Others take an approach similar to historian Richard Kieckhefer, who defines witchcraft as being individual, cultural and regional. He says some witch mythologies can be found in some places and not in others.

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“In northern Italy, for instance, you have – according to Kieckhefer – different mythologies of witchcraft: the Umbrian type of witchcraft, central Italian type of witchcraft, the French [type of witchcraft] and so forth,” says Conti.

Who made witchcraft a crime?

The negative view of witches in Western society grew when religious figures began “the process of diabolisation” to demonise it, says Conti.

In the 15th century, German churchman Heinrich Kramer wrote the book the Malleus Maleficarum, translated as “The Hammer of Witches”, which claimed that witchcraft is used to perform evil acts and spells – in particular, against men. The book spurred centuries of witch hunts and trials in Europe.

The notion that witches can fly on broomsticks first appeared in Le champion des dames, which depicts two women – one riding a broom and the other riding a stick. These women were Waldensians, a religious group who were later accused by the Catholic Church of practising witchcraft and holding illicit Sabbath celebrations.

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Religious clergymen said that only women could be witches. Men were seen as smarter, more clever and better able to resist the so-called demonic temptations that women could not. Even the crime of heresy, which means to contradict religious beliefs, was gendered – and while men could be heretics, they could not be witches.

“To become a heretic, you need to be smarter,” says Conti. “On the contrary, to become a witch, [you could be] a simple woman from a village in the middle of nowhere.”

Are witches real?

Yes – and they look no different to anyone else.

“Witches are your neighbours,” says Jason Mankey, an author and a Wiccan witch. Wicca is a modern-day, nature-based pagan religion. “More of them are becoming your neighbours – we’re in the middle of this witch moment right now.”

For Pam Grossman, the author of Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, witchcraft is a spiritual and creative practice that focuses on personal change and bringing about change in the world.

Grossman has, ever since she was little, been interested in magic, mythology and fairy tales and it is a passion that has only deepened with age. “Most people grow out of their magic phase, and I just grew more deeply into mine,” she says.

Every person’s experience with witchcraft is different. There are many different types of witchcraft practised now, ranging from kitchen witchcraft and green witchcraft to crystal witchcraft and cosmic witchcraft.

“What people are attracted to often defines what kind of witchcraft they practise,” says Mankey. “If you love herbs and you love playing in your garden, you might identify as a green witch. If you love cooking and you find magic in food and drink, you might identify as a kitchen witch.”

Witchcraft can also be a spiritual or religious practice, not just something practical to do around the house. For instance, certain sectors of witchcraft such as Wicca centre around observing pagan traditions and beliefs.

“Paganism is a spiritual path which honours the divinity of nature and the cycles of the seasons, the cycles of the body,” says Grossman. “For me, celebrating pagan holidays has helped me be more in tune with nature.”

This includes Halloween or, as it is also known, Samhain. It is seen as the time when the divide or veil between the physical and spirit worlds is at its thinnest. “So, it’s a time of honouring our ancestors and connecting with the spirit world,” says Grossman.

For Emily Ramirez, a green witch and kitchen witch, it has given her a sense of freedom. “Witchcraft is, to me, self-empowerment and attuning with the divine,” she says. “I’ve been able to find strength and courage.”

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How do you become a witch?

Anyone can be a witch and can be from any background, identity or gender. “I don’t think there are any barriers to being a witch,” says Mankey. “If you say you are a witch, I think that you are a witch.”

Practitioners can choose what to use to channel their power, whether that is candles, crystals or tarot cards – Grossman uses altars, herbalism and plants, as well as talismans and amulets to attract protective energy.

Ramirez says one of the most amazing things about witchcraft is its self-direction. “There is no wrong path. There is no wrong move,” she says. “You do what feels good to you and that is the craft; that is you practising.”

Being a witch is about using the power and intuition from within to better yourself and those around you.

“Witchcraft is also an incredibly creative act, and the more personal one gets with their practice, the more powerful the results are,” says Grossman. “There’s an artfulness to it. There’s a playfulness to it. There’s a joyfulness to it, and I think we all need more of each of those things in our lives.”

Witchcraft misconceptions

There are still many misconceptions when it comes to witchcraft – namely, that witchcraft is associated with the devil. Mankey, however, says early modern witches distanced themselves from this idea entirely.

“The most obvious one is just this association of witchcraft with evil,” agrees Grossman. “I often say that darkness is not evil. Witchcraft honours shadow and light; it honours life and death.”