The Truth About Witches: A Reflection on Wise Ones, Power, and Prejudice

 

The Truth About Witches: A Reflection on Wise Ones, Power, and Prejudice

There was a time when the word witch did not strike fear or suspicion. Long before it was twisted into something sinister, it meant something sacred. It meant a wise person — someone who healed, guided, listened, and knew. These were the ones who worked with plants and energy, with dreams and rituals. Some were women, and some were men. All were keepers of knowledge passed through generations, rooted in the rhythms of nature and the cycles of the earth.

They did not always call themselves witches. That label came later, often from those who did not understand. But they were known for what they did. They soothed pain, helped bring life into the world, honored the dead, read the signs of the sky and seasons, and helped their communities stay grounded and whole. They lived close to the land and to their intuition, trusting what they felt and saw.

Many lived on the edges of society: older women, unmarried men, widows, healers, midwives, diviners, herbalists, mystics. People whose power came not from wealth or social standing, but from a deep inner knowing. That kind of power has always made the world nervous. That kind of independence invites fear from those who cling to control.

As institutional religion — especially the Church — grew in influence, everything began to shift. Healing and spiritual work that existed outside the Church’s control became dangerous. Practices once honored were now condemned. The traits that once made these wise ones sacred — their vision, their connection to the unseen, their refusal to bow to hierarchy — became the very reasons they were labeled heretics, sorcerers, or servants of evil.

And so began the long, brutal history of the witch hunts. Tens of thousands of people were accused, tortured, and executed — most of them women, but many men too. People were targeted simply for being different. For having knowledge. For tending to the sick, for keeping herbs in the garden, for dreaming out loud. It was not about magic. It was about fear. About silencing those who could not be controlled.

But the story does not end in fire or silence. The story continues.

Today, many of us are remembering and reclaiming. We call ourselves witches with pride, not shame. We connect with the earth. We speak to the ancestors. We honor the old ways in a world that has forgotten how to listen. We light candles, set intentions, offer prayers, and walk gently on sacred ground. We come from many paths, and we wear many names — but we carry one truth: we are not evil. We are not lost. We are not alone.

Still, even now, we face misunderstanding. There is prejudice born from fear, and fear born from ignorance. Books and movies continue to paint witches as wicked, dangerous, or demonic, casting spells to harm, stealing babies, sacrificing animals, and worshiping darkness in the most sensational ways. But do not believe everything you see on a screen. That’s fiction. That is projection. That is centuries of propaganda wrapped in special effects.

The truth is, most witches today, like the ones who came before, are protectors, not predators. We are the ones who rescue stray animals, not harm them. We nurture life, not destroy it. We pray for peace, not power. We light candles for the healing of others, tend to the earth with care, and carry deep respect for life in all forms. We are not killers. We are not monsters. Quite the opposite — we are the ones who try to bring light where others see only shadow.

Some still confuse our symbols and tools with evil. They see a pentacle and think of demons. They hear the word "Satanist" and assume the worst, without knowing that many who use that title are reclaiming personal sovereignty, not worshiping a devil. Misdeeds done in any name do not speak for all. Every path has those who twist it. But that does not mean every path is wrong.

I say this not just from history, but from the heart. There is still courage required to walk this path openly. But we do it because truth matters. Because healing matters. Because the world needs the wise ones again.

We are not what they told you we were.
We are not wicked.
We are not lost.
We are rising.