“Superstition is part of our culture”

Blick: Miss Meier-Spring, you describe yourself as a witch…
Wicca Meier Bow: I call myself the modern witch. There is a huge difference in painting in the Middle Ages from the painting that appeared in the early modern period. I’ve been doing research on witchcraft for over 30 years. There was really only one way to truly understand her: to be a witch in her own right. So I know what I’m talking about.

What do you mean by modern witchcraft?
Modern witchcraft is said to provide a perspective of mysticism and respect for nature, life, and the energetic forces of this world. Ultimately, it’s about stepping out of our everyday world.

Was this something you had dreamed of since childhood?
I think as a child everyone has fantasies and mystical ideas. I had very excited parents, we had traveled a lot. That’s why I got to know many cultures from an early age, I’ve been to many countries, I’ve encountered many religions and I’ve always been very interested in people. And of course mysticism, rituals and traditions too. I had a special youth.

how?
I’ve lived up to all the little witch cliches. On the advice of my father, I kept a dream journal. He always said that I could only be so sure of what was a dream and what was real. He also took care of injured birds. So I lived at the edge of the forest with eagles and ravens and owls. I learned a lot about animals, nature and medicine. I hadn’t realized that everyone in the village thought we were a strange family.

How did you become interested in witchcraft?
When I was younger, I couldn’t find a book on witchcraft. Today in bookstores there are whole shelves. Back then, if you asked in a bookstore, they’d give you a weird look. Most were already only available in English or Latin. But I saw it as an issue that affected the whole world. Witchcraft does not exist only in the tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Why did you find a museum and not a coven?
I’m not interested in using witchcraft. I want to understand it But I still had to go where it was taught. In other words, an old, traditional “coven of witches” in England, that is, the circle of witches.

More than 10,000 people died in Swiss witch trials.
They did not die, they were tortured, they were killed!

… most of them did not call themselves witches.
Because they didn’t even know what a witch was. It was a constructed image created from various historical and cultural aspects. The early modern period was turbulent: snow suddenly fell in the summer due to the onset of the Little Ice Age, followed by famine, plague, the Thirty Years’ War, and then the church broke up. Thus, the image of the evil woman who made a deal with the devil out of disbelief was invented. Suddenly everything that happened in Europe could be explained.

The term witch was slanderous. How can you still call yourself that today?
How about looking a little further than the image constructed in the early modern period? The witch was still a person who helped people and animals, was intertwined with nature and did not want to harm anyone.

Fortunately, more than 200 years have passed since the last witch was killed in Switzerland.
There are witch hunts though. It has just become a political term. And when you call someone a witch, you definitely don’t mean an attractive, lovable person. It remains a curse.

Are you a religious person?
To me, religion means sticking to a fixed belief system and hoping to be saved after death. I try to do so many good things in life that I don’t have to wait for them. I’m not a believer, but I’m not religious either.

But do you celebrate Christmas?
Yes, of course. Celebrating Christmas – the winter solstice moment. I’m looking forward to this time.

In winter, religious traditions meet old traditions. Why is that? Why?
History has been celebrated or ritualized for thousands of years. Winter was the season of hunger for humans. The solstice, which took place around December 21, was therefore very important. The longest night was over, the sun was back, and with it the warmth. This was adopted by later religions. At one point, the decorated Yule tree became a Christmas tree.

Christianity usurped pagan holidays, so to speak.
Eight holidays, four suns and four moon festivals have been around for a long time. The Christian church realized that the people did not really want to participate in their traditions. So all of them successfully fit into the current holidays. Even the three kings are based on an ancient tradition. Before Christianity, Christmas was also called Mother’s Night. Three so-called “prayers” passed through the village, blessing the houses and bringing food. Today Christians go from door to door, blessing and labeling them. The tradition was adopted and its meaning changed. The most important thing is that there are now three men.

Should modern witchcraft also be a symbol of feminism?
Many modern women call themselves witches for feminist reasons. But it’s hard to narrow it down that way. As soon as a woman comes to power and has a will of her own, she is quickly classified as a feminist. It is important to preserve these ancient traditions, because women have long been revered: the cult of the Goddess is already 60,000 years old, Christianity is almost 1700. We women have been excluded for a while, but gradually we are returning.

They also offer courses. They carry some pretty old fashioned customs there.
What does old custom mean?

About incense, runes and tarot. This is very contrary to the current, rational view of many people.
I would also like to share what you found in the museum. I do this with courses, universities, presentations. Finally, it’s about history. You young people in particular are no longer interested in where our customs and traditions actually come from. And then you find such courses outdated. Why do we raise glasses in the New Year?

I don’t know.
Do?

Yes, of course.
Ah, how old-fashioned. It used to be believed that the moment you opened your mouth, a demon would jump in. He then becomes the owner of the corpse. The only way to prevent this is to make crackling noises. I teach these kinds of things in lectures. Where does it come from? Why are you still doing it? What’s the story behind it? Because if the answers to these questions are forgotten, gestures and words lose their meaning.

Many of these customs are expressions of ignorance and superstition. What do you think is the difference between superstition and belief?
For many people, superstition is a term for something that goes against belief. But superstition is another word for popular belief. We should thank him for all our traditions. It is an important part of a people’s culture and distinguishes one person from another. Faith is what everyone sees specifically as divine salvation or religion. It’s a completely personal thing then.

Do you see people basically superstitious?
Superstition comes with tradition. We still have mascots, everyone still uses talismans and amulets.

But no one calls him that anymore.
No, it was “always like this”. For example, every time I watch Rafael Nadal, I am amazed at how he always has to take the same steps before serving a serve. This is his superstition. Roger Federer, on the other hand, says he’s not that superstitious, but water bottles should always be with him. Rituals? Superstition? Is it traditional? After all, it’s also a business model: We have so many insurance policies today that we have never experienced and never will be. People would use a talisman, good luck charm, or horseshoe for this. Plus death. We were born to die, but we certainly don’t want to address this issue for fear it will come true. I think that’s the case for a lot of people when it comes to witchcraft.