A photographic record of witchcraft and the mystical captures the essence of ancient beliefs and practices, showcasing the interconnectedness of spirituality and nature. Through the lens of the camera, a whole world of magic unfolds, shedding light on rituals and ceremonies that have been passed down through generations. The power of these photographs lies in their ability to transport us to a realm beyond the mundane, where the mystical takes center stage. These images offer a glimpse into the world of witches, conjuring up visions of dark forests, flickering candles, and swirling incense. The striking visual imagery conveys the enigmatic nature of witchcraft, showcasing its mystery and allure. Each photograph tells a story, conveying the emotion and energy that permeate these ancient practices.
Here’s the lowdown on a few Wicca symbols that are kind of a big deal in Wiccan circles:
It s about finding alternative systems for processing the world around you, for connecting to the Earth, and for healing something in yourself or something in somebody else. Louisianans go all out to show their respect for these spirits in all sorts of ways, like voodoo practices, altars, rootwork using herbs, roots, and charms to keep the spirits happy , and even graveyard rituals.
Each photograph tells a story, conveying the emotion and energy that permeate these ancient practices. The photographs also reveal the intricate details of witchcraft rituals, capturing the intricacy of spellcasting and the craftsmanship of talismans and sigils. By focusing on the minutiae, these images invite us to delve into the world of the mystical, encouraging us to explore the symbolism and significance behind each gesture and artifact.
What Does It Mean to Be a Witch Today?
Frances F. Denny (b. 1984). Shine, (New York, New York), 2017, from Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America series. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of Frances F. Denny and ClampArt, New York, NY
In 1692, a panic swept through Salem, Massachusetts. More than 200 people—mostly women—were accused of witchcraft; 20 were executed, and five more died in prison. What led a quiet New England town to turn against itself, and why, three centuries later, do these trials continue to captivate Americans?
A new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society (N-YHS), “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming,” transports viewers to that bleak New England winter—and invites us to consider how we might have reacted to such events.
“It’s a call to re-examine our own behavior in moments of crisis,” says Anna Danziger Halperin, associate director of the N-YHS Center for Women’s History and the exhibition’s coordinating curator. “Everyone wants to think they would respond on the side of justice, but it’s really easy to get carried along and turn on one another.”
The exhibition evokes this history largely through rare documents, including the confession—no doubt given under duress—of Tituba, an enslaved Indigenous woman. But it also includes modern reclamations, including photographs by Frances F. Denny, a descendant of one of the Salem judges, that focus on present-day people who identify as witches.
Frances F. Denny (b. 1984). Keavy, (Brooklyn, New York), 2016, from Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America series. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of Frances F. Denny and ClampArt, New York, NY
Denny, it turns out, has not one but two ancestors directly involved in the witch hunts of 17th-century America—Samuel Sewall, the judge, and Mary Bliss Parsons, a woman who was accused and acquitted of witchcraft some years earlier. Denny, who has long focused her lens on the ways that female identity is constructed in America, began thinking about the term “witch” as a “primordial female archetype.”
In her portrait series and book, titled Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America, she captures how the word “witch” has evolved from a potentially deadly label her ancestor rejected to something embraced by many people today.
“Witch” has always been a capacious term. “Never one thing, she was several different beings at once,” historian Lyndal Roper writes in The Witch in the Western Imagination. All at once a seductress and a hag; a cunning shapeshifter and a gullible fool tricked into the service of the devil. The late journalist and Wiccan priestess Margot Adler wrote in Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America that it’s exactly this “imprecision,” this ambiguity, that gives the word “witch” its power.
Frances F. Denny (b. 1984). Karen, (Brooklyn, New York), 2016, from Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America series. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of Frances F. Denny and ClampArt, New York, NY
Major Arcana doesn’t attempt to narrow down what it means to be a witch; the series’ power is in broadening our view of who witches are and what they believe. “As I started photographing, it became evident to me that a witch is not one thing,” Denny says. “You can hardly call it a community of witchcraft, because it’s so diverse.” Denny’s subjects vary not just by race but also by age, geography, gender identity, belief system and more.
Some of her subjects, who chose the outfits they would be pictured in, wore black capes—and yet most of them do not like the stereotypical witches that will flood the streets this Halloween. One, the high priestess of a Wiccan church and a surgical coordinator at an organ procurement agency, is pictured in her scrubs.
The group includes Wiccans and Vodou priestesses, green witches and kitchen witches, sex witches, cat witches, anarchist witches and a great many activist witches. Alongside many of the portraits in Denny’s series, both in the book and in the exhibition, the subjects provide text defining “witch” or “witchcraft” for themselves. (Many of these texts are read by the subjects themselves in an audio track that accompanies the portraits in the NYH-S exhibition.)
“Frankly, I think that if your witchcraft is not political, you are still asleep,” Leonore Tjia, a witch from Montpelier, Vermont, told Denny. “In a culture as racist and patriarchal and transphobic and homophobic and materialistic as ours is, if you don’t see the way witchcraft is radical and revolutionary, you have some waking up to do.”
Frances F. Denny (b. 1984). Leonore, (Montpelier, Vermont), 2016, from Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America series. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of Frances F. Denny and ClampArt, New York, NY
“Generations of women’s rights activists have looked at the history of witch hunts as a way of controlling and oppressing women’s behavior,” says Halperin.
In 19th-century America, Transcendentalism and first-wave feminism swept across the nation, and suffragists saw accused witches as fellow victims of a violent and ignorant patriarchy. In the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and ’70s, witchcraft was seen as a code for the skills, knowledge or independence obtained by women who men viewed as a threat, such as healing, midwifery or financial independence. In recent years, as the #MeToo movement took hold, a new generation of witches are sharing spells to “hex the patriarchy” on “WitchTok” (the occult corner of the social media platform TikTok) and in mainstream publications like TeenVogue.
Indeed, as Bianca Bosker writes in the Atlantic, the popularity of witchcraft has always spiked during periods of turmoil in the United States, from the Civil War to the Trump era, as people disillusioned with the status quo seek something new. The tides of feminism and witchcraft have always been tightly linked.
“Show me your witches, and I’ll show you your feelings about women,” writes Pam Grossman, author and host of the podcast “The Witch Wave,” and one of Denny’s subjects, in her own book Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic and Power.
Of course, one need not identify as a woman to be a witch. Major Arcana includes witches who are transgender, nonbinary and genderqueer. Even men can be witches, though none are featured in the portrait series.
As in any diverse community, disagreements bubble up. For some of the “old guard” witches who came up in the countercultural ’60s and ’70s, the mainstreaming of the occult is an assault on an identity that hinges on its fringe nature. Meanwhile, some modern witches who have had this identity used against them by abusers and family court systems see it as a pathway to safety and acceptance.
What unifies the group, in Denny’s view, is that so many of the witches in Major Arcana are using witchcraft as a healing modality. They turned to the occult to process trauma, to endure chronic illness or to find empowerment. Brooklyn-based witch Alex Patrick Dyck writes in Major Arcana, “we can heal ourselves to better heal others and our communities.”
This is a far cry from the historical definition of a witch—the one Denny’s ancestor rejected—as a malicious person who harms others through magical means.
Indeed, one of the widely accepted definitions of magic within the community, which comes from British occultist Dion Fortune, who lived in the first half of the 20th century, is “the art of changing consciousness at will.” Magic, in that sense, is a lot like meditation, or therapy, or psychedelics. It feels a bit mysterious, maybe even ridiculous, to those who don’t practice it, but for those who do, it’s a tool to change the way they interact with the world.
“At the end of the day, what is witchcraft?” Denny says. “It’s about finding alternative systems for processing the world around you, for connecting to the Earth, and for healing something in yourself or something in somebody else.”
What’s more human than that?
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This article is a selection from the November/December 2022 issue of Smithsonian magazine
“At the end of the day, what is witchcraft?” Denny says. “It’s about finding alternative systems for processing the world around you, for connecting to the Earth, and for healing something in yourself or something in somebody else.”
Furthermore, a photographic record of witchcraft and the mystical serves as a historical document, preserving the traditions and practices of cultures that may otherwise fade into obscurity. These images provide a window into a time when the spiritual was intertwined with the fabric of everyday life, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of belief systems. Whether capturing the ethereal beauty of a moonlit ceremony or the raw power of a witch in full trance, these photographs serve to both inspire and educate. They elicit a sense of wonder and curiosity, igniting the imagination of viewers and prompting them to question our own beliefs and perspectives. In conclusion, a photographic record of witchcraft and the mystical is a testament to the enduring fascination and power of these ancient practices. Through the lens, we are transported into a realm where magic and spirituality reign supreme, offering a glimpse into a world beyond the limits of our own perception. These images serve as a visual reminder of the importance of connecting with the mystical, and the timeless wisdom that lies within..
Reviews for "Through the Eyes of the Witch: A Photographer's Exploration of Witchcraft"
1. John - 1 star
I was really disappointed with "A photographic record of witchcraft and the mystical". The book promised to provide stunning photographs and insights into the world of witchcraft, but it fell flat on both counts. The photographs were blurry and poorly composed, making it difficult to appreciate the subject matter. Additionally, the book lacked any substantial written content, leaving me feeling unsatisfied and uneducated about witchcraft. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a serious and informative exploration of the topic.
2. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "A photographic record of witchcraft and the mystical", but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. Most of the photographs lacked any depth or creativity, making them feel bland and uninspiring. Additionally, the book lacked any meaningful commentary or context, leaving me feeling lost and disconnected from the subject matter. Overall, I found it to be an underwhelming representation of witchcraft and the mystical, and would not recommend it to fellow enthusiasts. There are much better books out there that provide a more comprehensive and engaging exploration of this fascinating topic.