The season of doom and spells cast
What is the first thing you associate with October? I reckon it could be hot tea, cinnamon pastries, rain, and a warm blanket with a good film to watch in the evening. But another thing worth mentioning is Halloween. The celebration of death, commonly linked with costumes, along with the trick or treat custom. In fact, the most significant aspect of this festive gathering is to commemorate and cherish those whose time on earth has passed. Nonetheless, many people still think Halloween is a disgraceful ritual with adolescents disrupting the peace in the neighbourhood. They do not take a moment to ponder the true meaning of this celebration, based on deceptive assumptions. The season of doom and grayish landscape has officially begun, making it the perfect occasion to contemplate the magic hidden within fall - and perhaps explore the inaccurately infamous, dark side of this season. The witches always observe, so beware.
What links witches to Halloween, you may ask. Looking back to ancient times, pagans established a festival called Samhain, a two-day celebration creating a vast boundary between harvest appreciation and the start of dark, cold winter. Celts believed in the thinning of the veil, meaning this particular time allowed ancestors and otherworld creatures to cross over into the human realm. The main idea of this festival was to honour those who have passed away and their souls, as well as gather provisions to survive the challenging season. Throughout the centuries, Samhain was changed under religious influence of the Catholic Church to become a Christian holiday and was named All Hallows’ Eve. Christianization resulted in demonization of traditional folk healers and pagans as they were perceived as heretics as well as the embodiments of evil. Therefore, the society considered these figures possessed, capable of doing magic and cursing people, but also communicating with the dead during the celebration. In history, witches have occupied an ambiguous place in the community. They were usually portrayed as mysterious women having supernatural powers, a gift for superstition, or speaking with forces beyond human understanding. It is worth mentioning, however, that the figure of a witch was not always depicted as evil. In local groups they were respected for their skills. The religious fears and social suspicion led to the witch becoming a symbol of a sinister creature.
Nowadays, the witch is one of the staples of Halloween. Pointed hats, broomsticks, black cats, cauldrons, and spell books on every shop window during October. Yet the modern picture of Halloween witch is less a representation of historical witchcraft and more a product of centuries of storytelling, and popular culture. What was once a genuine source of unease has been changed into something fashionable and quite spooky. In old times, witches were the wise ones, folk healers, as well as midwives. They played a pivotal role in local communities. Unfortunately, centuries of European witch trials or witch hunts made these women extremely infamous and turned them into figures of dark folklore.
Some parts of these traditions prevail in witchcraft. It is a practice of spells, magic, and rituals by a witch. At the heart of this spiritual path lies the idea that certain individuals could influence the world through supernatural forces. Charms and rituals were believed to possess the power to affect people, nature, and even fate. It was said that magic could be used for good and harm. The latter included causing misfortune, crop failures, or illnesses. Throughout history, anything that seemed unattainable to explain was often attributed to magic. The fear surrounding witchcraft therefore came from the belief that witches possessed magical powers, and also from the uncertainty of what those powers could supposedly cause.
However, witchcraft did not disappear with the passing of the centuries. In fact, it is still practiced today. But modern witchcraft can look vastly different from the frightening image created by folklore and culture. Some practitioners perceive it as a spiritual practice centered around nature, intuition, personal rituals, and symbolism. Others approach it as a form of self-expression, using spells and rituals as a way of reflecting on their intention, emotions, or goals. It can also be considered as a modern superstitious approach to the unknown future. There are many forms of witchcraft, including Wicca or Paganism. For instance, common practices are tracking moon phases, seasonal equinoxes, or simply lighting a candle to ponder. Rather than the dramatic incantations portrayed in films, spells can be symbolic rituals involving written intentions, or spoken words. In contemporary world, witchcraft can take different shapes, depending on an individual. The crucial point is that the modern witch is no longer necessarily the frightening figure hiding in the woods.
The witch symbolises the unknown, things that humans cannot comprehend or control. Halloween permits us to step into that uncertainty for one night, to enjoy oneself while being dressed up as the creatures we once feared. As the witches may still be watching from the shadows, perhaps there is no need to be afraid. After all, Halloween has taught us that sometimes the things we fear the most are simply things we understand the least. And when October arrives, there is no better time to let ourselves wonder what if magic were real?
Page design: Antonina Szklarzewska
Bibliography
Matthias, M. (2018). Halloween | definition, history, & facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Halloween. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
White, E. D. (2016). Witchcraft. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/witchcraft. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
Berger, H. (2021, September 17). What is wicca? An expert on modern witchcraft explains. BrandeisNOW. https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2021/september/wicca-berger-conversation.html. Accessed Oct 8, 2026.
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