Witches out of shadows
Second annual gathering celebrates those with ‘intuitive power ... connected to healing’
The smell of patchouli and enchantment filled the air at the Magical Marketplace at this year’s Modern Witches Confluence, as women (and some men) in Stevie Nicksstyle shawls, crushed velvet and mystical prints browsed the market.
There were vendors selling crystals, flower essences and tarot cards.
The Scarlet Sage even had artisan felt, pointed witch hats for sale, while Bristle and Stick had a booth showcasing handcrafted brooms.
As twilight descended on
Golden Gate Park on Oct. 20, the last day of the threeday conference, Amanda Yates Garcia and
Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, both witches and the hosts of the popular podcast “Strange Magic,” wrapped up their episode recording session with a group spellcasting.
Circling an elaborate foraged floral altar installation, the women whistled ritualistically and called the Earth’s North, “Hail watchtowers corners. guardian spirits of the of Earth, the guardians of stone and bone and blood,” Yates Garcia intoned.
“Mighty watchtowers of the mountains, of the fields, of the trees, of the plants. Mighty guardians of the
Earth, we call you. Now, come.”
They then invited the circle of about 60 people to join a spiritual and vocal exercise, matching tones, until the sound reached a harmonious resolution. At the spell’s conclusion, the group applauded and cheered.
“It felt so great to be around all those witches,” said Yates Garcia.
“The vibes were high.”
Who are these new witches?
They’re not the storybook villains with green skin and shrill cackles.
They don’t worship the devil (a common misconception, many point out) but instead bring differ
ent traditions and practices to their witchcraft that primarily revolve around celebrations of nature.
“We’re reclaiming the archetype of the witch,” said Modern Witches Confluence organizer Casey Zabala. “A witch is a person with intuitive power, someone connected to healing themselves and the collective.”
At the confluence, many witches identified as people continuing family traditions of magical practices or healing, like brujas (Spanish for witch) and curanderos (Spanish for healer).
“Some people consider the term ‘bruja’ to have a negative connotation,” said Erika Soto, who flew up from Los Angeles to attend the confluence. “I find it empowering, passing down ritual, healing magic. It’s wonderful to be in a place where there’s so much curiosity and kinship, even among those who don’t consider themselves witches.”
For many, the Bay Area has long felt “more witchy,” or at least more witchaccepting, than other places. The region was an early adopter of environmentalism, and has a propensity for New Age belief systems that go back to the 1960s, with staunch followers of astrology, biofeedback and visualization, among others, residing anywhere from the Haight to the Mission.
The Reclaiming Collective, a coven founded in the late ’70s, is considered an outgrowth of magic classes taught by witches Starhawk and Diane Baker in San Francisco. Reclaiming is often credited with spearheading the modern witchcraft movement.
“There are a lot of pockets of Golden Gate Park where witches have traditionally gathered,” said Zabala, noting that the Reclaiming Collective has been meeting in the park since the 1970s. “It’s nice to be in a place that holds so much magic in the middle of a city.”
The region also earned a reputation as a mecca for countercultures, which has aided in the acceptance and spread of witch beliefs, said Yates Garcia.
“I lived in San Francisco in the ’90s and I have two chapters in my book, ‘Initiated: Memoirs of a Witch,’ about it as a witchy city,” said Yates Garcia, who now lives in Los Angeles. “There’s a lot of spirits here. It has an alive, witchy center.”
More recently, popular culture beyond the Bay Area is feeling significantly more witchy and witchfriendly. From “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” on Netflix to the theatrical blockbuster “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” now at the Curran, magic is back in the mainstream.
Christianne Hedtke, a writer on “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” who also attended the confluence, said that if you’re looking for a root to the renewed interest in fictional and real life witchcraft, look no further than current events.
“It’s reflective of the political landscape,” said Hedtke, citing the #MeToo movement and issues of gender equality around the 2016 presidential election as national events that mobilized many witches. “Witchcraft is having a resurgence because women are remembering they are powerful. Witches and women were silenced for centuries; the interest in witchcraft feeds into the general zeitgeist of ‘we’re going to resist.’ ”
Zabala said that a rejection of patriarchal and consumerist values sparked by movements like #MeToo and environmental activism has also led to greater interest in “inclusive, nonhierarchical, spiritual movements that bring meaning and empowerment to people’s lives” like witchcraft. Yates Garcia refers to the new flux of interest as a kind of “third wave of witches, if you consider our mothers’ generation in the ’70s a second wave,” which she points out, coincided with what are considered the second and third waves of feminist activism.
“There are feelings of helplessness all these things spark,” said Yates Garcia. “Witchcraft is about tapping into the roots of the Earth. It’s about the elements and feeling connected to the planet.”
That connection and a sense of community are key for many witches, as is the ability to express one’s creative spirit and artistry.
“When I was in art school, witchcraft really appealed to women and queer folks, both spiritually and creatively,” said Yates Garcia. “It’s a folk tradition. It’s not a high, elitist practice. It’s based on what you personally bring to it. Witchcraft is a practice of the people.”
Looking at the altar space the “Strange Magic” podcasters used for their spellcasting at the confluence, it could be perceived as a kind of installation art. Floral artist Matthew Drewry Baker, who designed and assembled the altar, says that the creation of spaces for magically minded events “is about honoring nature and also, connecting to our inner natures as witches and magic people. You bring the outside in.”
“It draws from traditions of theater and the arts,” Yates Garcia added. “The only place the sacred was kept alive was the arts. Art was the flame keeper of the enchanted last 500 years.”
For Erika Soto, it was the mix of art, magic and community that spoke to her and will likely bring her back to the third annual Modern Witches Confluence next year.
“This weekend was like going away to Harry Potter camp at Hogwarts,” Soto joked. “I hope that the 14yearold who gets introduced to witchcraft through pop culture like ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Sabrina’ is also able to find her own practice. Events like this mean we don’t have to hide anymore.”