Smack Dab in the Middle

They hold the power to both hurt and heal; to wreak havoc and restore. They are figures of both good and evil, and so hold all the capacity in the world for the reader to identify with. Morgan Le Fay, for example, was said to be a powerful and ambitious sorceress. Hermione Granger, in contrast, shares similar traits, but equally uses those talents for good, and so epitomises the idea of the wise woman who helps the hero along on his quest. The image of the woman who helps the man to succeed through magic can be seen in hundreds of stories: Circe in the Odyssey, Baba Yaga in Russian myths, and even Zatanna in the DC comics.  These narratives have been present for centuries. Witches, if not controlled or actively using their power for good to further a ‘moral’ cause, have been ostracised, persecuted and burned. From the 16th century onwards, women across Europe were branded witches and killed for many different reasons - some for the crime of knowing too much, and some for the crime ...