Do No Harm? Feminist Magical Activism and Ethical Responses to Harm

• In Event: Feminist Political Questions and Responses to Violence and Harm

Abstract

This paper seeks to understand how feminist witches navigate ethical questions surrounding how one should respond to harm. Looking at books, podcasts, and other works produced by feminist witches, this paper examines the tension between witches who embrace hexes in the service of protecting members of marginalized communities and those who eschew potentially “harmful” forms of magic in favor of magic aimed solely at protecting the marginalized without harming others. This paper explores how feminist ethics of violence and non-violence are elaborated in conversations seeking to define how feminist witches should respond to harm.

Presenter

• Stephanie N Scheurich, Purdue University Fort Wayne