Rachel Boston, Julia Ormond, Mädchen Amick and Jenna Dewan Tatum star in “Witches of East End”

From Merlin to Harry Potter, it seems that fictional magicians spend much of their lives unaware of their potential.

Where Harry found out through a letter (after a series of attempts to deliver the envelope were foiled by his evil uncle), the magical Beauchamp sisters, titular characters of Lifetime's "Witches of East End," only found out about their abilities after one sister was kidnapped and their aunt, Wendy, was killed.

It's definitely not the ideal time to discover that you have incredible powers, but it is a fitting introduction to the mysterious and dangerous magical world Lifetime created over the first season of "Witches of East End." With a new episode set to air Sunday, Aug. 24, Lifetime is delving deeper into the world and the secrets of its inhabitants.

Giving life to the matriarch of the supernaturally talented family is Julia Ormond. Prior to stepping into Joanna Beauchamp's shoes, Ormond appeared in various movies and TV shows, including "My Week with Marilyn" (2011) and several episodes of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." As Joanna, Ormond wields an array of magical abilities. Her character used her thousands of years of life to hone her mystical abilities and can now move objects with her mind and heal others, among other fantastical talents.

Joanna’s sister, Wendy, is played by Mädchen Amick ("ER," "Twin Peaks"). Wendy had a falling out with her sister years ago, but turned up at Joanna's door at the beginning of season 1 to warn her sister that she was in danger. After redeeming herself in their mother’s eyes, Wendy helps teach Ingrid (Rachel Boston) and Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) to use their powers.

Boston and Dewan-Tatum are relative newcomers in the acting world. Boston’s first credit was on “The Andy Dick Show” in 2001, and Dewan-Tatum got her start a year later in 2002’s gender-bender comedy “The Hot Chick.” Ingrid is the elder sister, although she and Freya have lived multiple lives with each other, dying early only to begin the process anew. The dynamic between the two changes throughout “Witches of East End” as both sorceresses grapple with their abilities and their quickly changing world.

Throughout the course of the series so far, it's been revealed that Joanna Beauchamp is an immortal witch and she, along with her daughters Ingrid and Freya, were sent to Earth years ago. Freya and Ingrid have both lived various previous lives, having been cursed to be born again after their deaths. Joanna, believing that magic was somehow responsible for her daughters' dying young over and over, pledged to keep the secret hidden from them.

Julia Ormond as seen in “Witches of East End”

As with all well-meaning pledges, that backfired and she was forced to tell Ingrid the truth in order to save Freya from a furious past-life boyfriend. Later in the first season, the girls (and viewers) discovered their true past as citizens of the realm of Asgard.

Freya is set to marry the charming Dash Gardiner, played by the gorgeous "Days of Our Lives" alum Eric Winter, despite her growing and complicated feeling for his brother, Killian (Daniel DiTomasso, "Beauty and the Beast"), but her wedding day is fraught with omens of doom. As a counter to the bad mojo, Ingrid, Joanna and Wendy -- who was resurrected after her death in the pilot -- cast a blessing spell to protect Freya.

The problem is the spell causes Freya's bracelet -- a gift from her fiancé -- to fall off her arm, hinting that he was causing the problem. Freya is summoned by her father, Victor (Joel Gretsch, "The 4400") -- a denizen of Asgard who came to Earth to help his family -- who tells his daughter he doesn't trust Dash. Convinced she can't marry him, Freya breaks the news to Dash, who assumes it's Killian's fault and immediately seeks out his brother for revenge.

Around the same time, Wendy and Joanna found out that the saboteur who had been plaguing the family throughout season 1 is none other than Dash and Killian's mother, Penelope, played by Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen ("Sideways," 2004). After Joanna is attacked, the sisters team up to take down the threat and end up killing Penelope, releasing the pent-up power she stole from her sons.

In the midst of all this, Ingrid is held hostage and forced to open the portal to Asgard. The season ends on a cliffhanger after the portal is opened, with Dash believing he has killed his brother and the wedding all but forgotten.

Without saying too much about season 2, the cast participated in a San Diego Comic-Con panel and gave away quite a few spoilers, among them the fact the Killian was in fact alive and would be continuing his romance with Freya in the upcoming episodes. This is good news for the "Frillian" supporters in the crowd, although not so good for Dash. In more Freya news, we also find out about a new member of the Beauchamp family, Freya's twin brother Frederick (Christian Cooke, "Where the Heart Is"), who has been in Asgard while the bulk of his family was on Earth.

Loyal readers of the book “Witches of East End” by Melissa de la Cruz, on which the television series is based, might not be surprised by all of the plot twists the show pulls off. In the transition from paper to pixels, showrunners stayed fairly faithful to the source material throughout the first season. Among the differences between the two is the fact that, in the book, Ingrid and Freya were aware of their talents prior to the events of season 1.

Lifetime’s summer supernatural drama has received mixed reviews, although viewers of “Witches of East End” stayed faithful even when the show’s freshman season aired on the same night as AMC’s zombie hit “The Walking Dead.” The season 2 premiere brought in 1.2 million viewers, up to 1.5 million the following week. Keep up with the Beauchamps when a new episode of “Witches of East End” airs Sunday, Aug. 24, on Lifetime.