Each year, Halloween falls on October 31st. In the West, the spooky season we know today came from various religious rituals and ancient festivals. Did you know it’s one of the oldest holidays in the world? In countries like Australia, … Continue reading Anthropology: The Cultural Meaning of Different Halloween Symbols in Society
Anthropologists have been studying witchcraft, magic, and sorcery around the world since the mid-nineteenth century. They found that it involves human encounters with and attempts to communicate and control the supernatural. A large part of anthropological research focuses on the … Continue reading Anthropology: Witchcraft Beliefs and Practices in Slavic Culture
You often hear about the Salem witch trials, infamous for the brutality it inflicted on twenty-five people. There have been many witch trials over the centuries. But the one thing I am going to talk to you about today took … Continue reading History of the Infamous Pendle Witch Trials in the County of Lancashire
In Western culture, witches are old cruel women, eager to harm children. So the first rule when you encountered a witch was to run home, as fast as you could. And even if they don’t have a hooked nose, a … Continue reading Anthropology of Witchcraft History and the Birth of Wicca
Stir a tiny pinch of truth, popular tradition, a significant amount of fantasy and there you have it- myths and legends. The legends of any culture or country are always fascinating, and those of Italy are no different. Hidden between … Continue reading Exploring the Myths and Legends of Italy
The witch is a polarizing and powerful figure, and now, women are invoking the witch as a symbol of feminist values. Recently, a viral Tik Tok chain began on the corner of the social media platform called ‘witchtok.’ Modern-day practitioners … Continue reading Anthropology: How the Witch Has Become a Symbol of Feminist Rebellion