Seed Talks
The History of Witchcraft and Women
Thursday 24 September
20.00 - 22.00
South Quay Shed, Whitstable CT5 1AB
Uncover the fascinating history of witchcraft and how patriarchal ideas shaped the image of a witch. Followed by Q&A.
“What else is woman but a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment, a necessary evil…”
So claimed the 15th-century writers of the Malleus Maleficarum, or ‘Hammer of the Witches,’ a handbook for identifying women thought to be conspiring with the Devil. How did women come to be seen this way? And what impact did this publication have on the lasting stereotype of the witch as a harmful, evil woman?
In this talk, Dr Julia Phillips examines the circumstances that created the malevolent female witch and why she became such a powerful figure. We will trace witchcraft from ancient times to today, showing how women were cast as disruptive forces in their communities. The talk concludes by considering the role of women in 21st-century witchcraft, contrasting it with Early modern Europe.
The Witchcraft Summit
Sunday 18 October
11.00 - 17.20
Online
A one-day series of online talks and workshops from world-leading experts.
Explore witchcraft through history, psychology, and spirituality at this summit. From the medieval codification of witchcraft to the rise of Spiritualism and the search for identity in today's online communities, uncover how the figure of the witch has been understood, feared, and reimagined across centuries.
Witchcraft has taken many forms – a spiritual practice, a tool of persecution, a lens for exploring female sexuality, and, in the digital age, a source of community and identity. This summit brings together historians, psychologists, and lecturers to examine these different threads: from the medieval trials that shaped early ideas of witchcraft, to the Spiritualist movement, to the psychological drivers behind belief in magic, to the modern communities forming online.
Join and gain fresh perspectives from leading experts, learn how witchcraft has been shaped by religion, regional history, sexuality, psychology, and today's digital culture.