This etching of A Witch at Her Cauldron is part of the Coming of Age exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection. I went there and took the photo above, but it isn't the only item relating to witches or magic. There's also Japanese figures from mythology representing long life, images showing the concept of the fountain of youth, and a large display on crones.
It's a really good exhibition, but I did tut slightly at the description of the depiction above. It read:
"This 1626 etching depicts a young witch in her magic circle conjuring up monsters and pipe-smoking demons. In Europe, witches were generally imagined as women. Roles in cooking, midwifery and healing gave women control over the health and wellbeing of their families. In a male-dominated society, accusations of witchcraft were a way to suppress this power. In the 1500s and 1600s, fear of witches led to the execution of thousands of women."
In fact, midwives were generally well respected even during times of historic witch persecutions. Although there are some examples of midwives being accused of malefic practices, that wasn't widespread. You were far more likely to be accused of witchcraft if you were someone the community found inconvenient or you just pissed off the wrong person.
Don't let that minor criticism put you off going to the Coming of Age Exhibition, as it's generally thought-provoking and highlights important social issues about how we view people young to old. And it's totally free to go round.
Coming of Age is on at the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm until 29 November. You can find out more here: https://wellcomecollection.org/
Pagan Eye Posts
On each of my Pagan Eye posts, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.
Previous Related Links
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-gods-from-hawaii-at-british.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/03/pagan-eye-woodland-witch-from.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/exhibition-gods-goddesses-in-luxury.html
badwitch.co.uk/2022/09/pagan-eye-goddess-aphrodite-at-feminine.html
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