The Witch Within

I recently had a conversation with a client that left me reflecting deeply. During our session, I mentioned that "we as women are all witches." Her reaction was one of offense or perhaps fear, and it made me pause. I could sense that the word "witch" carried a heavy, perhaps misunderstood, weight for her.

So, I took a moment to explain. I told her that, in my view, being a witch isn't about casting spells or brewing potions. It's about being a healer. It's about the women who have always cared for others: the herbalists, the midwives, the medicine women, the energy healers. These are the women who, throughout history, have been the backbone of healing in our communities. And in many ways, they were the witches, the wise women, the ones who understood the earth's gifts and the body's needs.

This perspective isn't just a personal belief. It's a reclaiming of a term that has been used to oppress and silence women for centuries.

On March 8, 2022, Scotland took a significant step in acknowledging this history. Then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a formal apology for the persecution of those accused of witchcraft between the 16th and 18th centuries. She described the witch hunts as "injustice on a colossal scale," driven by "misogyny in its most literal sense: hatred of women".

The Guardian

Over 2,500 people, mostly women, were executed under the Witchcraft Act of 1563. These were not witches in the magical sense, but women who were different, vulnerable, or simply women in a society that feared their power.

Smithsonian Magazine

Nicola Sturgeon emphasized that acknowledging such injustices, no matter how historic, is crucial. She pointed out that while the Witchcraft Act may have been consigned to history, the deep misogyny that motivated it has not. Today, it expresses itself not in claims of witchcraft, but in everyday harassment, online rape threats, and sexual violence.

The Guardian

So, when I say that we as women are all witches, I mean it as a reclaiming of power. It's about recognizing the strength in our nurturing, our healing, and our wisdom. It's about honoring the women who came before us and the ones who will come after, all of us connected by this thread of resilience and care.

If the term "witch" feels uncomfortable, I get it. It's been used to harm and control. But perhaps it's time we redefine it. Let's see it as a badge of honor, a symbol of our ability to heal, to care, and to stand strong in the face of adversity.

In the end, being a witch isn't about casting spells. It's about casting light into the darkness, about healing what is broken, and about standing up for what is right. And in that sense, yes, we are all witches.

I am loving the podcast titled Witch from the BBC on Apple Podcasts.