Why are we more afraid of witches than those who burned them?

Fire once meant joy – then fear. Why did we stop asking and start being afraid? Reflections on witches, power and fear.

Long before the first bonfire was lit, the fires of Beltane stood here. People danced around them in a circle, celebrating the arrival of spring, the fertility of the earth and life. The fire was a symbol of purification, renewal and joy. It was a moment when the community entered the lighter half of the year together.

And then… then came those who knew “better.” Those who had the only “truth” and anyone who deviated from it was the enemy. Instead of welcoming women as givers of life and wisdom, they burned them as “witches.”

It was the people who held power who soon understood the simple truth – namely, that he who controls fear controls the mind. And so the celebratory bonfires became pyres. The dance around the fire became a terrifying spectacle. The wise women, healers and herbalists became witches.

It is no coincidence that most of those burned alive "witches"  They were women who had knowledge, influence, or wealth. Women who stood out from the norm. Those who were too independent and who knew too much.

How simple alchemy – taking something people love and transforming it into an instrument of fear. Moreover, the church did not come up with anything new – it only transformed existing traditions and turned them against the people themselves. Religion, which was supposed to unite, became an instrument of division.

And why? For control! Fear silences questions. Fear breaks resistance. And finally – he who is afraid obediently keeps silent and follows.

Even though times have changed, the mechanisms remain surprisingly similar. During Covid, we saw how quickly society can polarize. How quickly questions become heresy. How quickly people who just ask “why?” become enemies of the collective.

I'm not saying that Covid wasn't real, or that it didn't have its victims. I'm just saying that the way the situation was presented, how quickly "miracle solutions" appeared, and how brutally those who asked questions were stigmatized, is reminiscent of ancient patterns.

There are very effective mechanisms by which the masses can be controlled:

• FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) – fear of exclusion, fear of missing out on something.
• Confirmation bias – we only seek information that confirms our opinion
• Groupthink – uniformity of thinking in the group at the cost of suppressing critical thinking
• Crowd psychosis – a powerful sorceress, she can change the state of mind and soul. She can even pull a relatively calm person into an action that he would never otherwise commit, but most importantly, she turns a weak, helpless individual into part of a strong organism. It is this sudden feeling of power that fascinates about a mob rage.

In fact, these mechanisms work just as well today as they did centuries ago. They were used during witch hunts, during fascism, communism, the Covid hysteria, and – yes – in the context of the Green Deal.

The true "heretic" of all times has one thing in common - the courage to ask questions:

• "Why are you telling me this?"
• "What are you trying to achieve?"
• "Where is the evidence?"
• "Who benefits?"

Asking questions doesn't automatically mean disbelieving. It means using the gift we have as humans - the ability to think critically.

And so the fires that were supposed to celebrate life have become the fires of fear. The celebrations of fertility have become the fires of fear of women and their wisdom. And they have made thinking a heresy! But we, we can light those fires again. The fires of joy, the fires of curiosity, the fires of critical thinking. And instead of fearing the shadows, we will look at who casts them and why.

Modern borders don't have flames. They use other tools:

• Social exclusion
• Economic pressure
• Labeling (disinformer, anti-vaxxer, conspiracy theorist…)
• Media defamation

No one is physically torturing you, but psychological pressure can be just as effective.

Beltane was a festival of fire. And fire, like passion and conviction, can be a great servant—but a bad master. It can warm us, but it can also burn us.

When we start demonizing those who question or doubt, we become modern-day inquisitors ourselves. When we stop listening to other opinions, we lose the ability to see the whole picture.

Critical thinking is not about rejecting everything. It's about finding a balance between trust and skepticism. It's about realizing that the truth is often more complex than simple black-and-white statements.

 Beltane was a festival of balance – between darkness and light, winter and summer. And we need this balance in our thinking too.

That is why today may be the ideal time to revive the true tradition of Beltane – not as a return to paganism, but as a reminder of the values that this holiday represented:

• Community instead of division
• Celebrating life instead of fearing death
• Respect for nature and its cycles
• The balance between rationality and intuition

The next time you see fear-filled news or hear calls to silence those who ask questions, remember the borders with “witches.” Remember how easily fires of joy became fires of fear.

And then ask: "Why should I be afraid? Who and why is creating this fear in me?"

The best way to honor the memory of unjustly accused “witches” is not to hate the church or institutions. It is to have the courage to use your own reason, to ask questions, and not be carried away by the hysteria of the crowd – from whatever side it comes.

"Light a small candle tonight and ask yourself a question you haven't dared to ask for a long time."

👉 If you are fascinated by the magic of feminine power, be sure not to miss the article about the holiday Beltain – a celebration of life, love and light on a magical night and a compelling story Lilith – the first woman: demon, rebel, or symbol of female power?.