25/11/2025
✨Aan alle moderne heksen✨
Art de Vivre
Groene heks
Herboriste
Pianiste
www.art-de-vivre.org
The Real Meaning of “Witch”
The word “witch” is far older and far richer than the negative meaning it gained in later centuries.
1. Old English Origins
The English word witch comes from Old English:
• wicca (male practitioner)
• wicce (female practitioner)
These words are related to the old Germanic root meaning “one who bends, shapes, or knows” — referring to someone who could shape energy, heal, or foresee.
Early English texts show that a wicce or wicca was:
• a healer
• a wise person
• someone skilled in herbs and charms
• a keeper of local spiritual knowledge
Not a figure of evil — but a community guide.
2. Connection to Greek “μάγος / μάγισσα”
The English “witch” is conceptually similar to the ancient Greek:
• μάγος (magos) – a wise man, healer, astrologer
• μάγισσα (magissa) – a woman of knowledge, herbs, and ritual skill
In both languages, the original meaning was wisdom and mastery, not something dark.
3. Mediterranean Roots
In Italy, the traditional wise woman is known as the “strega”, part of ancient folk magic and healing traditions (stregheria).
Just like the Greek magissa and the English wicce, the strega was:
• a village healer
• protector of the household
• keeper of seasonal rites
These traditions go back to pre-Christian Europe, where wise women and men were essential to the community.
4. What “Witch” Means Today
Today, many people reclaim the word witch to mean:
• intuitive
• connected to nature
• knowledgeable in herbs, energy, and rituals
• spiritually independent
In other words, the modern witch keeps alive an ancient lineage of wisdom, healing, and earth-based spirituality.
