Levitation

Levitation
Power information
Effects	Defy gravity and float in the air at a particular height, chosen by the user
Trigger	Rise hands in the air Focus
Alignment	Neutral
Category	Supportive and Defensive Power

Levitation is the ability to propel oneself into the air and hover or move through the air slightly. It is primarily a defensive power used to avoid attacks. It is also a weaker version of Flight, a power which this ability can evolve into.

Description

"Levitating, not my favorite, it's very high"

—Sigmund

This power is initially triggered by the subconscious desire to protect or defend oneself, but when users become more experienced, they become able to activate this power through sheer act of will or by lifting both arms into the air.

Users can apply this power in a number of ways, giving themselves greater maneuverability in their environment, however, this is dependent on the strength and skill of the user. The user's movements will also appear to be fluid.

Powerful users can apparently stand on walls for as long as they need to. Phoebe Halliwell, one of the most experienced users of this ability, has done this.

Whilst levitating, maintaining ones concentration is paramount, because loss of concentration and insufficient reaction time will cause the user to fall to the ground, even if that user is skilled at breaking their fall by rising themselves upright when falling. However, on one occasion, Phoebe's levitation power kept her afloat after a powerful premonition caused her to levitate and knocked her semiconscious.

As mentioned above, levitation can be used in many different ways, below are some of the most common ways in which new and experienced users alike have used their power.

Hovering

Users can propel themselves into the air and suspend themselves above ground. This can be a useful application for experienced users or a restriction for new users who lack experience in using their new power. This ability is similar to Hovering, although it can be used at any height.

When Phoebe Halliwell first developed the power of Levitation, she was unable to control it properly and as such, could only levitate and hover. Nevertheless, she found it to be a very useful application of her fighting skills, using it to avoid attacks and to attack her enemies from above, usually by kicking them in the head. As she became more experienced, she became able to use it whilst meditating.

After obtaining her sisters' powers in the magical switch, Prue Halliwell used it to levitate over her opponents so she could attack them from above with another power, and to conduct aerial reconnaissance.

Rising

The Source of All Evil using this ability to lift himself up.

The power can be used to rise immediately upright when falling or after a fall. This normally occurs on reflex, usually in moments of strong fear or panic. However, it is also a skill a user can master over time and will be able to use through conscious effort. This is similar to Rising.

Phoebe's first use of rising was on reflex; she stopped herself from falling during a battle in a courtroom. However, she is now skilled enough to stop herself from falling on command, and has done so on a number of occasions. A notable instance was during a battle with the Source of All Evil, Phoebe levitated horizontally and kicked him, and then broke her fall by immediately lifting herself up with her levitation power.

Leaps

Phoebe leaping over the giant Golem Source.

Users can not only reach frighteningly tall heights, they also appear to be able to cover several feet with one leap, sufficient to cross a two-lane road. Banshees could cover several feet with a leap and were also shown able to leap to the top floor of a three story building, while Phoebe has shown that she can leap much further. Using this aspect, users can leap in any direction they want.

Some users can use it as a form of transportation, as Banshees have done. The downside of it is that the user will have to periodically make contact with the ground to continuously launch him or herself to their destination; the rarity of these contacts solely depends on how far they are going. Before Neena gave a portion of the Source's power to all demons, Banshees used this aspect to get around, whether to escape danger or pursue their prey, but when the Source of All Evil's magic combined with theirs, their levitation power evolved to flight.

Gliding

"Eleventh grade levitation. She's late."

—Sigmund speaking about a student seen levitating.

When users become more experienced, they can learn to glide through the air, traveling from place to place – whether it be short of long distances, without the feet ever touching the ground. This ability is similar to Floating, although it can be used at any height.

When the Charmed Ones first visited Magic School they saw a female student levitating her way to class while reading a book. Sigmund, who also possessed the power of Levitation, commented that it was 11th grade levitation and that the student was late. Sigmund could use his levitation power to glide through the air. He used it to travel across the magic school library. However, he admitted that levitation was not his favorite gift, as he was afraid of heights.

When new to her power, Phoebe was unable to move horizontally, so Prue would use Telekinesis to maneuver her into the right direction. However, within a couple of months, Phoebe was able to move around naturally, combining her power more and more with her martial arts. This contributed greatly to her skills in hand-to-hand combat and enhanced her chance of diverting demonic threats. As she got stronger, Phoebe became able to glide herself and another being through the air slightly. Phoebe proved this when she levitated herself and a weatherman and glided over a divider wall partition in the KLMV newsroom.

Selective Levitation

"I can lift us, but I can't get us all the way across the room."

—Phoebe upon lifting Paige's orb-shield.

Levitation can be extended to levitate things one is in physical contact with; this includes things so large and heavy that the person or being does not have the strength to move them physically. How long the possessor can keep something levitated depends on what the possessor is lifting: for example; the possessor can lift a pillow for an extensive period of time or lift someone for a short period of time.

Phoebe learned to use her levitation power to levitate objects and other people with her. She first used this aspect of her power to levitate herself and a weatherman, and again when she levitated a pillow she was sitting on. However, Phoebe can now take heavier/larger things with her when she's levitating; she proved this when she levitated an Orb Shield which contained herself, her two sisters and Leo. Sometime later, while battling Murray she levitated and glided herself and Leo out of the path of a falling tree.

In an alternate future of 2009, Phoebe had used this aspect to levitate Cal Greene as she kills him with her Empathy power. On this occasion, Phoebe did not make physical contact with Cal however, her magic did, which evidently was enough for her to levitate him. This revealed how strong her power had grown.

Usage in Combat

"I could levitate and kick you."

—Phoebe telling Natalie how she would attack.

This power is a very strong defense, allowing one to merely jump out of the way of a threat, whether it be demonic or human. The possessor can avoid demonic assaults and offensive powers, such as energy balls and fireballs. This power can also be used in an offensive manner, such as rising in the air and kicking an individual. The possessor can also barrage and whiplash opponents.

It is important to note that Levitation is always accompanied by Enhanced Agility, because the possessor can do a lot more than the aforementioned, they can also perform incredible athletic maneuvers. However, the athletic maneuvers one can perform depends solely upon the control one has over their power of levitation.

Like Phoebe, Yen Lo and An Ling were trained to incorporate levitation with martial arts and to use them simultaneously in combat. They each have been known to perform complicated sequence of gymnastic stunts such as flips, aerial rolls, and aerial spins. Furthermore, all three can maintain their equilibrium on any surface that they levitate onto. For example, Phoebe and An Ling can both stand sideways on a wall.

After Rennek switched magic, Prue started to manifest her sisters' - The Charmed Ones - magical abilities, and actually took the use of Levitation in combat one step further by levitating over her opponents (so she could attack them from above with another power) and to conduct aerial reconnaissance.

Power Development

Flight

An Ling and Phoebe flying to the clouds with Piper and Paige, because of the powerboost in Limbo.

Users of levitation can have their power augmented into flight through a couple different methods, though all of these methods seem to be temporary. However, given time, levitation can naturally grow into flight for some beings.

One of the ways in which Levitation can temporary evolve into flight is by entering Limbo. Because metaphysical and magical rules are amplified in Limbo, the magical powers of those who visit it are augmented. Yen Lo, Phoebe and An Ling are all examples of this, when they entered limbo their levitation power did not advance, but rather evolved into Flight. In fact, Phoebe and An Ling entered and exited Limbo together, however, because Yen Lo was the first to enter, he was the first to discover that beings in possession of a Levitation can fly whilst in Limbo.

Years later, Phoebe's levitation power evolved again. However, this time it grew into an extreme form of flight, taking her from one city to another in a blink of an eye. This evolution was caused by Prue and Paige meeting which destabilized the Power of Three. To reverse the effects, Prue stripped herself of her powers with a power stripping potion.

While inside the Nexus of the All, Phoebe was able to use her powers to their full potential, granting her the ability of Flight. Inside the dome, she was able to fly at will and was strong enough to carry Piper and Paige with relative ease. According to Prue, the dome let her tap into the point her power will grow to, but it will take some time for her power to grow to that level naturally. Phoebe also learned that she will only be able to use it for brief amounts of time.

Another way to evolve levitation into flight is by absorbing a large amount of power. After the Charmed Ones vanquished the Source, Neena cast a spell to share the Source's power with her demons, which included the Banshees. This unnaturally power boost evolved her Banshees' powers of levitation into flight.

List of beings who use(d) Levitation

Original power

• An Ling
• Yen Lo
• Katya
• Necron
• Banshees
• Sigmund
• Phoebe Halliwell
• Gypsy Hunters

Through spell, potion, power stealing, etc.

• Tuatha
• Mitzy Stillman
• Prue Halliwell
• Paige Matthews

Powers related to Levitation

Projective Levitation

Ariel levitating her candles.

Projective Levitation is the ability to levitate people and/or inanimate objects into the air without physical contact. This may even include things so large that the person does not have the strength to move them physically. Users can impart momentum on the person or objects they have levitated allowing them to throw them across short distances, but only in on upward motion.

Floating

The ability to float a few inches or feet in midair. Seekers are known to have this power.

Hovering

The ability to float in midair, sometimes through orbs. This power is mainly used by Whitelighters and Whitelighter-Witches.

Gallery

The Levitation article has a Photo Gallery.

Notes and Trivia

• This is Phoebe's first physical power; she levitates for the first time in "The Honeymoon's Over".
• In "Once Upon a Time" Phoebe levitates on command for the first time (rather than as a reflex).
• In "Power Outage", Phoebe was able to move sideways during Levitation for the first time and could glide short distances. In the episode "The Fifth Halliwheel", Phoebe was able to levitate and glide backward.
• It is unclear exactly how this power is a natural advancement of Phoebe's premonition power. One possibility is that she is seeing events from a different physical perspective, while her premonitions allow her to see things from a different temporal perspective.
  • Another possibility could be that both powers provide some type of defense mechanism as premonitions allows her to see the danger ahead of time while levitation can literally move her out of danger (most notable in The Honeymoon's Over, Sense and Sense Ability, and Last Witch Effort). This also extends to her empathy power as well since she can feel and know a person's intentions.
• Phoebe's use of Levitation could be an aspect of Transvection, which is a perceived ability of Flight through the use of psychic thought and projection. This could make sense as Phoebe's powers are all mental-based.
  • Telekinetics can use their power to achieve aspects of Levitation. This allows them to defy gravity momentarily but does not allow sustained hovering.
  • The physical trigger of raising the arms bears a resemblance to telekinesis being used to lift oneself in the air.
• Phoebe's younger sister, Paige Matthews, gained this ability from her for a day in 2001, while her eldest sister, Prue Halliwell, gained it from her in 2009 for approximately six months.
• It was thought that the Source of All Evil used Levitation to rise himself up after Phoebe kicked him over in "Charmed and Dangerous", However, the hand gestures that he used (placing his hands behind him and pointing them directly at the ground) and the fact that he possessed telekinesis pointed to the possibility of him using Telekinesis not Levitation. In fact, the only time he was ever seen directly using Levitation was in one of Phoebe's premonitions after he stole her powers.
• This power may be one of the least used on the show, presumably due to the cost of budget.
• When a student levitates down the main hallway at the Magic School in "The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell", Sigmund called it levitation. Nevertheless, the effect itself looked more like floating.