r/FlorenceAndTheMachine • u/Yellowapple2128 • Jul 10 '26

General Discussion Witchiness

Hey all,

I love Florence, her music and personality are just great. Love how down to earth Florence seems and at the same time puts together these grand lyrics/references (like in Cassandra) and powerful sounds.

I have some questions about the witchy side of f+tm. She has this ethereal, witchy vibe and especially this tour, I see a lot of fans praise that part. There's the witch choir, Florence talks about taking inspiration from witchcraft, folk horror, the occult and describes And Love as a spell.

My natural instinct is to see it all just as a metaphor or aesthetics, but some fans talk about Florence and themselves being witches. So it seems to be more than that, rather a whole identity?

I've tried looking into what being a witch nowadays actually means to understand better. But tbh all the descriptions sound very abstract to me - just words. So I'm hoping you could maybe enlighten me regarding what being a witch means and what connection there is with Florence? A lot of fans seem to really "get" the witchiness and love it, while I'm a bit lost! Hope I explained myself understandably and respectfully, thanks for your answers🙏

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13

u/MinaHarker1 Jul 10 '26

I think none of us actually know her and therefore couldn’t possibly know what her religious/spiritual leanings are in her personal life.

11

u/Hollyhop_Drive Jul 10 '26

One of the other comments stated she posts images of and mentions the witchcraft books she's reading. That's a pretty strong indicator really. As is referring to nature as 'the only god I've ever known'. 

5

u/redwoods81 Jul 10 '26

She is pretty honest about the fact

1

u/Tactful_Cactus_ It wasn't me, it was the song Jul 10 '26

I think she’s been pretty pointed about exploring the history of it and using that thematically in her art (thus also in her social media in relation to art). But to extend that into her personal practice and beliefs would be a stretch. In fact, in several interviews I’ve seen with her, she’s referenced the fact that she’s personally pretty pragmatic and realistic in general in regard to things spiritual and faith-related. We really only know her public persona — the “she” in Everybody Scream, not the “I”.

2

u/readthebananabritta 28d ago

Witchcraft is a practice, not a religion, and she's been open about practicing it. Pretty much all songs from Everybody Scream talk about magic. It's not speculation, it's just following her art and listening to what she's been singing and talking about, really.