A photo series by Sofia Sears & Peter Stern; thanks to Liz and Kayla for modeling.

This photo series was inspired by the song “Oh Henry,” sung quite hauntingly and brilliantly by Judy Henske. It plays off of the historical prosecution of women; the oppression targeted at women directly through the label of “witches,” particularly teenage girls. In film, literature, pop culture, and history, this timeless, brutal pattern of a fear of female sexuality/emotion/power is something repeatedly seen through various manifestations, such as being named “witchcraft” or “black magic.” This photo series is meant to be ironic yet simultaneously acknowledge the infinite power and magic of teenage girls.

To quote an excellent piece written by Sady Doyle of Rookie:

But the thing that many people find scariest—the idea that there’s a force in teenage girls that doesn’t follow the rules and can’t be controlled, that these girls might be going off together and forging something new, something unknown and surprisingly powerful—isn’t scary at all. It’s deeply awesome. And, unlike the deathly curses uttered by Ouija boards, it’s real.