From the idea of the femme fatale in league with the devil in early modern Europe and Salem, to the bewitching pop culture archetypes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Harry Potter from the spooky ladies in fairy tales and horror films to the rise of feminist covens and contemporary witchcraft, witches reflect the power and potential of women. In Waking the Witch, Pam Grossman explores the cultural and historical impact of the world's most magical icon. But witches in various guises have been with us for millennia. When you think of a witch, what do you picture? Pointy black hat, maybe a broomstick. She lives in Brooklyn with her fellow and their two feline familiars.A whip-smart and illuminating exploration of the world's fascination with witches from podcast host and practicing witch Pam Grossman (The Witch Wave), who delves deeply into why witches have intrigued us for centuries and why they're more relevant now than ever.

She is Associate Editor of Fulgur Esoterica and the co-organizer of the Occult Humanities Conference at NYU. Pam’s group art shows and projects have been featured by such outlets as Artforum, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Art in America. Her writing has appeared in Abraxas Journal, Sciences Occultes, Sabat, Huffington Post, MSN, Film Comment, and elsewhere. She is the creator of Phantasmaphile, a blog that specializes in esoteric and fantastical art. Pam Grossman is a writer, curator, and teacher of magical practice and history. Written by Phantasmaphile’s Pam Grossman and artwork by Canada’s occult sweethearts Tin Can Forest, What Is A Witch is a an illuminated incantation, a crystalline invocation, a lovingly-crafted celebration of the world’s most magical icon.

Evil, beautiful, hideous, holy, a sinner who just might save us all – this multifaceted archetype is a dark layer-cake of legends and associations. Conjure an image of a witch in your mind’s eye, and you’ll find s/he can take many different shapes.

Pam grossman what is a witch