witches

Whoever had thought that the wicked witch of the west would find support through the modern interpretations of history! And yet every time someone utters the term ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ all I can see are fumes of green smoke rising from a huge cauldron…. tales of burning at the altar…screaming hands rising from the fiery red! The 15th-16th century witch-hunts were quite the thing capturing the wild imaginations of the people throughout the ages! And it continues to fascinate all with the turn of every century!! Infact its source of power to establish itself so firmly in our minds probably derives from its association with the anti-Christ. At the center of all witch-beliefs was the Devil, a thought so appealing to the senses…a thought well linked with the ideas of sexuality, passion and the unrepentant evil. It’s probably too human to lust for the unattainable, to crave for that one forbidden task! And however much one tries to brand it evil, witchcraft and its history forever casts a spell on the curious minds to lure them towards its satanic charms!
Given its sensual charms…modern writings are finally bursting the myths, quite unfortunately. The tales of the witches and the fairies, where the old hag almost always kidnapped the kids to burn them in a pot of boiling waters or maybe inject poison in the apples needs to be probed further.
Sorcery, folk magic, and witchcraft have a very long history. Most folk magic seems to have evolved from ‘sympathetic’ magic. Such ideas often overlapped with folk medicine or more widely known as the ‘old wives’ tales. Often these were used for curing purposes…for example it was long believed that for curing warts one needed to rub it with a toad to transfer that offending disease into that creature and then drowning it into the pond! However these harmless folk beliefs were later to become enmeshed with more dangerous and forcefully implemented system of beliefs about witches, which emerged in the witchcraft persecutions of 15th century Europe! Between 1500 and 1550 sharp changes occurred in the economic social political life of Europe! Series of Wars famines and climatic changes that hampered the lives of the people needed a scapegoat to blame. There were undue rise of population that needed a channel to control. And most importantly it was the women who came under the subjugation of men with increasing focus on the ‘sexual crimes’ that rose during the time under the Puritan improvisations.

At the end of the day witch history remains still an enigma in the common hearts although modern times takes witchcraft away from the myth of the malevolent hag or the devil-worshipping housewife. Its still a fantastic art full of legends and power in the hands of ordinary men and women, where the search for a personal god or inner spirituality takes over the long established religions of the world. However it will probably take time for Wicca to get rid of its evil twinkle!