Witch
The days are darkening, Hallowe’en is fast approaching, and it seems a good time to talk about witches!
Season of the witch Photograpy Fløre
The Oxford dictionary describes a witch as “a woman thought to have magic powers, especially evil ones, popularly depicted as wearing a black cloak and pointed hat and flying on a broomstick”.
With a little research, it is easy to see that this Hallowe’en stereotype is a fearsome fairy-tale – created and passed down for thousands of years. What is the real truth about witches?
The word Witch (1300’s AD) evolved from the much more innocent original word “Wicce” (1000 BCE). “Wicce” was the feminine form of the word, but the male form, “Wicca”, was much more commonly used. This word referred to those who were skilled at many things: the art of divination, skill with horses, midwifery, astrology, weaving, herbal healing, story-telling, fortune-telling, alchemy and other seemingly “magical” practices. Magic, intuition, ceremony, and the symbiosis between man and nature were the cornerstones of pagan life.
Autumn is the time of harvest and the beginning of longer darker nights photography Fløre
Wicce and Wicca individuals and events were respected and celebrated parts of life; imbued with universal light and wisdom emanating from the magic and mystery of nature.
What changed? In order to understand we need to go way back and have a cursory look at what happened to the indigenous cultures around the world, and how the word “wikke” became “witch”, and came to mean something much darker.
What we call “pagan” refers to the traditions, ceremonies and lifestyle of the original peoples around the world. Pagans practiced a nature-based religion with many deities and beliefs encompassing the cycles of nature and man, as well as the earth’s relationship to the stars and the cosmos. For the pagans, spirit manifested in all aspects of the natural world; including plants, animals, rocks, landscapes and man. Because of this, they had a broad concept of life on earth.
Ritual remedies. Honouring and experiencing a profound connection to the seen and unseen cycles, patterns, love and wisdom that are inherent in all life. Photography Trina Cary for Fløre
It is true that in certain aspects of pagan life the practice of human and/or animal sacrifice was carried out. Superstitions and fear of the unknown have always plagued mankind. But the violence initiated by pagan practices was miniscule in comparison to the immense violence unleashed and inflicted on the world by the three main religions; Roman Christianity, Islam and Judaism. In Europe alone, it meant 300 years of “Inquisition”, and millions of innocent people burned at the stake. They were condemned as “Witches” and heretics and accused of doing the devil’s work. (Most of the earth’s continents experienced genocide, and pagan cultures were cruelly eradicated or mostly eradicated in the name of a redeemer God.)
Anyone who did anything by the moon or after dark was likely to be accused of witchcraft. Photogrophy Trina Cary for Fløre
It is important to distinguish the differences between the early Christians (before the Catholic Church) and those that came out of Rome. The early followers of Christ adopted many of the pagan traditions and beliefs. Christ was said to be Gnostic (which means “knowledge”). The pagan Christian groups included the Essenes, Gnostics, Cathars, Celts, Druids, Hellenes, Copts, Nazarenes and others. Pagan “Christianity” was practiced across Europe, the British Isles, the Middle East, Constantinople, Egypt (including Alexandria). Pagans did not believe in evil or the devil. They celebrated and honored the phases of the moon and the seasons; the light and the dark. Early Christian cultures were matricentric.
It wasn’t until a thousand years after Christ died that the Catholic Church was established in Rome (making the Papacy a religious political system). Allegiance to the new Church was mandatory, and a newly invented off-planet, redeemer God spoke directly through the Pope. Satan was introduced as a frightening reality, and it was at this time in history that the word “Witch” was born from “Wicce”. The meaning had transformed into something malevolent. The Church strongly condemned those who practiced any suggestive “sorcery” (which included anything that had any coincidence, synchronicity, miraculous outcome or prediction) as being the work of the devil (Satan). Anyone practicing or teaching perceived pagan traditions, including teachers and elders, were considered devil worshippers. The word “coven” was invented by the Church in order to instill fear of collective group activity.
Cat art of Jacques Lehmann Nam
Back then black cats were considered a sign of luck. In Egypt, cats were revered and worshipped. Bastet (a cat) was a beloved Coptic goddess. During the Papal Inquisition, the Roman Catholic Church instigated the murder of millions of cats; demonizing them for being nocturnal, silent and stealthy. Under the dictates of the Church, black cats were evil and foreboding; a sign of bad luck. (Without cats, the rat population exploded and the bubonic plague spread quickly. )
psychotropic plant medicine image Pinterest
The fanciful story of witches on broomsticks evolved from the use and administration of remedies from plants; especially those that had hallucinogenic properties. These plants were strong medicine and were administered for their psychotropic properties in spiritual ritual, but also for their healing attributes to help with pain and disease. Our ancestors knew that absorption was quicker through the mucous membrane, including the rectum and the vagina. The medicine was made into a salve and administered to the body with an instrument that resembled a stick. The broomstick became a concrete image of drug-induced hallucination.
Drug induced hallucination of witches on broomsticks? Hexenritt (Witches’ Ride), Illustration from Die Muskete magazine
What about the pointy hats and brooms? Throughout ancient history, pointed hats were worn in ceremony and ritual. Pagan priestesses were known to wear hats with a similar shape, and in the Middle Ages, it was mostly women of nobility that wore a cone-shaped hat. This association with the feminine combined with the suspicion of witchcraft may have been the evolution of our modern-day black witches hat.
Even beauty was seen as the work of the devil. Young women were accused of enchanting and seducing, and this was enough to condemn them to death. (The respected pagan philosopher, mathematician and cosmologist, Hypatia, was a brilliant teacher and orator; beautiful and beloved in Alexandria. She was brutally murdered and torn apart in the name of the new religion out of Rome. Her violent death heralded the beginning of the “dark ages” in Europe.) Freckles, moles and beauty marks were known as “the marks of the devil”, and were grounds enough to condemn innocent women.
Beauty could be a death sentence. Photography D. Lindenlaub for Fløre
Anyone who did not pledge allegiance to the Pope were also murdered. In addition, anyone deviating from the Catholic dogma (like Protestants in the 1500’s), were condemned to death as heretics. It was one of the longest and most far-reaching genocides the world has ever known. Approximately 65,000,000 women, men and children were murdered across Europe and the British Isles.
Anyone who practiced or worked with any of these so-called “evil arts” were branded as heretics and were burned at the stake. Photography Trina Cary fo Fløre
The word “witch” today still has its invented connotations. But as we rediscover our place on earth and begin to reconnect again to nature, there appears to be a gradual return to the respected traditions and wisdom of our early relatives. Modern day healers, artists, scientists, mathematicians, teachers, astronomers, alchemists, story-tellers, intuitives, and those who practice Yoga, Tai-chi, Martial arts, Qi Gong, Tarot, Astrology, Meditation or pagan-inspired rituals or ceremonies are becoming embraced as the wise ones in a world that is raising its consciousness and understanding the connected universe; we are not separate from, but profoundly connected to all that is.
Intuitive astrology and tarot photograph Miskwill for Fløre
This Hallowe’en, look to the moon in the night sky. Honour her cycles, and the balance between the darkness and the light. Approaching the winter solstice is said to be a time when the veil is thinner, and we here on earth are closer to the mystery. Modern day “witches” are among those lighting the way for all of us.
Halloween is the time of thinning "Veil Between the Worlds" and contact with the Other Side known as Season of the witch. Field of QueenAnnes Lace with Elemental West photography Fløre
“Our future is written in the stars.”
written by Karen Van Dyck
Stacey Moore Fløre Botanical Alchemy perfumer // artisan distiller// artist // photographer
Karen Van Dyck K Van Dyck Parfum perfumer // herbalist // green beauty formulator // writer // educator
THE STILL ROOM SCHOOL OF ALCHEMY & AROMATIC ARTS