ABOUT THE PHOTOS
Over the past few years, I have noticed an increase of exposure to witchcraft in my everyday life. I see women teaching “love spells” on TikTok, flyers posted on my local town billboard about metaphysical shops in the area, and New Moon celebrations amongst friends, hoping to change the flow of life. In turn, I have become obsessed with the idea that witchcraft will be the New Age belief of the decades to come.
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While Judeo-Christian beliefs dominate most of the religious practices in America, according to a 2017 study done by the Pew Research Center, over 60% of Americans believe in psychics, astrology, reincarnation and/or the presence of spiritual energy in inanimate objects- like plants or rainwater. While witchcraft seems to be overtly prevalent in our society, it is strange we do not see more of it.
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In reality, the lack of representation for witches is not strange at all. It can all be traced back to the Salem Witch Trials. As a major part of American history, we are taught in our social studies classes that identifying
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as a witch will lead to various negative consequences. In anthropologist Kathryn Roundtree’s ethnography, “Embracing the Witch and the Goddess,” she explains the stigma around Wicca and neo-Pagan practices, where witches would be seen as devil worshippers who were going to Hell. This interpretation of witches is far from the truth.
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Through my photo essay, I want to expose the lightness and beauty that comes with witchcraft. At Cosmic Dreams Apothecary, a metaphysical shop in Islip, NY, I captured their Beltane Ceremony, a Celtic ceremony which roughly translates to “bright fire” or “fires of Bel.” Beltane celebrates the time of year in the middle of spring equinox and summer solstice, where the veil between the spiritual world and our world is at its thinnest, making it easy to connect with the spiritual world through rituals, like dancing around the Maypole. The Beltane Ceremony captured in this photo essay represents these practioners' passion to connect with nature and the spiritual realm, which they believe will cleanse their souls and change their flow of life for the better.
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I would like to thank Amanda and Gina of Cosmic Dreams Apothecary for letting me photograph their store and their ceremony. I would also like to thank Cassidy and Jimi for allowing me to photograph their leadership in this ceremony. Blessed be!
Sources
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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/books/peak-witch.html
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“Embracing the witch and the goddess” by Kathryn Roundtree
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Cosmic Dreams Apothecary, Islip, NY