Samhain - reclaiming of the witch - renaming strength.

As women, we are often told that we should be strong to succeed, it’s a toxic narrative. I wanted the imagery from this shoot to have a quiet strength, a softness and sensuality, but through the lens of a woman. I believe there’s nothing more sensual and ‘strong’ than a woman comfortable in her femininity and her playfulness.. she doesn’t have to be overtly sexual, or loud and out there, she doesn’t have to be a high achiever, or be productive every day. She has an ease to her, she isn’t juggling a million things, she doesn’t ‘have it all’, she is listening to her body, feeling and sensing her way through life, silencing the many ways we are told we should be. I hope I have achieved that in some small way here.

I chose white as a way to help represent the reclaiming of the term ‘witch. To move away from the ‘hag’ version or dark black magic erotic version of witch. Nothing wrong with those of course, but they are very much a patriarchal take (we have to either be sexy and cooperative, or we are just unbearable and ugly). A witch was just a woman living unapologetically, not conforming to the normative rules placed upon her, living by the land and alongside the seasons and nature. Something I am bringing into my life more and more as I get older. As I enter the final stages of perimenopause, I feel so much more of that witch energy, being myself, doing what I want and leaning more into an appreciation of my wisdom and growth.

And there’s the Samhain connection. Rooted in paganism and Celtic lore, both of which I feel such an intriguing connection.. I wanted to convey the idea of the otherworldly, the thinning of the veil. The spirits of the living and deceased coming together and the act of gathering around the fire, for protection and to celebrate the women we were and are yet to become 🖤

I have felt a reticence in sharing these images as it was a really deep experience for me.. as though it is a part of my healing journey.. I felt so much emotion seeing the way Lucie, Aimee and Jess held and supported one another. Truly magical 🖤🖤🖤