The History of Witchcraft & Women: Magic, rituals and the patriarchy

Explore the true history of witchcraft and what it reveals about women, power, and the society that put them on trial. Followed by Q&A.

The witch is a deeply important and enduring figure, and her story is more relevant than ever. Witches weren't evil, and they certainly didn't wear pointy black hats. Instead, society has long used the idea of the witch as a dumping ground for everything it feared or hated in women - and nowhere is that clearer than in the stories of the women who actually stood trial.

In February 1579, four women from Windsor were found guilty of witchcraft. Their story reveals a world of animal familiars, shapeshifting, and demonic accusations. But behind the lurid details lies something more unsettling: a picture of how fear, power, and the image of the female witch combined to send real women to their deaths. Who was doing the accusing, and why? What did witchcraft actually mean to the people who believed in it, and what does it still mean today?

In this talk we'll explore these questions, and put ourselves in the shoes of those caught up in a seventeenth century witchcraft trial - whether making accusations or weighing the evidence. Learning about witches reminds us how much the past still echoes in the present, and why their story is far from over.

**Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!**

**Follow us on IG @seedtalks**

Presented by Seed Talks

This is an 18+ event