Maybe change the load order? I use them and have no problem with them.

I guess it depends on what you imagine the source of your witches' power to be? I have three different types of witch/magic user in my game, Type A, which is generally the only type of magic user in neighbourhoods where they exist (though all three couple live in one neighbourhood, I guess, if I wanted them to), and Types B & C, which kind of go together.

Magic User Type A's are green-skinned female part-aliens, with a direct green-skinned female line of ancestors back to one of the pollination technicians. They don't require reagents to cast spells, have level 10 magical ability, but can only cast a limited range of spells, all of which have an effect on sims' thoughts or behaviour. So spells like Compelle Acceptus, Macroanimus, Spiritus Poultria and other such spells. I regard them as being something that certain sims are biologically capable of doing, due to a different in brain structure/processing - they don't have to learn how to do them, and they only require the power of their own minds to make them happen.

Magic User Type B's are elves/fae. I never have more than one of them in a neighbourhood, and I have many neighbourhoods where they don't exist. Their role is to run the magical "university", where Type C sims can study (at great financial cost), and they also run the magic shop, where Type C sims can shop for reagents and other magical items. They are immortal, infertile and very powerful users of magic - they can use all spells, right up to level 10, and don't require reagents, as their magic is an innate ability.

Magic User Type C's are "normal" sims who have inherited or randomly been born with magical abilities. As teens they discover their potential, but they can't actually cast spells unless they study under the tuition of a Type B elf/fae when they are a YA. They can only build their magical skill (using the podium) whilst resident in Magic Town studying magic, so the level that they reach at the end of their studies is as high as they will ever get. They can't progress beyond Level 7 of magical skill (I think it's level 7, it's been a while since I played them), and there are two subtypes - "witches" and "wizards" - which are loosely based on Discworld/Terry Pratchett type magic. Witches are very earth-based, perform practical spells like clearing leaves, creating food etc. Wizards are more showy, and perform spells like teleporting and summoning sims and servants. They do have to use reagents, which they can make themselves using the cauldron or purchase from the magic shop in Magic Town.

So, this got kind of long! But that's why some of my witches don't use reagents, anyway :-D Oh, and to remain slightly on topic, only my Type B elves/fae and Type C "witches" can cure sickness using magic!

My magic-users need reagents for some things and not others. Their powers vary according to group (I have four categories of magic-users at the moment, only three of which ever use the built-in magic mechanic and only two of whom require it) include a number of things not coded into the game, but for everything that is coded into the game, I leave the reagent requirement as-is. This means they can't use spells to solve everything, spend a plausible (to me) time doing "magic-user preparation" stuff and are never totally powerless unless required by plot.

Merry Christmas 2020!

As we end 2020, I was looking back at my previous posts and realized how strangely ominous this was to what would be happening in real life one day. Who knew we would all be stuck with a global pandemic in real life in 2020?

For anyone curious. Yes I solved my in-game SIMS 2 pandemic of 2015 by:

(1) contact tracing and
(2) identifying infected sims
(3) social distancing infected non-playable sims from everyone else by building walls and fences around them, lcoking them in, and threw in some food, a bed, a toilet and shower and a TV. (Basically using the backyard of a playable sim's home business as a crude field hospital). And had an unqualified "doctor" spray them with the SimWardrobe/PaladinsPlace medicine sprayer.
(4) Putting playable sims on a stay-at-home lockdown and no interactions with the neighbors.

That was unintentionally fun.

But who knew we would all be in a global pandemic in real life one day and experiencing contact tracing, social distancing and lockdowns all over the world?
Life is strange, funny, and scary like that.