▁European ▁history , ▁authorities ▁often ▁believed ▁that ▁c unning ▁folk ▁and ▁traditional ▁he al ers ▁were ▁harm ful ▁because ▁their ▁practices ▁were ▁regarded ▁as ▁mag ical ▁and ▁thus ▁stem ming ▁from ▁contact ▁with ▁dem ons , ▁whereas ▁a ▁local ▁community ▁might ▁value ▁and ▁respect ▁these ▁individuals ▁because ▁their ▁skills ▁and ▁services ▁were ▁de emed ▁benef icial . ▁ ▁In ▁Western ▁soci eties , ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁magic , ▁especially ▁when ▁harm ful , ▁was ▁usually ▁associated ▁with ▁women . ▁For ▁instance , ▁during ▁the ▁w itch ▁tri als ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁modern ▁period , ▁around ▁three ▁qu arters ▁of ▁those ▁executed ▁as ▁w itch es ▁were ▁female , ▁to ▁only ▁a ▁quarter ▁who ▁were ▁men . ▁That ▁women ▁were ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁accused ▁and ▁conv icted ▁of ▁w itch craft ▁in ▁this ▁period ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁because ▁their ▁position ▁was ▁more ▁leg ally ▁vulner able , ▁with ▁women ▁having ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁legal ▁standing ▁that ▁was ▁independent ▁of ▁their ▁male ▁relatives . ▁The ▁concept ual ▁link ▁between ▁women ▁and ▁magic ▁in ▁Western ▁culture ▁may ▁be ▁because ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁activities ▁regarded ▁as ▁mag ical — from ▁r ites ▁to ▁encou rage ▁fert ility ▁to ▁pot ions ▁to ▁indu ce ▁abort ions — w ere ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁female ▁sphere . ▁It ▁might ▁also ▁be ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁many ▁cult ures ▁port rayed ▁women ▁as ▁being ▁inferior ▁to ▁men ▁on ▁an ▁intellectual , ▁moral , ▁spiritual , ▁and ▁physical ▁level . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ▁Black ▁magic ▁ ▁Con cept s