Autistic women and witchcraft/paganism

[ofwarren]

I spend quite a bit of time on places like YouTube and Instagram looking at the content that autistic women put out and there seems to be a lot of women who are into witchcraft/wicca or pagan type things.

Were you ever into any type of spirituality/religion?

I have dabbled with lots of different types and I really enjoy the herbalistic side of it all.

On a similar vein I've read a few articles that hypothesize that many of the women who were burned as witches were maybe autistic women?
I can certainly see that being a possibility. Loners, a lot of the time child free, not interested in current fashions, strange special interests, healers etc
Any thoughts?

Interesting.

I’ve often thought about how dangerous it would have been to be a clever, knowledgeable or outspoken woman in those times. A lot of the clever and non-conforming women I know are ND, or seen to have traits.

I’ve not ever dabbled in practising paganism or Wicca but I see it as a part of women’s history and am interested in it.

Please do link the articles if you can find them.

@Thoosa

Please do link the articles if you can find them.

There are lots out there about what is happening in Africa at the moment and even in the UK www.afrik-news.com/article17924.html

www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/mar/01/accusations-witchcraft-pattern-child-abuse

I need to try and find the ones about historical witchcraft claims.

Thanks!

www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/mar/01/accusations-witchcraft-pattern-child-abuse

www.afrik-news.com/article17924.html

www.youshareproject.com/absence-autism-africa/

I don't think the other links worked sorry

They did for me. I’ve bookmarked them for later. Thanks again.

I think society - particularly Western patriarchal society - has always been suspicious of outliers, x 1,000 when those outliers are female.

I have been non-conformist all my life - childfree, atheist, no interest in 'traditional' female pursuits such as marriage or home-making (my apologies for the stereotypes, but you know what I mean), work in what is considered an historically male-dominated profession (systems development / IT).

I'm not sure the extent to which my opinions and beliefs are influenced by my autism, but yes, OP, I think you're right.

Even today, we only have to look at many of the reactions expressed towards (for example) childfree by choice women - both NT and ND - to see how backward things remain in many areas.

People who are different or who operate outwith conventional social boundaries are still very much considered 'other'.

I'm into herbal medicine and plant lore. I don't really go for supernatural beliefs, but I'm a strong believer in the power of the natural world and that everything is interconnected. I believe that the further away from nature we are, the more we struggle and are unhappy.

Yes I have dabbled in lots. I have also suffered from Religious scrupulosity which was an awful period (hell actually).
I've visited Salem and it was actually quite sad - women burned because they are seen as a bit 'odd' i.e. not being married with children, owning a cat etc.
I'm settled in my faith now but it took a lot of dabbling and messing about to get there.

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/joanne-limburg-interview-letters-to-my-weird-sister-autism-b1878250.html

This is really interesting. Joanne Limberg who was diagnosed later in life wrote a book about 4 different famous women including Katharena Kepler. She was accused of witchcraft and Limberg hypothesizes that she was autistic. It's quite convincing.
I've just bought the book on kindle.

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

I'm into herbal medicine and plant lore. I don't really go for supernatural beliefs, but I'm a strong believer in the power of the natural world and that everything is interconnected. I believe that the further away from nature we are, the more we struggle and are unhappy.

Agree with you Barrow. That's how I feel.

An interesting study into sensory supernatural experiences in autistic people. 12 men and 5 women.
It's not uncommon apparently.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2153599X.2018.1548374

This is really interesting to me. Both my husband and I are pagan and we're also both ND. I've never thought there was a connection but it's starting to make sense.

Complete woo to me, I like science.

I’m not religious. There’s probably a lot of women in general who are into new age woo-woo, it isn’t specific to autism.

@MaggieMooh

I’m not religious. There’s probably a lot of women in general who are into new age woo-woo, it isn’t specific to autism.

I never said it WAS specific to autism, I was pointing out that it's popular amongst autistic females and then starting a discussion around whether autistic women would have been burnt as witches became of their traits.

My imaginary friend as a child would have been enough to get me burnt at the stake I think. I have vivid memories of it, I can see it in my minds eye, even though I know it was imaginary.
I used to also have prophetic dreams as a child which used to scare my mum silly.

I don’t think it’s any more popular among autistic females than among non-autistic females.

@MaggieMooh

I don’t think it’s any more popular among autistic females than among non-autistic females.

I know, that's why I never said it was. I made an observation that it seems popular.

I balance my longstanding love of Celtic flavoured woo (that I don't talk about much) with science. I'm a mature Psychology student and a mixture of the self-discovery it has brought along with more spiritual coping mechanisms has helped me on my journey.

@ofwarren my imaginary friend was very real. I question whether it was my imagination after everything I've dabbled in and experienced. It sort of makes me feel uneasy when I look back.

[quote Namechangeagain84]@ofwarren my imaginary friend was very real. I question whether it was my imagination after everything I've dabbled in and experienced. It sort of makes me feel uneasy when I look back.[/quote]
Yeah it's a bit freaky really isn't it
I guess we will never know 😬