Have you ever noticed Disney’s enduring fascination with witches?
Many of Disney Animation Studios’ earliest stories were adaptations of classic fairy tales in which witches were central antagonists — the Evil Queen in Snow White, Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and Ursula in The Little Mermaid. These witches provided dramatic foil to the “good” protagonist, embodying the “good vs. evil” dynamic that makes a captivating story.
While the early Disney witches were evil villains, their later portrayals expanded into nuanced, sympathetic, or even helpful figures. Some are sweet, like Miss Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and a few are comedic, like the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus.
Read the Bible
Isaiah 8:19-22 in the Bible tells us there is a spiritual realm that is not of God. It warns us not to take part in witchcraft or consult with mediums but to call on God for guidance.
Micah 5:12 promises that the LORD Himself will eradicate occult practices and their practitioners among His people: “I will destroy your witchcraft, and you will no longer cast spells.”
Deuteronomy 18: 10-12 warns us to avoid the occult arts in all forms including child sacrifice, divination, fortune telling, sorcery, witchcraft, casting spells, consulting mediums or spiritists, and calling up the dead – even declaring such acts “detestable to the LORD.”
Nevertheless, the Disney company continues to push an idealistic view of witchcraft on children and teens through colorful animations and enchanting stories.
Coven Academy
One Million Moms is making viewers aware of Disney’s new series Coven Academy that pushes witchcraft on tweens and teens. Rated PG-V, this dark series premieres October 1 on Freeform channel. The full season should be available the next day on Disney+, Hulu, and Freeform on Demand.
Coven Academy blends magic, mystery, and teen drama in a modern supernatural setting, using New Orleans as its backdrop. This original teen drama, AKA “teen soap opera,” follows three teenage witches and a warlock as they caught up in what Disney describes as “supernatural wars, forbidden love interests, and influential, dangerous desires.” These are dark and troubling themes.
Once again, Disney embraces the world of witchcraft and sorcery while promoting secular worldviews that reflect current culture. The series encourages witch sisterhood (covens) and teen romance. Borrowing ideas from Harry Potter and Twilight, it features an elite magic boarding school as well as vampires, teens with anger issues, and much more.
Hexed
The term hex is defined as a magical spell or the act of casting such a spell, particularly an evil spell or curse. True to this definition, Disney’s upcoming animated film Hexed introduces kids to a goth‑styled teenager who is drawn into a world of witches, demons, and sorcery.
This coming-of-age fantasy follows Billie Doe, a quirky teenage outsider who accidentally unlocks her magical powers, pulling her through a portal into Hexe, a hidden world of witches, where she also discovers family secrets that threaten the balance of the magical realm.
With an in-theater release date scheduled for November 25, 2026, the Hexed movie will be available just in time for Thanksgiving break when many kids are out of school.
Conclusion
The characterization of witches in Disney productions has come a long way. They used to be portrayed as mean, ugly old hags. Nowadays they are cool teenagers. But Psalm 139:13-14 emphasizes that our worth and identity come from God, not magical abilities.
Instead of being dark and dangerous, modern themes of magic, witchcraft, and occult practices are presented as harmless or whimsical. However, any magic used for personal gain, control, or advantage apart from God is condemned in Scripture. Galatians 5:19-21 lists sorcery among the “works of the flesh” that exclude a person from the kingdom of God.
This type of content is concerning, as it introduces kids to ideas and practices that the Bible warns us to avoid. Kids often begin dabbling with witchcraft out of a desire to control their lives and circumstances. Lacking a connection with God, these youth embrace the occult to “empower” themselves and make themselves their own “gods.”
Ephesians 5:11 reminds us: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” That being said, you can observe what occultists do, and educate yourself about their practices, as long as you don’t participate in them. But caution is recommended for impressionable children and young people who may not have a Bible-based foundation.
Watch this Foundation Worldview Podcast in which Elizabeth Urbanowicz answers your questions on Witchcraft, Magic, and Sorcery in Media:
Video Summary
- Does the story take place in a magical land, or on earth? Fantasy doesn’t necessarily encourage the practice of magic because it’s obviously a make-believe story in a fictitious place.
- Is the magic seen as a way of gaining power or manipulating others instead of looking to God for help in a situation? That’s idolatry – the act of giving devotion, reverence, or worship to any entity, object, or concept in place of the one true Creator.
- Is there a clear distinction between good and evil? Satan might masquerade as an angel of light, but there’s no question that he and his minions are evil.
