October 23rd, 2025

WHY BEING CALLED A WITCH IS A COMPLIMENT
Every October, witches creep back into our cultural spotlight. They grin from greeting cards, cackle on TV screens, and wink from coffee mugs and Instagram captions. In October, the witch is everywhere: charming, mischievous, and maybe a little spooky. But beneath the glitter and broomsticks lies a complicated history, one that reveals a lot about how women’s independence and strength have been feared, punished, and, finally, celebrated.
For centuries, a witch was a word used to wound. During the European and American witch hunts from the 15th to 18th centuries, thousands of women, especially healers, widows, and anyone living outside society’s expectations, were accused of practicing dark magic. The charge wasn’t about potions or pacts with the devil; it was about power. A woman who owned land without a husband, questioned religious leaders, or held knowledge of herbal medicine could easily be branded a witch. The accusation justified silencing her voice and stripping her autonomy. To call a woman a witch was to paint her independence as dangerous.
Even today, the echoes of that word can sting.  A witch is still used as a dig for women who are outspoken or refuse to conform. But in recent years women and feminists have turned the term on its head. What was once an insult is now a banner of strength, resilience, and sisterhood.
Reclaiming the witch isn’t just about Halloween aesthetics,it’s about recognizing the archetype’s deeper significance. Witches have always been symbols of knowledge and self-reliance. Midwives who understood the rhythms of the body, women who preserved folklore and herbal wisdom, and those who dared to lead outside patriarchal structures were all painted as dangerous. Modern witchcraft communities, feminist thinkers, and pop culture icons like Practical Magic’s Owens sisters or American Horror Story’s Coven have reclaimed this heritage, presenting witches as empowered, resourceful, and unapologetically bold.
The act of reclamation is powerful in itself. By embracing the witch archetype, women can transform a label once used to destroy them into a source of identity and solidarity. Think of the phrase, “We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn’t burn,” which has become a rallying cry at feminist marches and on social media. It’s a reminder that women’s power that was once feared as something unnatural, has always been part of the fabric of our communities.
Halloween offers the perfect stage for this reclamation. When you don a pointed hat or draw a smoky winged liner for a witchy costume, you’re not just channeling a pop culture trope. You’re tapping into a lineage of women who refused to be quieted. You’re celebrating the idea that women can be powerful, unconventional, and even a little intimidating and that this is something to be proud of.
The witch archetype also invites us to embrace a sense of magic in our everyday lives. You don’t have to cast spells or practice Wicca to appreciate the metaphor. Magic can be found in setting intentions for your future, building supportive friendships, or carving out time for self-care in a world that tells women their needs come last. Lighting a candle on a chilly autumn evening or stirring a pot of homemade soup can feel a little like conjuring. It reminds us that creation, care, and transformation are powerful acts.
This reframing also has a social dimension. Witches, real or imagined, have always gathered in circles supporting, teaching, and protecting one another. Feminist communities today echo that spirit, whether it’s through activism, mentorship, or simply sharing wisdom and encouragement. The witch is no longer a solitary figure in the woods; she’s a collective force, proving that women are strongest when they lift each other up.
Pop culture has played a huge role in shifting perceptions, too. From Sabrina Spellman’s wit to Hermione Granger’s intelligence, witches on screen now embody courage, curiosity, and compassion rather than villainy. Their popularity suggests that audiences are hungry for stories where female power isn’t something to be feared but celebrated. Even witchy fashion trends such as flowing black dresses, moon-shaped jewelry, or celestial prints carry a quiet defiance, signaling that femininity and strength can be the same thing.
So this Halloween, when someone calls you a witch, take it as a compliment. Lean into it. Let the pointed hat or crystal necklace be more than a costume or accessory. Let it be a small act of rebellion and a celebration of resilience. Use the season’s playful spirit to remind yourself and everyone watching that the word once meant to diminish women now belongs to those who embody their own power.
Being called a witch is no longer an accusation. It’s an acknowledgment of wisdom, independence, creativity, and community. It’s a reminder that women’s magic, whether in the form of leadership, love, or laughter, has always been real. The world may have once been afraid of that magic, but now it can’t look away.
So go ahead and light your candles, stir your cauldron or your pumpkin spice latte, and claim your space. Be the witch, the wonder-worker, the woman who refuses to be small. Because this Halloween and every day after, there’s nothing scarier and more inspiring than a woman who knows her own power and refuses to be burned.

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