Halloween Traditions: How the Witch Got Her Pointy Hat

Tomorrow is THE day to practice magic and explore Halloween Traditions!

For instance, did you know that the “Wiz” in wizard has its origins in the adjective, Wise?

In honor of all you remarkably WISE witches and wizards, it is my pleasure to remind you just how important your pointy hat is, and why your forebears started wearing this delightful, conical chapeau in the first place!

Wyrd Seasonal Stuff

Yes, “wyrd” is the old-fashioned (magical) spelling of weird. 🙂 

Did you know that Trick-or-Treating was originally a May Day tradition?

Or that our American tradition of leaving plates of cookies for Santa Claus, actually originated with Halloween Traditions?  

Before weary folks went to bed in many countries (including the British Isles,) they would honor their ancestors by leaving a fully cooked feast on the table on Halloween night.

This feast included all the place settings, flower arrangements, and goblets of mead that might possibly please ancestral spirits. That’s why Halloween (or Samhain, in the Pagan vernacular) became known as the Feast of the Dead.

What do these facts have to do with witch hats?

Absolutely nothing!

I just thought they were fascinating. 🙂 

Halloween Traditions that Honor Wise Women 

In pagan circles, the witch represents the Crone. This respectful term is one of the three traditional aspects of the Goddess (the other two being the Maid and the Mother.)

The Crone was revered as the wise woman of ancient villages. Typically, she was consulted about healing, planting, birthing, animal husbandry, weather forecasting, conflict resolution, love and marriage…

In short, this Village Elder was a benevolent political and spiritual leader, who had enormous influence over daily life.

Thus, Trick-or-Treaters are perpetuating some of the most ancient and revered customs of World Cultures, when they opt to wear a witch’s costume.

Of course, in Pagan circles, the witch’s garb was daily life, not just a part of Halloween Traditions. For instance:

• • The witch’s tall, pointed hat was thought to utilize the geometrics of a pyramid to draw the Goddess’s wisdom and power downward, into the Crone’s head. 
  • The hat’s flared brim was the vehicle by which the Crone sent out her power (her “focused intention”) when she was creating rain spells or brewing healing potions.
  • The Crone’s black dress represented the dark (or “invisible”) side of the ultimate feminine energy: the Goddess. Traditionally, female deities represented dormant, nurturing, fertile, and “womblike” energies, not evil ones.
  • The Crone’s broomstick was considered the shaman’s horse, upon which she took her astral journeys, riding over the moon to other realities.

The REAL Power of Witches (and Why It Got Them into Trouble)

Naturally, the vast social influence of Female Elders did not make them popular among outlanders.

Greedy barbarians preferred to run amok, pillaging crops, setting houses on fire, stealing livestock, raping maidens, etc. When Crones dared to rally their villages against such violence, these barbarians retaliated. They worked to destroy the social influence of the Crone.

Ultimately, Crones were vilified as Satan worshippers. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Crones — ie, “witches” —worshipped the same Goddesses that their agrarian, Pagan neighbors worshipped.

The real reason for the demise of the Female Elder was that she held too much social power and influence. She was a threat to the male outsiders, who coveted the land and/or wealth of her village.

So on Thursday, as you’re celebrating Halloween Traditions, drag out your pointy hat! Honor the Wise Women who tried to teach, heal, and civilize a world that wasn’t quite ready to be civilized.