Witches

 
Incoming list of a handul of animes that I've watched that feature magical girls/witches: Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Card Captor Sakura, Soul Eater, Strike Witches, Witch Craft Works....actually let's stop there.  Witch Craft Works in a new anime this season and I really love it for a multitude of reasons...but the greatest reason being that they play off of historical facts.  The ending theme features the "bad" witches in different types of torture scenarios that witches were killed in during the old times.  I feel like these witches, as well as the ones from other animes (and american moves like Buffy the Teenage Witch) are stereotypes of witches.  They are all young, cute, and have the typical "witch" garb. 

 I felt Aunt Mariah was more of an archetype than a stereotype (especially upon comparing them to the witches in the anime I watch).  The witches just seemed more "traditional"- they varied in special skills even; some witches could time-shift and some could transform.  I find these witches to be much more believable as "witches".  I think the present day witches found in media are more of just magical girls than anything else...which is a lot less cool sounding.