Imagine a witch. What does she look like? Is she a hag with sagging breasts and a wart on her chin? Is she a seductive siren with glowing eyes? Does she fly through the air on a broom or dance with the devil by a fire? Each culture has their own conception of a witch, the untameable, powerful woman. Witches were not always evil, many were seen as essential gateways to the spirit world; many times they were idealized women, their bodies were socially beautiful, both creative and destructive. This talk uses the term ‘witch’ broadly, looking at art a wide range of witches’ bodies to explore the idea of the powerful woman in world history from Japanese fox spirits to ancient Mycenaean priestesses, European witches and Mayan queens. We think about how their power is formed in relation to a culture’s ideals of beauty.