With Halloween emerging around the dark corner of October, witches once again take centre stage. Broomsticks, bubbling cauldrons and black cats act as symbols for one of historyâs most feared supernatural figures. Yet, behind the pointed hat lies a far darker, more important history that I feel is important to reflect on during this time of year. For women, âwitchâ wasnât always a supernatural villain one could wear as a costume, but an identity they were labelled with in a time riddled with fear of feminine power.
The last few centuries have been dominated by a patriarchal society, very unsettled by women who refuse to conform to their expectations, an archetype encapsulated in this character of âwitchâ.
For centuries, “witch” functioned as a loaded insult, hurled at women who challenged authority, lived independently or simply behaved in ways that provoked suspicion. Women who were outspoken, widowed, childless, knowledgeable about medicine, economically independent or otherwise perceived as different could all find themselves labelled witches. For if they didnât conform to societyâs standards of how a women âshouldâ, then it was the result of an evil power that should be immediately expelled so as not to disrupt the order of the community. The accusation was rarely about magic itself. More often, it reflected society’s anxiety about women who existed outside patriarchal control.
The stereotypical features of a witch, hooked nose, warts, black cats and broomsticks are born from this misogynistic character. Exaggerated features make women who donât conform seem grotesque, evil and unappealingly gross in a way that frames them as a villain rather than a victim of the system. This dehumanisation and degradation of witches only makes it easy to perceive them as social outcasts, strip them of their femininity and justify their persecution. But I think it is precisely this notion that makes âwitchesâ so perfectly feminine. How the fear surrounding their very existence evokes the power of true femininity, which refuses to subjugate itself to meet unrealistic and oppressive patriarchal standards.
Thankfully, we are far beyond the time of Salem-esque witch trials. However, the term âwitchâ still carries a remarkable linguistic burden for women. On social media, itâs evident that many women have reclaimed the label and adopt witch-like behaviours, using spirituality, tarot reading, astrology, manifestation or other alternative practices to connect with the label. Yet, even these practices are faced with such hostility, not too dissimilar from the historical judgement that prevailed towards witches before. Their spirituality is often dismissed as delusional or a sign of a mental disorder, whereas their male counterparts are praised for being in touch with their emotions, or intelligent and reflective. Naturally, believing in star signs and having a tarot deck canât get you dragged to this stake. However, the ridicule many women face for behaving in a way that is unconventional and challenges the norm reminds us that the notion of âwitchesâ might not just be a single historical period of subjugation, but representative of consistent pressures women face in patriarchal society to act accordingly to societal conventions. This highlights an underlying pattern where women who act differently face mockery or condemnation, in a way that men simply do not.
In my eyes, this is why the witch has become such a powerful feminist symbol. She represents female autonomy and power. Someone who would rather burn at the stake than conform to the pressures of the patriarchy. And even now, a witch is someone who reclaims the image of a socially outcast woman, adopting the historical weight of the label as a symbol of power, not an insult. Taking it as a rejection of the idea that women shouldnât dare to be different, but rather, embrace their divine feminine energy and indulge in spirituality if they wish to.
I think âwitchâ functions as the historical equivalent of modern gendered insults. Whilst it doesnât hold the same weight as the newer labels that are used to police womenâs behaviour, itâs important to remember its history and how it was unfortunately used to excuse the murder of many innocent women in the past. Labels that are used derogatorily to portray women as irrational or socially deviant erode their legitimacy and overall insult them and their gender. Thatâs why itâs so encouraging to see so many women take back the label and identify as witches. Not to pretend they have magical powers or super intuition, but to transform the term from an insult into a symbol of feminine power that can celebrate difference rather than condemn it to the stake.
So, this Halloween, if youâre stuck for a costume idea, I implore you to dress as a witch. Embrace the stereotype with pride and reclaim a label with a costume that carries a history worth remembering.