Teen Witch Revival

With the continuous re-runs of nostalgic witch-cult TV shows and films, this seeming "subculture," made up of mostly teenage girls, is rapidly emerging from the ashes. Stores, including Urban Outfitters, local boutiques, and even Pottery Barn, have been selling tarot cards, spell books, and apothecary candles. Adding onto this witch frenzy, Ryan Murphy, the brilliant creator of American Horror Story, expressed his interpretation of teen witchery in the last season, American Horror Story: Coven.

With the 90's grunge and goth revival, the whole concept of "teen witch vibes" sneaking into the mainstream was inevitable. And who doesn't love the mysteriousness behind wearing all black and felt hats? (See above picture if you don't)

But why witches? And why teenage girls?

Way before AHS: Coven and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, there were the 17th century Salem Witch Trials. And even way before the Salem Witch Trials, there is history of witchcraft and satanic cults that date way back to circa 560 B.C. These supposed "witches" were seen as women who were witnessed performing witchcrafty acts and throwing fits. And during the Salem Trials, one could easily be accused simply by yelping in pain while a dog eats a cake of their urine (see The Doctrine Effluvia), immediately stop throwing a fit when the accuser puts their hand on the supposed witch's shoulder, or having blemishes, moles, and warts. Whether witchcraft is real or not, many--if not all--of these accused teenage girls just had some sort of illness: epilepsy, leprosy, or some sort of mental illness. Maybe some, in the Salem years, just could not stand being in a conservative Puritan community. Maybe they just felt intensely oppressed, and just wanted to express their opinion through their fits. Men probably just couldn't comprehend why they were doing these things, and why they spoke when they weren't spoken to. I don't know.

And when the 1990's came around, this whole rebellion against fashion took a stance in, ironically, the fashion community. The ugly became pretty and the pretty became less pretty.

And who's more ugly than the described satanic women of the 17th century and the centuries before? Witches were just icing on the heroin chic cake.


But the 90's turned something horrifying into something empowering and pretty humorous. Witches depicted in the 90's are very "girl power"-esque, as they manipulate their way through their lives. I think this manipulative aesthetic that the 90's interpretation of a witch had really appealed to masses of teen girls. There's something so empowering about seeing a group (or should I say cult?) of girls--who appear relatively average (but with an impeccable sense of style)--have magic powers. Seeing it on TV made me believe that I could do things as great as, if not greater than, these girls.

That's why teen witchery is so fab.