The Intertwining of Witchcraft, Feminism and Markets

This chapter serves as an introduction to the intersections between witchcraft, feminism and markets that the book explores. First, however, it traces the historical and socio-cultural roots of the witch craze and the widespread persecution of women accused of witchcraft in Europe. We show how positive associations of witchcraft as a healing practice were lost so that the dominant representation of witches came to be that they were out to destabilise and corrupt society. Influential writers and artists portrayed a vivid image of the witch as an evil and repulsive figure who engaged in diabolical practices. This helped create a witch imaginary and iconography that became deeply rooted in the collective cultural imagination. We show, however, how feminist scholars brought about a significant shift in the witch imaginary, occurring in the 1970s and 1980s, a shift that has led to the resurgence of witchcraft and the flourishing markets that surround it.