Discover the magic of witchcraft: Your guide to the dark arts

Witchcraft. A word that evokes whispers in the dark, herbs in a mortar, symbols on the skin, and music that carries you through long nights. If "witchcraft" makes you think of witches, black magic, Salem, tarot cards, and maybe even occult symbols on your favorite shirt, then you've come to the right place.

In this glossary entry, we explain what witchcraft means historically, culturally, and in the modern scene – and how the topic connects with Gothic, Dark Art, fashion, and your own personal style. As the EASURE Gothic online shop, we've been navigating this realm of symbolism, aesthetics, and subcultural attitude for years. It's from this perspective that we'll tell you what witchcraft is all about.

What is Witchcraft? Term, translation and modern meaning

"Witchcraft" means witchcraft in German. In dictionaries you'll find translations like "sorcery," "magic," or "witchcraft." In everyday language, however, you rarely use the term neutrally. It carries history, prejudices, pop culture connotations—and in the Gothic scene, also a clear statement.

In short:

  • Witchcraft = Magical practices, rituals, spells, work with symbols, herbs, energies
  • Witches = people who live this practice – as spirituality, as rebellion, as identity, or all of the above.
  • Magic = The "toolbox": Rituals, sigils, candle magic, herbs, moon work, protective spells

Historically, in Europe, witchcraft often meant the accusation that someone used magic to harm others. In today's alternative spirituality and subcultures, witchcraft more likely signifies:

  • Self-empowerment
  • connection to nature
  • Working with archetypes, gods, ancestors, demons, or pure energy
  • Symbolic rebellion against religious and social norms

If witchcraft immediately brings to mind pentagrams , Baphomet , Ouija boards or dark art, you will find suitable pieces at EASURE, for example in our Witchcraft , Occult or Pentagram collections.

Witches, magic and black magic: What's behind these terms?

Who or what is a "witch"?

The image of the witch oscillates between horror cliché and empowered icon:

  • In the Middle Ages/early modern period: supposed allies of the devil
  • In horror films: old woman with a wart and a curse
  • In modern esotericism and subculture: an independent person who uses magic, intuition, and knowledge about nature and the psyche.

Many who call themselves witches today see witchcraft as a tool:

  • for protection (protection work, wardings, amulets)
  • for healing (herbal magic, crystals, rituals)
  • for manifestation and focus
  • for spiritual self-discovery

Magic vs. Black Magic

The term "black magic" often arises when people are afraid or making moral judgments. In many traditions, practitioners differentiate less according to "white" or "black," but rather according to intention .

  • Protective magic : warding off negative energies, banishing spells, sigils for stability
  • Healing magic : Rituals for healing, self-love, and mental strength
  • Influence magic : e.g., love spells, success spells, curses – the most controversial area

Many modern witches consciously reject anything that harms others. Others work openly with curses or "baneful magic," especially in traditions that address oppression, trauma, and self-defense. In the Gothic scene, "black magic" often appears visually: pentagrams, goat heads, sigils—as powerful symbolism, not as a manual for causing harm.

If you are interested in these symbols, you can find more in-depth information in our glossary text on pentagram or on occultism .

Witchcraft in history: persecution, Witchcraft Acts and witch hunts

From superstition to witch hunts

For centuries, people used magic in everyday life: protective symbols above doors, bundles of herbs, blessings. This was considered folk belief – until church, state, and social tensions became intertwined. Suddenly, "witchcraft" came to stand for:

  • Pact with the Devil
  • Harmful spells against humans and animals
  • Blasphemy and heresy

In Europe, witch trials led to torture, burning at the stake, and mass hysteria. Those most often affected were:

  • Women, often poor, widowed, socially marginalized
  • Midwives, healers, outsiders
  • People who were angry with the neighbors or whom someone wanted to get rid of

Witchcraft Acts & Laws

In England and Scotland, so-called Witchcraft Acts from the 16th century onward led to witchcraft being considered a crime punishable by death. Later, the view changed: witchcraft was no longer seen as a real pact with the devil, but rather as fraud. The laws punished "alleged" witchcraft until they were gradually abolished in the 20th century.

At the same time, witch trials were also taking place in Salem (USA), which still shape the image of witchcraft today: religious panic, political tensions, personal animosities – condensed into a nightmare of accusations and executions.

Modern consequences

Today, some states are taking steps against this historical violence. In Scotland, there have been official apologies and symbolic gestures for the persecuted "witches." At the same time, laws and forms of violence still linked to accusations of witchcraft persist in parts of Africa and Asia. Witchcraft is therefore not just pop culture, but remains a part of contemporary conflicts.

For us as a brand with an anti-fascist stance, this is relevant: We romanticize the aesthetics, but we don't hide the fact that real history of violence lies behind many of the symbols. That's why you'll also find statements like those in our Against Anti-Fascism collection at EASURE.

Witchcraft in pop culture: films, games, bands, anime

Witchcraft sells – in horror, metal, anime, and games. Pop culture shapes how you perceive witches, magic, and black magic.

Witchcraft in film

The term "witchcraft movie" encompasses genres ranging from classic horror to coming-of-age with an occult element:

  • classic witch horror films in which witches are portrayed as a threat
  • High school, coming-of-age, or feminist films in which witches write their own destiny
  • Occult slow-burn horror films that play with rituals, symbols, and demons.

On the EASURE blog you'll find film reviews of horror classics and modern films closely linked to witchcraft, demons, and the occult – for example, Dracula , Nosferatu , or Conjuring 4. Even if not every film has "witchcraft" in the title, they often share the same dark core.

Witchcraft in Games and "Witchcraft Game"

Many games use witchcraft:

  • Horror games with rituals, demons and sigils
  • RPGs where you play as mages, witches, or warlocks
  • Story-based games in which tarot, runes, or incantations are central mechanics.

When you perform rituals in dilapidated chapels in games, see runes glowing on the screen, or work with spells, it all falls within the cultural field of witchcraft.

Witchcraft in anime

The search query "Witchcraft Anime" shows how prevalent witchcraft is in Japanese pop culture:

  • Magical Girls with a dark twist
  • Witches as anti-heroines
  • TV series that mix witchcraft, demonology, and everyday school life.

Anime also creates visually striking images: pentagrams, magic circles, demonic symbols, bats, devoted or dominant nun looks – all motifs that you will recognize in our Gothic shirts , Gothic jewelry or in the Dark Art collection.

Witchcraft in music: band, sound, aesthetics

There are bands that include "Witchcraft" in their name, and countless others whose themes are steeped in witchcraft, occult rituals, or satanic symbolism. Especially in:

  • Doom, Stoner, Black Metal
  • Darkwave, Gothic Rock, Industrial

Cover art featuring pentagrams, Baphomet, goat heads, crows and occult symbols flows directly into the visual world that we at EASURE print on organic cotton shirts, hoodies and zip-up hoodies – limited edition, hand-printed, with a focus on dark art.

Witchcraft as a religion? Wicca, modern witch cults and spirituality

Is Witchcraft a religion?

The short answer: witchcraft itself is not a single, unified religious name , but rather a collective term for magical practices. In practice, however, it overlaps significantly with religious or spiritual systems, for example:

  • Wicca – a neopagan religion whose followers often use rituals, magic, duels with gods, seasonal festivals and witchcraft elements.
  • Traditional witchcraft cults – regional witchcraft traditions, folk magic, ancestor worship
  • Chaos magic – more practically oriented, experimental, with a focus on sigils and consciousness work.
  • Hybrid forms of esotericism, personal spirituality, astrology, tarot, and ritual magic

Many people identify as "witch" without affiliating with a specific religion. Others closely associate witchcraft with Wicca or Paganism. Witchcraft thus exists in a space between:

  • Religion (organized belief systems, rites, pantheon of gods)
  • Spirituality (individual, eclectic, DIY path)
  • Culture & Lifestyle (Fashion, Symbols, Aesthetics in the Gothic Scene)

If you see your clothing and accessories as part of this path, you will find consciously designed motifs with symbols such as pentagram, Baphomet or Ouija boards in our Occult , Ouija Boards and Occult & Ritual Decor collections at EASURE.

Why is witchcraft considered "evil"? Demonization, the Church, and fear

The question “Why is witchcraft considered evil?” depends on several points:

Christian demonology
Witchcraft was long considered an alliance with the devil. From the Church's perspective, anyone who used magic placed themselves outside the "divine order".

Control & Power
Women, queer people, outsiders, healers – they often didn't fit into the patriarchal system. The accusation of witchcraft served as a weapon against anything that didn't obey.

Fear of the unknown
Diseases, crop failures, and deaths without apparent cause were attributed to "witches." Witchcraft was a simple explanation for complex problems.

Pop culture
Horror films, games, and novels reinforce the image of the "evil witch"—because fear sells. At the same time, this creates space for counter-images: the modern witch who lives her magic as empowerment.

Today, you often consciously use witchcraft as a counter-image to conservative norms. Pentagram jewelry, goat head rings, or occult prints on hoodies can clearly signal: "I celebrate the dark, I don't belong to the mainstream, I think for myself." In our Baphomet collection, you'll find exactly this kind of symbolism – combined with sustainable materials.

Witchcraft in the Gothic scene: Aesthetics, symbols, statement

Why Witchcraft and Gothic go together

Gothic thrives on:

  • Dark Romanticism
  • Morbid aesthetics
  • Symbols of death, night, transcendence
  • Rejection of fascist and reactionary worldviews

Witchcraft fits in perfectly:

  • Witches & Magic – archetypal outsiders who use powers that go beyond the concrete normality
  • Black magic and occultism – motifs that play with taboos and provoke religious power structures.
  • Rituals & Symbols – Pentagrams, Sigils, Baphomet, Crows, Bats, Skulls

This symbolism appears again and again in our clothing: for example on the shirt “The Death” with Grim Reaper and occult symbols ( The Death – Gothic Shirt ) or “The crow” with crow, baroque elements and dark art look ( The Crow – Gothic Shirt ).

Witchcraft as a lifestyle and fashion

Many literally wear witchcraft on their skin:

  • Gothic shirts with ritual scenes, demons, pentagrams
  • Gothic rings in the shape of pentagrams, goat heads, sigils – see our Gothic Rings collection
  • Chokers, necklaces, rosaries with occult pendants, like in Gothic necklaces or Gothic rosaries
  • Pins and patches to transform jackets, vests, or backpacks into portable shrines – e.g., via Gothic patches and Gothic pins.

Your outfit becomes part of your magical language. You're not "just" wearing a shirt, but a system of symbols: a protective sign, a provocation, a marker of identification.

From witchcraft books to rituals: How people learn witchcraft today

Many beginners are looking for a "Witchcraft book" that will teach them basic knowledge:

  • History of Witchcraft
  • Fundamentals of Magic
  • Rituals, protective spells, herb lists
  • Instructions for creating your own rituals

Join in:

  • Witchcraft manuals focusing on herbal magic, protective rituals, and healing stones
  • Journals for moon phase magic or spell tracking
  • Oracle cards such as Tarot or oracle decks

Important to understand:

  • Witchcraft thrives on practice, experimentation, and personal experience.
  • No book "gives" you magic. Books provide structures, myths, methods, but you fill them with life.

If you want to delve deeper into occult symbolism, horror mythology and dark aesthetics, our glossary – e.g. on Halloween , vampires , horror or Baphomet – will help you understand the backgrounds that you will find reflected in our fashion.

Practical Witchcraft: Rituals, Symbols, Tools

What are witchcraft rituals?

A ritual in witchcraft practice is often based on these elements:

  • Intention – What do you want to achieve? Protection, closure, healing, focus?
  • Space – altar, candles, incense, symbols, music
  • Action – e.g., drawing a sigil, anointing a candle, burning herbs, speaking words, dancing, meditation
  • Conclusion – gratitude, grounding, conscious release of the accumulated energy

Rituals can be minimalist (a candle, a word, a thought) or elaborate (a complete altar, a detailed liturgy). In the Gothic scene, ritual and performance often merge: You wrap yourself in a specific outfit, wear occult accessories, and stage yourself as part of the ritual.

Typical symbols in witchcraft aesthetics

symbol Context in Witchcraft Context in Gothic / at EASURE
Pentagram Protection, elements, ritual magic Rings, shirts, patches, occult prints – see the Pentagram collection
Baphomet Duality, rebellion, occultism Dark art motifs, provocative prints – see Baphomet collection
Crows/Bats Messengers, night, transition Gothic shirts and accessories, e.g. B. The Crow Shirt or Hanging Bat Shirt
Goat's head Demonic, anti-church symbolism Prints on shirts, patches like Satan's Patch
Ouija board Communication with spirits Mystical decorations and accessories in the Ouija board collection

These symbols carry historical meanings, but their significance shifts through art and subculture. Many of our customers consciously use them in an ambivalent way: spiritually, aesthetically, politically.

Tools of modern witchcraft

Classic “tools” in witchcraft can include:

  • Candles in certain colors
  • Herbs (e.g. sage for cleansing, roses for love, wormwood for visions)
  • Crystals (protection, focus, healing in a symbolic sense)
  • Tarot cards for self-reflection
  • Runes, sigils as magical symbols

In Gothic mode, such tools are incorporated into:

  • Pendants in rune or sigil form
  • Rings with symbols such as pentagram, Baphomet, Sigil of Lucifer (e.g. Pentagram Ring or Sigil Ring )
  • Patches and pins that you sew onto your vest, turning it into your "magic armor".

Witchcraft, Ethics and Responsibility

Witchcraft is not harmless decorative playthings. It touches upon real belief systems, historical traumas, and current conflicts. Therefore, a conscious look at ethics is helpful.

Respect for living traditions
Many witchcraft trails originate from specific cultures. If you use symbols, research their origins. Appropriation kills respect.

Violence and witchcraft accusations today
In some regions, people are still in mortal danger because they are accused of witchcraft. Those who aesthetically adorn themselves with witchcraft must not ignore this reality.

Consensus and limits
Spells for "love" without consent or curses cast out of jealousy violate boundaries. Many modern witches place great emphasis on consent, self-protection, and mental health.

Anti-fascist stance
Right-wing and reactionary groups repeatedly attempt to reinterpret symbols and esotericism. In our world, it's clear: Witchcraft, Gothic, and Dark Art stand for nonconformity, queerness, and solidarity with marginalized groups—not for hate ideology. Our collections, such as Against Anti-Fascism, clearly reflect this.

Witchcraft throughout the year: Festivals, Halloween, rituals

Many modern witches follow a yearly cycle with eight festivals (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon). Even if you don't use a fixed ritual system, you're probably very familiar with at least one of them: Halloween .

Halloween and Witchcraft

Halloween (Samhain) stands for:

  • Borderline time between life and death
  • Remembering the deceased
  • liminal spaces where veils appear thin

In the Gothic scene, Halloween is much more than just a date – it's a mood: horror films, witch outfits, dark makeup, blood, vampires, zombies. Our glossary entry on Halloween will delve deeper; in the Halloween collection, you'll find suitable clothing and accessories for the night.

Many witches celebrate rituals at Samhain/Halloween:

  • Candles for the deceased
  • Divination (Tarot, pendulum, runes)
  • Protective spell for the dark half of the year

For you as a Gothic fan, these rituals often flow into parties, festivals, film nights or photo shoots – with outfits that visually stage witchcraft.

Witchcraft as empowerment: Feminism, queerness, rebellion

Witchcraft today is not only spirituality, but also a symbol of resistance :

  • Feminist witches use witchcraft as an image for female/genderqueer power beyond patriarchal structures.
  • Queer witches see witchcraft as a space where identity, body, and desire are not normalized.
  • Political witches combine rituals with protest, e.g. against fascism, sexism, and queerphobia.

The witch then does not stand for "evil", but for:

  • those who don't fit into the system
  • the one that was burned, yet lives on in the collective memory
  • those who acquire knowledge that is not authorized

Our hand-printed shirts featuring witches, demons, grim reapers, and occult symbolism, made from organic cotton, not only provide you with a look but also armor. In collections like Gothic Shirts , Gothic Clothing , and Dark Art, you'll find designs that make this attitude visible.

Witchcraft and Dark Art: When Magic Becomes Visual Language

Witchcraft is full of images:

  • Circles of salt
  • floating figures
  • demonic goats
  • Blood, knives, chalices
  • Crows, black cats, bats

Dark art takes up these motifs and exaggerates, distorts, and deconstructs them. The horror film "Nosferatu," Gothic illustrations, occult paintings—they all tell stories of power, decay, seduction, and damnation. On our blog, you'll find film reviews of classics like Nosferatu and Frankenstein , which have shaped this aesthetic.

EASURE works with artists who draw precisely from this reservoir: witchcraft, occultism, horror, gothic. The motifs appear on:

  • limited edition Dark Art Hoodies
  • detailed shirts full of symbols, skulls, snakes, sigils
  • Aluminum pictures for your walls ( aluminum pictures )

Your clothes become a walking gallery – and witchcraft the visual language you wear every day.

Witchcraft and everyday life: Small rituals, big impact

Not every witch lives in a cabin in the woods. Many integrate witchcraft into:

  • the morning ritual (coffee as a "drink", drawing a tarot card)
  • the way to work (protective amulet, sigil in notebook)
  • the evening (candle ritual, journaling, music)

Your outfit can also become part of these micro-rituals:

  • You consciously put on your pentagram ring before a difficult day.
  • You choose a shirt with Baphomet or a goat's head if you want to feel strong and invulnerable.
  • You pin a Gothic pin with occult graphics to your jacket before you leave for a concert.

Browse our Gothic Accessories , Gothic Jewelry and Gothic Hair Clips categories if you want to integrate such small everyday symbols into your style.

Witchcraft, horror and EASURE: Where scenes and symbols meet

EASURE operates at the interface of:

  • Witchcraft aesthetics
  • Horror film iconography
  • occult symbolism
  • anti-fascist stance
  • sustainable street and festival fashion

If you love horror, you'll find not only witch and demon motifs with us, but also vampires, zombies and icons like Dracula or Nosferatu – both in the Horror and Vampire collections and in our blog with film reviews .

Witchcraft here does not serve as a shallow shock effect, but as a recurring motif:

  • Symbolism reminiscent of historical witch hunts
  • Motifs that celebrate the power of the "outcasts"
  • Art that blurs the line between spirituality, nightmare, and style

If you want to delve deeper into the interplay of occultism, witchcraft and subculture, it's also worth taking a look at our glossary article on occultism .

Frequently Asked Questions about Witchcraft

Is Witchcraft a religion?

Witchcraft primarily refers to magical practices – rituals, spells, and work with symbols and energies. These practices are often linked to religions like Wicca or other neopagan traditions, but can also be practiced purely as spirituality or culture. Witchcraft itself is therefore not a single, unified belief system, but rather an umbrella term for witchcraft, magic, and witchcraft rituals embedded in diverse religious or secular contexts.

What is the Witchcraft Act?

The term "Witchcraft Act" refers to historical laws, primarily in England and Scotland, that criminalized witchcraft . Early versions even prescribed the death penalty. Later versions shifted the focus to people who claimed to possess supernatural powers. These laws reflect the fear of witches, black magic, and witchcraft in general and served as the basis for trials and executions. In the 20th century, they were gradually repealed or replaced by more modern fraud and consumer protection laws.

Why is witchcraft considered evil?

Historically, and in conservative contexts, witchcraft has been considered "evil" because for centuries churches, states, and power structures equated it with pacts with the devil, heresy, and harmful magic . This was compounded by fears of anything outside the norm: female healers, single women, queer people, and outsiders. Today, many witches and practitioners of magic see witchcraft as a path to self-determination, healing, and spirituality. In the Gothic scene, symbols like pentagrams or Baphomet consciously appear as a counter-image to this old demonization.

Is witchcraft always black magic?

No. Witchcraft encompasses very different practices – from protective spells and healing rituals to banishing and cursing magic. “Black magic” often refers to anything intended to harm others, while many modern witches focus on protection, healing, and personal development. Therefore, witches, magic, and witchcraft in today's context do not automatically function as dark or destructive practices, but depend heavily on the intention and tradition of the individual.

What role does witchcraft play in the Gothic scene?

In the Gothic scene, witchcraft functions as an aesthetic and symbolic language . Witches, occult symbols, rituals, and black magic appear on shirts, jewelry, tattoos, and in music. They express nonconformity, a love of the dark, and an interest in the occult. Many Gothic fans use witchcraft symbols like the pentagram, goat's head, or Ouija board to express their attitude—for example, through Gothic shirts, witchcraft collections, or pentagram jewelry like the kind you can find in the EASURE range.

What types of witchcraft rituals are there?

Witchcraft rituals range from simple protective spells with candles and sigils to herbal magic and complex ceremonies with altars, incantations, and ritual tools. Common goals of witchcraft rituals include protection, healing, letting go, manifestation, or contact with ancestors and spiritual forces. In the subculture, these rituals often merge with performance, fashion, and dark art elements—for example, celebrating a personal rite of passage at Samhain in a witch's outfit with occult prints and jewelry.

What does Witchcraft mean in books, films, and games?

In books, films, anime, and games, witchcraft serves as a narrative tool to depict power, fear, rebellion, and seduction. Witches can be antagonists, tragic figures, or heroines. Magic and black magic create tension but also explore themes such as oppression, otherness, and the yearning for control over one's own destiny. Many motifs familiar from witchcraft novels or games reappear in Gothic fashion: pentagrams, ritual circles, Baphomet symbols, and dark art motifs, which we at EASURE incorporate into sustainable clothing and accessories.

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