Witches. One of the most persecuted, least understood groups of people on the planet. Blending ideas of occult magic with Wiccan and pagan traditions, practitioners of witchcraft have been labelled everything from demonic to jesters. For most of their history, witches were treated with savagery and contempt; they were frequently run from towns during ‘witch hunts’ and, worse, burned at the stake for their heretical beliefs in spirituality and magic. Sometimes, they didn’t even practice magic. Sometimes, merely eccentric women or artists or alchemists that seemed peculiar to the hierarchical townsmen were cast out as witches.

The following photos are some mysterious images of witches from a time long forgotten…some are most likely costumes, but many look to be glimpses of strange ceremonies. See if any of the faces look familiar. It could be a distant relative of yours, casting a spell on you from the past.

And please have respect for witchcraft… as the Wiccan religion reads “We are all children of the earth”.