words by DEBORAH DRENOFCI
Real power stems from the invisible connection between internal magic and the external beauty found in nature. Women have always held this power within, from the ability to create life to intuition and a rhythm matched to the moon. Unable to comprehend or face such an enchanting sway of femininity, patriarchal society twisted the mystical word witch into a broom of fear and ugliness. But what is a witch? This is the question photographer HARLEY WEIR and fashion designer DILARA FINDIKOGLU set out to answer with WITCH, a photo book exploring the multifaceted women and real witches of Romania, out October 31st.
photography by Harley Weir
The book is a creative rebellion against the historical misreading of witchcraft. Women who refused to conform, who challenged societal expectations and stayed true to their own power, were marginalised and persecuted. What history kept was a libelled version, of a tale in which spirituality and a divine connection with nature should be sacred. A patriarchal narrative, or perhaps jealousy of the knowledge, sexual freedom and sense of self women possess, has weighed heavily on a single word. As Findikoglu puts it, “The wisdom associated with the feminine is not something mystical or extraordinary, but something deeply rooted in our bodies, our connection to nature and the knowledge we carry within us.”
“For centuries, the witch has been used as a symbol of evil. But maybe she was never scary because she was evil. Maybe she was scary because she was free,” she adds. Travelling across eight cities and villages, the pair met many women, among them Mihaela Minca and her daughters, known as the most powerful witches in the world. Through Weir’s lens and Findikoglu’s clothes, the true spirit and power of these women is captured. The seductive garments become both a protective shield and a provocative canvas.
The book answers the question beautifully. To be a witch is to desire, to rebel, to express everything without constraint. To be a witch is to be a force of nature. A woman.
