The 2015 film The Witch is a masterpiece. Roger Eggers, the writer, producer and director of the film indicates that he wishes the film to be taken literally. The story is derived from folklore and journals of the period. The setting takes place in New England in the 1630s and circles around a Puritan family. It is billed as a horror story and is a brilliantly written and acted epic, centering on the literal interpretations of conviction and devotion. Each character is an examination of layers of both faith and belief and the manifestations derived from these embodiments–which is the true horror in the film.

It is important to note that the Puritans believed their purpose in life was to attain righteousness so that they would be with their God in the afterlife. Within their communities the men with the most wealth were perceived as the most righteous—therefore, they became the most powerful and served as the governors and magistrates as well as preachers. Subsequently, if anything went wrong within their communities, i.e., crops failing, illness or the death of a child, there were only two explanations. The first was that the community or individuals within the community were not righteous enough and their God was angry and punishing them, or secondly, it was the work of the Devil. The Witch, by Puritan standards, was the concubine of the Devil.

The story opens with William, the patriarch of the family, standing before the Church Elders as they are in the process of excommunicating him from the settlement. The Elders approach William with the opportunity to back away from his stance so they do not have to excommunicate him and his family, as they would have to leave as well. William responds to the Elders with, “I cannot be judged by false Christians.” It is apparent that the reason for William’s excommunication is his self righteousness and that the Elders were truly attempting to talk him down from his position. His wife Katherine stands by him stoically while the Elders pass down their judgment. There is notable fear on the expression of their children’s faces. Fifteen-year-old Thomasin, adolescent Caleb and the seven-year-old twins Mercy and Jonas stare wide-eyed as they are sentenced. To be excommunicated from the settlement was in essence a death sentence for the family.

Each character is richly written. The dynamics of each character and their interactions with one another are the basis of this story. William is a devout–albeit fanatical– man. His life is ruled by his interpretation of his faith. While he believes himself to be a righteous man and deserving of blessings bestowed by his God, his fellow Puritans perceive him to be very self righteous. On the other hand, each member of his family perceives him in varying aspects which are told throughout the story. William’s faith indicates that because he feels he is so righteous, his God will view him with favor and guide him in providing for and protecting his family. Throughout the film, as things begin to go wrong for the family William finds himself embroiled in a vicious cycle with his God. He prays and pleads with God to find favor with him and persecutes himself all the more because he feels the family’s troubles are manifesting because he is not being devout enough or righteous enough.

Katherine is a fascinating character, and whereas William is ruled by his faith in God, Katherine is ruled by her fears. Her family’s survival is the pinnacle of her fear. Katherine should be considered a good Puritan woman. However, her devotion to the Puritan God is almost non-existent–in fact, she barely mentions God throughout the film. Her adherence to the Puritan faith is completely indicated by going through the motions with William as the lead. Subsequently, when things go wrong for the family, Katherine’s earthly explanation is placing the blame on William for failing the family and eventually she blames Thomasin as well. Katherine’s faith that there is a Devil manifests in her belief that the Devil is working through Thomasin.

Caleb is a very precocious adolescent. He is a good child who very much wishes to look up to his father. He religiously recites scripture, which pleases William, but then Caleb asks questions, trying to make sense of the scriptures in this earthly existence. He becomes frustrated when William does not have sufficient answers. He also is very much aware of William’s shortcomings as a provider for the family. Caleb knows that his mother adores him, and places him above the other children and his father, so he does his very best to please her and to try to keep the peace within the family. When Caleb is feeling troubled, he turns to Thomasin for comfort and nurturing. 

The twins Mercy and Jonas are typical Puritan children. Mercy is very much the leader between the two of them as Jonas barely says a word and follows in her footsteps in everything they do. Mercy is often just a rambunctious and sometimes bratty child but throughout the film she becomes increasingly antagonistic, particularly toward Thomasin. Thomasin takes on a mothering role to the children. She guides and disciplines them, as neither William nor Katherine take on a parental role, and it is apparent that Mercy resents her.

Thomasin embodies the beautiful, free-spirited Maiden, the nurturing compassion of the Mother and the wisdom of the Crone. In her prayers, Thomasin questions her worthiness for the Puritan God and begs forgiveness. While it is obvious that William adores Thomasin and favors her over the other children, Katherine is seemingly jealous of her daughter. Thomasin is for all intents and purposes the matriarch of the family.

The dynamics between William/Thomasin and Katherine/Caleb are that both William and Katherine perceive qualities in their children that they wished their spouse possessed. These dynamics are revealed time and again during the film with Thomasin and Caleb out of necessity taking on parental roles within the family.

Another character is Black Phillip, an alpha male goat and the physical embodiment of the Devil. Each character’s interaction with Black Phillip is fascinating. In the 17th century, it was thought that the Devil could work his evil deeds through women, and yet both Katherine and Thomasin ignore Black Phillip. To the twins he is just another playmate, and to Caleb he is nothing more than a farm animal and a chore. William, on the other hand, is terrified of and intimidated by Black Phillip. Within the story, William attempts to put Black Phillip in the corral. The viewer sees how terrified William is of the animal as he literally falls down into the mud and is then angry and embarrassed.

The final character is the Witch. Early in the film, the Witch resides in the forest–the place of the unknown and danger. Initially, she is the Old Hag in the Wood and physically manifests to the family as the Hare throughout the film.

Banished to the Wild

The family embarks into the wilderness, arriving upon a small clearing in the woods where they decide to make their homestead. Soon after, Katherine gives birth to their fifth child, Samuel. Katherine is sitting in the garden holding Samuel when she asks Thomasin to take the baby. Thomasin dutifully takes Samuel and as she walks away with him, he is cooing. Thomasin takes Samuel into the meadow and begins playing peek-a-boo with him. She adores her baby brother and Samuel is giggling and cooing as she plays with him. Thomasin covers her eyes and when she opens them again, Samuel is gone. She looks around, not seeing him, and runs to the edge of the forest calling for him, but he has disappeared. Thomasin then runs to the edge of the Wood yelling for Samuel. 

The most plausible explanation of Samuel’s disappearance is that Katherine, in a state of postpartum psychosis, kills the infant. There are several clues throughout the film. Katherine’s greatest fear—which she vocalizes often—is that the family is going to starve to death. Samuel is the most vulnerable family member as he takes resources but does not contribute. Katherine also begins pointing the finger toward Thomasin, implying that she must have had something to do with Samuel’s disappearance. Throughout the film, Katherine disintegrates into madness.

This begs the question as to what Thomasin’s role in Samuel’s disappearance would entail. Perhaps Thomasin had a psychological break. She’s a fifteen year old girl who adores her baby brother. Katherine asking Thomasin to interrupt her work to take Samuel seems nefarious, but Thomasin immediately takes Samuel and goes into the field. The peek-a-boo game seems very significant and symbolic. Hypothetically, Samuel could already have been dead when Thomasin took him from her mother. She takes him into the field and realizes this, but her mind will not allow her to accept it. She then plays peek-a-boo with him and remembers the cooing, smiling infant, but then suddenly, he’s gone. In all likelihood, she buries him. The psychological trauma of burying her baby brother plays out as a game of remembrance. Initially, she may not have felt that Katherine had anything to do with Samuel’s death and she may have believed that she would be blamed even if he had died of natural causes. It would make sense that she would have no recollection of burying Samuel and instead runs to the forest calling his name. 

The next scene is very disturbing and it is one reason the film is classified as horror, but it reiterates Eggers’ vision that the film be taken literally. 

The scene cuts to a small hut in the forest. We see the chubby, sweet babe cooing and a deformed hag stroking his body. The hag then kills the infant and she grinds up the baby’s body to make her flying ointment. She then rubs the ointment on her body and her broomstick. She is then seen flying through the forest. It is not as graphic as it could have been, but there is much to be said about implications. They speak to the crux of the plot of what happened to Samuel and what occurs when we manifest from a place of belief. There are also many psychological aspects that come into play. 

The film takes the position that the Witch in the forest is responsible for Samuel’s disappearance. In the context of the movie, the Witch is initially something outside of the family— she resides in the vastness of the forest. However, as the story progresses the Witch evolves to manifest among the family. 

Days after Samuel’s disappearance Caleb awakens to his mother sobbing and Thomasin having a fitful dream. Caleb gazes at his sleeping sister and he notices a bit of her bare skin exposed from her nightgown. This is an important clue later in the film. Caleb gently awakens Thomasin, and comforts her. He goes outside to see William sitting in their crop field—the crop has failed from blight. William tells Caleb there is no reason to search for Samuel any longer, and they must go into the Wood as he has been setting out traps. 

Initially, William and Caleb had been searching for Samuel in the forest. William’s linear thinking leads him to believe that an animal must have taken the infant. They both realize that too much time has passed and they will never find Samuel. William is quizzing Caleb on the scriptures as they walk through the Wood. William is pleased with Caleb’s knowledge. The conversation is disturbing as Caleb indicates that he was born into sin because he is “empty of grace.” 

While they are resetting the traps, Caleb again questions William by asking if Samuel was born into sin. We can see how troubled Caleb is by this, and he presses William with more questions. He asks William, “what wickedness had he done?” William states that he doesn’t want to talk about it any longer but Caleb presses further. He confronts William by asking, “is he in Hell?” Caleb becomes more upset and says, “if I died today, my sins are not pardoned.” Caleb truly believes he could be with Samuel if he died without having attained righteousness. 

For William, this entire conversation is faith based. His responses are simply to pray to their God and apparently let him figure it all out. However, Caleb is internalizing the conversation. He truly believes that Samuel is not in Heaven. The thought of his baby brother being alone in the afterlife is unacceptable for Caleb.

As the conversation continues, William’s answers are haunting. He tells Caleb that he cannot say that, “Samuel sleeps with Jesus.” It is horrific and psychologically damaging for a child to actually believe he and his baby brother are born into evil. It is even more disturbing that his father does nothing to quell his fears. According to William’s faith, Caleb is absolutely correct. William’s faith indicates that an unbaptized infant would not go to Heaven. He knew that Samuel was dead but he would be going against his faith to indicate that Samuel is in Heaven. Caleb’s questions challenge William’s faith. By standing firm within his faith, William is instilling a palpable belief within Caleb. This is also an omen. William is attempting to make sense of his faith to an inquisitive child, however, Caleb truly believes what he is told. As the story unfolds, he manifests from his beliefs.

While in the Wood, they also have a conversation about Katherine’s silver cup. William tells Caleb that he sold the cup to buy the traps. William swears Caleb to secrecy. He tells Caleb that Katherine is too overwrought to be told the truth at that time. Imagine the burden that is placed on Caleb. 

As they are walking home, the Hare appears. William is excited at the prospect of bringing dinner home. He fumbles miserably and his musket backfires as he tries to shoot the Hare, which then scurries into the forest. The two go home empty handed. 

Katherine greets them with frantic anger. She scolds Thomasin for not watching the twins and orders her to brush out and clean William’s clothes. The inappropriateness of a fifteen year old girl undressing her father as he just stands there is not lost. Katherine continues to chastise William for going into the Wood and leaving her alone. Caleb sees how upset Katherine is, so he makes up a lie to appease her. He tells her they were searching for apples because William wanted her to be surprised, to cheer her up. William simply stands there letting his child lie to cover for him and he doesn’t say a word. However, the lie is effective and appeases Katherine. 

Throughout the film William is seen splitting wood. It is a chore that he is able to do while there are many other chores at which he fails. The rhythmic movement and sounds created by splitting wood manifest a consciousness for William and it is during this time that he feels the closest to his God—whether in his appeals or his self-loathing. 

The next scene takes place by the brook. Thomasin is cleaning William’s clothes when a troubled Caleb comes into the scene. Thomasin is comforting Caleb when Mercy, pretending to be the Witch, begins to taunt and antagonize Thomasin, claiming the Witch of the Wood took Samuel. Thomasin is foreboding in her reply. “It was a Witch, Mercy. You speak right. It was I.” Mercy repeatedly yells, “Liar!” Thomasin continues to move toward Mercy. “Twas I that stole him. I be the Witch of the Wood.” Thomasin goes on to explain consorting with the Devil, terrifying Mercy. Thomasin threatens Mercy by saying she will bewitch her if she says anything to their parents. A terrified Mercy runs away. Caleb then questions Thomasin as to why she would say these things to Mercy and he proclaims that it was a wolf that took Samuel. At that point within the story, Thomasin had never consorted with the Devil—she was only reiterating what she had been taught. However, there is a sense that she is claiming her power. She knew that she was scaring Mercy but she is tired of Mercy’s taunts. She is silent when Caleb mentions the wolf and it may be that she is questioning Samuel’s disappearance. 

Later that evening, the family is sitting at the dinner table with very little to eat. They are starving. The look on the children’s faces is haunting. Katherine confronts Thomasin about her missing cup, which Thomasin knows nothing about. William feebly tells Katherine that Thomasin said she doesn’t know anything about the missing cup. Katherine continues probing Thomasin and tells her how precious the cup is to her and then says, “did a wolf vanish that as well?” Thomasin doesn’t respond to her mother and stares downward. Perhaps her consciousness is being awakened. She is becoming more aware that a wolf had nothing to do with Samuel’s disappearance and that Katherine is pointing the finger at her. Throughout the meal, Caleb is guiltily silent and William’s feckless response is unnerving. The seed is sown and is germinating. Katherine tells Thomasin to go to the barn to tend to the animals. She slowly walks into the barn to see the Hare sitting there as though it is waiting for her. 

William attempts to comfort Katherine as they lay in bed. William tells Katherine that they must look to God and not to themselves. He then says, “He has never taken a child from us.” William would never consider that either Katherine or Thomasin would have done anything to Samuel but he is apparently fine with his God taking the wrap. William remains steadfast in his affirmations even though Katherine states, “He has cursed this family.” William relies on his faith that God’s purpose is to “humble us.” The children overhear their parents discussing Thomasin returning to the settlement as an indentured servant. Katherine obviously wants Thomasin out of the picture and William complies and tells her that he will take Thomasin back to the village the following day. Caleb is distressed at the thought of his sister going away so he takes it upon himself to find food for the family. Thomasin convinces him to let her go along and the two children go into the forest. The Hare appears to them and they are separated. 

There is a very ominous feeling as Caleb struggles through the forest. He cannot find Thomasin and the Hare appears to him again. He follows the Hare to a nearly hidden cottage. A seductive woman—who is obviously the Witch—emerges from the cottage. Caleb stands before her, visibly upset. The Witch seduces Caleb.

Back at the homestead, Katherine is frantically arguing with William about finding Caleb. Thomasin sits stoically as she watches her parents. Katherine confronts Thomasin, appealing to her that she must know something about Caleb’s disappearance and the reason he went into the Wood. Thomasin doesn’t dare to tell her the truth about Caleb hunting for food. She pleads with her mother, “let me find favor in your eyes.” William, apparently aware of his wife’s animosity toward Thomasin, tells Katherine the truth about her father’s silver cup and that he had taken Caleb to the Wood to check traps.

That night a naked, feverish Caleb appears back at the homestead. Katherine and Thomasin begin their vigil over Caleb with a bloodletting. The next morning, Katherine remains by Caleb’s side. She is trying to understand why Caleb is comatose and she tells William, “does this not look like Witchcraft?” William dismisses the question, and he begins laying out a very reasonable plan to get Katherine and the children back to the village and to get a doctor for Caleb. Katherine is not appeased and William asks her, “what do you want of me Katherine?” 

In what is seemingly Katherine’s most lucid moment in the film, she sadly replies, “I want to go home.” William reassures her that she will be home by candletime tomorrow. She then says, “in England.” After an emotional pause she says, “Oh Will, I also have a confession to make. I never meant to be a shrew to thee.” As she continues, she questions her faith and she admits to William that when she was young she found a love for Jesus that she could not find with William. She states that she cannot feel Christ’s presence any longer. Her soliloquy is heartbreaking.

Caleb awakens and seems to be choking on something. William pries open his mouth and a bloody apple rolls to the floor. Katherine then screams, “he’s witched!” The twins take this cue to run to their mother and Mercy begins hysterically tattling on Thomasin about the incident by the brook. Mercy insists that Thomasin is the Witch. Thomasin is frantically attempting to explain their accusations. It’s curious that the most dominating monologue William has throughout the film is when he becomes his daughter’s inquisitor, as he will, “not have a Witch in my house!” He demands that they pray over Caleb but the twins suddenly cannot remember their prayers. The scene becomes chaotic with the twins writhing in fits and then becoming catatonic, while Thomasin and their parents pray over Caleb. Caleb begins to speak fitfully but then he appears to become entranced. He speaks of finding an ecstatic love. To the viewer, it seems the love he is speaking of pertains to the Witch but as he continues, he speaks of his Lord and then passes peacefully. Katherine is frantic at Caleb’s death and she viciously dismisses Thomasin from the room.

In the context of the film, Caleb is lured by the Witch. She then seduces him and he returns to his family possessed by her. The apple that Caleb spewed is symbolic of the lie he told his mother. Once the sin of the lie is released, he is vanquished of the possession and able to find salvation in his Lord. He then passes quietly. Of course, this is the perspective of a Puritan family in the 1600s. Perhaps this is exactly what is written in the journals and in the folklore from which this story is derived. With Caleb’s redemption comes his salvation and, to the family, he would then go to Heaven. 

There seems to be a crescendo and a palpable shift with Caleb’s death. The story slowly builds from Samuel’s disappearance to Caleb’s demise. It is notable that Caleb and Samuel may be considered the most innocent members of the family and yet they are the first to perish. With their deaths, the specter of the Witch has come in from the Wood and infiltrated the family completely. 

What really happened to Caleb? There are clues throughout the film. Caleb understands that there isn’t enough food for the family and he failed on his hunt. He wants to be with Samuel, the unbaptized babe who never had the opportunity to gain righteousness in order to go to Heaven. He doesn’t want his baby brother to be alone for all of eternity. He also states that he is not righteous enough to go to Heaven. In Caleb’s eyes, William is righteous, so Caleb is the logical choice to take the fall to be with Samuel. The most significant sin—in Caleb’s mind—is the feeling that is stirred when he sees Thomasin’s bare skin. Feelings of sexuality are absolutely unforgivable in the puritanical mode of thought. Perhaps while Caleb is alone in the forest, he masturbates—there would be no forgiveness or redemption for such an act, so his death comes by his own hand. 

There is an interesting parallel with Katherine’s confession of her finding ecstasy with Christ and Caleb’s deathbed confession of finding ecstasy with his Lord. Perhaps this is an example of the psychological damage derived from Puritanical sexual repression. Both Katherine and Caleb seem to have embraced a love derived from an otherworldly origin. 

After Caleb’s death, an inconsolable Thomasin runs to the brook with William following close behind. William attempts to console Thomasin with ramblings, avoiding any word of Caleb’s death. He then turns the conversation to Thomasin returning back to the village and again questions whether Thomasin is a Witch. She realizes that he has also turned on her and is blaming her for the destruction that is occurring within the family. He accuses her of making a bargain with the Devil. Thomasin vehemently denies making any such bargain. William continues with his interrogation and demands that Thomasin, “speak the truth” of whether or not she is a Witch.

In a very powerful scene, Thomasin firmly pronounces all of the lies that have been hurled at her to make her seem the guilty party. William knows she is speaking the truth when Thomasin yells at him, “you are a hypocrite!” She continues by telling him that he is a failure in providing for the family and the only thing he can do is cut wood. She is solemn and resigned when she says, “‘tis a wolf that stole Sam. I never saw a wolf.” She knows this, too, is a lie. 

William drags Thomasin back to the cabin. Katherine wants nothing to do with Thomasin but William implores Thomasin to tell Katherine the truth. Thomasin then tells Katherine she is no Witch and that Mercy and Jonas have made a covenant with the Devil in the form of Black Phillip. William then boards up the three children in the shed with Black Phillip. They are solemn and seemingly resigned to their fate. William and Katherine bury Caleb. Katherine climbs into the grave, laying on Caleb. The viewer is aware of her continuing plummet into madness. 

William, again, begins chopping wood and confesses to his God and pleads, “Oh my God, it is my fault! I am infected with the filthy pride!” He begs his God to save his children. From within the boarded shed, Thomasin overhears his pleas. 

During the night, Katherine rises from bed and sees Caleb holding Samuel. It is an eerie scene to witness Katherine conversing with her dead children. We then see Mercy and Jonas cringing in the darkness of the shed, obviously fearful of something approaching them. In the cabin, Caleb speaks to Katherine as she is nursing Samuel. He tells her she can be with them and that he has brought to her a book. Cutting back to the shed, the Old Hag appears, terrifying the children. The last scene of this segment shows Katherine manically laughing as a raven plucks at her breast.

William awakens the next morning with Katherine laying beside him. Her nightgown is stained with blood. He goes outside and sees the shed torn to pieces and animals strewn on the ground. Mercy and Jonas are nowhere to be seen but you can surmise they are dead. Thomasin is visible and she slowly raises her head. She screams when the camera shows something gore William's side. It is Black Phillip, who then stampedes an injured William and pushes him into the wood pile. The stacked wood falls on William, killing him. William’s death is symbolic—he is gored by his fear of the Devil in the form of Black Phillip, who then pushes him into the wood which tumbles down and kills William. The meticulously stacked pile of wood represents William’s palpable consciousness of his faith in his God. William’s faith crashes down on top of him and he is destroyed. 

Thomasin is beleaguered as she slowly walks toward her dead father. A disheveled Katherine appears, demanding Thomasin tell her what happened to the children. Katherine viciously accuses Thomasin of being bewitched and destroying the family. A sobbing Thomasin is frantically shaking her head in denial and the two begin a terrifying struggle. Thomasin then grabs a cleaver and kills Katherine. Thomasin is stunned as she gazes into the wood. She goes into the cabin and takes off her outer garb. Night falls while Thomasin is sleeping at a table. 

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?

From the beginning of the story, the tension and terror has been palpable. With all of her family dead, a bloodied Thomasin goes into the barn to summon Black Phillip. There is a haunting eeriness felt, but she has no fear. Thomasin is determined when she speaks, “Black Phillip, I conjure thee to speak to me.” A voice asks, “What does thou want?” She replies, “What can thou give?” Black Phillip replies, “Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? A pretty dress? Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?” Black Phillip takes human form as we see his boot steps behind the book. He asks Thomasin to see the book before her. She states that she cannot write her name, and Black Phillip replies, “I will guide thy hand.” This is not the evil entity she had been taught to fear. Black Phillip places his hand on Thomasin’s shoulder in order to guide her signing the book. 

Thomasin and Black Phillip go into the forest, where they come upon a Coven of Witches communing and chanting by a fire. Thomasin laughs, as she is now free. She joins her kindred Sister Witches, and embraces the Witch. 

 

Who is the Witch?

We are first introduced to the Witch of the Wood. She is the embodiment of the family’s fears, secrets and lies. She is the shadow scapegoat for all that is evil. Puritanical myth preaches that she is to be feared and despised. For William she is the terrifying entity that stands between him and his God. To Katherine she is the evil that steals her baby, her beloved son and destroys her family. For Caleb, she is the seductress that leads him down the path of wickedness from which there is no salvation. 

Katherine in her madness becomes possessed by the Witch of her religion. Was she ever a loving mother or spouse? She kills three of her children and blames her oldest daughter. She is cold-hearted toward William and in her confession she blatantly tells William she has never loved him.

Thomasin is a heroine. She births her Witch from within. She is the only survivor of the family’s ordeal and she knows she could not have saved them. Throughout the film Thomasin radiates integrity and authenticity. She will not lie to cover for her father or her mother. She shuns her fundamentalist upbringing. She frees herself from the oppressiveness of her life. She chooses to go into the wild and embrace herself as a Witch. Black Phillip as the Devil never forced her to become a Witch—he guided her. Her craving is tasting butter and a pretty dress—these are no evil temptations dangled before her. The Witch rises organically for Thomasin. She is the aspect of Thomasin’s self that lay in wait to be born. Thomasin sheds all aspects of self that were not serving her and in the end she is saved—both figuratively and literally—by the Witch within her. 

Good or Evil?

Which is the good entity and which is the evil entity? Throughout the film, William gives all of his power to the Puritanical God. He believes that through devout worship, God will see favor in him. His beliefs are reinforced by the rhythmic motions of splitting wood—this practice creates a palpable consciousness for William from which he cannot escape. The scene depicting William splitting wood after Caleb’s death, begging his God to save his children, is haunting. William has boarded his children up in a shed out of his fear that they are consorting with the Devil through Black Phillip. What does he expect his God to do? He believes that his children have been tainted by the Devil. His God didn’t instruct him to keep his children hostage and neither did the Devil. William continually puts his faith and belief in God before the needs of his family, which is the true evil in the story.

Katherine’s story is a bit more complicated. Perhaps she is suffering from postpartum psychosis. Of course, during this time period there was no such diagnosis. Much to the dismay of 21^st century consciousness, infanticide was not uncommon centuries ago. Mothers who birthed infants close together may have performed infanticide in order to ensure the survival of one infant. Myths surrounding the Dark Goddess Lilith stealing the breath away from newborns have been prevalent for centuries. There are mothers that to this day place an amulet in a newborn’s cradle to ward off Lilith. A child dying in infancy—whether by natural causes or its mother’s hand—was often explained by mythology. Katherine becomes possessed by the evil Witch of her religious beliefs. Katherine’s Witch is capable of killing her beloved Samuel and then later Mercy and Jonas. Katherine’s Witch is the evil that lies within her, brought out by her madness. 

Thomasin’s journey of embracing her Witch is prevalent even today. Many people are born into circumstances, families and societies that are nonsensical to them. You strive to understand your place and your role in this world. Often you cannot live your life according to standards that are imposed upon you, so you break away from those paradigms. You embark on a journey of Wildness that is Magick and Witchcraft. 

 

“Witchcraft is the recourse of the dispossessed, the powerless, the hungry

 and the abused. It gives heart and tongue to stones and trees.

It wears the rough skin of beasts.

It turns on a civilisation that knows the price of everything

and the value of nothing.”

 

–Peter Grey

“A Manifesto of Apocalyptic Witchcraft”

Apocalyptic Witchcraft (2013)