For thousands of years, Egypt has been a symbol of mystery—pyramids, gods, tombs, and spells carved into stone. But behind these familiar images lies a history that rarely gets told: the story of the forgotten witches, priestesses, and magical women who shaped ancient Egyptian spiritual life. These women were healers, seers, dream interpreters, and protectors of their communities. They were respected, feared, and sometimes erased from history.
Today, we call them witches. In their time, they were something far more powerful.
This is their story—who they were, how they practiced, and why their legacy still influences modern spiritual traditions.
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What “Witchcraft” Meant in Ancient Egypt
In modern language, the word “witch” can mean many things—healer, intuitive, spell-caster, spiritual guide. But in ancient Egypt, magic (known as heka) was considered a force woven into the structure of the universe. Everyone used it. The gods used it. Even creation itself was said to have begun with heka.
So when we talk about “witches” in Ancient Egypt, we’re referring to:
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Priestesses trained in temple magic
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Wise women who practiced healing and dream interpretation
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Magical specialists who invoked gods and spirits
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Midwives who protected mothers and infants through incantations
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Diviners who read omens, energy, and the unseen
These women were not outsiders. They were essential.
The Role of Women in Egyptian Magic
Egyptian magic was deeply connected to femininity. Many of the most powerful deities—Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet, Nut—represented protection, healing, intuition, and transformation. Magic itself was personified as a goddess.
Women were believed to naturally carry spiritual authority. They played three core roles in Egyptian magical practice:
1. Healers and Midwives
Egyptian women used herbs, oils, sacred amulets, and incantations to protect mothers and infants. Birth was considered a vulnerable doorway between physical and spiritual realms, so magic surrounded the entire process.
2. Diviners and Dream Readers
Dream interpretation was a respected spiritual science. Women practiced oneiromancy, studying symbols that came from gods or ancestors. They also used bowls, water, oil, and fire for scrying.
3. Ritual Specialists
Some women served in temples as priestesses, performing daily rituals, cleansing sacred spaces, and channeling divine messages during ceremonies. Others worked independently as magical consultants to ordinary people.
In every form, their work blended intuition, ritual skill, and spiritual authority.
The Most Powerful Witches of Ancient Egypt
While many names were lost to time, several legendary figures remain. Each represents a different side of Egyptian magical tradition.
1. Isis: The First Witch of Egypt
Isis was worshipped for thousands of years as the goddess of:
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Magic
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Healing
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Resurrection
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Protection
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Motherhood
She was the archetype of the witch, using spells, words of power, herbs, and rituals to revive her husband Osiris and protect her son Horus.
Priestesses who worked in her temples were among the most powerful magical women in the ancient world, trained in:
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Chanting sacred words
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Creating magical amulets
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Performing protection rites
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Calling upon the divine feminine
Isis’s magic became so influential that her worship later spread across Rome and Europe, shaping early occult traditions.
2. Heka Priestesses: Masters of Cosmic Magic
“Heka” wasn’t just magic—it was the force that allowed reality to function. Priestesses initiated in heka had advanced training:
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Energy manipulation
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Protective circles
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Ritual purification
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Healing incantations
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Spell creation using symbolic writing
They were the closest equivalent to modern ceremonial witches or energy workers.
3. The Magicians of Hathor’s House
Hathor’s priestesses blended beauty, music, ritual dance, and emotional healing. They used:
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Sistrum rattles to break negative energy
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Perfumed oils to shift emotional states
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Song and movement for spiritual cleansing
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Love magic, fertility magic, and joy rituals
They were considered “medicine women of the heart.”
4. Sekhmet’s Priestesses: The Lioness Witches
If Isis represented gentle magic, Sekhmet represented raw power.
Her priestesses were feared for their ability to:
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Break curses
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Combat spiritual entities
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Perform fire and sun rituals
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Use magic for protection in battle
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Control disease through invocation
Egyptians believed these women walked between worlds.
5. The Ordinary Witches: The Wise Women of the Villages
Not all witches were tied to temples. Many operated within communities, offering:
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Herbal cures
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Curse removal
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Love spells
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Amulets for protection
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Divination through bowls, knots, or fire
These women kept magical traditions alive outside formal religion.
Tools and Techniques of Egyptian Witches
Egyptian magic was practical, ritualistic, and symbolic. The key tools remain recognizable even today.
1. Words of Power
Egyptians believed speech itself shaped reality. Spells were spoken, sung, or written. Some were carved into amulets or drawn on papyrus and burned for activation.
2. Amulets and Talismans
Common symbols included:
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Ankh: life
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Eye of Horus: protection
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Scarab: rebirth
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Djed pillar: strength
Each carried encoded magical meaning.
3. Herbs and Oils
Witches used:
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Frankincense
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Myrrh
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Blue lotus
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Mandrake
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Henna
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Cedar
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Honey
These were applied in healing balms, incense, and ritual offerings.
4. Scrying Tools
Egyptian witches practiced divination using:
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Water bowls
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Oil lamps
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Mirrors of polished copper
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Dreams
This allowed them to access messages from gods or ancestors.
5. Protective Rituals
One of the most famous involved drawing a circle of protection and invoking deities like Isis, Sekhmet, or Thoth.
Were Egyptian Witches Feared or Respected?
The answer is both.
Egyptians respected magic because they believed it kept the universe in balance. But they also feared misuse. While priestesses were honored, independent witches risked accusations of:
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Causing illness
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Casting harmful spells
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Manipulating fate
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Influencing relationships
Magical practitioners were powerful. That power made them necessary—and dangerous.
Why Their Legacy Was Forgotten
Several forces contributed to the erasure of Egypt’s magical women:
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The rise of male-dominated priesthoods
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Foreign invasions
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Shifts from polytheism to monotheism
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Roman suppression of magic
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Christianization of Egypt
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Early historians ignoring women’s roles
Yet their influence survived underground—carried in folklore, ritual fragments, and symbols that appear in occult traditions worldwide.
How the Forgotten Witches Still Influence Us Today
Modern witchcraft, energy work, and spiritual practices borrow heavily from ancient Egypt:
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Protective circles
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Healing with herbs and oils
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Words of power
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Moon rituals
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Amulets and sigils
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Sacred feminine worship
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Dream interpretation
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Meditation through breath and light
Even the idea of manifesting through intention dates back to the Egyptian belief that thought shapes reality through heka.
Their magic never disappeared. It evolved.
Final Thoughts: Reclaiming the Legacy of Egypt’s Magical Women
The witches of ancient Egypt were far more than myth. They were healers, protectors, and spiritual leaders. They understood energy, symbolism, and intuition long before modern words existed for these things.
By remembering them, we reclaim lost knowledge—knowledge about ourselves, our power, and our spiritual potential.
Their story is not just ancient history.
It is a reminder that magic has always lived through women who dared to see beyond the ordinary.
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About the Author: Alex Assoune
Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.
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