The magic and charm of Disney's Hocus Pocus come from its three antagonists, the Sanderson Sisters, which the movie explains each has powers that are arcane, evil, and dangerous. Mastering a nefarious magical aptitude, Mary, Sarah, and Winifred are a force to be reckoned with, no matter what century conjures them up. However, while they share many abilities, some of the dark magic the Sanderson Sisters wield is as varied as the wicked siblings themselves.
In Hocus Pocus, it’s explained that the Sanderson Sisters got their powers from a pact with the Devil and used them to terrorize the people during the Salem Witch Trials. The sisters possessed an in-depth knowledge of the arts of necromancy, alchemy, and other schools of black magic, which they used to remain young. Upon catching them in the act of stealing the life force of young children, angry villagers burned the Sanderson Sisters in a school furnace. However, they are eventually resurrected by an artifact known as the Black Flame Candle and are able to unleash their powers on the modern world in a quest to restore their youth.
Throughout Hocus Pocus, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary demonstrate a terrifying range of abilities. For the most part, the Sandersons share many of the same powers, which include casting curses (such as their transformation of Thackery Binx, deadly Halloween dance, etc.), making cleaning equipment fly, and brewing potions. Although, each of Salem’s sinister sisters has abilities unique to them. It’s an interesting detail in Hocus Pocus that reflects how different the three siblings are despite them sharing a bloodline and the same devious agenda to drain Salem’s children of their youth.
Winifred Sanderson's Powers In Hocus Pocus
Winifred Sanderson is the oldest and most intelligent of her siblings. Gifted a grimoire by the Devil In Hocus Pocus, Winifred can command and summon it. Filled with hexes, potions, and rituals, in Winifred Sanderson’s case, knowledge is power, and being able to call upon Satan’s compendium allows her to torment her enemies. However, Hocus Pocus also shows Winifred is capable of conjuring lightning from her hands, feats of telekinesis, and necromancy by resurrecting her former lover, Billy Butcherson, although it isn’t Winifred's abilities that defined her as a powerful witch, but rather her cruelty and cunning.
Sarah Sanderson's Powers In Hocus Pocus
Sarah is the youngest and probably, the most absent-minded of the three Sanderson sisters. Because of her youthful and playful disposition, Sarah Sanderson’s powers allow her to enchant Salem’s children with a siren’s lullaby. In one of the most iconic moments of Hocus Pocus, Sarah takes flight and uses her haunting song, “Come Little Children,” to summon crowds of children to the Sanderson museum, where she and her sisters planned to steal their life force. Sarah may be the most easily distracted and scatterbrained of the Sanderson Sisters, but she is just as dangerous and bewitching.
Mary Sanderson's Powers In Hocus Pocus
Mary Sanderson is the most loyal to Winifred and nurturing towards her sisters. However, Mary also shows an interest in the culinary arts, suggesting they eat Dani while also displaying a fondness for scrod and her mother’s scorpion pie. Also, Mary has feral tendencies, with a habit of growling like a dog. So it makes sense that Mary’s power gives her a heightened sense of smell, which she uses to identify children and track them down in Hocus Pocus. Unlike Sarah, however, Mary’s loyalty to her sisters keeps the witch focused while devotedly stalking the Sandersons’ enemies, completing and complimenting the wicked trio.
With Hocus Pocus setting up future returns of the Sanderson witches, there’s no telling what other devious tricks they will utilize. However, empowered by dark magic and their legacy, it’s unlikely audiences have seen the last of Winifred, Sarah, and Mary. When the Sanderson Sisters inevitably return, it’ll be curious to see what deliciously wicked sorcery they unleash next.
