Draft:Witchcraft (feminism)

• Comment: Per comments, Wikipedia has an article already about this so we cannot accept this draft. I'd recommend you to insert additional information you have into Dianic Witchcraft, but make sure it is supported by Reliable sources. zoglophie^•talk• 14:44, 8 December 2023 (UTC)

• Comment: Sourcing is manifestly broken. Citing a book review (reference 5)? Stuartyeates (talk) 04:25, 7 December 2023 (UTC)

• Comment: Despite the slight changes, I don't see that there is enough in this article to justify a separate article from the existing Dianic Wicca and Witchcraft articles. If there is any unique content here, it can be merged to one of those. WikiDan61^ChatMe!_ReadMe!! 12:41, 5 December 2023 (UTC)

• Comment: If Witchcraft, when associated with feminism, is called Dianic Witchcraft, which we already have an article about, why do we need this new article? WikiDan61^ChatMe!_ReadMe!! 22:18, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

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Witchcraft, when associated with feminism, centers on the idea of the witch as an archetype addressing female empowerment. It draws from various forces including feminist interpretations of witch trials in the early modern period, women's anatomy and the role health played in witchcraft accusations, and how modern witches are portrayed today.

History of Witchcraft from a Feminist Perspective

Witch hunts began early on. The first major one occurring from 1427-1436 with the peak of witch hunting in Europe happening between 1575-1675. In the sixteenth century, European women were not recognized as “legal adults” by the courts, but this changed when they started to be accused of witchcraft. Men were also involved in witchcraft accusations, however 85% of those executed on charges of witchcraft were women. In the United States, the Salem witch trials took place in 1692. In Puritan societies, women were only seen as honorable if they were wives, but not if they fell outside the norm of societies. Those women were already seen as outcasts, making the witch accusations easier to arise for those women. Sexist views were embedded in the Puritan minds, leading to the predominant accusations being women accusing other women.

Women's Health and Witchcraft

Witchcraft and the body

During the witch trials, writings about anatomical differences between men and women were used to justify that women were naturally more susceptible to witchcraft than men. Evidence of these differences included the four humors. These humors were originally created in 500BC to discuss health and disease, however, during the witchcraft trials they were used to define the differences between men and women anatomically. It was justified that women had cold and melancholic humors, and as they aged their humors proceeded to become drier. This evidence concluded that women were mentally and anatomically weaker than men and therefore more susceptible to the devil. Additionally, the discussion of women's sexual dalliances with the devil was commonly discussed.

Fertility and childbirth were also plagued with fear of the devil's involvement. After a woman gave birth, she was expected to be dormant for weeks. During this time, it was believed she was more susceptible to the devil. Moreover, childbirth was dangerous and oftentimes attended by a midwife. When a child or mother died, and no physical explanation for the death was discovered, the midwife was often suspected of practicing witchcraft. Additionally, if multiple children of one woman died in a span of multiple years, the mother of the dead children was likely to be blamed for possessing witchcraft.

Witchcraft as a Career

For many women during the 16th and 17th centuries there were few career options besides entering into a marriage or a convent. Some scholars see witchcraft as an alternative career option to allow a woman to economically sustain a lifestyle without a man.  Traditionally women used various forms of naturalistic healing processes. Witches, often called good witches, were healers in communities that did not have access to a doctor or medicine. People would pay the witch, either monetarily or in favors, to cure diseases, create a love potion, help with mental health, or any other services they needed doing.

Other scholars claim that witchcraft took away women’s power in a career of medicine. Women healers were persecuted for witchcraft by the end of the Middle Ages. They were competitors of male university-trained doctors, priests, and other folk healers and in response to this competition, men in these positions accused women healers of witchcraft. Barabara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English claim that these accusations of women healers as witches were a way for men to control women’s lives.

Artwork

Within the artwork of the 16th and 17th century, many European witchcraft pieces included depictions of a youthful, fertile, beautiful woman in contrast to an elderly woman past her prime reproductive years. With this created imagery of what a witch looked like, focusing on a woman's body.

Modern Witchcraft

Modern day witchcraft has a variety of practices, though it is “a misconception that it is always associated with a religion”. The modern usage of witchcraft has seen an increasingly feminist shift, one that originates in the 1960s. Feminists during the women’s movement, including Mary Daly, sought to reclaim the word and position it in a more feminist light. Some modern witchcraft groups have sought to influence political outcomes. The Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell attempted to influence such prominent actors as Richard Nixon during the bombing of Cambodia, and Donald Trump during his presidency.

Activists often use the history of persecution for witchcraft in their work. Shirts with slogans such as “We Are the Granddaughters of the Witches You Couldn’t Burn” have risen in popularity, and museums like the New-York Historical Society have held exhibits that seek to present the Salem Witch Trials in a different light.

Wicca

See Also: Dianic Wicca

The origins of Wicca itself are unclear, but it traces back to England between 1921-1950. Witchcraft Today, published in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, set the stage for Wicca, a common modern-day form of witchcraft. The various practices and beliefs of Wicca are thought to be a “patchwork built up from various older sources.”

Dianic Wicca, a modern pagan goddess tradition, is one of the best-known types of organized feminist witchcraft. Religious beliefs tied to feminist witchcraft typically focus on feminist theology or theology. This is distinct from more mainstream Wicca from its exclusive focus on worshiping feminine goddess, as well as for how it allows women to focus on their sexuality outside of male control.