This timeline offers a sweeping journey through the sacred history of witchcraft—tracing its path from the animistic rituals of our Paleolithic ancestors to the diverse and empowered practices of modern witches today. Along the way, we witness the rise of goddess-centered societies, the persecution of wise women and healers, the hidden persistence of magick through centuries of suppression, and the eventual revival of the Craft in all its forms. By understanding the ebb and flow of witchcraft through time, we reconnect with the deep roots of our path—remembering that we are part of a lineage woven from wisdom, resistance, reverence for nature, and the eternal dance of light and shadow.

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Timeline of Witchcraft: From Ancient Roots to Modern Revival

 

Prehistoric & Neolithic Era (c. 30,000–3000 BCE)

• Venus Figurines appeared across Europe—symbols of fertility and feminine power.

• Animism and Shamanism dominate early spiritual life, with magickal healers and spirit-workers guiding communities.

• Çatalhöyük (Turkey): Shrines to a mother goddess are found within homes, suggesting integrated spiritual and domestic life.

• Old European Cultures (Cucuteni-Trypillia, Vinca): peaceful, goddess-centered, matrilineal, and egalitarian societies flourish.

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Ancient Civilizations (c. 3000–500 BCE)

• Sumer & Babylon: Goddesses like Inanna/Ishtar were revered. Sagburu of Ereš practices ritual magick as a priestess-witch.

• Egypt: Magick (heka) is sacred. Deities like Isis guide healing, protection, and resurrection rituals.

• Greece & Rome: Worship of Hecate, use of herbs, potions, and lunar rites. Magick is practiced alongside temple traditions.

• Celtic Druids: Deep reverence for nature, divination, the Wheel of the Year, and sacred trees like the oak.

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Middle Ages & Witch Hunts (c. 500–1700 CE)

• Pagan practices were suppressed under rising Christianity.

• Witchcraft became demonized—associated with heresy, evil, and the Devil.

• The Inquisition & Malleus Maleficarum (1486): Launches centuries of brutal witch hunts.

• Agnes Waterhouse (1566): first woman executed for witchcraft in England.

• Salem Witch Trials (1692): mass hysteria and execution of 20 people in colonial Massachusetts.

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Occult Revival & Roots of Modern Witchcraft (1700–1940)

• Interest in folklore, alchemy, and ceremonial magick grows in secret societies and literary circles.

• Aleister Crowley (1875–1947): introduces Thelema and new magickal philosophies.

• Witches and mystics begin reclaiming old traditions, quietly keeping the Craft alive.

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Modern Witchcraft Revival (1940–1990s)

• Gerald Gardner (1940s) introduced Wicca, blending folk magick, ceremonial rites, and goddess worship.

• Doreen Valiente: She helped shape modern Wiccan ritual and poetry and wrote the Wiccan Rede.

• Starhawk (1979) publishes The Spiral Dance, launching the Reclaiming tradition, which is eco-feminist, magickal, and activist.

• Scott Cunningham makes solitary witchcraft accessible with books like Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.

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Contemporary Witchcraft (2000–Present)

• Witchcraft blooms into a diverse, inclusive, and global spiritual path.

• Digital covens, social media witches, eco-spirituality, and trauma-informed magick emerge.

• Traditions continue evolving: Wicca, Reclaiming, Green Witchcraft, Traditional Witchcraft, and solitary paths all thrive.

• Witches reclaim the sacred feminine, honor ancestral magick, and build new circles—like the Coven of the Mist.

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The history of witchcraft is not a straight line—it is a spiral, constantly circling back while evolving forward. From our ancestors' sacred fire circles to modern witches' altars, this timeline reminds us that the Craft has always been connected to nature, spirit, and one another. As members of the Coven of the Mist, we honor this legacy by carrying the wisdom of the past into the magick of the present—walking gently, powerfully, and purposefully on the path our foremothers lit for us.