What Is Witchcraft

What are Witches

    A witch is someone who practices witchcraft. Witchcraft, described by Jeffery Burton Russel, is the “exercise or invocation of alleged supernatural powers to control people or events, practices typically involving sorcery or magic (Witchcraft | Definition, History, Varieties, & Facts, 2024)”. Witchcraft is a term used for a lot of different practices across the world. According to Isak Niehas, “the belief in witchcraft is encountered in nearly all continents of the world and it continues to be an important feature of contemporary world(Witchcraft, n.d.).” Through this blog, I hope to explore what witchcraft means to different cultures. Witchcraft practices include different spells and rituals which differ from each country. Similarly, different cultures feel different ways about the practice. In the past, people who were accused of being witches faced extreme consequences, even if they did not practice whatsoever. Today, some cultures support the practice of witchcraft, while others use witchcraft to explain evil in the world. Recently, witchcraft has made a bigger way into pop culture as well.

Image Source: History.com

Early witchcraft  

    The idea of the practice of witchcraft first came about in the 10th century. Originally, it was most commonly believed that certain people had powers that allowed them to instill harm onto others. These people were used to explain the bad things that would happen in the world, such as drought or famine. Many Christians of the time had different ways to try and protect themselves against those who they thought practiced witchcraft. Since it's early times the idea of what witchcraft is and assumptions about the practice have grown. While it is more socially acceptable to openly practice witchcraft in some areas, some cultures feel they need to protect themself from the practice. Either way, there is no doubt that witchcraft has affected culture around the world since its beginnings. 

Witches’ Familiar 1579, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Witchcraft and American pop culture

    In witchcraft’s more recent years it has made more of an influence in popular culture. Because many believe they are evil, witches are most commonly associated with the holiday Halloween. Horror movies often use references to witchcraft and magic as well. In America, the practice of witchcraft has even seen a rise. Popular superstition like that seeing a black cat is bad luck comes from the early idea that witches fed black cats in their cottages so they would keep returning. Many popular American superstitions stem from folklore around the practice of witchcraft. 

Diversity of witchcraft

    Through this blog I hope to talk about how the practice and beliefs around witchcraft is unique to the culture, and how witchcraft has a variety of interpretations and ideas surrounded by it. Different people practicing witchcraft in different cultures may pray to different gods or goddesses. Some witches use herbs or crystals while some do not, and in some cultures witchcraft heavily relies on astrology. Witchcraft is seen as a way of spiritual cleansing and bringing good omens by some, while to others it is seen as a worship to satan and evil. Stemming from witchcraft is a separate religion called Wicca. Believers of Wicca use a lot of different witchcraft practices in their religion. The impact of witchcraft is so vast everywhere, and I hope to discover a little bit more on why witchcraft is so differently interpreted and has had so many different impacts. 

Image by De Agostini / A. Dagli Orti / Getty Images