The Rebirth of Witches: Understanding the Painful History of Witchcraft

From Hocus Pocus to The Wizard of OZ, witches have been a part of American Halloween culture since the 19th century, but does anyone really know their dark origin story? 

As Halloween approaches and the seasonal spirit possesses us all, it is important to highlight the pain and suffering thousands of men and women went through decades ago so we could enjoy Hocus Pocus 2 and buy our annual Cinnamon Witch Brooms from Trader Joe’s. Get ready for a deep dive into the history of witches and unravel layers of injustice and suffering.

In the late 1400s, European women who practiced witchcraft and called upon spirits for guidance identified themselves as natural healers. These women often used spellbooks in order to naturally heal, something the common folk did not understand, reveals the History Channel.

Because of this, the natural healers were heavily misunderstood and people assumed they were doing the devil's work, assigning them the name “witches,” a term connected to the bible.

Source: Etsy

Back in the day, the patriarchy was threatened by intellectual women. They created the connection between these naturally spiritual women and the evil biblical witches. Many wise women were questioned and tortured into confessing that they were witches, even if they weren’t.

This led to the death of nearly 80,000 suspected witches between 1500 and 1660, with Germany and Ireland with the highest execution rates. The prosecution of witches didn’t stop there though, in fact, most of the ideas we associated with witches in the media come from stereotypes developed in the American colonies.

In Massachusetts, three young girls randomly suffered from uncontrolled screaming and body contortions, symptoms that had not been linked to anything prior to 1682. It is now believed that these girls were poisoned by a fungus, but back then people believed that witches were responsible for the girls' strange behavior.

Three women were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death following investigations, starting what we all know as the Salem Witch Trials. Bridget Bishop was the first to be hung in Salem, followed by 18 other men and women accused of witchcraft. 

Source: History Extra

Netflix’s documentary Inside the Mind of a Cat provides insight into why witches are always accompanied by a black cat and a broom. The intellectual woman mentioned earlier knew that cleanliness leads to good health, so they often had cats to ward off rodents and bugs and crafted brooms to sweep their everyday messes.

The dark clothing and black cat come from their early association with Paganism and the Devil. Because of this level of organization and manner, mixed with their talented techniques and natural healing techniques, the modern witch was born. 

Luckily for today's Americans, we get to enjoy witches and their quirks instead of having to sit through their unruly prosecution.

Source: Gypsy Wolf

Humans can now embrace witchcraft as it is much more accessible and generally a welcoming community among the younger generations. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have allowed witchcraft to flourish with educational videos inviting individuals to try it out for themselves.

It is important to understand the historical context of witches before diving into a cauldron of movies. Happy Halloween everyone!