Why Are Witches Women?

The speaker questions why witches are always portrayed as female and explores the historical and cultural reasons behind it. They discuss how witches were perceived as too sexual and powerful, which threatened the patriarchal system. The speaker also highlights the church's fear of witches' knowledge of herbs and medicine, particularly their control over birth. The term "witch" was used as a derogatory label for women who were seen as too knowledgeable or powerful. The speaker expresses frustration at the unfair treatment of witches compared to wizards, who are often portrayed as wise and powerful. They mention how some women are reclaiming the term "witch" as a symbol of unity and independence from the patriarchy. The speaker admires the witches in history who shaped the feminist movement and supported marginalized groups. They conclude that the term "witch" cannot be masculine due to its connection with nature and the physicality of the world. Can you tell me what words come to mind when I ask you to describe a witch in four words? Evil. Intriguing. Green. Magical. Force. Malicious. Mystical. Purple. Cold. Green flush with cash. Clearly, the witch is a character with negative connotations that surround her, but why must she always be female? My interest in this topic began during the 2016 election when Hillary Clinton was denounced as a witch by critics and members of the opposing party. Until recently, when Donald Trump used the term, witch hunt, to describe his own hush money trial, I had only heard the term used to describe women. I needed to dig deeper. Hey Google, is Taylor Swift a witch? 25.3 million results. Hey Google, are Mark Zuckerberg, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump a witch? Only 21.7 million results put together. The hits from these three of the most influential men combined could not compare to one female pop star. To gain some sort of clarity on this topic, I spoke with Bergen Community College professor, Dr. Maria Makowiecka, who teaches women in literature and has published about gender issues in women's writing. He explains that the story of the witch begins in the church, as Witches become heretics, witches become associated with the devil, and they're really, they're considered evil. But it's not the witch's alleged pacts with the devil that scared the church. Witches were and are women who are perceived as too sexual, they are too powerful, and thus become dangerous to the patriarchal system. In addition to being afraid of these witches' disregard for what others believe to be true about their sexuality or societal role, they had an advanced understanding of herbs and medicine. For the church who believed that God's will was stronger than that of any human, especially a woman, they were terrified by how they controlled birth. That's very important, because the power is in numbers, and in the Middle Ages, you know, the church wanted more people. No wonder they got rid of people, of women, who knew how to control birth, because they wanted more people, more babies to be born. These two statements completely altered my thinking and made me angry for the women and witches who were cast aside by the church simply because they were autonomous and educated. I think back to Hillary Clinton and how her story connects to those of the women from the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Just like in the late 1600s, if you had a political opponent, or for whatever social reasons you wanted to get rid of a person, it was enough to say, I think she's a witch. No evidence was required. A pattern began to develop throughout my interview with Dr. Makowiecka. Witches were never evil sorcerers or terrorists to society. No, they were women who knew things that other people did not. They were believers in science and of their own intellect. And the term witch was never used to simply classify a person. It was a derogatory label that was slung at women who simply knew too much for their time or had what the kings and priests of that society thought of as too much social power. I wondered why witches were forced to be ugly, evil, and tempting seductresses, while wizards, who are more commonly represented as men, are given the decency of being brave, all-powerful, and wise. Professor Makowiecka argues that Witch is female, because bad things, natural things, are female. Things that are heavy, that are low on the ground, but male, male things are light, you know, they're intellectual, they're positive, they bring the enlightenment. I hated the idea that when women find a new way of thinking or doing something, they are a threat to society, but when a man does it, he brings upon the enlightenment. However, I am not the only woman who realizes the injustice brought upon those who are called witches. In 2024, like so many other curse words and slurs, women are reclaiming the term witch and making it their own symbol of unity and independence from the patriarchy. One abbreviation for the word has become popularized over the internet and stands for Woman in Total Control of Herself. It's a beautiful thing to witness and something I deeply resonate with, because I admire the witches in history who shaped the feminist movement of today. I admire the witches who supported the sick and the pregnant when nobody else would, and I admire the witches who found community with like-minded women and practiced with them. So, when a term is so heavily connected with nature, with the body, with the physicality of the world, it simply cannot be masculine.