The Witch, The Wicca, and You: A Brief History of a Feminist Symbol

by Luiza Araujo 

Conjure in your mind an image of a woman framed by soft smoke that smells of incense, her lips smiling softly as she hums a simple melody and spreads her tarot cards out in front of her. It is easy to picture a familiar face, a friend or family member, charging crystals or drawing sigils. But, would you call this woman a witch? 

Even though the classic image of the witch – complete with warts, hats, and broomsticks – is European in origin, almost every nation on Earth has some witchery in its mythos. Witchcraft has always been linked to the elements and the magic of the Earth, serving as a way to connect with nature. It is easy to speculate that the practitioners of old were driven by the idea that there must be more to this world than what we see. 

This desire to understand the enigma of life is one that unites humanity on a deeper level. No matter who or where we are, everyone eventually struggles in dealing with the world around us. Most atheists, after all, once followed a religion. 

Witchcraft, on its own, is not a religion. It is, however, heavily associated with Paganism as both practices co-inhabited in the same time period. During the Christianisation of Europe, many Pagan dates and deities were appropriated to build the mythos of the new religion on the scene. One of those was The Horned God, an idol that has taken many forms across varied cultures for centuries. For Wiccans, the Horned God is the personification of the life force energy in animals and the wild, and, according to Wicca writer Doreen Valiente, “carries the souls of the dead to the underworld”. When its Pagan imagery became associated with the Christian devil, so did the practitioners of witchcraft. 

Witch-hunts are now seen as an attempt of men in power to control free women, use them as scapegoats for unexplained ailments, or get revenge over their own shortcomings as men by punishing a woman they believed had hexed them. 

After the famous trials of the Early Modern Period in Europe and colonial USA, witchcraft was bound with Satan worshipping in the eyes of the public, turning centuries-old traditions of connecting with nature into a taboo subject. 

It is natural, however, for people to turn to mystical solutions in times of desperate need. As mentioned previously, witchcraft is not a religion – it is the practice of magic and spell-work. Wicca, however, is believed to have originated in 1950’s England. Wicca was based on Pagan, pre-Christian beliefs and follows three main tenets: magic, respect for nature, and worship (mainly) of The Goddess. Today, Wicca is considered a form of modern witchcraft as it – unlike Paganism – does involve performing magical rituals alongside its worship rituals. 

As the world keeps turning, it is easy to look around us and see how unnatural our current existence has become. Between global warming, mass production of waste, and one of the worst drug epidemics in history (fueled by pharmaceutical companies we believed had our best interest in mind), it is not all that weird to go looking for a more natural lifestyle. 

Wicca has become a sort of ‘first-step’ into modern witchcraft, and recent studies do show the number of adepts has grown in the 21st century. Not all witches, however, follow Wicca or Pagan beliefs. There are, in fact, atheist witches and witches who dedicate themselves to their own deity, be it themselves, the moon, the city, their kitchen, or, in the case of’ ‘influencer witches’, their social media.

The modern witch can monetise their practice, similar to how (from the olden days to nowadays) a witch performs a ritual for a price. Anyone can take an online class on how to connect with their inner magic, begin their practice as a witch and buy the necessary ingredients and accessories for their rituals all in one website, like that of US-based witch Juliet Diaz. 

While spell-work and the Wicca faith are still alive and thrive today, people often find happiness and purpose in what they do even if they are not actively trying to perform a magic spell and bend the very fabric of reality. We epitomise our own magic by connecting to the Earth and realising that we ourselves are a part of something greater, something magical. As Diaz told writer Bianca Bosker for her article ‘Why Witchcraft Is on the Rise’, published in March of 2020 by The Atlantic: a witch is simply “an embodiment of [a woman’s] truth in all its power”.