A witch is a person who practices witchcraft. The stereotypical witches are commonly portrayed as wicked old women who have wrinkled skin, pimples, and pointy hats.
In the Middle Ages witchcraft was feared throughout Europe. People thought that magic was an illusion created by the devil and was associated with worship of the devil. Some say that there are two different kinds of magic: Black Magic and White Magic. Black magic was associated more with the devil and had satanic symbols. People thought that witches caused harm to society by causing accidents, bad luck, illnesses, or death. Witches got a lot of blame if someone fell ill of unknown causes. White magic had Christian symbolism that had more to do with nature and herbs. White magic was believed to be used for such spells as love, health, good luck, and wealth. Astrology and alchemy, which is about making potions such as turning metal into gold and searching for a cure for deadly illnesses, are considered to be a part of magic.
