Why Can’t We Appreciate Witches Outside of Spooky Season? by Dawn Colclasure

You see them every October: Ads promoting books with either “witch” in the title or a witch on the cover. Articles highlighting spooky facts and figures about witches, both historical and present-day. And let’s not forget scary pictures of witches everywhere, especially in store windows!

This can only make me shake my head and roll my eyes. I may be a baby witch, but I have been on this earth long enough to have witnessed how witches are glamorized and glorified every Halloween. But for the rest of the year? Forget it.

In order to promote witchy characters in fiction, I try to include them in my fiction. Most of the time, they are typical witches, without all the Hollywood fixings. But sometimes, they are also evil or naughty witches. Even so, it has got to count for something to get another character who is a witch out there in the fictional world, stereotypes be damned. I also try to write about witches and witchcraft in my nonfiction work. If I’m lucky, there will be someone out there who will want to publish it.

Outside of writing, however, I try to spread awareness about witches and witchcraft through social media sites such as Facebook and X (Twitter). I’ll also happily share witchy posts on Instagram! Yes, count me among those blessed souls who are unashamed to call themselves witches! We are witches and we are here.

But we are not “bad” or “evil” witches. Unfortunately, this stereotype remains strong in society’s perception of us. Thanks to religion, we are seen as evil villains who conspire with the devil.

Hollywood loves portraying witches as evil. Just look at the 1989 film The Witches. In the movie, almost all of the witches are evil. However, it’s not entirely an anti-witch film, as we see by the end. It’s a nice reminder to the young audience this film was intended for that not all withes are bad.

Hocus Pocus is another example that fits this description. Three sisters are evil witches, but it would seem that the character Allison (Vinessa Shaw) is portrayed as a “white witch.” She is not afraid to discuss witchcraft and seems to know a thing or two about protecting herself from evil. While we’re not ever told straight out if Allison is a witch, her role in fighting evil with a form of witchcraft helps stem the tide of negativity several other films use when including witches.

Then there are the two witches in the film The Wizard of Oz. Despite there being a good witch, there’s also a bad witch. When Dorothy (Judy Garland) tells Glinda (Billie Burke) that “witches are old and ugly,” the Good Witch of the North corrects her by saying, “Only bad witches are ugly.” This can count for a person’s appearance and/or the ugliness they have in their heart.

Now, don’t get me wrong; there are witches out there you seriously should not mess with. There are indeed bad witches, but only because they are, at the root, “bad” people with bad intentions. In the movie, The Craft, Sarah (Robin Tunney) asks Lirio (Assumpta Serna) why magic made her friend crazy. Lirio answers, “She takes it to a dark place.”

Basically, it’s a matter of what a witch does with her magickal abilities and not witchcraft itself that can determine if a witch is “good” or “bad.”

Practical Magic is a good example of how witchcraft can be used for both good and bad intentions. As a family, witchcraft is practiced for everyday use. After Gillian (Nicole Kidman) and Sally (Sandra Bullock) lose their parents in childhood, they are taken in by two aunts who are witches, who raise them and teaches them about the craft. However, when Gillian ends up in an abusive relationship, the sisters use witchcraft to try to save her. Things go terribly wrong and Gillian’s boyfriend ends up coming back from the dead and possesses Gillian.

What’s great about this movie is that the sisters are not afraid to identify as witches. Plus, Sally says, “There’s no devil in the craft.” Yes, some witch characters do try to bring evil intentions into their practice of witchcraft, but overall, that whole “witches worship the devil” stereotype is just that. As shown in the movie, witchcraft is used for good reasons. And in this movie, it’s used for good because, at heart, the two sisters practicing it are good.

In addition to certain movies promoting a negative stereotype about witches, there are all of the spooky, demented and evil portrayals of witches during spooky season that has the uninformed and uninitiated thinking that all witches are bad.

There are “good” witches out there. Ones who do not worship the devil or conspire with the devil. These witches use their magickal abilities for good purposes. I have seen them, read about them, and know them. I am one of them. I have used magick to help someone get a job, find a solution to a problem, give a situation positive energy and help others to heal from sickness. For the most part, I prefer earth magick, but if I can help someone or a situation using magickal abilities, then I will do so.

All of this is to say that we need to start appreciating witches all year long, and not just during spooky season. Not only this, but let’s start showing positive images and portrayals of witchcraft. Let’s talk witchcraft more often. Let’s recognizes our friends and family members who are witches. Let’s open our minds and our hearts to people who practice witchcraft in a positive way we never thought possible.

Witchcraft is not evil. It’s the person using witchcraft who makes it evil. Dark intentions will only result in darker outcomes. There are people who use witchcraft for the good and benefit of others, as well as the good and benefit of Mother Earth. Let’s tear away the cover thrown over the subject of witchcraft and allow it to become a topic we embrace in society, instead of hide away or feel ashamed of.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dawn Colclasure is a writer in Oregon. She writes poetry, essays, articles, short stories and book reviews. She is the author and co-author of several books. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She is also a columnist. Her websites are dawnsbooks.com and dmcwriter.com. Her Twitter: @dawnwilson325.