‘Tis the season of the witch and powerful supernatural ladies in general. On the televised front many stories of magic, the occult, and taboo showcase female empowerment.

In A Discovery of Witches (2018- ) the protagonist Dr. Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) is depicted first as physically strong, intellectually adept, confident, and then magically inclined. We're introduced to her many abilities in the pilot. Besides being a witch, Dr. Bishop is a fantastic athlete who finds a way to emotionally power through her past traumas, as well as an esteemed tenured professor at Yale. Although she becomes more powerful in her magical abilities throughout the season, she does not rely on magic alone. We see her combine her mortal strengths with her magic.

To tackle and navigate the hurdles posed by the supernatural world, opposing witches and other creatures, Dr. Diana Bishop chooses first to use her wit to solve problems and outsmart foes, and her physical and emotional strength before she dives into her powers.

She pursues her goals without fail. She is outspoken, stands her ground, and doesn’t let anyone else define her. As an intellectual, she questions everything and uses knowledge to strengthen both her mind and witchcraft.

In A Discovery of Witches many other female creatures surround Dr. Diana Bishop, all at various stages of empowerment. Among the female characters depicted, some are thriving as independent women while others are just beginning their journey. Some are selfish, others are protective and loyal, but all are in some way spurred into action or growth to serve themselves or those they care about.

One such creature, Agatha Wilson (Tanya Moodie) is a demon. She is a protective and loving mother, as well as a member of a governing council for all supernatural beings. For a time she is the only woman of power surrounded by men on the council. As a leader and protector, she confidently voices opinions that serve both her family and the greater good, aligning her with the protagonist, Dr. Diana Bishop.

On the other hand, the show includes Satu Järvinen (Malin Buska) who is literally a wicked witch. As a later addition to the ruling council, she is a powerful and often scary antagonistic force who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. With magic on her side, no man stands in her way.

Juliette Durand (Elarica Johnson) is a villainous, seductive and manipulative vampire in A Discovery of Witches. Though powerful, she is often in a toxic position of subservience. With time she gains emotional and mental fortitude to liberate herself of one of her figurative shackles.

Sophie Norman (Aisling Loftus) is a hybrid being of sorts and the daughter-in-law of Agatha Wilson. She appears meek at first and non-threatening as she is kind and thoroughly pregnant during the show. However, upon further development, the audience sees that she is polite because she doesn’t need threats to be relentless. She uses her faith in her visions of the future and beliefs past down from the past to reach her goals.

Such a range of developed female characters at their own stages of empowerment shows that there isn’t just one face or one path to it.

Of course, these instances of female empowerment are not isolated to programs with witchcraft and supernatural elements, but they are thriving in these genre-specific worlds.

A Discovery of Witches is among the ranks of many newer arrivals, such as Legacies (2018- ), Always a Witch (2019-),  and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018- ).

These witchy and occult-based works include adaptations of written works, reboots, revamps, spin-offs and original shows. They exemplify the sustained impact of witchcraft and the occult on the media and as a tool to depict strong, independent, female characters.

About the Author

Angela M. Thomas is a Writer and lifetime student of the classics and media arts as well as a Co-Founder & Administrator of The WODC.