Modified transcript from Blue Raven 666's YouTube video "Encanto characters as types if witches"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLCPS5cx-_I
(Blue Raven 666 means no
harm nor offense against Colombian cultures, his transcript is for
entertainment purposes only)
Blue Raven got to watch
Encanto on Disney + in early January 2022 as did I. It is a wonderful movie. We
liked the story, the characters, loved the music, and liked how Disney is
making movies that focus on real life issues and seeing how their characters
overcome them, rather than just defaulting to their usual theme of reimagined
fairy tales and andromorphic animals and live-action versions of their classic
movies. Encanto has themes that focus on family, high expectations, intergenerational
trauma, and different perspectives, things that children all across the world
could be dealing with right now or might find themselves struggling with in the
future.
There are many different
types of witches out there from those who practice witchcraft on their own, to
those who are part of a coven to those who pass their skills and knowledge down
to the next generation. There are a lot of different types of witches and a lot
of characters in Encanto share some very specific talents that apply to some of
the types that are out there. (But the characters are not witches themselves).
I.
“The Non-Witches”
“First up, we have
Mirabel, Augustine, and Felix. Now you’re probably wondering, what do they have
to do with magic or witches, given that they have no gifts? These three
characters would be referred to as “normies,” the “Non-Witches.” As a witch,
Blue Raven has noticed that other witches tend to look at those who aren’t
witches with just a smidge of annoyance. They feel like non-witches can’t be trusted
with the knowledge of their craft, like they’ll judge or persecute them or that
they aren’t really all that much help and will just be in the way. However,
Mirabel, Augustine and Felix represent the best that non-witches can offer to
those who are witches. I think we can all agree here that Felix is the best
husband aside from Pedro. He loves and supports his wife Peppa and he doesn’t
seem to dwell on the fact that she has a gift and while he doesn’t. For some
witches and pagans, that kind of love and support is hard to come by and is an
absolute blessing to receive. Augustine: accident-prone, but he means well. He
even makes a statement to Mirabel that being surrounded by the exceptional as someone
from outside of the family with no gift, it was very easy to feel unexceptional,
but he helps where he can with what he has. A lot of non-witches are like that.
Blue Raven has read many
comments from people telling him “I wish I could do all the cool stuff you can
do.” And he found the same thinking about witches more skilled and experienced then
he is. But non-witches are able to be helpful to witches if they at least know
what’s going on. Even if they make a mistake, they’re not useless and don’t
deserve to be made to feel like they are. Sometimes just having that extra set
of hands to fetch supplies or like with Felix, offer that support, can make so
much of a difference. Mirabel plays one of the most important roles a non-witch
can provide to anyone who practices any form of witchcraft, and that is
grounding. Offering a perspective of someone not worried about spells working
or if they’re being hexed or if something was a sign or not. Put another way,
they bring us down from the magical high and brings us back to the real world. Can
it be annoying at times? Sure. But witches need to be able to put the mundane
before the magical and sometimes that’s something that’s difficult to do. So
having someone there that can actually see what you can’t, can be magical all
on its own. So, the non-witches definitely deserve a place here.
II.
“The Ceremonial Witches and Coven-Based Witches”
“Abuela Alma was difficult for Blue Raven to
pinpoint. She doesn’t really have a gift, but is the keeper of the miracle that
was given to her at the time of Pedro’s death. The closest comparison Blue
Raven was able to come up with was a combination of “Ceremonial Witches” and “Coven-based
Witches.” Ceremonial witches have specific rituals that they use to call upon the
spirit world. This is also referred to as ceremonial magic or high magic. When
Abuela’s children and grandchildren came of age, they underwent a specific ceremony
led by Abuela in order for them to receive their gifts. In the context of
coven-based witches, this would technically put Abuela Alma in the role of the
high priestess who leads a larger group of witches whose combined abilities
produce bigger, stronger spells that hold the potential for a better outcome
for the group as well as others. Better than what they’d be if they were on
their own. Abuela utilizes the gifts of the Madrigal family to serve her
community and while doing this, puts high expectations and a lot of pressure on
the rest of the family. In the movie, the family’s strong bond and them working
together to rebuild Castia at the end of the movie shows how strong the
Madrigals are when they aren’t just relying on one person to do all the work,
do all the healing, or maintain their image. So while it may be a bit of a
stretch to officially put Abuela Alma into either category alone, the
combination of both ceremonial and covenant based parallels were the closest he
came up with for her as a character.
III.
“The Kitchen Witches”
Mirabel’s mother,
Julieta was actually very easy for Blue Raven to pinpoint. She’s able to heal
physical injuries with her cooking, ranging from something minor like a cut, to
bruises, to multiple bee stings, to a severely broken arm. Julieta fits in well
with the role of a “Kitchen Witch.” Kitchen witches use specific herbs and
edible ingredients to make edible spells and homemade remedies for a wide variety
of different ailments and purposes. This could be anything from something for
like good luck and happiness, to curing minor afflictions like using honey to
soothe a sore throat or ginger to help with colds, flus, or settle an upset
stomach. And no, kitchen witches cannot cure severe illnesses or injuries!
Please see a doctor for those!
IV.
“The Hereditary Witches”
Like Abuela, Peppa is
also a difficult character for Blue Raven to define. There’s not exactly a type
of witch out there that brings about sudden changes in the weather according to
the moon or emotions. That’s normally associated with spirits and deities. The
best he could do is put Tia in in the category of a “Hereditary Witch.”
Technically anyone with a gift could fall into this category, (Mainly mothers
and girls, but males can be witches as well), hereditary witches have knowledge
and skills that were passed down to them from previous generations and can pass
down those skills and knowledge to the next generation. But as far as the
weather is concerned, he’s got nothing.
V.
“The Clairaudient Witches”
Dolores was another type
of character that Blue Raven was able to establish a connection with, pretty
immediately, and with Dolores, it’s not so much the type of witch that came to
him, so much as it was her gift aligning with an ability that many types of witches
have, and that would be the ability of “Clairaudience.” Dolores hears everything.
She can hear a pin drop, and she can hear people talking and singing a mile
away. She covers her ears to cope with the noise of cheering and cracks appearing
in the casita’s walls. She can hear the rats that are in the casita’s walls. And
she was able to hear Augustine whispering to Mirabel from the other side of the
house. And to a certain extent, these are the types of struggles that people
with clairaudience struggle with. Speaking from his own personal experience as
a clairaudient person, picking up the enraged venting of a deity, the barely
intelligible whispers of a disturbed spirit, or the things that go bump in the
night, aren’t really things most people are able to pick up, unless they have clairaudience
(or many years of practice!)
And even then, as other
Encanto fans have pointed out with Dolores, we don’t always pick up on
everything that could possibly be heard because we tune it out, or our
abilities wane or some other reason. Encanto producers have stated that Dolores’s
hearing isn’t as selective as it might seem, nor is it as selective as she
would like. And it can be the same way with clairaudience. So even though he
couldn’t align her with a specific type of witch, there are still some witchy
abilities that give her a place on this list.
VI.
“The Eclectic Witches”
Camilio uses his
shape-shifting abilities to help others, as well as for fun. He’s only a
teenager, so he’s going to be playful and mischievous, but he never does it
with the intention of hurting anyone. He shifts into the form of a new mother
in Encanto to care for that mother’s new baby while she gets some rest. He
turns himself into a smaller version of Felix to try to boost Antonio’s
confidence before his gift-giving ceremony. He turns himself into Mariano to
tease Isabella. Even in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” he only shapeshifts into
Bruno to freak out Mirabel. Nothing malicious, just taking certain aspects from
the people around him and applying them to his own practice. And this roughly
describes the “Eclectic Witches.” Taking certain practices, spells, rituals,
protections etc. and applying them to their own unique form of witchcraft. They
do have to be mindful when doing this to make sure they are not appropriating
the cultures they borrowed from. If you want to apply the threefold law while
you’re contemplating spells while using runestones while believing the earth
and everything in it is just as live as you are, that’s great. But leave white
sage out of your practiced unless you are Native American. Use more abundant
plant for cleansing like pine or lavender.
VII.
“The Animistic Witches – The Baby Witches”
Antonio can fall into two
categories of witches, the “Animistic Witches” and the “Baby Witches. “Baby
Witch” is just a term for someone who is new to the craft and trying to gain
their footing. Antonio is the newest member of the Madrigal family to receive
their gift. But he takes to his new gift like a fish into water. We really don’t
see him struggle to get a hold of his abilities, and goes from being unsure and
anxious to riding on the back of a jaguar in a matter of minutes. So Blue Raven
feels less inclined to label him as a Baby Witch just because he was the most
recent character to get a gift. Animism is the belief that all things from
people to animals to plants to rocks, trees, bacteria, mountains, stars and
beyond all have a life, a spirit, and play just as much of an important role in
the life of the world that surrounds us as the people we interact with day to
day. Think “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas. While Antonio’s gift
would focus more on the animal aspect of this belief in practice, Blue Raven
could see him showing the rest of the world that surrounds him with a greater
amount of respect in service to these animals.
VIII. “The Guardian Witches – The Protector
Witches”
Next up is Luisa and
like with Peppa, her gift doesn’t really line up with a specific type of witch.
No one type of witch is specifically defined as being the strongest physically or
magically. However, there is a specific role that an experienced witch can fall
into that can lead to the individual feeling stressed and under pressure like
Luisa. These witches are the “Protector/Guardian Witches” who use their
abilities to protect their loved ones from harm with a number of wards and
spells. All throughout the song “Surface Pressure,” we see many examples of
Luisa’s immense physical strength and how hard she pushes herself and is
willing to push herself in order to protect her family, including her little
sister Mirabel. While it is partially Abuela’s fault that Luisa is under so
much pressure to begin with, the fact that Luisa bottles up her stress, frustrations,
and her own personal needs until she finally blows up, is also something that
can apply to a protector guardian type of witch. These individuals are
typically the ones people turn to if they can’t find a solution on their own.
They’re looked at as these incredibly strong witches who know just the right
spell or protection to get the job done. If that witch’s magic fails or
backfires, not only is it jarring for the person requesting the witch’s abilities,
but it can also be jarring for the guardian witches themselves. Especially if what
they’re being asked to do comes across as no big deal, something simple,
something they do for others all the time. Just like with Luisa if they feel
like their abilities can’t stand up to what comes across as a simple request,
they may begin to feel powerless, and start questioning their worth if they can’t
help protect the people they care about. It’s always the strong ones you gotta
check up on. They could be struggling way more than you realize.
IX.
“The Green Witches – Elemental Witches - The Solitary Witches”
Figuring Isabella out
was tough for Blue Raven. At first, he wanted to place her in the category of “Green
Witch” or “Hedge Witch” (A witch who works with herbs and plants for spell work,
healing and remedies), but for him, that didn’t feel quite right. He was going
to throw her into the hereditary witch box with Tia Peppa, but he thought there
had to be a type of witch to describe her and her gift. He found a place for
her under the category of “Solitary Witch.”
Solitary witches have
been the subject of a lot of scrutiny and controversy within the witchy
community in the past. As the name implies, solitary witches tend to work alone
and keep their own personal practice to themselves. There are plenty of witches
out there that think a witch is not a witch until they’ve been initiated into a
coven. If you’re not a part of something bigger, then you’re not valid. This is
another one of those types that could technically apply to any of the modern
individuals, especially Luisa, but Isabella fits here too. As we saw in
Encanto, Isabella is always under pressure to always be the picture of perfection
for Abuela. She was almost engaged to a man she didn’t want to marry, and grows
increasingly irritated with Mirabel for getting in the way and was most likely frustrated
that Mirabel wasn’t put under the same amount of pressure as the rest of the
family. However, it was when she blew up on Mirabel that her emotions allowed
her to create something other than one of the beautiful perfect flowers she’d
produced all her life. And this inspires her to actually explore the full
extent of her gift. As a solitary witch himself, Blue Raven can say that’s
exactly what it’s like. It’s fine to be a part of a coven just like it’s okay
to be part of a close-knit extended family. But if in doing so, you feel heavily
restricted, like you’re not reaching your full potential while at the same
time, being under tremendous pressure to live up to someone else’s
expectations, sometimes it’s better to break free from the box you’re being
forcibly shoved into and branch off on your own. He’s not saying that covens
are unhealthy and from what he’s aware, most are capable of maintaining healthy
relationships and clear communication, but just like some people work better on
their own rather than in a group, a witch doesn’t need to be part of a coven to
live p to their full potential. Sometimes all they need is a little nudge from
somebody else.
X.
“The Clairvoyant Witches – The Fortune Tellers – The Diviners”
Now, Let’s Talk About
Bruno!
Honestly, Blue Raven
felt like the entire theme could have just been him and him alone, but he knows
there are also other characters in Encanto that other people like that also
apply to this topic. Obviously, it goes without saying that Bruno is the “Clairvoyant-Fortune
Teller.” There are multiple specific types that Bruno could fall under,
Ceremonial Witch, Solidary Witch, Green Witch, there’s a lot we could dive into
here. But Blue Raven focuses on the fortune-telling aspect of his character, as
that’s his main gift. Throughout a major portion of Encanto, Bruno is made out
to be the bad guy, the black sheep of the family. Even in the song: “We Don’t
Talk About Bruno.” If he has a vision about someone, it’s going to be something
terrible. From Camilo’s perspective, it’s almost made he’s made out to be sort
of a boogeyman that actively seeks to terrify other people. Of course, now we
know that Bruno never meant anyone any harm, especially his own family and if
he struggled with getting himself to see the full extent of a vision because he
saw something he knew people wouldn’t like, then it’s also likely that he could
offer people the vision that was for a more viable solution. But you know what
they say, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Now as someone who reads
Tarot and tells people’s fortunes Blue Raven has often gotten the comment that his
fortunes felt very vague, and more like advice then him actually telling a
fortune. There is a very good reason why. As it was described to him by a more
experienced Tarot reader, if you follow through with telling a person’s
fortune, exactly as you see it, you’re basically carving it into stone. Now
that might not sound so bad if the reading is good and has a positive outcome
for the client. But if the reading involves something like literal death, that’s
not something you just want to be handing all willy-nilly. For the record, yes,
there is a combination of cards you can get in a Tarot reading the signifies
literal physical death (Death card, The Tower, 10 Swords, more “negative cards +
a specific alignment with certain situations in client’s life) It could be for
the person getting the reading, it could be for a relative related to the
person that’s getting the reading. Either way, telling that person word for
word what the cards are telling you, in that scenario would be like handing a
death sentence. Instead you give them advice on how to avoid the outcome, or
better prepare for it if the death is not the client themselves.
And this is why Blue
Raven believes Bruno gained such a bad reputation. He handed his visions off to
whoever they were for, which essentially set those fortunes in stone. If he
pushed himself to see more like he did with Mirabel, then he might have been
able to see ways those outcomes could have been avoided. Instead of saying “your
fish is going to die,” maybe he could have said, “stop dancing around with a goddamn
fishbowl. You’re making him dizzy.” (The lady danced with the fishbowl in “We Don’t
Talk About Bruno” song.) Instead of saying
“you’ll grow a gut,” he could have said, “Stick to a healthy diet and exercise
routine as you get older so it won’t catch up with you.” Instead of saying “all
your hair will disappear” he could have asked if male pattern baldness ran in
this man’s family and look into remedies at least slow the process. These fortunes
allow room for the people getting them to either follow through with the advice
and change their fate, or to keep going down the road they’re on, resulting in
exactly what was seen. It can be a hard thing to do sometimes, but whenever a
witch is doing any form of divination, they should always leave the space that’s
needed for a person’s fate to change. Otherwise a witch could end up with the
same reputation as Bruno.
I.
“The Non-Witches”
II.
“The Ceremonial Witches”
III. “The Coven-Based Witches”
IV.
“The Kitchen Witches”
V.
“The Hereditary Witches”
VI.
“The Clairaudient Witches”
VII.
“The Eclectic Witches”
VIII.
“The Animistic Witches”
IX.
“The Baby Witches”
X.
“The Guardian/Protector Witches”
XI.
“The Green Witches”
XII.
“The Elemental Witches”
XIII. “The Solitary Witches”
XIV.
14 “The Clairvoyant Witches – The Fortune Tellers – The Diviners”
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