I created this queer witch symbol after seeing a variation of the idea on instagram. I also have a blank version of this tattooed on my arm as a marker of two parts of my identity. The form is taken from the triple moon symbol for witch, with the inverted triangle replacing the center “mother” space.
Did you know?
The inverted pink triangle, now a symbol of LGBTQ pride, originated during the holocaust. During the Nazi regime, over 100,000 queer people were arrested, accused of living outside of gender/sexuality norms. While the actual number is unknown, an estimated 10-65,000 were sent to concentration camps. The symbol was officially used for homosexual men, but included bisexual men and transgender women.
The treatment of people wearing pink triangles was particularly brutal, including soldiers using the badges (worn over the heart) as targets for shooting practice. Most of those who survived the concentration camps were not freed after the war, but were re-incarcerated in Allied prisons since homosexuality was still considered a crime.
In the 70’s, the symbol began surfacing during the gay liberation movement, and in the 80s it was reclaimed by the community as a badge of pride.
Obviously, I love the story of transforming something filled with so much horror and pain into a symbol of pride, inclusion, safety, identity and love.
In addition to being a personal identity marker, I love that this symbol de-genders the idea of witch. Although witchcraft has a deep, rich, beautiful history around femme and women, the practice is for anyone and, imho, is inherently inclusive (it is how we practice it that may be exclusionary or cause harm).