46 Powerful Women Who Are Actually Witches

“Erykah Badu is 1000% a witch. Obviously Stevie Nicks. Beyoncé. Problematic fave SCOTUS Associate Justice Ruth Bader Gingsburg. And the human uterus.”

Words by Why Women Staff. Photos courtesy of Ga Fullner, Herbert W. Worthington, Kevin Mazur, and Designs by Duvet Days.

Who are the top witches of our time? This couldn’t possibly be an exhaustive list because, surprise, all powerful women are witches; nevertheless, we persisted. As a PSA on who’s in charge, here’s who our readers and staff nominated, just in time to elect the record number of women running in the midterm elections Nov. 6. Send us your nominees for women who have realized their own powers and witches as you define them. We’ll keep adding to the list!

Definitely a Witch

Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of the New York Times investigative team that broke the Harvey Weinstein report

Congresswoman Maxine Waters 

SCOTUS Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 

Obviously Stevie Nicks 

Beyoncé 

Rihanna 

God

Ariana Grande, early-stage witch

Cher. Clearly. 

People with uteruses and periods

People without uteruses and periods

Grace Hopper, the first person to program in a modern programming language

Katherine Johnson, who calculated trajectory of Apollo missions by hand 

Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris. I am so obsessed with her. Even though she used to be a district attorney.*

Marcia Clarke, another DA who I will applaud despite her job for the fact that she was a single mom through the OJ trial and did a very hard job against a crack team of men.

My sister is obviously a witch. She birthed a perfect 9-pound baby naturally and he turned out to be the most miraculous human ever. 

My 5-year-old niece Esmé for fucking sure. She came out of her mom calm, feminine, and ready to open up a can of whoop ass on the world for years to come. 

Most witches I know are family and I’m realizing this now. 

Is Lady Gaga a witch? Probably. Or maybe just an Alien. 

Jennifer Lopez: witch and a vampire. Has been the same age for 25 years.

Joni Mitchell is a witch of lyricism and love

Fiona Apple and Paula Cole FERSUUUURE

Meryl. Streep. 

Banks 

Banksy if she’s a woman or nonbinary person

My best friend, Channing

Florence and the Machine? Her red hair tells me so. 

Solange, Janet Jackson, Rickie Lee Jones, Robyn, FKA Twigs, probably also Sia and Lorde ... I think everyone’s a witch. 

I don’t know if you remember the band Evanescence, but that lead singer? SHE A WITCH. 

Alana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, duh. 

Alanis Morissette seems pretty witchy. 

Diane Von Furstenberg, no doubt. 

Also Gillian Anderson and Debi Mazar. 

And probably Julia Louis-Dreyfus, because Elaine was DEFINITELY a witch, possibly my favorite of the bunch. I love how scared Jerry is of her when she’s angry.

Tracee Ellis Ross and Diana Ross. 

Erykah Badu is 1000% a witch. 

*submitted by a defense attorney

Not a Witch

Men except for Ronan Farrow of the New York Times investigative team that broke the Harvey Weinstein report