In a World of Witches & Witchcraft: Are You a Believer?

There are two types of people in this world: people who believe in mystical superstitions and those who think they’re ridiculous. With Halloween around the corner, I would like to take some time to discuss some superstitions of witchcraft, its history, the mass hysteria, modern media’s perception, those who chose to still practice it and how you can indulge safely.

You may not realize it but superstitions have been involved within our everyday lives. Things like not to split the pole, breaking a mirror giving you seven years of bad luck, opening an umbrella indoors, and crossing paths with a black cat is a warning from the universe. It makes you think to yourself well, where did this all come from? Instantly when witchcraft is brought up, many people think of it starting with the Salem Witch Trials. But it goes even further than that. Mentions of witchcraft begin within Greek mythology through the tales of Hecate and Circe. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, night and moon was the daughter of Asteria and titan Perses. Zeus had given her the power to rule over heaven, earth and sea with the ability to gift mortals with wealth, and blessings if she thought they deserved it. Circe, the goddess of sorcery, was the daughter of Helios and Perse. Circe had the power to transform into other animals whilst working with herbs and potions. Then, mortals praised witchcraft for how it could help them when they are desperately in need. Family member fell ill? Witchcraft can help that. Yearning for more wealth and riches? Witchcraft can help with that. Although their magic was keeping townspeople happy, all good things must come to an end.

After the invention of the printing press, copies of the bible expanded as well as the influence of Christianity. The importance of deities to mortals began to dwindle as the presence of God and religious purity initiated regulations on the mortals' beliefs. In 1490, two authors by the names of Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger created a book called Malleus Maleficarum. Translated to “Hammer of Witches,” this book gives the foundations on how to catch a witch, what you should do if you capture one and how witches are servants of the devil. The popularity of this book commenced, and created mass hysteria upon witchcraft. Women and young girls were accused of sorcery by men who followed the foundations of Malleus Maleficarum. Once they were accused, they would be stripped and searched for a witch's mark and put on trial. If found guilty they would then be burned at the stake.

Mortals thought that witchcraft was the greatest fear to human kind. They worried that witches and the devil were forming an army to take over society. Lost in guidance they looked toward religious figures. The ideology of witches and sorcery was soon feared by all. What they once depicted as graceful, seductive and alluring became decaying, repulsive and maleficent. With that, the belief of witchcraft had died out.

Witchcraft soon again became revived throughout its portrayal in hollywood. Earlier media usually characterized witches as old, unattractive and evil. Let’s take the Wizard of Oz (1939) Wicked Witch as an example. They made her skin green, given her a large nose, thick eyebrows and a huge mole. Another example would be the Evil Queen from Snow White (1937) Where she was depicted as a mean, old woman, with a large nose, missing teeth and a green mole. The amount of influence the dark past of witchcraft has negatively impacted the overall image of witches and witchcraft as a whole. As time went on, television shifted off into a more modern ideology. It branched out to different envisions of witchcraft and less of a negative traditional viewpoint showing that they can use that power for good. Shows and movies like (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Practical Magic, American Horror story, The Vampire Diaries, etc.) Also it became really popular within social media like tiktok. Many people use social media platforms to share their experiences on whichever form of witchcraft they practice. There are also various groups of people who like to use the laws of attraction to manifest what they desire.

Overall, If you do choose to partake in witchcraft, I highly recommend researching what group of witchcraft you believe is perfect for you. Love plants? Become a green witch! Want to work with deities like Circe and Hecate? Become Pagan! There is so much out there for everyone to enjoy, All you have to do is find what works best for you. Nonetheless, enjoy this October with witches in mind.