Magical Abilities

**Magical abilities** are skills that witches can learn in addition to spell casting, some of which may be innate abilities.

## Innate Magical Abilities

### Enchantments

Enchantments are used to form a connection to the subject by using one of their body parts. Enchantment requires an ample amount of magicka and can cause potentially dangerous side effects. As an innate ability, enchantments are only taught to witches that work for the Coven according to Shumi Lane.

Annie McGregor's teeth were found within one of the Tinkerman's radios created for Chancellor Swan, which indicates that the radio was built to communicate with her spirit through enchantment.

Known enchanters include Shumi's mother, a Coven employee.

## Learned Magical Abilities

### Dream Walking

Dream walking is the magical ability for witches to enter the dreams of another subject. This technique is usually performed by older and more experienced witches due to the tremendous amount of magicka required.

Bailey Ward and Dylan Blake were able to dream walk in Lydia's mind by obtaining lunar gems at the Greenhouse in Book 1.

### Glimpses

Similar to dream walking, only more powerful and older witches are able to Glimpse into the minds of others by filling the third eye with the intended subject and connecting with the items linked to them. The Glimpser then travels by astral form to connect with the subject's mind. However, Glimpses are described as a highly interpretive and unreliable technique according to Professor Shirazi. Glimpses can also be interrupted by a **mind ward**, a spell that protects the subject's thoughts.

Detective Harrison is the Coven's detective that conducts Glimpses. During the search for Lydia Summers, Harrison performs a Glimpse with Bailey that fails due to a mind ward and severs their connection.

### Illusion Traps

Illusion traps are psychological traps that confines the subject's mind to an illusion of the witch's choice after it is physically triggered. Depending on the caster's skill level, the realism of the illusion varies. While the subject is immersed in the illusion, they will appear dazed and unresponsive to external stimuli.

Professor Arash Shirazi cast an illusion trap that confined Bailey to a snowglobe's environment, which was gifted to him by his mother.

## Dark Magic

Dark magic encompasses malevolent and harmful practices such as necromancy, possession, hexes, and sacrifice. Witches have been banned from using dark magic for several centuries as it included not only spellwork but served as a philosophy for them.

### Dark Magic Potions

Blackswift is a dark purple magicka-boosting potion created with human blood, making it especially addictive and harmful to the user. Side effects include blackouts, paranoia, mood swings, and dizziness. Eventually, it weakens the user to the point of death. Blackswift is banned by the Coven like all other forms of dark magic. Witches who are discovered with Blackswift are "reprogrammed" by the Coven.

Known users are Shumi Lane and Eve Tulsi.

### Shapeshifting

Shapeshifting is a form of dark magic that has been banned for over 300 years as it involves killing animals that the witch subsequently transforms into. Witches can also transform by using the bodies of already deceased animals.

In Book 1, the Dark Hunt ritual is first shapeshifting ritual to be conducted in 200 years that is held to "purify" the weaknesses of witchkind.

Known shapeshifters are Jason Ashford.