A little girl tags along at the end of a line of trick or treaters.

Suddenly, the wooden broom that the black-robed child holds begins to soar, lifting her up off the ground and leaving a trail of orange sparks.

The camera then zooms into her face, shadowed by a black-coned hat.

As she glides over what appears to be an amusement park, the enthused young girl directs her broom downward toward a man, whose caramel apple the girl swipes away.

She then enjoys the various rides and attractions at the park before finally landing and rejoining her line of trick or treaters. The scene ends with the image of someone flying across a dark sky on a broom, passing a luminous, full orange-colored moon.

This Disneyland TV commercial, broadcast recently to promote its Halloween attractions, portrays almost all stereotypes of a standard fantasy witch-minus the pointy nose.

But in reality, this is far from the description of those who call themselves wiccans.

Though Orange County has an unspecified number of wiccans, the Accolade had the opportunity to interview one in particular, 39-year-old Jamie Martinez Wood of Costa Mesa.

Wood, who has been officially practicing earth-spirituality for 17 years, has also written a number of books about wicca, including The Enchanted Diary, The Teen Spell Book and The Wicca Cookbook. Her fourth book and first novel, Rogelia's House of Magic, will hit stores June 2008.

Q: How did you first become a wiccan?
A: It's sort of a thing that you are before you know you are. It is a way of living and then you realize there's a name for it.

Q: Describe your lifestyle as a wiccan. How are you different from non-wiccans yet still similar?
A: I see significance in everything that's there. I'm looking for the beauty and the divineness in everything I do and everything I see. For me, it's all mother earth. I'm going to be using green products, celebrating the seasons with my family by picking out the Christmas trees and carving pumpkins. Nature is our best guide on how to live. For example, during fall, nature is harvesting, so that's what we do-we count our blessings. Basically, we look at what nature is doing and we copy the same thing in our lives.

Q: Do wiccans fly on brooms and cast spells with wands as wizards do in Harry Potter?
A: No, we don't send things across the room or anything like that. [Brooms and wands] are symbols that point to our specific desires. This is our way of letting the Universe know what we really want. We use these symbols to call [the desires] into being.

Q: What do you think is one of the biggest misconceptions people have about wiccans?
A: People say that we consult with the devil. But the thing is, we don't believe in the devil, so how can we worship him?

Q: What is Halloween to wiccans?
A: On Halloween, we celebrate Samhain, which originated from the ancient Celtic people. It is the witches' New Year and is the time that stands between the old and the new. It is a season to acknowledge that the light and dark are necessary to our growth. There are things that we all try to hide from people, such as selfishness. We're ashamed of it, but this is the time where you say, 'This is who I am,' and make peace with it. Halloween is also a time in which wiccans honor the loved ones who have died.

Q: Are there special rituals for this holiday?
A: Yes. We set up an altar and prepare a meal with the person's favorite food. Then we talk to them and tell them how much we miss them and love them.

Q: Ultimately, what role does magic play in a wiccan's life? A: Magic isn't there to cure all your problems. Magic is staying in touch with who you are and having confirmation that you are a powerful being. Magic is believing in your inner power. [Through magic], we believe that we have control over our own world.

For emails or questions about this story, contact estherkang122@gmail.com.

Jamie is open for interviewing for all budding journalists. Contact her at jamie@jamiewood.com.

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