What Is a Witch?
Witch.
Say it out loud.
Let it linger on your tongue like honey spiked with fire.
A word once used to burn women is now being reclaimed to ignite them.
But what is a witch, really?
Let’s bust myths, break spells, and reclaim the power woven into this ancient identity- because being a witch isn’t just about broomsticks and black cats (though, let’s be real, those are pretty awesome). It’s about awakening, alignment, and unapologetic authenticity.
The Witch Through Time: More Than Just a Halloween Costume
Historically, the word “witch” has been wielded like a weapon.
From ancient wise women and herbalists to midwives and mystics, witches were often the keepers of sacred knowledge – healers, seers, and guides in tune with the cycles of nature. But patriarchal fear twisted that power into something sinister. The “witch hunts” weren’t just about superstition; they were about control, silencing, and erasure – especially of women who didn’t conform.
Fast forward: the word was buried under centuries of stigma, but not destroyed.
Now? We’re unearthing it.
Modern Witches: Who Are They?
A modern witch isn’t one thing. She (or they or he) is many. A shape-shifter. A truth-speaker. A space-maker.
Witches today might be:
- Pulling tarot in a New York apartment
- Brewing mugwort tea in a cabin in Oregon
- Chanting affirmations in a mirror under the full moon
- Organizing for justice, equity, and collective healing
They may live in bustling cities or quiet forests, work nine-to-fives or run herbal shops from their kitchen tables. But the thread they all share? They live with intention. They move with knowing.
Here are just a few glimpses into the magic of today:
The Kitchen Witch
Rosa doesn’t wear robes or chant in Latin. She cooks.
She blesses her cutting board with a whisper. She stirs rosemary into soup for protection and sprinkles cinnamon on oatmeal for abundance. Her rituals live in the mundane – in the folding of dough, the steam of tea, the scent of garlic and thyme.
Her altar? A cluttered counter with basil in jars, dried lavender, and a cracked candle that’s burned for months.
Her magic is nourishment. It’s ancestral. It’s real.
The Queer Bruja
DeShawn is reclaiming something sacred.
Growing up in a religious household, he was told his queerness was a sin- and so was the spiritual curiosity he felt pulsing in his blood. But now? He gathers bones and botanicals, reads tarot for friends, and calls on his abuelas in his dreams.
He doesn’t choose between his identities. He blends them.
His altar glows with pink salt, rainbow candles, and photos of trans ancestors. His rituals are liberation spells.
The Tech Witch
Mari’s witchcraft lives in the cloud. She codes sigils into her phone background. She writes affirmations as encrypted messages to herself. Her calendar is synced to the lunar cycle.
She builds digital altars with intention- folders, playlists, even passwords charged with purpose.
She isn’t disconnected from the natural world. She’s redefining what it means to channel magic through modern tools.
Other Witches You Might Know (or Already Be)
Not every witch fits neatly into a label, but here are a few more modern paths that might spark recognition:
- Green Witch – Works with herbs, plants, gardening, and nature. Think wildflower medicine and forest walks that feel like prayer.
- Cosmic Witch – Aligns with astrology, moon cycles, planetary movements. Always knows when Mercury is in retrograde.
- Divination Witch – Uses tools like tarot, pendulums, runes, or dreams to connect with higher truth and intuition.
- Hedge Witch – Practices spirit work, ancestor reverence, and walks between worlds – both literal and symbolic.
- Sea Witch – Draws magic from the ocean, tides, and water energy. Think seashells, saltwater rituals, and moonlit waves.
- Shadow Witch – Explores inner wounds, transformation, and personal alchemy through shadow work and healing.
- Eclectic Witch – Blends traditions and practices based on intuition, not dogma. Their magic is unique, evolving, and unapologetically their own.
There’s no “right” way to be a witch. You can shift with the seasons, blend energies, or invent something entirely new.
Because witchcraft? It’s not about rules.
It’s about remembrance… of who you are and the power that’s always been yours.
Everyday Magic Is Everywhere
Witches don’t always “look” witchy.
They might be artists. Baristas. Parents. Caregivers. Coders. They might never say the word out loud. But they trust their gut. They pay attention to signs. They know when to rest and when to rise.
To be a witch today is to say: My life is sacred. My intuition matters. I don’t need permission to live aligned.
And that, in itself, is a spell.
A witch is someone who remembers their power.
So, What Actually Makes Someone a Witch?
Being a witch isn’t about a look.
It’s not the hat, the crystals, or even the spells (though all those can be tools of expression).
At its core, witchcraft is:
- Intentional living
- Working with energy
- Honoring cycles – of nature, of the moon, of life
- Listening deeply – to yourself, to the earth, to your intuition
- Practicing sovereignty – over your body, your beliefs, your path
It’s not about worshiping anything you don’t believe in.
It’s about reclaiming the divine within you.
Why Witch Energy Is Rising (And Why It Matters)
We live in a world that’s obsessed with productivity but starved for purpose. A world that’s built on extraction, disconnection, and toxic control.
Witchcraft whispers a rebellion:
“Come back to the earth. Come back to yourself.”
That’s powerful. And dangerous, to the systems that thrive on us forgetting.
Witch energy is rising because people – especially women, femmes, queer folks, and BIPOC- are done being told how to live, love, dress, think, and pray.
We’re done hiding our magic.
We’re done being small.
You Might Be a Witch If…
Let’s play a little game. If you’ve ever:
- Talked to the moon
- Felt the seasons change in your body
- Set intentions on a candle
- Had a dream that turned out to be weirdly accurate
- Got chills when you walked into a room (and not because it was cold)
- Collected rocks and herbs without knowing why
- Been called “too much” or “too weird” or “too sensitive”
…you might just be a witch, babe.
Curious which kind of witch lives inside you?
Check out our Witchy Archetype Discovery Guide.
It’s part quiz, part mirror, part magical permission slip.
Why Some People Think Witches Are Scary or Evil
Spoiler: it’s not because witches are scary.
It’s because they’re powerful.
Let’s break it down:
- Witches threaten control. Independent, intuitive women? The patriarchy said: “Too dangerous.”
- Religious institutions spread fear. During the Middle Ages, witches were accused of devil worship to justify persecution.
- Hollywood added fuel. Horror films turned witches into villains, feeding the myth of dark, demonic danger.
- The unknown = uncomfortable. Witchcraft deals in intuition, energy, and the unseen- which threatens logic-obsessed systems.
The fear was never about magic.
It was about what happens when someone owns their power, and refuses to give it back.
Mythbusting the Witch: Truth vs. Fear
For centuries, witches have been tangled up in misunderstanding, projection, and straight-up fearmongering. But most of what people think they know about witches? It’s rooted in old systems trying to control power they couldn’t understand, or didn’t want to.
Let’s break the spell.
Myth #1: Witches Worship the Devil
The Truth: Most witches don’t even believe in the devil.
This myth comes from Christian Europe, where religious leaders needed a villain- and anyone operating outside the church’s control became that villain. The idea that witches made pacts with the devil was propaganda, not reality. Many witches today are spiritual but not religious, and their beliefs are more likely to center around nature, energy, ancestors, or personal divinity.
Myth #2: Witchcraft Is “Dark” or “Evil”
The Truth: Witchcraft is a practice. The energy behind it depends on the intention, just like anything else.
Calling something “evil” because it’s misunderstood or doesn’t fit into mainstream boxes is lazy and often rooted in fear of feminine power. Witchcraft can be healing, protective, creative, and deeply empowering. Shadow work exists, yes, but that’s not the same as harm.
Myth #3: You Have to Be Born a Witch
The Truth: Anyone can explore witchcraft.
You don’t need a lineage, a bloodline, or a mystical sign at birth. Some people are called to it young. Others find it after years of silence or spiritual suppression. If the word witch lights something up inside you, that’s your invitation. No gatekeeping here.
Myth #4: Witches Are Just Playing Pretend
The Truth: Witchcraft is deeply meaningful to those who practice it.
Just because it doesn’t look like traditional religion doesn’t mean it lacks depth, structure, or soul. Many witches have daily rituals, study for years, and live in tune with their practice. It’s not cosplay. It’s connection.
Myth #5: All Witches Are Women
The Truth: Witchcraft is not gender-exclusive.
There are witches of all genders and identities. Queer witches. Trans witches. Male witches. Nonbinary witches. The witch archetype may often be associated with feminine energy, but it’s not about biology. It’s about intuition, healing, resistance, and inner knowing.
Bonus: Myth #6: Witches Curse People for Fun
The Truth: Most witches follow some version of ethical magic.
While every tradition is different, many witches operate from a deep respect for balance and personal responsibility. Some follow the rule of three (what you put out comes back to you). Others practice boundary-setting or protection magic. But spite for the sake of drama? That’s just a TV trope.
Why These Myths Matter
Because myths shape perception, and perception shapes power.
When witches are demonized, so is intuition, feminine energy, healing, and difference. Busting these myths isn’t just about clearing the witch’s name- it’s about creating space for truth, empowerment, and self-defined spirituality.
Witchcraft isn’t about fear.
It’s about freedom.
The Witch Archetype in Feminism & Collective Memory
The witch isn’t just a character. She’s an archetype- a living symbol etched into our collective psyche. And for many women, femmes, and gender-expansive folks, she represents something visceral.
She’s the woman who won’t be silenced.
The intuitive one who refuses to bow.
The outsider who sees truth where others see threat.
In feminist theory, the witch has been reclaimed as a symbol of resistance and survival. As Sylvia Federici writes in Caliban and the Witch, the historical witch hunts weren’t just religious- they were political. They were designed to crush independence, bodily autonomy, and the ancient feminine wisdom that couldn’t be tamed.
“The witch is the woman who knows. The woman who questions. The woman who lives by her own rules.”
– adapted from Clarissa Pinkola Estés
For many of us, there’s a collective wound here. A memory- cellular or ancestral- of what it cost to be bold, different, wild. But healing that wound is part of the magic. Every time we speak up, create art, trust our intuition, or help another rise- we’re mending that tear in our story.
The witch archetype doesn’t live in the past.
She’s rising– right now, through you.
Reclaiming the Word “Witch
Reclaiming witch is reclaiming voice, body, magic, truth.
It’s saying:
I don’t need permission to be powerful.
I don’t need to follow a path someone else built for me.
I remember who I am.
Many today find identity, healing, and self-acceptance through witchcraft. For some, it’s spiritual. For others, it’s psychological. For most? It’s a deep breath of remembering.
The witch archetype is a symbol of creative rebellion, feminine intuition, and survival.
And she’s here to stay.
Embracing Your Own Witchy Path
You don’t need fancy tools or a 10-step spell routine to be a witch.
You just need to listen to yourself. To move with intention. To create space for your own sacred rhythms.
You might start with:
- Pulling a daily tarot or oracle card
- Meditating with a candle or crystal
- Tracking the moon and setting intentions
- Speaking truth out loud, even when it shakes your voice
- Honoring your body’s wisdom and resting without guilt
Your magic is already inside you.
Awaken Your Inner Witch
Let’s bring it down to earth, witchy one.
Being a witch isn’t just an idea- it’s a practice. A relationship. A rhythm.
It’s the way you move through the world with intention and wonder.
So if you’re feeling that spark… here’s how to start weaving your magic today:
Discover Your Witchy Archetype
Every witch’s path is unique. Some are rooted in the elements. Others in the stars. Some find magic in silence, others in song.
Curious what kind of witch lives inside you?
Check out the Witchy Archetype Discovery Guide.
It’s a soulful mirror to help you name your energy, reclaim your rhythm, and play with your magic- your way.
Try a Simple Ritual Tonight
Start here. No pressure. Just presence.
The Intention Candle Spell
- Find a quiet space
- Light a candle (any color you’re drawn to)
- Write a simple intention on a scrap of paper (e.g., “I trust my voice” or “I call in clarity”)
- Read it out loud, then fold it toward you
- Burn it (safely) or bury it beneath soil or stone
- Breathe. Trust. Let the universe move with you
This is just the beginning.
Your path doesn’t have to be perfect- it just has to be true.
Final Truth: Witch Is a Word of Power
To be a witch is to live in alignment with your own truth. It’s a label some claim proudly, and some walk beside quietly. Both are valid.
This isn’t gatekept. It’s not a club with dues or a checklist.
If the word “witch” sparks something in you- curiosity, excitement, maybe even a little fear- that’s your inner magic asking to be met.
Answer it.
Because the world doesn’t need more conformity.
It needs more witches.
“We bend so we don’t break.”
Write it down. Speak it often.
Your magic is sacred. Your presence is a ritual. Your truth is the spell.
Sources & Further Reading
The insights in this post are inspired by both lived experience and the following respected sources, which explore witchcraft across history, feminism, and spiritual empowerment.
- Anne Llewellyn Barstow, Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts (1994)
A feminist historical take on how thousands of women were targeted, tortured, and executed in Europe. - Silvia Federici, Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation (2004)
A radical look at how the witch hunts were used to suppress women’s autonomy during the rise of capitalism. - Diane Purkiss, The Witch in History: Early Modern and Twentieth-Century Representations (1996)
Explores how society has shaped, distorted, and feared the image of the witch across centuries. - Ronald Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft (1999)
A detailed history of Wicca and how modern witchcraft evolved in the West. - Starhawk, The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (1979, 20th anniversary ed. 1999)
A foundational text of modern witchcraft, spirituality, and goddess worship. - Lisa Lister, Witch: Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic. (2017)
A fiery, empowering guide to reclaiming the witch within – especially for women. - Gaby Herstik, Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft (2018)
A personal and practical look at crafting your own magical path with inclusivity and intuition.
