Contrary to pop culture, witches are not caricatures who fly around on brooms, plot the doom of humankind, and wear pointed hats. Instead they are powerful individuals who have a deep connection to the universe, nature, humanity, their ancestors, and themselves.
Likewise, halloween is full of misconceptions. Today it’s often thought of as a holiday which encourages consumerism but historically it was meant as an occasion to respect ancestors and spirits.
With all this propaganda being thrown, we decided to ask modern day witches their opinion on Halloween’s roots and their own craft.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ to define who and what a witch is. The witch is sovereign, we are ancient, and we are re-awakening a remembrance that exist within all of the natural world … We commune in realms both seen and unseen. We honor the cycles of life, death, and rebirth … Halloween is our only holiday with pagan roots that still remains a purely secular holiday. Fall is a time to embrace the dark mysteries.”
Bri Luna
Owner and Creative Director of “The Hoodwitch“
“Full disclosure: I dislike Halloween to my very core, but it’s not at all because of my spirituality, or what people think of witches. While I don’t care for the stereotyping of witches, it doesn’t bother me a fraction as much as the racial and ethnic stereotyping that I see during that holiday. Halloween doesn’t impact my work one way or another. I’m personally very cool with being part of an exclusive club that Muggles don’t understand; witches are empowered people who use nature and energy as a generative resource for self-determination. Plus we got hella steeze.”
Jessica Lanyadoo
Girlboss’ resident astrologer and psychic medium
“There are a few things I hate about my favorite holiday, Halloween: Like, people wearing offensive costumes and how halloween has been hijacked by capitalism, but stereotypes about witches isn’t anything I ever think about! The witch myth has many forms, and it means something different to everyone— to me, a witch is someone who owns their power and fights for what’s right.”
Annabel Gat
The astrologer behind Broadly’s daily and monthly horoscopes
“The word witch means to twist or bend, it has nothing to do with gender. Women, men, and non-binary people of any race can be witches.”
Michael Cardenas
Professional witch and owner of Olde Ways Apothecary
“For me, being a bruja is about a deep connection to my personal power, ancestral magic, and eternal possibility to create and re-create my existence. Since being a bruja means I am free and in charge of my destiny, I can understand why witches become the lore of Halloween and forbidden darkness. The most divine feminine is always repressed because our nature is to strengthen ourselves and in turn the collective. This will always be a threat to the powers that be. Halloween and everyday.”
Chiquita Brujita
Artist, social entrepreneur and founder of Brooklyn Brujeria
“Witches are often depicted as being ugly, or hyper-sexualized, when it comes to Halloween costumes. Both have their place in this work, in one way or another (lower vibrational side of magic and sex magic). It’s still an inaccurate and limiting view, we are all so much more.”
Emilia Ortiz
Bruja, spiritual advisor, and mental health advocate
“Witches work in service of others and the greater good. Witches make connections and form circles to expand their knowledge and practices. Witches know how to heal themselves and others. Witches acknowledge that getting acquainted with the shadow and dark side is the way into the light. Witches know their power, they step into it, and harness it in order to help others find their own. These are the new stories and visions we are actively creating about who witches are and can be.”
Alice Baca
Cosmic weaver, sacred curator, creatrix of “Life As Ceremony”
“Halloween is hardly the only time for witchcraft, but it’s definitely a particularly potent night for harnessing the power of the dead and other spirits who come crawling out of the autumnal woodwork. I don’t find the witch stereotypes coming out of movies to be harmful to witches, folk magicians, or the work we do. Engaging the imagination and senses is an essential part of magic.”
Aerinn Kolfage
Witch, tarot reader, and folk magician
“I’ve never been bothered by Halloween witch stereotypes. The origin of witchcraft was to protect us from the patriarchy and they’re clearly so scared of us that they have to make us old and unattractive, but we all know that’s a lie. I have no issue with being feared.”
Ammo O’Day
“The Fitness Witch,” esoteric life coach
“I don’t mind witch stereotypes because they usually sprout from a fear of the unknown, and witches are notoriously elusive. I use these stereotypes to my advantage, because a person’s reaction to hearing what I practice will usually tell me a lot about them. What does annoy me is when people trivialize my belief system with unsolicited comments, and the absolute worst is when dudes use it as an open to hit on me with no substance behind their actions.”
Renee Watt
Host of “Witch Doctorate” Podcast, professional witch, psychic medium, astrologer, and tarot reader
“The belief that black cats are evil and are bad luck is a Halloween and societal myth I would like to debunk. This leaves black cats in shelters longer, and attacked by mean-spirited people. Black cats are just as sweet and friendly as other cats. If anything, studies have shown that black cats live longer too.”
Sonia Ana Ortiz
