Shunning is a magical act utilized by the nine covens of New Orleans, all of whom practice Ancestral Magic, in order to punish a witch who has broken their laws.
Crimes punishable by shunning can be anything from practicing Dark Magic to killing a fellow witch. Witches who have been shunned by the community have their communication with their Ancestors completely cut off and stripped off additional power granted by the Ancestors such as the Regency, and they will essentially be banished from their community. According to Vincent Griffith, the nine covens treat shunned witches as though they had never been born, completely erasing their existence from their history.