Issue #53: All About Witches
My favorite Sanderson sister, a little history lesson, signs you might be a witch & an acronym we should all know
I’m not a huge Halloween fan. I rarely put on a costume or visit a haunted house. However, one area of the spooky season that always intrigues me is witches. I love the idea of magic in storytelling, and having characters with special powers is intriguing. Even if you aren’t into the spooky stuff, you can still celebrate the exciting history of witchcraft and the people who get spun up in it.
As I dove into more history, it quickly became one of those topics that simultaneously made me angry and intrigued. Women have been getting the short end of the stick for centuries in many different ways—this is just one example. But there are also some beautiful stories involving groups of women who rally together in “covens” and offer support.
So, I urge you to check and see if you have any mystic crosses on your palm (I have many) and do a little witchy deep dive with me today.
Witches of History
The actual origin of witches is debated. Some of the earliest records of witches include Bible stories, Homer’s Odyssey, and even some prehistoric Greek tablets. It was believed that some people were doing Satan’s work or contacting the dead. The stories typically involved a woman (or group of women) performing rituals and mixing concoctions that weren’t widely accepted by the masses.
During the 1400s in Europe, the hysteria took off. The witch hunts targeted single women, and many of them confessed (although it happened while being tortured) to multiple “wicked” activities.
The book Malleus Maleficarium (translates to The Hammer of Witches) by Heinrich Kramer was published in 1486. Kramer was a German Catholic clergyman. He presented his own opinions as if they were coming from the church. In the past, Kramer had gotten in trouble with the church for prosecuting witches. Many believe this book was his attempt at self-justification.
Regardless of how Kramer was perceived, the book was Europe’s second highest-selling book (after the Bible) for 100 years after publication. It became the handbook for witch hunts and shifted people’s views on witches from something minor to a real danger to society. These brutal witch hunts continued until the Age of Enlightenment started.
Tragically, many of the witch hunts ended with women being burned alive or hung. Some reports estimate as many as 80,000 women killed between 1500 and 1660. The phenomenon spread to the US in the 1600s when wars and disease ran rampant. Communities started to use witches as scapegoats and unfairly punish them in horrific ways.
The Salem Witch Trials are the most well-known witch trials in America. They took place in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. It started when two young girls began suffering from screaming fits and body contortions (believed now to have been caused by a poisonous fungus). Three women were accused of witchcraft, and one of them confessed and began accusing others. In the end, around 150 people were found guilty (including six men), and 18 were put to death.
Things started to die down, and laws were eventually enacted to protect people from being wrongly accused and convicted. There is definitely still a negative connotation about witches even though the common motto for Wiccans is “harm none.” This religious group was founded in the 1940s, and they call themselves witches. It’s less of a religion and more of a practice. Their practices involve natural remedies and practices meant to provide protection and the rituals that happen on the eight major holidays. We don’t know precisely how many there are, but reports estimate that there are around 1.4 million in the US currently.
No Spells Required: What Does The Modern Witch Look Like?
The days of burning witches might be behind us, but women still fight a battle in this world daily. A candidate for vice president just made negative comments toward women without children in 2024, so how much has it actually changed? There is a magical power in how women show up for each other.
I was thinking about this question when I heard a new song on my Spotify Discover Weekly, appropriately titled W.I.T.C.H. The lyrics never actually say the word “witch” but instead repeat the phrase “Woman In Total Control of Herself.” I love acronyms, and this was the perfect moment to hear this song.
For centuries, people assumed that women who chose an alternate lifestyle might be witches who were capable of cursing others and causing chaos within a community. They were ridiculed, hunted, and even murdered for taking a different path than the standard marriage and baby route.
There’s still a negative stereotype floating around about women who opt for a single life or skip the baby making. But men rarely face the same judgments and assumptions. I’d like to live in a world where everyone celebrates women for their differences and strengths, not just their “covens.”
Some articles refer to witchcraft as a form of feminism, but I think that’s an oversimplification because it’s a women-centric group. At its core, witchcraft is a spiritual belief system for over 1 million people in this country, and the Catholic Church is still publishing articles about it. It remains a fascinating part of our culture, and according to some, it’s growing.
My Favorite Fictional Witches
If you want to add witchy stories to your queue this week, here are a few of my favorite fictional witches.
Bonnie from The Craft—When I was younger, I watched everything with Neve Campbell in it, and The Craft was one of my favorite movies. Neve isn’t the main character, but she was my favorite. If you’ve never seen the movie, it’s about a girl with some telekinetic powers who starts at a new school. She finds three young women looking for a fourth for their secret rituals. It’s a great movie for this time of year.
Hilda and Zelda Spellman from Sabrina the Teenage Witch—These two aunties made me laugh as much as any sitcom character of the 1990s. I watched this show after school all the time, and while I don’t want to discount Melissa Joan Hart, I think these two women were the real stars of the show. They are both trying to raise this teenage witch and show her the way.
Mary Sanderson from Hocus Pocus—Growing up, everyone wanted to be Sarah Jessica Parker’s character or wanted to be the head bitch in charge, Winnifred, but now that I’m an adult, Mary is my favorite. She keeps things on track and is often the only one sticking to the task. Kathy Najimy is hilarious and her facial expressions and willingness to go along with all the madness perfectly balances the other two.
The Entire Group from Practical Magic—Do you know how often I’ve been with girlfriends late in the evening and thought of the midnight margaritas scene from the movie? It’s such a classic witchy scene. Who doesn’t want to dance around with badass women at midnight drinking margaritas?
Tabitha Lenox from Passions—This is a deep cut, but I know my college roommates will laugh out loud at this mention. Passions was a ridiculous soap opera that was at its height when I was in college in the early aughts. We would tune in many days in between classes and take in the wild storylines (even for soap operas.) Tabitha was the witch in town and had a strange little child sidekick named Timmy. I don’t know that she added anything to the storyline besides weirdness. But she did that well, and I’ll be forever grateful for the laughter she brought me.
Honorable Mentions:
Elphaba from Wicked—It’s coming out at the end of November, but if you’ve seen the Broadway show, you already know that people are in for a treat.
Taylor Swift during Willow at the Eras Tour—Sorry, I couldn’t resist. The song came on while I was writing this, and I got lost in the moment.
Agatha Harkness—We recently watched Wandavision (a sleeper hit in the Marvel Universe) and were introduced to Agatha Harkness. She has her own series now, and I cannot wait to dive in. Shout out to Elizabeth Olson’s character, Wanda, who is a badass witch herself.
Hermione Granger—Although I haven’t been thinking much about Harry Potter lately, I would hate to leave the sassy little witch who will always be my favorite character off this list. I also love all the witches on Voldemort’s side.
Strega Nona—I already wrote about my love for her in my ode to cozy season, but she’s a legend.
Inflation is the word on everyone’s tongue, but I found this article about how much you should pay for the basics fascinating. It made me feel so justified in my wine purchases.
Are you not done consuming content about what kind of fall you should have? Consider diving into a Meg Ryan fall.
I racked my brain trying to think of any books about witches that I love, and I felt like there was a hole in my game, so I saved this list. I’ve also been on hold for this book at the library for months. Hopefully, it will come in November.
Have you ever seen this witchy movie? I had not even heard of it until it was playing in the background of our girl’s night recently, and I might have to sit down and watch it.
If ghosts are more your vibe, check out ghost content here.
This is another reminder to get out and vote. Don’t wait, double-check your registration and make it happen.
Comment and tell me who your favorite fictional witch is. Am I missing someone obvious?
Cheers!
Steph
Reminder: Some of the links included are affiliate links. Purchasing through them may give me a few pennies, but it won’t cost you any extra. The pennies help me justify the time I spend watching bad TV to share with all of you. Another way to help is to share this, hit the like button, or even drop a comment with something you have loved this month. And if you’re inspired, you can pledge your support.