As it’s spooky season it’s the perfect time to talk about a regular question I get asked and pour out my thoughts on this subject. But before I get into it I just wanted to highlight that although I’m fascinated by all things surrounding witchcraft I am by no means an expert and don’t wish to offend any witches out there! This is purely my thoughts, my own personal research and how it connects with my art practice and personal life, which hopefully you’ll find interesting.
So..not surprisingly due to the themes of my artwork around gothic symbolism and folklore, I am regularly asked at art fairs and events if I’m a Witch!… Particularly when I bring my crow friend along!
Me and my Crow friend Stolas at an art fair
Now ordinarily, out of respect to those that do take their witchcraft seriously I always say no. I don’t follow any particular rituals or create spells so surely I can’t be? But I've been thinking recently that maybe there’s more to this?
Me With my painting “Nettle in Dokke out” Inspired by folklore
What does it actually mean to be a witch? Now through the tiny amount of research and reading I’ve done, this question is a difficult one to answer!… Witchcraft is vast, it spans 100s if not 1000s of years of history across different cultures around the world.
There’s lots of differing traditions, rituals, different ways of working, different names and terminology. Even using the name Witch is a complicated subject, as historically the name was a derogatory word but has in modern times been accepted and changed into a name that any practicing witch can be proud to say.
Now a lot of historical witchcraft can be linked back to ancient pagan traditions and folklore, particularly in Britain and whilst researching for my art I came across some “rituals” which we still do today.
Blowing out birthday candles
Now this is a big one… such a common everyday thing, if it wasn’t included in a birthday party it’d be weird!… and yet the act of making a wish and blowing a candle is an ancient ritual that’s been practiced for a very long time. Candle magic, is also hugely important in modern witchcraft forming the basis of many spells and rituals.
Saluting a magpie
Remember been told when you were a kid you had to salute the magpie or you’d get bad luck!.. The relief when you saw it wasn’t alone and no longer needed a salute.. phew! Along with Crows, Magpies are regularly linked with superstition, bad luck and omens for the future. Corvids pop up in lots of folklore across different cultures and not surprisingly were linked to witches. Some stories say they are familiars and a link to the devil!
Touch wood, Knock on wood
Don’t know about you but I do this all the time… linked with the joke that my head’s made of wood so you touch your head… get it?.. Anyway, if I want to make sure I’m not jinxed by something I just said, then you’ve gotta touch wood. There’s some speculation as to where this comes from, but it’s widely believed to be linked to trees and their link with the spirit world. In pagan tradition you would knock on the tree to wake the spirits and ask for good luck.
Now, getting back to my question of what does it actually mean to be a witch. Well when researching practices there are a lot of similarities that pop up and the top one would be around energy and a connection with nature. There’s many practices that involve nature, using plants and materials from nature, being in nature is hugely important.
What’s fascinating about this importance of being in nature is that it’s now scientifically proven! There’s evidence that shows how just being close to trees has a physical impact on us from a chemical level. Being in a forest can literally make you feel calmer as the trees emit a chemical which we absorb that triggers our parasympathetic nervous system. Isn’t that incredible?!
And the witches knew this all along right?… Makes sense that they were known as wise women too. And this wise knowledge pops up again and again with everything I read, from old herbal recipes to folklore that gives a warning! These rituals and practices, although seem like they are so far from our modern world are still very much an important part of us which I’m only just starting to appreciate.
Small things like enjoying the warmth of the morning sun on your skin, the cool breeze through the window on an evening. The fresh apples from my tree, crisp and sweet and grown by me!.. Maybe being a witch is just about acknowledging these things, noticing them and appreciating them when you do.
As I’ve gotten older, and especially this past year, I understand more the importance of nature and wildlife and how we as humans should work with nature rather than against it. With wildfires and extreme weather becoming more regular, more and more people are realising that if we don’t take action quickly, then Mother Nature will respond and respond with extremes..
Ok… that wasn’t the thought process I expected I would take when I started writing this piece…. but here we are! Basically, we all need to start being more like witches and be more sensitive to nature or we’re F%$*@d!…. Ha ha… wow. Wasn’t expecting that!
So anyway… to summarise, I think those of us that appreciate nature and acknowledge the energy and changes that Mother Nature brings can say maybe we are witches deep down.. So maybe next time someone asks me if I’m a witch then I’ll say… Yes… aren’t we all?..
I’ll continue researching into Witchcraft, folklore and Macabre themes as part of my art practice and hopefully whilst I’m learning more about what it means to be a witch my art will improve with it. I have just started two new pieces so I’m excited to see where they lead me.
Thanks for reading, I hope you found this interesting.
To see all available paintings inspired by these themes then click here.