She sees herself as a witch. Surrounded by sisters, and still more brothers, she believes in magic and worships the secret powers of nature. Many of today’s self-proclaimed witches draw on a number of traditions and tales – inspired by the fabled witch figure of centuries past.
From the mid-20th century in particular, a number of modern witch movements emerge. The most widespread worldwide is the Wicca Movement whose members have clearly embraced the stories of European witch hunts as part of their self-image. The movement is based on the idea that the witch springs from a cult far older than the witch trials of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. And though no historian has been able to find any traces of this cult, it remains important to the Wicca identity and community.
Other self-proclaimed witches draw on a number of different traditions though they often have a set of feminist and environmental politics in common.