📜 Witch Facts
Discover fascinating facts about witchcraft, history, and magical practices
Daily Fact
CULTURALSamhain Origins
Samhain (SOW-win) is the Celtic new year when the veil between worlds thins. It became Halloween through Christian influence (All Hallows Eve). Modern witches celebrate it as the most magical night of the year—perfect for divination, ancestor work, and honoring death.
Read More →Witch Hazel Plant
Witch hazel got its name from 'wych' (old English for flexible/bendable), not witches. But the plant is used in dowsing rods and has astringent pro...
La Llorona Legend
La Llorona ('the weeping woman') is a Mexican/Southwestern US ghost who drowned her children and now wanders waterways crying for them. Some bruja ...
Horseshoes for Luck
Horseshoes over doors bring luck—but debate exists over orientation. Points up holds luck in like a cup. Points down pours luck on those entering. ...
Corn Dollies
The last sheaf of harvested grain was woven into a corn dolly (wheat, not maize) to house the harvest spirit through winter. In spring, it was plow...
Changeling Myths
Fairies supposedly stole human babies and left fairy 'changelings' in their place. 'Strange' children (likely disabled or neurodivergent) were susp...
Witch Windows in Vermont
Vermont has 'witch windows'—diagonal windows in farmhouse gables. Local folklore claims witches can't fly through tilted windows. Actually, they're...
Hand of Glory
Gruesome European folklore: a hand cut from a hanged criminal, pickled, dried, and used as a candle holder. When lit with a candle made from the cr...
Green Man Symbolism
The Green Man—a face made of leaves—represents nature's wild growth and the cycle of death and rebirth. Found carved in medieval churches across Eu...
Pointing Bone Curse
In Australian Aboriginal culture, a pointing bone (kurdaitcha) directs deadly curses. The belief is so powerful that victims have died from psychos...
Witch's Ladder
A witch's ladder is a string with feathers and beads knotted into it, used for spellwork or counting prayers like a rosary. Found in England, causi...
Brooms and Flying
Why do witches fly on broomsticks? One theory: hallucinogenic ointments absorbed through mucous membranes (applied to broom handles, then...). User...
Samhain Origins
Samhain (SOW-win) is the Celtic new year when the veil between worlds thins. It became Halloween through Christian influence (All Hallows Eve). Mod...
Witch Balls for Protection
Hollow glass spheres (witch balls) hung in windows to trap evil spirits who'd be mesmerized by the reflective surface. Traditional in English cotta...
Fairy Rings and Mushrooms
Fairy rings—circles of mushrooms—were believed to be portals to the fairy realm. Step inside and you might be trapped in the Otherworld where time ...
Why Black Cats and Witches?
In medieval Europe, cats (especially black ones) were associated with witches as familiars. Black cats could supposedly become witches in disguise....
The Triple Goddess
Maiden, Mother, Crone represents phases of women's lives and moon phases. Maiden=waxing moon, new beginnings, independence. Mother=full moon, creat...
Crossroads Magic
Crossroads are liminal spaces—neither here nor there—making them powerful for magic. In many traditions, spirits gather at crossroads. Leave offeri...
Hoodoo vs. Voodoo
Hoodoo is African-American folk magic (conjure, rootwork). Voodoo (Vodou) is a religion with deities (lwa). They're related but different. Hoodoo u...
The Evil Eye
Belief in the evil eye—harm caused by envious or malicious looks—exists across Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Latin cultures. Protection includ...
Familiars Aren't Pets
A familiar is a spiritual ally, not just an animal you own. True familiars choose you, showing unusual behavior or persistent presence. They amplif...