The Witch Studies Reader

by Soma Chaudhuri (Editor), Jane Ward (editor)

Stories about witches are by their nature stories about the most basic and profound of human experiences—healing, sex, violence, tragedies, aging, death, and encountering the mystery and magic of the unknown. It is no surprise, then, that witches loom large in our cultural imaginations. In academia, studies of witches rarely emerge from scholars who are themselves witches and/or embedded in communities of witchcraft practitioners. The Witch Studies Reader brings together a diverse group of scholars, practitioners, and scholar-practitioners who examine witchcraft from a critical decolonial feminist perspective that decenters Europe and departs from exoticizing and pathologizing writing on witchcraft in the global South. The authors show how witches are keepers of suppressed knowledges, builders of new futures, exemplars of praxis, and theorists in their own right. Throughout, they account for the vastly different national, political-economic, and cultural contexts in which “the witch” is currently being claimed and repudiated. Offering a pathbreaking transnational feminist examination of witches and witchcraft that upends white supremacist, colonial, patriarchal knowledge regimes, this volume brings into being the interdisciplinary field of feminist witch studies.

Contributors. Maria Amir, Ruth Asiimwe, Bernadette Barton, Ethel Brooks, Shelina Brown, Ruth Charnock, Soma Chaudhuri, Carolyn Chernoff, Saira Chhibber, Simon Clay, Krystal Cleary, Adrianna L. Ernstberger, Tina Escaja, Laurie Essig, Marcelitte Failla, D Ferrett, Marion Goldman, Jaime Hartless, Margaretha Haughwout, Patricia Humura, Apoorvaa Joshi, Govind Kelkar, Oliver Kellhammer, Ayça Kurtoğlu, Helen Macdonald, Isabel Machado, Brandy Renee McCann, Dev Nathan, Mary Jo Neitz, Amy Nichols-Belo, Allison (or AP) Pierce, Emma Quilty, Anna Rogel, Karen Schaller, Jacquelyn Marie Shannon, Shashank Shekhar Sinha, Gabriella V. Smith, Nathan Snaza, Shannon Hughes Spence, Eric Steinhart, Morena Tartari, Nicole Trigg, Katie Von Wald, Tushabe wa Tushabe, Jane Ward
 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Feminism

520 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Gia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating reader that introduced me to so many authors that I am excited to dive further into. Brilliantly written, edited, and an educational and compelling read.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of essays that covers prominent topics that encompasses the scope of witchcraft. I appreciate the academic approach and intersection with politics, feminism, and an overall way of life. There were multiple sections to help breakdown the breadth of witchcraft and deconstruct what it means. There were some essays that stand out in perspective of the core values of witchcraft and paganism.
Overall, a lengthy and selective collection of academic sorts. As someone who lives by the mother Earth, I naturally ran to read this. Not everyone will be someone you agree with, but they do offer statistics and evidence citing why their beliefs align with spirituality. Recommended for witches and academics of all curiosities and alignment with the craft.

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[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick impressions: Recommend for academic programs in feminist studies, pop culture, religion, peace and social justice, and gender studies. Most public libraries can skip this is as it is not really for lay readers.

Review with reading notes on my blog soon.

[Sebya Sinona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one for my Witches Who Resist Book Club. It's surprisingly easy to get through as there are many interesting essays and great quotes. I would highly recommend it for a book club read especially because it is thought provoking and the discussions that come out of this read are engaging and enjoyable. (I would also recommend if chosen to break it up in three parts instead of half like we did as there is so much to talk about!) I would have loved to read this solo but being able to discuss made it all the more satisfying.