is a common film cited by witches as inspiration. As he studied magic, Salisbury said, he feared that his growing knowledge would eventually ruin his love of “The Craft,” but that never happened. “I realized that we actually call the elements. We invoke directional spirits to help us. We cast spells to improve our lives,” he said, just like the characters in the film do.

The fidelity of “The Craft” to actual practice was no accident. “The Craft” is one of the first films to openly hire a modern witch advisor, Wiccan High Priestess Pat Devin. The modern witch community – and younger researchers like Salisbury – have recognized these details. The film’s cult status remains strong 30 years later and inspired a sequel, “The Craft: Legacy” (2020).

Zoe O’Haillin-Berne dressed as a wicked witch. (Courtesy photo)

It’s no surprise that the movie poster for “The Craft” appears in Teen’s room. But “Agatha” goes deeper into Hollywood’s witch trove by featuring the 1939 MGM classic “The Wizard of Oz” in its imagery and themes.

“Every queer little girl and boy wanted to be Dorothy, or maybe Glinda because they want to wear the big, beautiful dress,” said Zoe O’Haillin-Berne, a Celtic Christo-Pagan and sitting witch. to the board of directors. of directors of the Wizard of Oz International Club and plays the Wicked Witch of the West at events through her company, The Spirit of Oz.

O’Haillin-Berne was attracted to the wicked witch. Some of her magical altar tools are reminiscent of the Oz aesthetic, and she wears black robes during rituals. “I’m an old-fashioned witch,” she said. “I love the black pointy hat.”

However, her connection to Oz runs deeper than clothing and witchcraft paraphernalia. Her passion is directly linked to her journey of empowerment. O’Haillin-Berne’s first witchcraft ritual, she explained, took place the same day she began her gender transition. “Maybe it was because I was that little trans kid who always felt disenfranchised by the world,” she mused, that she loved the Wicked Witch, “a woman who rules the world that surrounds him.”

“Agatha All Along” may never reach the status of “The Craft” or “The Wizard of Oz,” but the series, in the short term, created a firestorm of approval from many members of the modern witchcraft community. A fan posted on social media platform Threads“I hope ‘Agatha All Along’ inspires a whole new generation to explore witchcraft, just like ‘The Craft’ did for mine.”

Another user posted a video showing her followers how to imitate the Safe Passage tarot deck, a tricky but clever maneuver performed on the show.

Teen (Joe Locke), left, and Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) in Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along.” (Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 Marvel)

Marvel has announced an Agatha tarot deck, published by Insight Editions, the publisher of other Disney-related tarot decks.

Marshall said he has already pre-ordered the game, but will have to wait until July for release. In the meantime, he and other Agatha fans in the community will be looking forward to the next season.

“We (witches) are inspired by myths. I think we are inspired by the song. I think we are inspired by characters, deities, spirits that make us feel something,” he said. “And that’s really what we get with ‘Agatha All Along’.”