Whitelighter

A Whitelighter is a special type of guardian angel who protects and guides good witches or future whitelighters to protect and nurture them for their intended destiny. They have many magical powers which include Healing, Orbing, Hearing Calls from charges and sensing their charges. The whitelighters are hired to guide charges by the Elders, although sometimes it happens randomly.

Description
Whitelighters are "guardian angels". They watch over their charges, given by the Elders and intervene when necessary to help them along their path and keep them safe; they can also be called by their charges. They can constantly hear the lives of their charges in their heads, and if one of them calls their Whitelighter's name, he/she can usually show up at a moment's notice. They also serve as messengers between witches and the Elders (Leo helps the sisters by asking the the Elders when they need information that the Book of Shadows doesn't provide).

Leo has stated that a Whitelighter is connected to their charge naturally, and the elders don't always assign them. (Still Charmed and Kicking)

Whitelighters are people who were previously somehow connected to the magical world or who were generally good people that have died. They are given the choice to become Whitelighters or either move on to the afterlife.

If they do choose to become one, then, they are given the powers of a Whitelighter (such as orbing, healing, immortality, regeneration etc.) Their bodies are replicas of their former human bodies, but are composed of orbs which are described as white lights (hence the term Whitelighter) that have a healing sense to them. If struck by a power that would usually kill a mortal (for example, an energy ball or molecular combustion), their bodies will explode into orbs then reform relatively unharmed; they can, however, be knocked unconscious. After becoming a Whitelighter, the person's DNA will have a triple helix like that of witches and demons, not just two like mortals.

Though the two species are capable of interbreeding, Whitelighters are not normally allowed to have romantic relationships with witches as it is deemed to be too complicated and dangerous by the Elders. There are several half-Whitelighters due to this rule being broken or lifted in special circumstances by the Elders. The four known half-Whitelighters are Simon Marks, Paige Matthews, Wyatt Halliwell and Chris Halliwell. All four display most of the abilities of Whitelighters. Wyatt is able to heal, and when Paige was new to her powers she could channel Leo's power of healing through her. When Paige got more experienced with her powers, by the 8th season, she gains the ability to heal by herself after experiencing a strong sense of love which is the trigger to healing someone.

Early on, it was not only forbidden, but unthinkable for Whitelighters and witches to have relationships, which resulted in Patty Halliwell and Sam Wilder giving Paige up for adoption shortly after her birth. However, this rule appears to have eased considerably by the present day, though the Elders do not allow them to actually become engaged or married unless they prove that they can balance their magical careers and their relationships, as shown in the case of Leo Wyatt and Piper Halliwell.

Because they are pacifists, Whitelighters traditionally avoid fighting, except when desperately needed to protect their charges, but are absolutely not allowed to kill. Leo tries to force Chris into a hearing with the Elders after he suspects (correctly) that Chris killed two warriors in Valhalla, and Leo himself brings balance back into the world of magic by doing a "Great Evil" in killing Gideon. Despite this rule, Leo has killed a few times as the Charmed Ones Whitelighter: while they were trapped in the past he vanquished the Grimlocks, however the Elders may have let that one go as he was all that was there at the time and had no choice and he vanquished the Siren. That one he personally did with Piper's molecular combustion power, but at the time he had no choice as Piper had his powers and they didn't have another method. He also aided the sisters in several vanquishes, not vanquishing demons himself, but usually aiding in some manner. In one instance, Leo teamed up with Cole and due to his lacking his own offensive powers and Cole unconscious, Leo was directly responsible for a demon vanquish by tricking another one into vanquishing his partner by orbing between them then out again when the demon fired a blast at him.

There is apparently an instruction manual for whitelighters, which is referenced several times, for example, in the season 5 episode "Sam I am" when talking about Paige's whitelighter abilities, Sam says "Didn't you read the manual?" It is also referenced by Leo, when he says the same line to Chris.

Powers and Abilities
Whitelighters have the ability to orb, a kind of magical teleportation. This comes in handy for visiting their many charges around the world, and in special circumstances (as Leo Wyatt states in Season 1 that it is "against the rules") to orb others with them. They can also orb objects around. Orbing can be disrupted by magic, sending someone to a place they did not intend to go. Whitelighters are also given the ability to sense people and other magical beings they are trying to find before going anywhere.

Healing is another special ability granted to Whitelighters, and is used when their charges have been injured. As long as there is the faintest breath of life left in a person, they can be healed from any injury, whether the injury is magical in origin or not, though they cannot heal self-inflicted damage. However, this power is channeled directly from the Elders. If the Elders do not wish for someone to be healed, a Whitelighter can do nothing about it. If the person being healed is resisting, the Whitelighter cannot heal their wounds until the person allows them to. A Whitelighter's healing ability is triggered by the emotion of love.

Among the other powers of Whitelighters are Hovering, and "cloaking" their charges (making others unable to sense or see them). Whitelighters are naturally linked to their charges so they can also Empathically feel what their charges feel (which, if not controlled, can actually hurt them), instinctively knowing if they are hurt or have been killed. They also have the ability to speak the language of their charges, whatever it may be, and possess their own sort of Omnilingualism.

When Leo is first introduced using his powers he was seen "healing" household appliances, light bulbs, and pipes, making Phoebe's tea hot again and refilling her water (Thermokinesis). In one episode during the first season where we first realize that Leo has powers, but not that he is a Whitelighter, we see him "heal" the Charmed Ones' Book of Shadows, which had been erased after the Charmed Ones used the spell to relinquish their powers to a warlock, thus rewriting the entire book and giving back the sisters' powers.

Whitelighters also have their own language, which sounds to human ears like a series of clicks and clacks but to them sounds like words.

Whitelighters have also displayed the ability to Glamour, which allows them to take the physical form of others. Many tend to confuse this with shapeshifting. Glamouring casts an illusion around the being, making it look like another, while shape shifting actually transforms the being into another. Paige also has this ability.

When Leo and Piper were 'handfasted' together in marriage, Leo was shown to create and manipulate balls of lights which they used since the power was cut. Paige has also shown this ability of photokinesis showing her boyfriend, later husband, that she was magical.

Whitelighters also have the ability to mimic certain demonic powers such as energy balls as Leo Wyatt does when he glamors into the demon Belthazor to train the sisters. Natalie also uses this ability while training the sisters to kill a powerful warlock named Eames. Natalie is a fellow Whitelighter and longtime friend of Leo Wyatt during both their Whitelighter years and human years when they fought together in World War II. While Whitelighters have the ability to mimic demonic powers, they are not allowed to use them unless they are training their witch charges. It is known, however, that the demonic powers that they mimic have little to no effect than they would if an actual demon were to use it. The ability to mimic demonic powers may be an extension of their glamoring power where whitelighters are able to help their charges visualize of an impending attack better using illusions.

Whitelighters have two of the three basic powers of a magical witch i.e. to use and make Spells and Potions. However, no whitelighter has been seen to have the ability to Scry unless they are also part witch. Though in the episode "Spin City" Leo Wyatt as an Elder has shown the ability to scry.

Whitelighters can pass some, and perhaps in some cases, all, of these abilities on to their offspring. Chris and Paige are able to orb and sense others, channel the ability to heal through another Whitelighter, heal on their own, and speak any language other than their own. Chris didn't display the power to Hover, though Paige has. They are, however, still very vulnerable to Darklighter Arrows. Paige heals Henry without channeling a Whitelighter's power during an emotional scene that unlocks her power (this could be the natural evolution of her witch powers that the Charmed Ones all have). Until that time, it was thought that half-Whitelighters can not heal, but now it is possible that Chris will eventually gain the healing ability as well.

Witch-whitelighters are shown to be immune from the effects of freezing, which comes due to their witch side.

Whitelighters are shown to use two or more powers at the same time ie. healing while in mid-orb. (However the orbing consequently is slower than usual)

As an extension of their Immortality Whitelighters are also able to reconstitute when blown up. This was first shown in the episode Exit Strategy when Leo his blown up by one of Raynor's energy balls and reconstitutes, unconscious but without a scratch.

Notable Whitelighters and Hybrids

 * Leo Wyatt - the Charmed Ones' former whitelighter, became a whitelighter in 1942
 * Sam Wilder - Patty Halliwell's former whitelighter, became a whitelighter between 1800's-1900's
 * Natalie - Leo's whitelighter friend, became a whitelighter in World War II
 * Paige Matthews - half-whitelighter/half witch, a Charmed One, a first generation part-whitelighter since birth
 * Wyatt Halliwell - half-whitelighter/half-witch, Twice-Blessed Child, part-whitelighter since birth
 * Chris Halliwell - half-witch/half-Elder, half-elder since birth
 * Danny - a whitelighter attacked by the Charmed Ones as Beasts
 * Marcus - a whitelighter attacked by the Charmed Ones as Beasts
 * Kyle Brody - Paige's ex-boyfriend, became a whitelighter in 2005
 * J.D. Williams - Sam's charge from 1956, became a whitelighter in 2005
 * Simon Marks - member of the Marks line of witches, half-witch/half-whitelighter since birth
 * Mikelle - Paige's charge, who later became a whitelighter in 2006
 * Matthew Halliwell - Leo and Piper's eldest grandson, a second generation half-witch/half-whitelighter since birth
 * Tamora and Kat Mitchell - daughters to Paige Matthews and Henry Mitchell, a second generation part half-witches/half-whitelighters since birth

Appendices

 * (Book of Shadows text:)

Tips for Future Whitelighters

 * To my sons, Wyatt and Chris.


 * Here is some information to assist and guide you
 * in the discovery of your new found powers.
 * The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so
 * you'll possess all the powers I have, and more.
 * Good luck...
 * When you're ready, you'll receive a call from the Elders.
 * Emotions are tied to your powers, use them to become stronger.
 * Don't worry, whitelighters can speak the language of their charges,
 * whatever it is.
 * Orbing: Concentrate, focus and relax, it'll happen.
 * Always remember your family is just as important as your calling.
 * If you feel out of balance, try meditating, it will help.
 * Know that love is the key to your healing hands.
 * Understand that whatever happens in the future, there is good
 * inside of you.


 * Love,
 * Dad