I’m Not a Broom. So What’s with the Closet?
Author: Aoibhin
When I say “Witch” let’s be honest… what’s the first image that comes to mind? For most, it’s that old green hag with the wart on her nose, right? When people find out I’m a Witch the first thing I get asked is if I ride a broom. My reply is “Yes I do; have you seen gas prices? Plus I earn flyer miles.” Jokes aside, we must look at how this issue came to be and why so many have not told people they are Wiccans. I like to call it the “Walt Disney factor “. Follow me here. I know it sounds odd, but it’s true. We are all familiar with movies like “Wizard of Oz” or “Snow White”. We all know movies like these have Witches, mostly bad ones. Those are the images we saw as children. Witches in those stories are often portrayed as a bad people casting evil on others and as old green women with warty noses.
Halloween, though I love the holiday, has not helped, all of those funny pictures of flying Witches in store windows or scary Witches in haunted houses. So, it’s not shocking that when we tell people who ask that we are Wiccan, we get the blank stare. What’s really going on is they are trying to process what we just said: is it a joke or are they for real? Doesn’t Wiccan mean Witch?
We can’t blame them for this misguided awkwardness. What I have found is that when people are faced with something that invokes fear, they fall back on what they know. This is where Walt figures in. The only association most people have with Witches is what they have seen on television or heard in scary bedtime stories as a child. So they freeze up and we turn green, grow a wart and start tossing newt tails and bat wings into a cauldron for cooking small children.
What is a real Witch to do? Well, what we can’t undo is the damage that’s been hundreds of years in the making. However we can become teachers and lead by positive and productive examples in our communities. I myself noticed this damage when I kicked open the invisible broom closet door and flew out. I didn’t see a need for a graceful exit with my “love me or leave, take me for who I am” view on life. There were some who didn’t agree with my newfound faith, not that I cared because I was finally happy. Then there where others, those filled with questions and concern for my safety and soul. Not sure on how to go about answering them, I jumped into research mode. What I found was shocking but helpful in understanding why we are looked at in society like we are. It seems back in the ole days a Witch’s cheery and loving outlook on life wasn’t always favored among the town’s folk.
So just when did the “broom closet” start accepting candidates? There are many sides to the tale on time period, but they all end roughly the same way. Let’s dive right in starting with the earliest I could find on the subject: the Inquisition. The French Inquisition started in the 12th century. The reason it started was to combat the wide spread of heresy. What is heresy you may ask? Well, it is defined many forms. Heresy addresses violations of Religious, traditional laws, or moral ethics. Christianity was well on its way to becoming the more popular of the religions at this time, so Witchcraft was on its way out, being labeled as heresy. An accusation of heresy was no subject to be laughed at and came with stiff punishments. When the purpose of the Inquisition is translated from the 1578 Handbook for Inquisitors it states, “For punishment does not take place primarily and per se for the good of the person being punished, but for the public good in order that others may become terrified and be weaned away from the evils they would commit.”
It is estimated that during the times when anti-Witchcraft laws were passed, the Inquisition period in history, somewhere between 40, 000 and 60, 000 people were executed. Townspeople were often lead down a garden path due to the lack of education, so it made them easily tricked into believing Witches were evil. When you add fear into any problem it breeds hate and so the torturing of Witches was not viewed as inhuman. Lies of Witches dancing with the Devil, and casting evil spells on people causing harm or death to their families, were found everywhere. The truth that Witches did good things for the town’s people became just a myth. Long forgotten was the mid-wife and doctor role they played in small farming townships. No more did the people ask them to help with beautiful festivals to bring favor on harvesting of crops or long lasting marriages from the Lord and Lady. No, now it was to be pain, hiding, and slander.
Pain was rained down on the accused Witches in order to gain a confession in hopes of saving the soul. Horrible acts of violence carried out while others watched. Punishments were called “tests”, used to find out if the condemned was in fact a Witch. One such ‘test’ involved strapping a large rock to the person and pushing him/her into deep waters. If she/he floats to the top, she/he was a Witch and executed. If they sank and drowned, then a prayer would be said for their souls. Often times, people received daily beatings instead of tests until they confessed to certain wrong doings. Many people confessed even though they were innocent just to end the pain, which usually still meant death. This death could involve being burned alive or hung at the gallows, if the prisoners were lucky. These beatings took a toll on the body causing the skin to bruise and bones to break. So by the time the accused was marched through town to have rotten vegetables and harsh words slung at them, they would indeed appear green in tone and the broken nose could very well look hooked and warty.
Now that we know how Witches became green, let’s take a look at how we fly! Well hold on to your seats… here it is… back in the day, Witches used what was called “Flying Ointment”. It was rumored that this special ointment would allow us to fly on our brooms to demonic orgies and converse with Satan. Now comes the truly funny part in all this… most Witches do not believe in Satan, demons, or hell. So if this special ointment didn’t help us fly, what did it do? The ointment was used to help aide us in divination or seeing into the future. The herbs it contained are poisonous and I warn you against its use. It contains herbs such as Deadly Nightshade (yes, deadly means deadly) and Wolfbane. The ointment never contained Poppy, although it was a popular myth. When mixed correctly in a topical ointment and rubbed on the skin such as the arms and legs the poisonous toxins slowly work their way into your nervous system. The toxins would then cause a floating or flying feeling along with powerful hallucinations. In order to explain what was going on to the best they could, non-users put the image of the green, elderly, wart warning “Witch” on a broom as a picture to use for decoration at Halloween to strike fear into small children.
Luckily for the modern Witch, the last anti-witch law was lifted in 1950. Even with the change in the laws it hasn’t made it easier for the world to accept us again. Still, many seek refuge in the silence and practice behind closed doors. We are getting somewhat of a boost with shows such as “Charmed” and movies like “Practical Magic”. I’m not saying everyone will find the publicity good but at least we aren’t green. Every little bit helps.
Witches are just like everyone else. Matter of fact, if a Witch walked up to most people on the street or sat next to them on a bus, folks wouldn’t know. Perhaps one day the balance will be restored and harmony will rule. Until then, a girl can dream. One thing is for sure: Witches leave behind a touch of magic in the lives of everyone we befriend.
Blessed be,
Aoibhin!
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