Witchcraft’s Allure

Halloween has come and gone, but witches aren’t going away. The lure of the supernatural has become embedded in our culture, especially with young women who feel empowered by it. FX network has a series entitled American Horror Story: Coven that focuses on youth witchcraft with themes of voodoo. Lifetime Channel has Witches of East End based on the novel by Melissa de la Cruz with immortal, Long island witches as characters. The latter features demons I’ve dealt with frequently, including Balder and Loki.

What’s this all about? The key seems to be sexuality and power. No longer are witches dangerous but erotic and relational. We’re way beyond Bewitched and Buffy just like today’s vampire fascination has moved beyond Dracula to blood lust sensuality. Today’s witches don’t have ratty hair and long nails but high heels and tight dresses. They are more likely sexy teens than wrinkled hags. They manipulate the supernatural and are charming to boot. Says Owen Davies, professor of social history at the University of Hertfordshire and author of America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft after Salem, “There have been studies of girls who were interested in witch shows in the 1990s, following how many went on to become practicing wiccans.” Bingo! And that’s just part of the devil is up to.

While the idea of girls taking charge of their lives with the supernatural powers of witchcraft may be a theme resonating with television producers, it’s a plot line hatched in Hell. According to writer Ruth Warburton, author of Witch Finder, “Increasingly, we’re trying to bring our daughters up to believe they can be the leader; they can have the adventure; they can do the cool stuff and one thing about witches is that they allow you to explore that moment when girls become teenagers and realize the power they have as women and how exhilarating that can be.” Exhilarating and damning. Granted, one book or TV show with a favorable bent to witchcraft won’t necessarily lead to demonic possession. But it is one more open door of our society inviting in evil spirits. One too many of these cultural touchstones in the life of an impressionable teenage girl may be the final permission Satan is seeking to destroy their lives.