While plenty of witches and Pagans like black and some are part of the Goth culture, far from all of them feel that way. We like color just as much as anyone else. It’s all a matter of personal style.

A lot of the idea that all witches wear black comes from the media, and the idea that witchcraft is evil, evil is dark, you can’t get darker than black, so witches must wear black. Of course, it’s deeply rooted in history that evil = black as well. Enter the Goth scene, and it went another step. While the styles and colors can and do appeal to a lot of us, it doesn’t to all of us. Truthfully, what we want to wear and look like can change from one week to the next.

Some Pagans and witches do choose black clothing specifically because it is the color generally worn by the clergy. Others prefer bright colors and patterns to show their connection to nature and its great variety. You should also consider that plenty of people who wear black or identify as Goth are not Pagan. Not even close. The two simply have nothing to do with one another. Style and subculture associations vary from person to person. You can’t generalize that widely.

*Disclaimer: I no longer practice Paganism, but I’ve left these Pagan Myths articles active because I believe they’re still valuable in helping people to understand Paganism and reduce negative stereotypes.*

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter