When we think about where witches live, what comes to mind? We don’t imagine them in a cave or wandering the night. A cabin far in the woods, maybe?

If you’re as curious as I was before doing my research, this is the perfect article for you!

So, where do witches live? The short answer is everywhere! Witches don’t require any specific place to dwell.

Witches are most well-known for their ability to create magic. This magic usually involves hexes and various potions made out of natural materials. Due to this, witches tend to live closer to nature and in some cases, really deep into the woods.

Besides that, there are a few qualities that witches look for when choosing a home.

What Witches Look For In A Home

Witches aren’t sensitive to light, so they don’t need to find dark places like many supernatural beings, and they don’t have any crazy features that need to be hidden such as sharp fangs or an inconceivable amount of hair. 

Certain witches are more connected to various elements. Some witches are drawn to the water while others are more drawn to the soil. Where they choose to live is largely based on their connections and what materials they require to make their hexes and potions. 

However, depending on the witch and the type of witchcraft they practice, some might be so far out there you wouldn’t have a clue where to start looking.

Witches will most likely be living in some sort of earth made structure if not a regular home. A lot of witches don’t have regular jobs and simply practice their witchcraft and live off the land. 

Many of them build homes out of clay and straw mixtures, bricks, and in some cases, logs. Basically, whatever is cheap or readily available, they use. 

Witches are far from boring, and while they might not be scary, their origins, abilities, and place in history are enough to keep you up at night. 

Where Witches Originate From

Witches are known all around the world and are mentioned in every single religion. Many believe that witches and the belief of witchcraft originated somewhere in Europe. The earliest documentation of the practice of witchcraft is around the Middle Ages. 

Witchcraft, however, is definitely not limited to Europe. Witchcraft has been practiced and discussed in Africa, North and South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Russia. From Christianity and Judaism to Islam, witchcraft is present in countless religions. 

While witchcraft might seem interesting to you and us, it is considered evil and in some cases even Satanic depending on the region and religious beliefs. 

There was a professor named Norman Gevitz who stated that a lot of medical arts were somewhat responsible for starting or feeling the witchcraft controversies that plagued New England. 

Physicians and surgeons are able to not only diagnose diseases that are typically unseen by the human eye, but they are able to cure them.

Due to this, there were 46 male physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries who were named in various court transcripts involving New England Witchcraft. 

How To Spot A Witch

We know that we can’t go searching the woods for a specific style of home to find a witch, so how do we find them? History claims that you can find a witch based on their moles, birthmarks, scars, and other imperfections that are marked by the devil. 

In earlier times, witches were believed to be evil no matter what. Therefore, most people associated them with the Devil and believed that a witch would be marked by the Devil. 

They believed that if you used a blade you could cut the mark, a witch wouldn’t bleed. 

During the Salem Witch Trials, they used this method to try to identify the witches. However, it was mostly for show. They used retractable blades so that when they pricked the scars, moles, and birthmarks, nothing actually happened. 

One of the most fascinating ways to spot a witch is to count how many pets they have in their home, along with how they interact with them. Witches can speak to animals and summon them as helpers in their home.

Types of Witchcraft

Spell Casting

The first thing you think of when you imagine the abilities and practices of a witch is spell casting.

Fortunately, modern media was not all that far from the truth when they started representing witches in the media. 

Using a specific set of words followed by a ritual action could often cause a magical response or action that is pushed onto an object or a human. Additionally, the combination of certain magical herbs to make potions is another common way that witches cast spells. 

It’s possible that most of these spells are harmless fun, but sometimes they can cause a lot of trouble. 

Necromancy

Necromancy is certainly not as common as spell casting. However, it is an important aspect of witchcraft. This is by far one of the largest reasons that witchcraft is frowned upon by most religions. 

Bringing back a person from the dead or simply conjuring a spirit from the dead is considered taboo in almost every single religion that exists. 

Conjuring the dead is a very common characteristic among witches, whether they like to practice it or not. Some are against it because they don’t believe it is natural or safe, while others have no problem doing it. 

Demonology

Demonology is the most common term referenced when speaking about witchcraft in religious circles. Whether it is Islam or Christianity, demonology and sorcery and witchcraft go hand in hand. 

There are certainly some evil witches out there who dabble in black magic and attempt to bring back the dead. However, it isn’t all that common, no matter where in the world you look. 

Unfortunately, these associations don’t just end with pointing fingers and name-calling. In Europe, specifically in the Medieval and Early Modern times, the people were becoming more and more afraid of witchcraft. 

This led to full-scale witch-hunts where large groups of people would hunt down witches, imprison, torture, and banish them. In some cases, they were imprisoned for years and sometimes killed.

White Witches 

White witches became more common during the Early Modern Period. This is when witches and witchcraft were seen as less evil.

This was around the time that Shamanism became popular and people started using the word ‘wizard’, ’sorcerer’, and ‘wise-man’ rather than witches.

It is unclear if this turn of events was because they started associating men with the craft or if peoples minds truly changed.

It could be because women were mostly targeted during the Medieval times. It could also be because men who practiced the same craft were never targeted at all even in the Early Modern Period. 

The Manual on Witch-Hunting

In 1486, there was a manual written on witch-hunting by German monks. Various religions used this manual, but it was most common in Catholics and Protestants. This book was used and studied for hundreds of years. 

In the manual, you would find information on how to find a witch along with what characteristics made her different from any other woman. 

The book not only made people afraid of witches, but it also made them out to be evil without explaining that some witches are good. 

Additionally, there were countless pages on why witches were predominantly female and rarely male.

Nowadays, we also say ‘wise-woman’ and ‘witch’ without any negative associations. In general, a lot of the white witches are known to be healers and can mediate between the spiritual and regular worlds. 

Some claim to be able to speak to fairies and various types of spirits as well as visit different worlds. 

Famous Witch Trials

Without a doubt, the most famous witch trial of all time is the Salem Witch Trial. This trial is famous for various reasons. 

One of the most shocking aspects of it is that it only happened 328 years ago. In the grand scheme of things, that isn’t that long ago. 

The Salem Witch Trials took place in Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. There were over 200 people accused of witchcraft and out of the accused, 19 of them were found guilty. Most of the victims were teenagers younger than 17 years old and mostly female.

14 women and 5 men were hung and died. Various others died in jail or were killed for refusing to plead guilty. The death count is why the Salem Witch Trial has become one of the most famous in history. 

During the 17th century, 12 other women were killed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The trials might be known as the Salem Witch Trial and the most famous trials were held there, but other towns were involved such as Dangers, Ipswich, and Andover. 

In 1992 there was a 300th anniversary to pay respects to the victims. There was an entire park dedicated to the victims. 

In 2016, the University of Virginia created a project called the Gallows Hill Project. This project was made to create a memorial to all of the victims at the execution site in Salem. 

Related Questions

Are all witches female?

Contrary to popular belief, all witches are not female. This is one of the main reasons why witchcraft and witches are still such a popular topic. 

Many women have been treated horribly, outcasted and even killed without any actual proof that they were doing anything wrong.

Men have been practicing the craft or crafts similar to it for just as long as women. However, they carry different titles such as shamans and sorcerers which has probably spared them from a lot of judgement and criticism. 

Are all witches considered bad?

This is the most common misunderstanding related to witches and witchcraft. Witches are not all bad and it is harder to find information on bad witches than it is to find information on good witches. 

Spells, hexes, and potions have a lot of negative connotations surrounding them. However, they can be used for good and are used mostly for good. 

They can be used to cure illnesses, help lost widows speak to their loved ones beyond the grave, and keep evil away from your homes. 

Additionally, some witches don’t even practice any type of craft. They simply are interested in herbalism, studying different flowers, trees, and herbs to use for medicinal purposes. 

Others simply pray and meditate or use their intention to create a better future for themselves. Witches practice in a number of different ways and most of them are completely harmless. 

Is witchcraft the same as Satanism?

Witchcraft is definitely not the same as satanism. Witchcraft is the study and practice of a specific craft while Satanism is a religion.

Satanism is the worship of Satan. It involves the destruction and distortion of popular Christian symbols such as turning the cross upside down and the inverted pentagram. 

Additionally, many religions have been insisting for years that the study of satanism involves the belief in witches. 

This is because witchcraft can be used for both good and for evil. Some spells, hexes, and potions can be used to cause harm and in some cases kill people. 

However, the evil side of witchcraft is quite small and this belief is quite misleading. A woman could simply consider herself a witch because she studies herbalism and wants to call herself that, not because she practices the craft.