I won’t lie and say I’m not a sucker for Stevie Nicks, especially during fall. I channel her in every piece of media I absorb, whether it’s books, songs or my favorite movies; the spooky months mean my “rainy day” playlist makes its debut, honoring Nicks more than others. Along with music, Halloween wouldn’t be the same without my favorite movie: a hexing story of two witches growing up together. 

To truly understand why I call this movie my favorite, you must understand the beauty of the soundtrack. Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell and many others create enchanting music for the supernatural months, cursing us with their wondrous music for the years to come. While watching the 1998 movie Practical Magic, the audience, including myself, is entirely immersed in the atmosphere created by these artists.

Practical Magic tells the story of two young witches who lost their parents to a generational curse. While they face the challenges of growing up in a close-minded community of regular humans, their story unexpectedly takes a turn. On a small island off the coast of Massachusetts, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman experience the lives of Sally and Gillian Owens, who journey through love with a little help from magic. With covens, comedy, great music and witchcraft, watching Practical Magic quickly became a favorite Halloween tradition for me. 

To capture the essence of the movie, I’ll share my favorite quote from Sally Owens: “Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can.”

If you’ve never seen this movie, please, for me, take a look and appreciate the scenery, fashion and spellbinding music. If you have had the pleasure of watching it before, for the sake of Halloween (and Stevie Nicks), watch it again.