Practical Magic: Witchy Themes That Still Speak Today

Today, after a long day of work, I sat down with the family to watch Practical Magic—an introduction to Hollywood witchcraft for our little coming-of-age mini-witch, Athena, my 10-year-old niece. I hadn’t seen the film in over a decade, and to my surprise, I found myself spotting themes and elements that still resonate deeply in modern practices today. It amazed me that a movie from the late 90s contained so many threads we continue to work with now: generational curses, the use of herbs like belladonna, and even the invocation of Hekate.

🪄Generational Curses and Family Stories

I come from a line of practitioners stretching from the native traditions of Cuba, through Africa, and all the way back to Europe—especially Spain. In my own family, the theme of generational curses was something whispered often. My mother told me the story of a servant who fell in love with the husband of one of our ancestors. After being caught in the affair, a curse was said to have been placed so that no woman in the family would ever remain with her husband until old age. To this day, many of the women in my family have experienced loss, whether through early widowhood or separation.

In a modern sense, we can interpret these “curses” as patterns or cycles we inherit… unhealthy dynamics that pass down through generations. Many of today’s practitioners speak about breaking these cycles as they choose healthier environments, set firm boundaries, and raise their children in ways that heal rather than repeat the past. Practical Magic mirrors this beautifully. The Owens sisters, played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, live under the shadow of their ancestor Maria’s curse: that the men they love will meet an untimely fate.

🪄Belladonna: Poison, Beauty, and Magic

Those who know me know I am endlessly fascinated with herbs and their many uses across cultures. So when I saw belladonna appear in the film, my heart lit up. Historically, belladonna—also known as deadly nightshade—was used medicinally in small doses as a pain reliever and muscle relaxant. But in larger amounts, it becomes highly toxic, even fatal, making it one of those plants that balances on the edge between healing and danger.

It’s history is layered with intrigue. In Renaissance Italy, women used drops of brewed belladonna in their eyes to dilate their pupils, giving them what was thought to be a more alluring appearance. The name itself, “bella donna”, means “beautiful woman.” In folklore, it has also been tied to spirit-walking, divination, and visionary work.

In modern practices, belladonna is seen as a plant of mystery and transformation—closely associated with the Goddess Hekate. She is the guide at the crossroads, the torchbearer, and the one who moves between worlds. It was powerful to see the film weave this plant into its narrative, reflecting its double-edged reputation: beauty and peril, medicine and poison, protection and danger.

🪄The Goddess Hekate

“Black as night, erase death from our sight. White as light, Mighty Hecate make it right.” - from Practical Magic

One of the moments that stopped me in my tracks was the mention of Hekate during the resurrection spell cast for Jimmy (Kidman’s character Gillian’s abusive ex-lover). In the movie, the Owens sisters call on her as part of their desperate attempt to bring him back. While the spell itself is fiction, the invocation is telling: Hekate has long been honored as a goddess of thresholds—between life and death, light and shadow, protection and danger.

Her presence in Practical Magic connects the story to a much older current. Today, she is one of the most widely revered figures in modern witchcraft. Practitioners look to her for guidance, protection, and initiation into deeper mysteries. Seeing her name spoken on screen back in 1998 was both surprising and affirming—it reminded me of how enduring her influence is, even when woven into Hollywood storytelling.

🪄Closing Thoughts

Rewatching Practical Magic after all these years reminded me that sometimes films hold truths far beyond entertainment. Beneath the Hollywood sparkle, there are threads of wisdom—about family patterns, the power of herbs, and the guidance of ancient figures like Hekate—that continue to inspire practitioners today.

Written by Alain Isai