Number 10 Witch of All-Time: Cordelia Foxx, AHS Coven

All hail the mighty Supreme Witch! The modern day Queen of Witch’s: Cordelia Fox! Cordelia? Who saw that coming? Or better yet, how could you not see that coming, American Horror Story Coven fans?

I must admit, while not totally blown away by the producer’s choice of Sara Paulson’s character, Cordelia Fox, to follow in her mother’s footsteps, I was surprised that her mother, Fiona Goode, portrayed by Jessica Lange, didn’t somehow find the secret to immortality and reign as Supreme forever. Alas, I was mistaken.

With the promotion of Cordelia, AHS’s coven pulled the ultimate surprise by allowing their annual mini-series scare fest to leave its fans with a happy ending. My, how far things have come since season one, when you could count the survivors on one finger.

Not that I’m complaining. I love Cordelia as Supreme, despite my life-long crush on Jessica Lange. The classic underdog tale, you must hand it to her. Her mom put her through hell her entire life with unrealistic expectations, harsh criticism and cruel intentions. But then, Fiona did that with everyone. Only more reason to admire Cordelia, who took all that punishment and came out even stronger.

Even though they both held the title of ‘Supreme Witch’ that’s pretty much were the similarities between the mother/daughter witch characters end. Cordelia, despite her upbringing or perhaps because of it, grew into the polar opposite of her mother. Where Fiona was evil, Cordelia was good. When Fiona was hateful, Cordelia was nice. The list could go on and on. But perhaps the most telling comparison would be this.  Whenever Fiona was needed to help save the Coven she would dodge the situation, unless something was in it for her. When Cordelia needed to help save the Coven she stabbed herself in the eyes to re-gain her second sight. Now that is a gruesome and noteworthy sacrifice.

As for Sarah Paulson, she is on a roll with her American Horror Story characters. This marks two seasons in a row that Jessica Lange’s character first appears as Sarah’s antagonist only to fail in her own corrupted quests for power, get her comeuppance and then meet her final fate at the end. No such death scenes for Sarah. Her characters have survived the utmost in terrors and emerged victorious both seasons. Let’s see if her luck holds next season in American Horror Story: Carnival!

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s give credit where credit is due. What Cordelia has done in Coven is the ultimate witch fantasy. After being suppressed, cast out and even slaughtered for centuries, Cordelia becomes the witch that changes all that, finding a home for wayward girls’ with gifts from the world of the occult. With Cordelia leading the nurturing Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, these women can now learn their craft in peace and find acceptance in a world long renown for hostility toward witches.

Thanks to this fictional story, for the first time witches are allowed to be truly accepted, as can be noted by the incredible response from the witch community on social media. For that, a huge kudos must go not only to the Cordelia character, but also the producers, writers and the millions of witches and witch-lovers that made mainstream witchery a reality.

Oh, and by the way, the first books Cordelia presents to all her young apprentince witches at the Academy is SUFFER THE WITCH CHRONICLES 1 & 2, Rise of the Raven Knights and The Dragon-Wizard's Crystal Skull. Purchase your copies at Amazon by clicking the book covers below!

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The Top Ten Witches of All-Time

10. Cordelia Fox

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Sara Paulson has to be commended, respected and feared for her portrayal of Cordelia, who tried to kill her mom, stabbed her own eyes out to gain second sight, and burned her mentor at the stake to cement her ascension to Coven Supreme. Well played, Cordelia!

9. The Charmed Ones

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Sexiest witches ever. The three sisters are also pretty darned good at snuffing out demons. What’s not to love about this group of witches? They are still extremely popular in syndication.

8.  Glenda the Good Witch, Wizard of Oz

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She rides bubbles and has one of the most recognizable voices in movie history. Oh yea, she isn’t scared of wicked witches either. By empowering Dorothy, she made female heroes possible.

7. Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

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The self-conscious perfectionist from the megahit Harry Potter series. She doesn’t get much credit, but were would Harry Potter and Ronald Weasly be without her and her timely spells?

6. Samantha, Bewitched

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She brought witchcraft to the mainstream. Her popular television series is still beloved today, decades after it originally aired. How many of you can twitch your nose like her?

5. Marie Laveau, New Orleans Voodoo Queen

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A true life witch of the highest order. People still go to her grave to pray for wishes granted. This is usually reserved for saints and whatnot, but New Orleans has its own way of doing things.

4. Stevie Nicks

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The ultimate white Wiccan, Stevie doesn’t like to be called a witch, but it’s pretty obvious. It goes deeper than her wardrobe too. Listen to the occult imagery in her songs and you will know.

3. Fionna Goode, American Horror Story Coven

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Fionna is as wicked as any witch on any list. She’s slashed throats, drowned girls, beheaded a minotaur, slept with ghosts, then had the ghost hack up her enemies. She is the Supreme, simply put.

2. Wicked Witch of the West, Wizard of Oz

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She had her flaws, like keeping the one thing that could kill her, water, just laying around. But her image has endured decades as the classic face of an evil witch. Green witches with warts, yea, that’s her. Her obsession over her late sister’s ruby slippers is timeless.

1. Morganna LeFay, King Arthur

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King Arthur’s sister, had sex with him, bore him a child that would bring down his Kingdom of Camelot and trapped Merlin the Magician, or Druid, in perpetual frozenness.  Yes, that’s pretty wicked.

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NUMBER 3 WITCH OF ALL TIME: JESSICA LANGE as FIONA GOODE, AHS COVEN

The first time I can remember seeing Jessica Lange was in The Postman Always Rings Twice. As a young teen, the blatant sexual prowess portrayed between her and Jack Nicolson was simply mind blowing. If this was what sex was all about, I had to have some! It was awkward, in your face, gritty, powerful. There is any number of powerful adjectives one could throw in here if inclined to grammatical gymnastics. You get the picture though. All references to Mrs. Robinson from 1967’s classic, The Graduate, aside, at that tender age I would have done Jessica Lange.

Back to the present. Jessica has lead an all-star ensemble cast through three seasons of American Horror Story. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if her character is good or bad. Not since the days of Larry Hagman’s portrayal of J.R. Ewing in Dallas, has an actor played a character that is so reviled, yet be nearly universally loved. Scruples could never get in the way of juicy roles such as these, which would explain her three year run, with talk of a fourth, before she goes her merry way, as she has publically stated.

This year she is once again, the ‘supreme’. Ironically, she is one of the few actresses I know that could steal the show even when she is the show’s main focus! Her delivery of the character, Fiona Goode, is flawless. A powerful leader of a dying witch coven, Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, Fiona is both strong and diabolical. She doesn’t flinch at killing anyone that stands in her way of achieving the power she so desperately craves. Her antics would rank her with some of the wickedest witches in fictional history. In my Top Ten Witches of All-Time Blog Series she comes in at #3.

There is more to this character, however. Jessica is as talented an actress as there ever was, so being able to flip the script and tug on the hearts of her audience is something she accomplishes effortlessly. Fiona’s character has a soft side after all. Fi as she displays a convincing, yet un-crippling, amount of self-esteem issues. She aging, and in fact dying of cancer. Huge ego hit on both counts. Years of affairs have left her feeling unfulfilled in her love life, with her only choice at present a ghostly axe murderer. Add this to the fact that as a new supreme emerges among the younger coven witches, he powers wane, leaving her quite defenseless as her wasting disease progresses.

Fiona’s answer to this? Dig up a centuries old witch, buried alive while carrying the curse of immortality. The problem is that the person responsible for the curse is equally evil New Orleans Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, who is also an immortal. She also has a profound dislike for witches, white girls and particularly, Fiona.

The biggest sin in the coven is murdering a fellow coven member. Halfway through the season, Fiona has killed three in her attempt to gain and preserve her title of Supreme. First she offed her predecessor Supreme, when she was just a teenager, to take power the old fashioned way: in a coup.

Next, after her daughter brought in perhaps the final class of coven witches, she slashes the throat of the one she first fears to be her replacement, thinking it would restore her power. But, she picked the wrong one.

After that, Fiona executed her longtime rival, Myrtle, by casting blame on her for the murder of the young witch she thought was stealing her powers. Burning Myrtle alive at the stake, Fiona sets an indelible impression on the young members of the coven, who decided to take Fiona on in a high stakes game of chicken. The climatic final episode of the season looks to be extraordinary, if only to see who wins control of the coven, and title of Supreme. I wouldn’t count Fiona out!

Meanwhile, I will be thinking to myself that the 17 year difference between Jessica and myself isn’t as big as it was when I was 15. Yes, I would still do the beautiful Ms. Lange!

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WITCHCRAZE: A LOOK AT MODERN WITCHCRAFT

Alrighty folks, being a lifelong football fan, I know when to punt. Today’s blog was supposed to further the Knights of Lore series, but an older series of mine, The Top Ten Witches of All-Time, is still far surpassing the Knights’ series, so I’ve decided to jump back on the bandwagon and further explore the new ‘Witchcraze’!

It’s hard to believe that just a few hundred years ago, claiming to be a witch, or even being accused of being one, would get you burned at the stake! My, how times have changed. It seems like the only mythical creatures that can rival the skyrocketing popularity of witches is vampires. From a personal standpoint, I see witches winning that battle.

Nothing against those immortal blood sucking creatures of the night, but I will take witches any day! Hey, witches are pretty sexy! All one has to do is look at shows like American Horror Story: Coven, to see what I’m talking about.

That show, which is my favorite AHS yet, has sexy witches from all age groups and walks of life. From perennial bad girls, Fiona Goode and Delphine LaLaurie (portrayed by the esteemed actresses Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates), to younger bad girls like Madison Montgomery and Zoe Benson (Emma Roberts, Taissa Farmiga) and even witches in between, Marie Laveau, Misty Day and Cordelia Foxx (Angela Bassett, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, respectively).

The AHS: Coven witches are bad to the bone! And like all naughty witches should be, they are charming and beautiful, thus belying their own wickedness. So far, the Coven witches have shown incredible powers of second sight, telegraphic fire starting, resurrection, death by sex, control over zombies, reverse empathetic pain, and, of course, murder.

During the upcoming blog installments for Witchcraze! A look at modern witches, we will explore these incredible witches and see what makes them tick. 

On the flip side, American Horror Story producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk aren’t the only production company zeroing in on witchcraft. We also have the Lifetime television series Witches of East End, and Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, which has witches that Ichabod Crane must deal with.  CW’s The Originals is full of witches too.

In the land of Hollywood we’ve recently seen witches on the big screen in Beautiful Creatures, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Snow White and the Huntsman, Oz, the Great and Powerful, and Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem. Later this year we can expect to be enchanted by Disney’s upcoming cartoon movie, Frozen.

2014 promises to be just as epically wicked with potential blockbusters such as Maleficent, Seventh Son, The Last Witch Hunter, The Good Witch’s Wonder and Into the Woods.

Is this just a result of the last witchcraft trend, in which the kids that grew up watching Buffy and Charmed are putting their own spin on things? I think it is, and I also think that is a very good thing. When the Harry Potter kids and the kids that are currently learning the ins and outs of witchcraft from today’s shows, grow up, the cycle will repeat and their witches will be even bigger and even more wicked and epic.

In real life, witchcraft is more openly popular than ever before. However, even in today’s time there is still a great degree of discrimination for those who practice. Just mention the word Wicca to a fundamentalist of other religions and you will see exactly what I’m talking about. It seems that some just can’t get past the ‘do not suffer a witch to live’ mentality from religious edicts from thousands of years ago.

Though these aren’t the burning times, I wouldn’t encourage any kid to go to school and claim witchery. While it’s ok to be proud, it invites too much negativity. Who would want to deal with all that in a religion that teaches positivity? Let’s not be like the religions that preach peace and practice war! We are witches damn it! Like good heavy metal music, it’s a helluva lot better when it comes from underground!

Somewhere in the midst of this series, I would like to take a close look at Wicca, what it entails, how it works, and what real coven witches are like. So, if you know some fantastic witch, particularly one that is an author or one that lives in or around Cincinnati, I would love to chat you up and profile you on my blog. Hit me up on facebook or twitter and let’s talk!

In closing I can only add this: Witches: You’ve come a long way baby!

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Number 4 Witch of All-Time: Stevie Nicks

Top 10 Witches of All-Time (real or imagined)

#4 Stevie Nicks

Without a doubt, my favorite witch on this list is Stevie Nicks. Whether she is or isn’t a witch is a matter of debate. She definitely has a mystical image and has lived an enchanted life. Her music has haunting themes that could be viewed as ‘Wicca’ oriented, Rhiannon comes to mind. But her religious beliefs aren’t really any of my, or anyone else’s business. Stevie Nicks’ music and image clocks into the Top Ten Witches of All-Time at number 3.

The truth of the matter is Stevie Nicks is a very spiritual person. She is also very private. And who can blame her? When one reaches to level of popularity which Stevie has attained, why set yourself up for criticism and attacks from other religious groups? For that reason, I will focus the rest of this post on her life and music.

Stevie met Lindsey Buckingham in the late 1960’s and quickly starting performing together. Star-crossed lovers that they were, the duo ended up becoming famous for their songs, many of which were about their relationship gone awry. And you thought Taylor Swift invented that idea!

Anyway, across the pond over in merry old England, Fleetwood Mac’s frontman/guitarist Peter Green feel by the wayside because of mental illness brought on by psychedelic drug abuse. Green, a blues guitar player on par with Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Leslie West, left the band in 1970. The group floundered on without a powerful frontman until 1975. Enter Nicks and Buckingham.

The duo brought an entirely new pop feel to the band, gaining them mega-star type popularity. With that type of success and a ‘gypsy’ lifestyle of a touring rock band brought lots of pressures. Add drugs to the picture and everything else starts becomes a smorgasbord of excessive behavior. The pressures eventually took their toll and Stevie and Lindsey broke up. The next series of events was truly shocking. As the band carried on despite the relationship drama, Nicks and the band’s founder/drummer Mick Fleetwood started an affair, which would lead to more broken relationships and the band’s demise.

After the band crashed, Stevie Nicks began her solo career, which was also stellar. Her first solo album made it to #1 on the Billboard charts and her fame continued to grow, as she mesmerized audiences with her beautiful voice, perfect sense of melody, and elegant mystical imagery.

Some of my favorite songs of Stevie are from her Fleetwood Mac days. Tunes like Landslide, The Chain, Rhiannon, Silver Springs and Gypsy are simply unforgettable. I get cold chills every time I listen to her sing. Stevie still tours with her solo band and Fleetwood Mac.

Even today, Stevie has become somewhat of a cultural icon. Her and her music is featured prominently in the hit television series American Horror Story on AHS. Misty Day, a lone witch named with the power of ressurection, is infatuated by Stevie. Every scene she is in plays Stevie's music in the background. The character is played by Tony nominated actress Lily Rabe, and one cannot deny the resemblance. She kind of dresses like Stevie and even has her pirouetting dance moves down. Great actress! One of the best scenes on AHS Coven was when Stevie Nicks made a surprise appearance, playing herself of course, serenading Misty Day and Fiona.

Misty Day as portrayed by Lily Rabe

I really wanted to make Stevie Nicks the number one witch on the list, but the three witches that are ranked higher were just impossible to knock down. Before I reveal the top two though, my next post will be about the wonderful witches that didn’t make the list, an honorable mention, so to speak. 

Then I will give you a teaser bio of a new witch I would like to introduce you to. Her name is Lori Windstorm and she is the female protagonist in my dark fantasy novel, Rise of the Raven Knights, book I, Suffer the Witch Chronicles. She is a headstrong woman who battles an evil coven with the power of shapeshifting, as well as her intellect. I believe you will find her fascinating as I find Stevie Nicks, and very magickal as well. Please give her a look!

Thanks for reading my blog. Please follow me, share and tell an enemy and a friend. I look forward to seeing you next time. I also encourage you to visit my author website to check out my novels and short stories. My psycho-sexual/dark fantasy novel about dragons, undead knights, and you guessed it, witches is called Rise of the Raven Knights, Suffer the Witch Volume I and it can be found at http://sufferthewitch.com.

My apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, The Devil’s Prophet is also available at http://thedevilsprophet.com.

Number 6 Witch of All-Time: Marie Laveau, the New Orleans Voodoo Queen

Number 5 Witch of All-Time: Marie Laveau, the New Orleans Voodoo Queen

Was Marie Laveau a witch or a saint? No one will ever know. The clouded history of the infamous New Orleans Voodoo Queen has been clouded by time, leaving us with an ambiguous legend that is part truth, part myth and mysteriously compelling. Because of that, Marie Laveau clocks into the Top Ten Witches of All-Time at number Five.

A Creole woman of color, Marie was freeborn in New Orleans sometime between 1794 and 1801 to free mulatto parents. Married at a young age to Jacques Paris, a Haitian immigrant, she bore two children, neither of which survived childhood. Her husband died of mysterious circumstances and the Voodoo Queen’s legacy was born.

She later bore several children with her long time lover, Louis Christophe Dumesnil de Glapio, one of which grew up to follow her mother’s footsteps and became known as Marie Laveau II.  Whether she was a witch, voodoo priestess or just an adventurous Catholic, does nothing to take away from this woman’s true legacy. Heck, being born free in a land of slavery was astounding enough for a woman of color. The fact that she owned her own land, her own business as a liquor importer, was a slave owner herself and served as a faith healer only serves to make her more hyped accomplishments, real or imagined, even more impressive.

There are many legends about Marie. Supposedly she served as a nurse during the yellow fever epidemic of the 1830’s, using her spiritual healing powers to heal many of the afflicted. She was also claimed to be a hair dresser for the affluent, a blackmailer, a snake handler, the leader of blood drenched voodoo rituals, and a brothel owner. But above all she will be remembered as a voodoo queen, though what she practiced was most likely a clever mix of Catholicism and Voodoo. Her mystical powers were said to include fixing court cases, and being a witch so powerful she killed a sitting governor and lieutenant governor with nothing more than a magick spell and voodoo ritual.

It is also claimed that Marie Laveau is immortal. Whether that is true or not cannot be proven, however, her legend has truly become immortalized. Even today, at the place of her reputed tomb, curiosity brings tourists who draw ‘X’s’ on her mausoleum, in hopes of being blessed, while also praying not to be cursed.

In popular culture, Marie Laveau’s legend has been kept alive by many sources. There are novels about her, her likeness has appeared in Marvel Comics, there are pop songs about her, including one by Dr. Hook and another by Jazz pianist Joe Sample. There are also biographies based on her life and times. She even has a part in one of my favorite shows, American Horror Story, whose portrayal of her by Angela Bassett is spot on!

No other witch on this list, or any other for that matter, can claim the staying power achieved by Marie Laveau. I hope I haven’t insulted her greatness by listing her at only number 6. That being said, the next five witches on the list are very strong. Be sure to check back Thursday, April 4, for the number 5Witch of All-Time: Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.

Thanks for reading my blog. Please follow me, share and tell an enemy and a friend. I look forward to seeing you next time. I also encourage you to visit my author website to check out my novels and short stories. My psycho-sexual/dark fantasy novel about dragons, undead knights, and you guessed it, witches is called Rise of the Raven Knights, Suffer the Witch Volume I and it can be found at http://sufferthewitch.com.

My Apocalyptic Dark Fiction Thriller, THE DEVIL'S PROPHET is available at http://thedevilsprophet.com