For centuries, the figure of the witch has been associated with fear. In fairytales, she often appears as a villain; in popular representations, she is portrayed as a mysterious woman wearing a pointed hat, and possessing supernatural, evil powers. However, this image is no longer the same. Through reinterpretations proposed by different feminist movements, the witch has also come to represent female resistance and freedom.
This transformation of the collective imagination raises a question: why has a figure historically associated with evil come to be embraced as a symbol of strength by so many women?
To understand this shift, it is necessary to look back at the period of witchcraft persecutions. In Europe, between the 15th and 18th centuries, thousands of people were tried and executed on accusations of witchcraft. Women made up the majority of those accused, although men were also persecuted. The accusations were largely rooted in religious beliefs and local disputes.
One of the best-known cases from this period was the “Salem witch trials“, which took place in 1692 in Salem, in what was then the English colony of Massachusetts. The trials began after a group of girls exhibited behavior considered strange, triggering a wave of accusations. As a result, 20 people were executed: 19 by hanging, while Giles Corey died after being pressed with heavy stones. Other victims were imprisoned and died in jail. During the trials, accounts of spectral apparitions were accepted as evidence, contributing to the convictions amid the community’s collective fear. Although Salem does not represent all witchcraft persecutions, its history has become a symbol of persecution and intolerance.
From Persecution to Resistance
Centuries after these persecutions, the figure of the witch acquired new meanings. Beginning in the second half of the 20th century, different feminist groups began reclaiming this image as a way to challenge women’s position in society. What had once been used to portray a threat to the established order became a symbol of dissent.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the witch appeared in feminist political demonstrations and productions. One example was the American group W.I.T.C.H., an acronym for Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell, which used witch imagery in protest actions. The figure was also adopted by movements associated with spirituality and the critique of patriarchy.
This appropriation took different forms. In the article “We Witches.” Knowledge Wars, Experience and Spirituality in the Women’s Movement During the 1970s, historian Anne Kwaschik examines how feminist activists of that period redefined the witch as a symbol of political rebellion and the appreciation of forms of knowledge considered marginal.
This shift in meaning can also be understood as an attempt to reclaim women’s narratives that have long occupied little space in traditional historical accounts. By reclaiming the figure of the witch, feminist movements challenge who has the authority to decide which women are respected and which are treated as threats.
The Witch in Contemporary Imagination
The transformation of the witch figure can also be seen in popular culture. While she often represents danger and evil in traditional narratives, contemporary productions may portray her as a protagonist, exploring themes such as identity and belonging.
Films such as The Craft (1996) and The Witch (2015) offer different ways of constructing this character. While the former explores the relationship between adolescence, power, and belonging, the latter examines family dynamics and the expectations imposed on women. These works demonstrate how the witch continues to serve as a vehicle for discussing social conflicts.
This presence extends beyond the screen. On social media, symbols associated with witchcraft have also become part of feminist and political discourse. One example is the hashtag #WitchTheVote, examined in the article Brooms and Ballots: #WitchTheVote, the Nostalgic Internet, and Intersectional Feminist Politics on Instagram, which investigates how images of witches have been used to encourage political participation and express dissatisfaction with power inequalities.
At the same time, contemporary witchcraft cannot be reduced to a feminist metaphor. For some people, it is part of spiritual and religious practices, while for others, it represents a cultural identity. These experiences are not necessarily the same, and not everyone who practices witchcraft identifies as a feminist.
Who`s Afraid of Witches?
The redefinition of the witch does not erase the violence of past persecutions, nor does it automatically turn all women accused of witchcraft into symbols of resistance. Its significance lies in the opportunity to revisit the past and question the structures that contributed to the construction of certain representations of women. The figure of the witch carries contradictory meanings: it can represent fear, but also resistance and spirituality. This diversity reveals that her image has never been solely about magic, but also about power relations and the expectations placed upon women.
By reclaiming this figure, different feminist movements challenge a representation that was long associated with evil. The woman who once appeared as a threat is now taking up new spaces, whether as a protagonist or as a political symbol.
Between the memory of past persecutions and new forms of representation, one question remains: when a woman breaks away from what society expects of her, why is her independence so often interpreted as a threat?
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The article above was edited by Maria Eduarda Sapia Moreno.
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