New book reveals links between 17th-century witch hunts and today

When Lucianne Tonti visited Fibershed, a regenerative farming outfit in California, she noticed an immediate connection between the site's sustainable practices and the iconography of witches. The farm's meadow of dye plants, cauldrons, vials of herbs, and a weaving circle under a tree all evoked the imagery associated with witchcraft.

This led Tonti to delve into academic research on the overlap between women's work and witch iconography, ultimately uncovering links between the witch hunts of the 15th to 18th centuries and contemporary issues.

Tonti discovered that the witch hunts coincided with significant social and economic changes, including the Scientific Revolution and the transition from an agrarian society to a capitalist one. As people relied more on wages and property owners limited access to common land, women who were outspoken, independent, and entrepreneurial often became scapegoats for society's misfortunes.

The fear of women's collaboration and connectivity during this period is evident in demonological theory, where the witch's Sabbat represented an all-night gathering of women believed to be involved in devil worship and witchcraft.

Despite the witch hunts feeling like ancient history, Tonti sees strong parallels with the current moment, particularly the continued belief in a disenchanted nature and the exploitation of natural resources driven by profit. This same playbook, which saw women accused of witchcraft during the witch trials, is now being used by far-right politicians worldwide, often under the guise of protecting traditional family values.

Tonti argues that the witch hunts laid the groundwork for the current fear and mistrust of women's autonomy and their connection to the environment, with far-right movements echoing the same language of fear and difference.