The Old Ways : What Witches Did in the 1600s

Lately, I’ve found myself thinking more of the witches who came before us, being drawn to wander through old haunts where their stories still linger in the air, of the craft that lived quietly in the shadows.

There is something that stirs within me, not the stories told about them, but the pure truth of how they lived, because they did not call themselves witches in the way we do now. They were known as the wise women, cunning folk, the healers and midwives and the keepers of quiet knowledge. They walked carefully in a world that did not understand them and yet, their magic never left them. It lived in the small things., the hidden things, the everyday things and when I connect to the old ways, this is what I feel.

They practiced in silence, their magic was not spoken loudly, it was woven in to their daily living. A blessing whispered while kneading bread, protection stirred into a pot over the fire, a quiet charm tucked into a pocket before stepping outside. There were no elaborate altars on display and no grand declarations. Just simply intention carried softly through daily life.

I return to this often, knowing that my craft is in the simple moments of life. The reminder that magic does not need to be seen to be powerful and does not need large elaborate rituals.

Their tools were the ordinary. There were no crystal shops or curated kits, everything they used was already available and around them. A wooden spoon became the wand, a cooking pot became a cauldron, the broom was both a tool and a protector of the home. Herbs were gathered from hedgerows, not chosen for aesthetic, but for knowing. Their magic was not bought, it was lived with.

The land was their guide as they worked closely with nature. They knew when to plant, when to gather, when to rest. They watched the moon, the weather, the animals as something they belonged to. Their magic was not forced, it moved with the seasons and it listened.

And now, in this current time of life, I really feel this is something we are being called back to now. A slower, more intuitive way of working.

In a time where fear surrounded anything unknown, protection was not optional. It was essential. Charms were hidden in walls. Iron was placed near doorways. Salt was used to cleanse and guard. Even something as simple as turning clothing inside out was believed to confuse unwanted energy. Their protection was quiet, but it was constant and deeply intentional.

There were no long scripts or complicated rituals, the spells were powerful, but simple.

A spell would be a knot tied with intention, a word repeated under breath, a herb burned at the right moment. It did not matter how it looked, the importance was how it was felt. The magic came from within them.

And through all this, the part that truly stays within me, is that they trusted their own inner knowing. They did not have endless books or guidance, they had their instinct. A feeling, a pull, a quiet voice within that said or felt that it was right and they followed it, believed it, even when the world told them not to.

I reflect on the old ways a lot, it's how I based my craft, I don’t see something outdated, I see something we are remembering, that was passed down through words, books and blood. For us to not live in fear, but to return to simplicity, to intention, to connection, to the quiet, powerful magic that exists in our everyday lives.

You do not need more to be a witch, you simply need to remember.

If you have yet to place you craft or unsure of your own path, start simply.

Light a candle with intention.
Work with one herb you truly connect to.
Whisper your words instead of performing them.
Let your magic become something that truly feels like home, not something you have to reach for, not something that feels heavy or a burden.

The witches of the 1600s aren't as distant as we think.

Their magic still lingers, in the land, in the herbs, in the quiet moments of knowing.

And most of all, their magic still lingers within you.🖤✨