Irish Feminist Witches: Using Witchcraft and Activism to Heal from Violence and Trauma

This chapter explores why a number of feminists in Ireland have reclaimed the witch as a symbol of empowerment in an attempt to resist the patriarchal society that they feel exists withinthe country. Many people have experienced or witnessed violence and harm caused by family members, the Irish State, and/or the Catholic Church. With this in mind, and inspired by the collective solidarity of grassroots activist movements, Irish feminist witches are using not only the image of the witch to rebel against a patriarchal society but also the practice of witchcraft to resist traditional societal norms, reclaim and restructure the meaning of femininity, and heal the hurt that has been caused by oppressive structures of power.