When I first used this in my podcast, it took me about 15 recordings before I could say parts of this without stumbling over my words or having my voice crack. Not because we have a history — but because of what that history is.
Several of us have shirts that say, “They didn’t kill witches. They killed women.” And that is absolutely the truth. The majority of the women and men who were killed as witches didn’t see themselves that way. They were healers, herbalists, midwives, truthsayers, and in some cases, just parents with angry children.
This is a lot to hold — but to call ourselves witches, we must understand the path that was forged before us.
Ancient History of Magick
In the rich tapestry of ancient Greco-Roman traditions, magicians were believed to possess esoteric knowledge and the ability to harness power from a diverse array of polytheistic pantheons. These individuals often served as healers, diviners, or spiritual intermediaries, and were both respected and feared for their perceived access to the unseen world.
This perception of magicians as wielders of supernatural abilities can be traced even further back to early civilizations across Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Northern Europe, where people sought divine or supernatural assistance to navigate everyday life. Whether it was for health, fertility, protection, love, or justice, magickal practice was deeply intertwined with their religions, reflecting a universal human desire to influence fate by appealing to the divine.
We see clear documentation of this in 1st-century CE Greco-Egyptian pap(i)yri, one is the Greek Magical Pap(i)yri or the PGM, but there are various pap(i)yri that include rituals, invocations, and spell formulas calling upon deities like Hekate, Hermes, Isis, and Selene. These ancient texts preserve instructions for everything from summoning spirits to protection charms and love spells to dream divination.
In ancient Greece, the goddess Hekate stood at the crossroads of magick, death, and transformation. She was invoked in spells for protection, guidance, and necromancy, and of course remains one of the most enduring deities associated with witchcraft today.
In the Norse and Germanic traditions, seers and sorcerers — often called völvas (VOHL-vahs) or seiðkonas (SAYTH-koh-nahs) — practiced a form of magick known as seiðr (SAYTH-er). This included trance work, prophecy, spirit communication, and weaving fate. Freya is said to be the original teacher of seiðr (SAYTH-er) and Odin himself was said to have practiced it, despite its strong association with feminine power — showing that spiritual authority often crossed gender lines, even in ancient times.
Altogether, the documentation of magical practices in ancient texts, carvings, and oral tradition across cultures shows that what we call witchcraft today was once a vital part of religious and cultural life. Far from fringe, these practices were part of everyday reality — a way to survive, thrive, and stay connected to the divine.
Did you know love spells were once so popular in Rome that some were written on lead tablets and thrown into wells to reach the underworld?
In ancient Rome, magic spells, charms, and amulets were widely used. People turned to magic to gain an advantage over rivals in war and love. It was believed that these magical practices could influence the outcome of events and bring success.
Even in popular Christian religious texts, we see a connection between astrology and spirituality.
One example is in the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi—often translated as ‘wise men’—follow a star to locate Jesus at his birth. This act of celestial navigation highlights their astrological expertise, as they interpreted the movements of the stars as significant indicators of earthly events. This comes from cultures where astrology was a respected practice, the Magi believed that celestial phenomena carried messages from the divine.
Their journey symbolizes an intertwining of the cosmos and spirituality, illustrating how the study of the heavens has historically influenced our understanding of unexplainable life events.
Christian Demonization and Witch Trials
As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, it wasn’t just a spiritual movement — it was also a cultural and political force. Paganism, which included a wide range of localized beliefs, rituals, and practices, posed a threat to the Church’s effort to establish a unified doctrine and religious authority.
To gain control and discourage competing spiritual systems, early Christian missionaries and leaders began labeling pagan practices — including magics like divination, herbal healing, ancestor work, and honoring of gods, goddesses, or nature spirits — as demonic or satanic. This wasn’t because the practices themselves had changed to something “unholy”, but because the power structures of the new religion needed to redefine them as dangerous or heretical.
By the 4th century CE, after Christianity became the state religion under Emperor Constantine, the line between religion and magic was deliberately drawn. Practices that once lived comfortably within spiritual traditions were now recast as acts of rebellion against the Christian God. Healing became “witchcraft,” astrology became “sorcery,” and wisdom keepers were turned into heretics.
This shift wasn’t just theological — it was deeply political. By criminalizing these traditions, the Church not only gained spiritual authority, but also erased the cultural and sacred knowledge systems of entire communities, particularly those led by women, elders, or other marginalized voices.
That leads us to the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, where the battle between magick and religion intensified.
Deuteronomy 18:10–12: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord;”
Leviticus 19:31: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.”
Exodus 22:18: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
During the Middle Ages, witchcraft became a tangled mix of fear, folklore, and superstition. Beginning in the early 13th century, the Inquisition was formed to target heretical, Non-Catholic, Christian sects & groups and by the 1300s, its focus expanded to include folk practitioners and early accusations of witchcraft.
Here we are looking at roughly 800 years ago.
While the Church increasingly viewed magical practices as dangerous or heretical, everyday people still turned to local healers, midwives, and other “cunning folk”, (wise folk) for help with childbirth, illness, or crop protection. These practitioners often worked with herbs, charms, and whispered prayers that blurred the line between folk belief and forbidden magic.
It was also during this time that the idea of the witch’s familiar took hold — small animals believed to be magical companions or spirit allies. While cats and toads were the most commonly accused, historical records from Scotland describe witches claiming hares, bees, and even invisible fairies as their familiars. These beings were said to aid in spellwork, carry messages, or offer protection — and their presence only added to the Church’s growing suspicion. In truth, many of these “familiars” were likely metaphors for intuition, ancestral spirits, or animal allies during pest infestations — but in a time of fear, metaphor became accusation, and folklore became evidence.
In the mid-fifteenth century, Christian authorities in Europe began to conduct widespread trials and executions of alleged witches, resulting in the famous European witch trials. Tens of thousands of people, mostly women, were accused of practicing witchcraft and faced torture and death.
One pivotal moment in the persecution of witches was the publication of “Malleus Maleficarum” or “The Hammer of Witches” in 1486. This book perpetuated the belief that witches were a threat to Christianity and must be hunted and killed. Its influence led to numerous witch trials and mass executions.
This was in 1486—just 539 years ago.
This book, although technically banned by the Church in 1490, was still reprinted another 13 times in the next 40 years and is known to have caused, at least, these documented mass deaths:
- 1515 Geneva, Switzerland – 500 accused witches were burned at the stake
- 1526 Como, Italy – Charges lead to 1,000 executions
Many individual deaths were never documented.
Then in France in the early 1570’s a Witchcraft hysteria led to claims of over 100,000 witches “roaming the countryside”.
In 1580, Jean Bodin wrote “On the Demon-Mania of Sorcerers” after which the gates opened for children testifying against parents, entrapment of witches, and torturous devices being used on the accused. And after this, Protestant religions took on the mantle of hunting witches as well.
So between 1500–1660 it is estimated that 50,000–80,000 suspected witches were executed, including estimates of:
- A mere 4, in Ireland
- But 1,000 in England
- And 4,400 in Scotland
- Over 10,000 in France
- Germany’s execution rates rose higher than the rest of the combined continent with over 26,000 executions.
The witch trials were not limited to Europe. By the 1680s, the “Enlightenment Period” led to the end of witch-hunts in Europe, at a time when the hunts had quite literally jumped ship, and the mantle was taken up by the Protestant Church of the American colonies.
Now we’ve moved up to 360-380 years ago.
In the American colonies, the lesser-known Connecticut Witch Trials and the more infamous Salem Witch Trials resulted in the arrest, imprisonment, and execution of numerous individuals. Many of these were false accusations, and even some who may have practiced folk magic denied it to their bitter end. However, one woman accused in Salem claimed she had turned into a bluebird and flown out her window — it didn’t save her, but that testimony is still preserved in the trial transcripts.
Though we had much lower numbers here the hysteria surrounding witchcraft still led to the loss of innocent lives and left yet another dark mark on our history.
Documented deaths on the newly colonized soil were:
- In Connecticut (mid 1600’s):
- At least 11 people were executed.
- Alse Young holds the tragic distinction of being the first person executed for witchcraft in colonial America. She was hanged in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1647.
The Salem Witch Trials approximately 30 years later:
- 19 people were hanged on Gallows Hill
- And at least 5 others died in prison due to harsh conditions while awaiting trial before the proceedings were put to a halt and the rest of the accused were pardoned by the Superior Court of Judicature.
- And one man, a 71-year-old farmer named Giles Corey, was accused of witchcraft. When brought before the court, he refused to enter any plea. At the time, the law required a plea to proceed with a trial, so authorities used a brutal method known as pressing to try and force him to speak. He was stripped, laid on the ground, and a wooden board was placed on his chest. Heavy stones were gradually stacked on top each time he was asked to enter a plea. Over the course of two days, he responded only with, “More weight,” and he eventually died from the crushing pressure. Historians believe his refusal to plead was a calculated act—under colonial law, dying without a plea meant his estate couldn’t be confiscated by the state, allowing it to pass to his heirs. Giles Corey remains the only person in American history known to have been pressed to death by legal order in ANY trial.
America’s witchcraft trials came to an end in 1693—which was only 329 years ago.
The “Enlightenment Period” of the late 17th and 18th centuries then finally caught up with the Americas, and attitudes towards witchcraft began to shift. Rationality and skepticism gained prominence, leading to the decline of witch-hunting and a more secular worldview, leading us into the 1900’s.
✨ Magick – What’s With the K? ✨
Before heading into our more modern witchcraft, let’s answer a question that often sparks curiosity and confusion: What’s with the K?
Let’s start with the basics. When we spell it as “m-a-g-i-c” without the K, the #1 dictionary definition refers to “the art of producing illusions and entertainment through sleight of hand and conjuring tricks.” This is the magic we often see on stage, captivating audiences with its wonder. It’s all about the spectacle and delight of trickery, a form of entertainment that wows but doesn’t necessarily connect to any spiritual truths.
Now, when we switch to “m-a-g-i-c-k” with the K, it takes on a different meaning.
While it may still refer to magic in an archaic sense, in the context of modern Paganism and other magickal traditions, “magic-k” carries a deeper significance.
The notable figure who popularized the use of the K in magick is Aleister Crowley. He was a very influential occultist and founder of Thelema, a philosophy centered on discovering and aligning with one’s True Will — your deepest, divine purpose in this lifetime. For my mentees, this is what we refer to as the higher self and the coven refers to as sovereignty, which is living in alignment with our true or higher self and our own divine mission, free from imposed dogma, basically “this is the truth don’t question it”.
Now, Crowley used the term “magic-k” to describe practices and rituals aimed at aligning oneself with this true purpose in their life. By incorporating the K, Crowley sought to highlight the spiritual and transformative nature of magick, setting it apart from entertainment and highlighting its role in personal and spiritual evolution.
Whether you choose to use the K or not in your own practice, the intent and dedication to personal growth remain at the heart of it all. We do use it in the coven, so try to embrace the distinction and let it guide you in your spiritual journey.
The 20th Century Revival
Fast forward to the 20th century, and we begin to witness a true shift — a resurgence of interest in magick and witchcraft.
And here’s a powerful marker in that journey: This is why I was giving dates 🤣 It’s been just 74 years since the English Parliament finally repealed its last laws against witchcraft, in 1951.
Let that sink in — only 74 years ago, it was still illegal in parts of the Western world to openly identify with or practice what many of us do today without fear.
Now, that repeal marked a turning point. It opened the door for Wicca, Paganism, and modern witchcraft traditions to step out of the shadows. It allowed for public conversation, books, rituals, and eventually, legal recognition. It paved the way to the second half of the 20st century where we start seeing a resurgence of new types of Paganism, which is documented as Neopaganism.
The movement has seen the likes of prominent figureheads playing crucial roles in this resurgence:
- Gerald Gardner (Modern Wicca – ~1951) Introduced modern Wicca as a nature-based, initiatory religion rooted in ceremonial magic and had a duotheistic structure with a Horned God and Triple Goddess; influenced by British folk practices.
- Alex Sanders (Alexandrian Wicca – ~1963) Founded Alexandrian Wicca, blending Gardnerian structure with ceremonial magic and a strong focus on psychic development and more emphasis on high ritual, blended with personal mystical experience.
- Zsuzsanna Budapest (Dianic Wicca – ~1971) Created Dianic Wicca, a feminist tradition that honors the Divine Feminine and centers women’s spiritual experiences It is Goddess-exclusive, women-only circles, and it often emphasizes activism and women’s empowerment.
- Raymond Buckland (Seax Wica – ~1973) Adapted Gardnerian Wicca into Seax Wica, a tradition inspired by Saxon Paganism and polytheism. Seax Wica emphasized individual autonomy and open rituals.
- Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts (McFarland Dianic – ~1975) Co-founded McFarland Dianic, they opened the tradition that honors both god and goddess, opened the doors to women and men joining, while preserving the feminist spiritual values that Zsuzsanna Budapest founded.
These are all based on their own form of following and religion, but their contributions and teachings brought witchcraft and Wicca into the public eye, and Wicca has recently been accepted by the IRS and other sources as a true religion and their symbolisms have been added to databases for religious markings, including with the U.S. Military.
It is important to note here that while Wicca is a religion, witchcraft in and of itself is not, it is a practice. You can be both. You can be either/or. Some of us may call on various Goddesses and Gods for assistance, but it is a practice of beliefs in one’s natural ability, and in the elements surrounding us. But because of the modern witchcraft movement bringing Wicca to the forefront as a religion, we can come out openly in society and say, “I am a witch.”
I generally say, “I’m Pagan,” because it is better understood and I do follow the old ways. But even though many in society may not understand, many in our own family or friendship circle may not understand, we are able to gather again and not be in hiding.
We have our coven and Facebook and blogs and Instagram and podcasts and everything else to connect to our kindred. We are no longer legally persecuted and hunted.
Closing
Imagine yourself along the points of this path we discussed today. It might have once seemed like a path less traveled, but now you know millions before us have marked it clearly. Millions after us will follow our marks on the path, following the legacy we leave behind. We no longer have to hide in the shadows. Today, it is safe to walk our own path. To step into the light. To claim our place. To say, I am here. I am whole. I’m a witch.
We’ve walked through millennia of fear, fire, wisdom, and resilience — from ancient temples and crossroads to courtroom transcripts and burning stakes. We’ve seen how magick was once sacred, then demonized, and now it’s slowly being reclaimed. We no longer walk alone.
To call ourselves witches today isn’t just about what herbs we burn or how we cast a circle. It’s about remembering the people — especially the women — who were silenced for the very things we now hold sacred: intuition, healing, connection to spirit, and alignment with the natural rhythms of the Earth.
It’s about reclaiming words that were used to shame us, and turning them into banners we raise with pride. It’s about choosing to live aligned with our higher selves, our sovereignty, our truth — even when others misunderstand it.
And it’s about community — because now we don’t have to walk alone. We gather in circles like this one. We speak, we witness, we remember, and we rise.
So today, I invite you to hold one question close:
🕯️ What legacy do you want your practice to leave behind?🕯️
Let your answer shape not just your craft, but your voice — your presence, your purpose, and the path you walk from here.