Holly Elsdon Witches Against the Patriarchy: the Evolution of the Feminist Witch

Tracing the history of the links between witchcraft and feminism leading to the iconic myth/symbol of the feminist witch... The witch is has been framed as a powerful feminist symbol representing women’s oppression, transgression, and patriarchal resistance. A symbol that has been (re)constructed and (re)appropriated from the equally powerful myth of the satanic witch, a male fantasy that has historically been a source of both terror and fascination. The feminist reclamation of this symbolic witch ‘feels’ right, but how did the witch become such a potent symbol of protest in first and second wave feminism, with an enduring place in contemporary culture? And how does this symbol serve us in a 21st century context?