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Sabrina's Dark Baptism is a supernatural ceremony that took place on October 31st, the night of Sabrina Spellman's 16th birthday, under the light of an eclipsing blood moon.


Summary[]

A witch's dark baptism is a highly sacred, unholy sacrament that is tremendously important to witches and their devotion to the dark lord. It is one of the most ancient rites and witches have been performing them for centuries. According to Zelda Spellman, novitiates must be virginal for their dark baptism, so that they are pure and untouched by any other but the dark lord. Strongly implying Lucifer must be the force to take a witches virginity to further seal the witches devotion. The temple of a witches body must be purified with a concoction of substances that are seemed fit to flush the body of a witch and make it ready for the sacred rite to assume. Hilda Spellman made it her duty to provide these tinctures for Sabrina and they consisted of milk, eggs, rosemary, agrimony, a cupful of vanilla, a pinch of John the Conqueror root, tannis and a variation of other different herbs from her garden known to purify the body.

A witch has to choose their familiar before their dark baptism and are usually chosen from a registry sent by the covens council. However witches can choose whether they would like to summon their familiar in the means to have a deeper connection with them, just like Sabrina did.

An animal for sacrifice must be attained in preparation for the witches baptism as a means of showing thanks for the dark lords allowance of the pupils initiation. In Sabrina’s case, Hilda and Zelda purchased a black billy goat called “Black Narcissus” from Mr Putnam. Black Narcissus also known as Black Philip is said to be Satan disguised as a goat. We don’t really know whether a goat is used as a sacrifice in other dark baptisms, but it seems that based of the importance of the goat, most probably so.

A witch must also fashion themselves a baptismal name to be used in the unholy rite. It is used as a symbolic representation of how the witch is becoming more than they are now and depending on the choosing, has a lot of meaning to it. For example, Sabrina’s baptismal names was “Sabrina Edwina Diana Spellman”. Which showed honour for her mother and father.

Upon the actual time of the dark baptism, it does seem that witch must wear black because even if they where wearing another color such as white in Sabrina’s case, it would turn black before they enter the sacred grounds protected by the blue flames of hellfire.

At the dark baptism, the whole coven gathers as to celebrate the witches new era and many members wear symbolic costumes and suitings, such as the man who wore a rabbits head upon his own. Others wear cloaks and in general their best clothing to honour the dark lord as this is an important night. At Sabrina’s dark baptism, she was met by the coven surrounded by the light of candles, torches of fire and a fire in the middle of the sacred space. In the scene we could also see Agatha who is one of the daughters of night holding some kind of dead bird, most likely a chicken. This could have been used as an offering to the dark lord. In the scene we could also hear people chanting in some kind of sacred language, most probably Latin. These could have been incantations of protection or even prayers in order to invoke and summon spirits and demons.

The high priest of the coven will almost be the leader of the ritual and will initiate the witch into the dark lords grasp. The people who present the witch for “unholy baptism” as Father Blackwood puts it must disrobe the daughter or perhaps son of night. This is so that they are vulnerable and open to energies entering their soul because powers are given to the witch and they must be let in as Ms Wardwell says. The witch should also take their shoes of so that they are More in touch with nature.

To start of the initiation of Sabrina, Father Blackwood goes onto state: We are gathered here together, in these woods, in the presence of our Dark Lord, with all the souls, the living and the dead, of our coven: The Most Unholy Church of Night. The witch then must kneel beforehand the coven and the high priest and is then anointed with blood on the forehead and then the priest goes on to say: Our Dark Lord teaches us. There is no law beyond. Do what thou wilt. After the witch verbalises her devotion and promises to the dark lord it is then time to sign the Dark Lords Book Of The Beast.

The witches non dominant hand is slit with a dagger or athame and the blood it poured over the place where they are to sign. The witch then takes a pen that is fashioned out of some kind of bone and uses the blood as a means of signing their name. The new powers that are said to be granted are placed upon the witch so that they can be of service to their dark lord.

Attendees[]

Baptist[]

Candidate[]

Guests[]

Appearances[]

Part 1[]

Part 2[]

Trivia[]

  • According to Zelda, the eclipsing of a blood moon is stated to only occur once every 66 years. Furthermore, all the Spellmans before Sabrina have been baptized under a blood moon.[1]
  • According to Sabrina, a Dark Baptism is comparable to a Bar Mitzvah or a Quinceañera.[2]
  • In 2014 Chilling Adventure of Sabrina Issue #3, "Chapter Three: Unholy Baptism", Sabrina's baptism took place October 31, 1962 during the eclipsing blood moon on Samhain night. [3]
    • In the comics, the Dark Baptism is alternately called "Unholy Baptism" and "Witch's Confirmation". [3]
    • According to Zelda, the ceremony customarily take place on the first full moon after a witch's 16th birthday. Conveniently, Sabrina's falls not just on a full moon, but a blood moon (October) during a lunar eclipse on Halloween![3]
    • In the comics, it was Ambrose who picked the billy-goat named Baphomet from Farmer McGinty. [3]
    • The ceremony was celebrated by The Queen of the Sabbath instead of an High Priest. [3]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Aguirre-Sacasa, Roberto (writer) & Krieger, Lee Toland (director) (October 26, 2018). "Chapter One: October Country". Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Part 1. Episode 1. Netflix.
  2. Aguirre-Sacasa, Roberto (writer) & Krieger, Lee Toland (director) (October 26, 2018). "Chapter One: October Country". Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Part 1. Episode 1. Netflix.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Aguirre-Sacasa, Roberto (writer) & Hack, Robert (Artist) & Morelli, Jack (lettering) (May 27, 2015). "Issue #3". Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Issue #3. Volume 1. Archie Comics.
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