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Witches are everywhere each October, but where did they actually come from?

In this Witchtober kickoff, we fly from mud-brick Mesopotamian rooms and Greek crossroads to Slavic forests and Salem courtrooms, tracing how the witch evolved from healer and threshold-keeper to scapegoat, fairy-tale trial, and modern icon. It’s cinematic, cozy, and a little eerie. Perfect for readers, writers, and anyone who loves a good origin story told by firelight.

You’ll hear how Hecate’s torches, the völva’s prophecies, Baba Yaga’s chicken-leg cottage, and real-world panics (hello, Malleus Maleficarum and Salem) shaped the archetype we still write and film today. And if you’re building worlds or characters, I’ll share clear takeaways for turning folklore into fresh, living fiction.

Light a candle, pour something warm, and step into the firelight.

💌 Links & Extras

Curious about my own eerie tale? All my links live here: linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles

Grab The Missing Reflection (out now!), find socials, bonus content, and Witchtober goodies.

🎧 If you loved this one, make sure you’re subscribed and drop a quick rating/review, it helps our little coven grow. Feeling the vibes? Leave a 🕯️ so I know your lantern’s lit.

📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching

Books & History:

• Stacy Schiff — The Witches: Salem, 1692
• Ronald Hutton — The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
• Katherine Howe (ed.) — The Penguin Book of Witches
• Malcolm Gaskill — Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction
• Dubravka Ugrešić — Baba Yaga Laid an Egg (modern myth remix)

Folklore-to-Fiction (for inspo)

• Madeline Miller — Circe
• Alix E. Harrow — The Once and Future Witches
• Anne Rice — The Witching Hour
• Louisa Morgan — A Secret History of Witches
• Rachel Griffin — The Nature of Witches

Watchlist (Episode 3 sneak peek!)

• Häxan (1922) — folk horror/docu hybrid
• The Wizard of Oz (1939) — the pop-culture split: Glinda vs. Wicked Witch
• Wicked (2024) - the wicked witch's reimagining
• The Craft (1996) — teen power, price, and aesthetic
• Hocus Pocus (1993) — cozy camp classic
• The Witch (2015) — dread, belief, and the unseen
• Practical Magic (1998) — grief, sisterhood, and domestic enchantment

📬 Join the conversation

What witch from folklore or fiction haunts your imagination? Drop me a note on Instagram or YouTube comments—bonus points for a 🧹 or 🕯️ emoji.

P.S. This is Part 1 of my Witchtober mini-series.

Next up: Part 2 — “Book of Shadows: Top Witchy Reads That Cast a Spell.” Make sure you’re following so you don’t miss it.