News 12 ventured into the northern Hudson Valley woods to witness a white magic ritual, performed by real-life witches.

The ritual was performed by members of the Craft of the Wise.

During the ritual, the witches summoned the guardian of Earth’s four corners and called upon the moon goddess for protection.

Rachel Kelsey, 21, is one of the youngest members of the group, and says she has been casting spells since getting hooked on Harry Potter as a child. She plans on taking her passion for the occult into teaching others.

“I'm going to be teaching teen and kids classes. I want to create an environment where kids like me can learn things and feel open,” she says.

While many witches still meet at secret locations worldwide to celebrate their biggest annual holidays, in the Hudson Valley, more than 1,000 people recently packed the Palaia Winery in Highland Mills to mark the ancient spring celebration of Beltane.

The witches say they are misunderstood, but that they are your neighbors and they are here to stay.  They say most witches give back to the community and that witchcraft is really about helping people.