A Witch's Way

This chapter pursues the theme of collectivity and looks more deeply at the intertwinings of witchcraft, feminism and marketisation forces. We consider the benefits and drawbacks inherent in the market logics involved in contemporary witchcraft, with its emphasis on the solitary practitioner and mass customisation of witchcraft into many and myriad forms. As part of this analysis, we unpack the witchcore aesthetic, exploring how it reflects wider socio-cultural factors, re-inscribing femininity with a sense of mystery and agency at a time when women in positions of power are still being demonised as witches on a global scale. We also discuss the importance of embodied rituals in witchcraft collective practices. Highlighting the pressing need for collective action, we then pinpoint the coven as a way for witches to resist the individualising logics of market forces, thus ensuring that witchcraft can be a means of expressing a sense of feminist solidarity and connectivity with others.