This extensive volume, which introduces readers to the fascinating and complex history of witchcraft, from the mythologies of goddesses in ancient cultures to the contemporary adoption of the craft by modern artists and activists, conjures an impressive overview of a millennia-old tradition. The archetype of the witch, rooted in legend, folklore, and myth, has evolved from the stories of Ulysses and Circe, the Celtic seductress Cerridwen, and the myth of Hecate, fierce ruler of the moonlit night. In Witchcraft, its multiple incarnations since then are reviewed, as it changes form over the centuries, alternately transforming into mother, nymph, and harpy, seductress and destroyer.
This captivating visual chronicle, edited by Jessica Hundley and co-edited by writer, scholar, and practitioner Pam Grossman, is the first of its kind, a deep dive into the complex symbolisms behind witchcraft traditions, explored through art history. Witches have been muses for great artists over time, from the dark seductions of Francisco José de Goya and Albrecht Dürer to the elegant ode to feminine magic reinterpreted by the surrealist circle of Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Leonor Fini. Witches have also enchanted through folk tales and dramatic literature, from the poisoned apples of the Brothers Grimm to the strange sisters gathered around their black cauldron in Macbeth by Shakespeare, and the iconic Wicked Witch of the West by L. Frank Baum, who mocks Dorothy’s fate.
Throughout this fascinating visual journey, we also witness how witches were persecuted and evolved toward empowerment, a contemporary symbol of bold defiance and powerful nonconformity. With revealing essays by modern practitioners such as Kristen J. Sollée and Judika Illes, as well as interviews with authors and scholars like Madeline Miller and Juliet Diaz, Witchcraft includes a wide range of cultural traditions that embrace magic as a mode of spiritual exploration and creative catharsis.
