Witch ball decorations are unique and enchanting ornaments that have a long history rooted in folklore and superstition. These ornamental glass spheres, also known as spirit balls or gazing balls, are often hung in windows or gardens to ward off evil spirits and protect the home. The origins of witch ball decorations can be traced back to 18th century England, where they were initially created to trap negative energies and prevent witches from entering the house. The glass spheres were believed to have magical properties that would divert the attention of evil spirits, causing them to become mesmerized by their beauty and become trapped inside. Traditionally, witch balls were made by skilled glassblowers, who would create intricate designs by layering different colored glass and adding swirls or patterns. The glass used in these decorations was believed to have reflective properties, allowing the evil spirits to see their own image and become frightened, ultimately choosing to avoid the protected area.
It’s the beginning of summer in North Hampton, and beautiful Freya Beauchamp is celebrating her engagement to wealthy Bran Gardiner, the heir to Fair Haven and Gardiners Island. But Freya is drawn to Bran’s gorgeous but unreliable brother Killian, and sparks fly when the two decide to play a dangerous game, following an ancient story of love, betrayal and tragedy that harks back to the days of Valhalla.
Not That Kind of Mage These witches and warlocks have immortal souls and long-lived bodies, and even if they die, they will reborn again, unless their bodies are taken to the Limbo or their souls are voluntarily sent to the Underworld. Dating Service Disaster Frederick chats online with Hillary Liman, a lovely girl who turns out to be a Valkyria that has been looking for him since he escaped the Limbo to return him back there.
The glass used in these decorations was believed to have reflective properties, allowing the evil spirits to see their own image and become frightened, ultimately choosing to avoid the protected area. Today, witch ball decorations are still popular, particularly among those who have an interest in the occult or want to add a touch of whimsy to their home decor. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, with some even containing small charms or trinkets inside.
Witches of East End Review (Books & Show)
About a year ago I found a show on Netflix, The Witches of East End. It had already been canceled and I binged all two seasons in a week. I found it fascinating, the combination of immortal Norse gods and modernized witches. I enjoyed the connection to various moments in history and I did find it to be similar to Charmed and likely a large part of why I liked it. It ended on a terrible cliffhanger and I quickly went out to get the books so I could try to gain some closure. Unfortunately, that was around the time that life got really complicated and I was not able to finally read the trilogy until now.
Silly me, I should have known the books were nothing like the show. In fact, they are so vastly different that I do not feel like I got the closure from the cliffhanger ending of season two, and if I look at the books on their own, I am not sure I really like them either.
Rather than review the show by itself or review each book alone, I’m going to review the whole trilogy and compare it to the show. Keep in mind this review will be ripe with spoilers, so either you’ve read the books, seen the shows, experienced both, or do not care.
It is important to know some of Norse Mythology to understand the plot of this book. In Melissa de la Cruz’s world, there was a rivalry between the two Norse God tribes: Aesir (the warrior gods) and Vanir (the fertility gods). Aesir gods are Odin (god of wisdom and ruler of Asgard), his wife Frigg (goddess of marriage), and their children Balder (god of joy) and Loki (god of illusions). The Vanir gods are Njord (god of the sea), his wife Skadi (god of the sky), their children Erda (goddess of Earth), and twins Freya (goddess of love) and Freyr (god of the sun). Apparently, hundreds, if not thousands of years ago, the bridge between the worlds was destroyed and Freyr and Loki were imprisoned for those crimes. However, as punishment, the Vanir gods were all banished to Midgard/Earth to live out their immortal lives as powerful witches/warlocks, rather than gods.
At its core, this is simply a love story. Odin was originally in love with Skadi and therefore hated Njord and his family because he won Skadi. Then both of Odin’s sons, Loki and Balder, were in love with Freya, who in turn chose Balder and that angered Loki so much that he chose to exact his revenge. Therefore, this entire trilogy is simply two different gods (Odin and Loki) exacting their revenge over losing goddesses they loved. While the show is about Loki’s revenge against Balder and Freya.
However, the story we’re given in book one, Witches of East End, takes place in a fictional New England town in Earth where the Norse God Ancestry is present, in that these characters remember who they were, but they are unaware of the revenge plots. Skadi and Njord are now Joanna and Norm Beauchamp. Their son Freddie (Freyr) is “gone” AKA imprisoned by Odin, but their daughters Ingrid (Erda) and Freya work in town and they all seem fairly happy. Freya is a bartender who puts a little magic into the drinks she mixes and she’s happily engaged to Bran Gardiner, a rich philanthropist. Ingrid loves her job at the library where she works her magic to help the townsfolk who struggle in their day-to-day lives, while also beginning a courtship with the local, mortal detective, Matt Noble. Everything is turned on its head when people start mysteriously dying, disappearing, and Bran’s brother, Killian, arrives. Freya and Killian have an instantaneous connection that causes her to begin an affair while Bran is away on business. It turns out that Bran is Loki and Killian is Balder, therefore, the end of the plot of the first book is the Beauchamp family prevening Loki from enacting Ragnorak as punishment for Freya choosing Balder. It ends on a happy note, Freya and Killian are engaged and these witches/warlocks now remember their past and are comfortable with their immortal lives on Earth. Until the first book ends with the cliffhanger of Freddie, Freya’s twin arriving, claiming that Killian is the reason he was imprisoned and the cause of their banishment to Earth.
Enter book two, The Serpent’s Kiss, Freya is torn between her true love with Killian and her love for her twin brother, Freddie. She spends the entire book trying to prove Freddie is wrong and Killian is not responsible for their banishment or his imprisonment. Essentially, she’s trying to figure out how Loki Balder really is. At the same time, some spirit is haunting Joanna and this leads them to time-travel back to 1692 Salem, which did not end well when they originally lived through it (Freya and Ingrid were hung as witches). Everything seems to have worked at as Freya prooves Killian’s innocence, but it is still a mystery as to what happened originally, and in addition, they are able to put the spirit connected to Joanna to rest. However, the book ends with Freya being pulled back and trapped in 1692 Salem.
Lastly, is book three, Winds of Salem, which is continuously alternating between four separate storylines: Freya in Salem 1692, Ingrid/Matt romance with Ingrid trying to free her sister, Freddie’s love life and complications with trying to figure out what really happened that caused them to be banished, and Joanna/Norm trying to free their daughter. The series ends with Joanna and Norm giving up their lives for their children, Ingrid and Matt living happily everafter–for as long as possible since he is mortal and she is not, Freddie defeating Odin in one final blow, and Freya resigning herself to a three-way romance between Bran and Killian.
The summary itself is extensive but necessary to understand my review. I am as torn about this trilogy as Freya is about her love for Loki and Balder. I love Norse mythology and I love anything having to do with witches/warlocks. I enjoyed the first book, and I enjoyed most of the second book, but the third book drove me crazy. I feel like Melissa de la Cruz chose to do too much with her series and it suffered because of it. There was too much reference to Salem Witch Trials and that storyline that I feel the Norse Immortal Gods storyline was not developed the way it should have been. I wish Cruz had not included a spirit harassing Joanna that leads them to 1692 Salem. That entire part of the story that caused Freya to be trapped in 1692 for all of book three was pointless. It split the focus of the author and the reader and I believe the only reason she included it was because she must be fascinated with that time period and wanted to focus on the climax of witchcraft and drama.
I also really dislike the ending of the entire series. I don’t like that the book literally ends with Freya admitting to loving both Bran/Loki and Killian/Balder, knowing someday she will have to choose between them, but refusing to do so at present. I feel that’s a copout and diminishes her feelings for Balder/Killian. They clearly are not soulmates if she cannot definitively pick him.
Other areas the author included that should have had more detail, and could have if she’d had a clearer focus, are: She brings Thor into the third book as “Troy” and Ingrid/Erda’s ex. Thor was in love with Erda, but Erda denied him because she knew his reputation. I would have loved to see this version of Thor expanded and have Troy’s character established more. Ultimately, we get Ingrid choosing the mortal Matt over the immortal Thor and Troy being Freddie’s travel buddy. Second, throughout the whole trilogy, Joanna has this plot with her maid’s son. She takes care of him when his mother is out of town, she saves him when he “dies” and all of it is meant to represent her missing her son, Freddie. However, when Freddie returns in book two, this mortal child turns into a nuisance character instead and I don’t understand his point. I also felt that Joanna was an insignificant character that drew away from the more interesting storylines of her children. In the show she had more depth, more spirit, and was connected to the more entertaining storylines; however, in the book she was boring.
Remember, I saw the show first. I enjoyed the show immensely and was very sad to hear it got canceled and there would not be a season three. However, the show was nothing like the books. For one, it was more focused on the Norse mythology connection and the witchcraft that was their form of magic on Midgard. It was more dramatic because the daughters could not remember who they were and it focused more on the idea that the daughters constantly die and are reborn, that is part of Joanna’s curse. Part of Freya’s curse is to find Killian/Balder in every lifetime and lose him in every life time. It was a heartbreaking star-cross lover storyline that I am not ashamed to admit, I was invested in. There was also an additional character of Wendy, Joanna’s sister. She was a goddess as well and her magical abilities were that she was an animagous of sorts. She could transform into a black cat, and had a necklace that provided nine lives. The necklace changed color with each of her death’s marking how many she had left. If it turned black it meant she was on her last life and when she died she would not return, but be trapped in the underworld. Unlike her sister and nieces, she was limited in her immortality. That was her punishment. Wendy brought much of the humor to the show and I enjoyed her character; therefore, I was very bummed to see she was not in the books. Lastly, the show juxtaposes the present storyline with flashbacks to the characters past lives fairly well. We only get enough to stay intriguied and see scenes related to whatever that current episode’s plot is about.
I was drawn to this show for its Charmed-similarities and its Norse Mythology references. I also enjoyed its drama and mystery. Naturally, I read the books because I wanted to see what it was like and hoped to find closure from the terrible cliffhanger the show has, but sadly, the books disappointed me. I found the writing fine, but the plot and characters boring, predictable, and underdeveloped. I thought the whole story reeked of potential unreached, which is really disappointing because I’ve never seen a series that blended mythology and witchcraft in that way before. I hope to find more stories that do and if not I think I will write one. I’m thinking of focusing on Greek Mythology and Witchcraft, since it is Greek Mythology I know best.
I was reading reviews and people seemed to love Melissa de la Cruz’s series and it was “received really well”–but I wonder, how many of her readers were people who loved her first series, Blue Blood–about vampires? I never read it because I don’t read vampire texts, so I came into Witches of East End not a fan of the author, but of the genre. I wonder if she is just better suited for vampire drama since it turns out she’s writing another vampire series as well. I fear the Witches of East End trilogy was Cruz’s attempt to try something other than vampires and realize her talents lie elsewhere. However, she is also the author of the children’s fairytale series, Descendants, which seems to be doing pretty well.
I enjoyed reading her texts, but I loved watching the show, and it did get me inspired again to write my modern fantasy. If you’re starting out, I suggest watching the show and ignoring the books. Unless you prefer reading a story where you’re introduced to so much, but left wanting so much more. Then again, fair warning, the show was cruelly canceled and we get a tragic cliffhanger that will never be fixed. I’m still upset about it and it’s been a year. I’m not sure if I’d put this show in the same level of love as Firefly, I will say that my heartbreak at the unfinished story and cancelation of the show, is at the same level. And that’s saying something.
Other areas the author included that should have had more detail, and could have if she’d had a clearer focus, are: She brings Thor into the third book as “Troy” and Ingrid/Erda’s ex. Thor was in love with Erda, but Erda denied him because she knew his reputation. I would have loved to see this version of Thor expanded and have Troy’s character established more. Ultimately, we get Ingrid choosing the mortal Matt over the immortal Thor and Troy being Freddie’s travel buddy. Second, throughout the whole trilogy, Joanna has this plot with her maid’s son. She takes care of him when his mother is out of town, she saves him when he “dies” and all of it is meant to represent her missing her son, Freddie. However, when Freddie returns in book two, this mortal child turns into a nuisance character instead and I don’t understand his point. I also felt that Joanna was an insignificant character that drew away from the more interesting storylines of her children. In the show she had more depth, more spirit, and was connected to the more entertaining storylines; however, in the book she was boring.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal, witch balls are still believed to have protective qualities. Many people hang them in their windows to reflect and dispel negative energy and bring good luck. Others place them in their garden or on their porch to protect their home from unwanted visitors or ill-meaning spirits. In conclusion, witch ball decorations are not only beautiful ornaments but also carry a rich history and deep symbolism. Whether used for their believed protective qualities or simply to add a touch of mystery and charm to a space, witch balls continue to captivate and enchant those who encounter them..
Reviews for "The Magical World of Witch Ball Decorations"
1. Lucy - 2/5 stars - I recently purchased a set of witch ball decorations and was extremely disappointed. The colors were dull and the overall quality was subpar. The glass was thin and fragile, and I was worried they would shatter easily. Additionally, the design was not as intricate as I had hoped, making them look cheap. I would not recommend these witch ball decorations if you're looking for something visually appealing and durable.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - I had high expectations for the witch ball decorations, but unfortunately, they fell short. The colors were not as vibrant as advertised, and the glass had several imperfections. Moreover, the hanging mechanism was poorly designed, making it difficult to hang the balls securely. Ultimately, these witch ball decorations were a waste of money and did not meet my expectations.
3. Sarah - 3/5 stars - The witch ball decorations were decent, but they didn't live up to the hype. The colors were okay, but they didn't pop as much as I had anticipated. The glass itself was sturdy, but it lacked the intricate details I was hoping for. Overall, they were just average and didn't add much excitement to my Halloween decor.
4. Michael - 2/5 stars - I bought the witch ball decorations thinking they would add a spooky touch to my home, but they ended up looking cheap and unimpressive. The colors were not as vibrant as shown in the pictures, and the overall design was lackluster. The construction of the hanging loop was flimsy and made it difficult to secure the balls properly. I was disappointed with the quality and would not recommend these decorations.
5. Emily - 2/5 stars - The witch ball decorations I purchased were a letdown. The colors were muted and lacked the vibrant look I was expecting. The glass itself seemed thin and fragile, making me doubt their durability. The design was not as intricate as I had hoped, giving them a lackluster appearance. Overall, these witch ball decorations did not meet my expectations and left me wanting more.