The History of Witchcraft & The Occult Revival Workshop

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Have you ever wondered how our image of witches came to be? The history of witchcraft has changed drastically over time. In the late medieval period, magic was considered to be demonic: witchcraft was deeply entangled in anxieties around power, gender, and the unknown. However, the occult revival of the 19th and early 20th centuries brought in a new light: witchcraft was reimagined as esoteric and idealised. This journey ultimately led to the emergence of modern witchcraft, particularly Wicca, as a legitimate and empowering spiritual path. 

The workshop, led by Dr Debora Moretti, will trace the history and transformation of European witchcraft, from its early days filled with fear and societal persecution to the modern days of empowerment and spiritual freedom. Drawing on ceremonial traditions such as Theosophy and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and theories such as Margaret Murray’s witch cult, we will explore the transformative occult revival and its influence on today’s modern images of witches as powerful icons. 

Workshop Highlights:

• Discover the 19th and 20th-century occult revival and how it changed the perception of witches, witchcraft, and spiritual synthesis 
• Explore the emergence and symbolic rehabilitation of witchcraft through the lens of contested theories and traditions
• Gain an understanding of the ever-evolving narrative of European witchcraft and the occult through religious, cultural, and intellectual perspectives

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About your host:

Dr Debora Moretti is a historian and archaeologist and is currently a researcher at the University of Hertfordshire and the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies (CREMS) at the University of York. After a career in both academic and commercial archaeology, focusing on the material evidence of magic and witchcraft in archaeological contexts, Debora completed her PhD in History at the University of Bristol (UK). Her research, which formed part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project "The Figure of the Witch," supervised by Professor Ronald Hutton, was dedicated to the image of witches and witchcraft in late medieval and early modern Italy. 

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