Pharmakeia, Pharmacy, Witchcraft and Conscious Awareness
By Anna Biela
Today I randomly opened the Bible and read a passage that made me stop and think about what “witchcraft” actually means in the context of sin. So I started to dig, as for me it is nothing but conscious thinking opposed to mind chatter all the time — the ability to focus your mind on what you want to think about and what you want to attract into your life. That is how this reflection began.
In the passage from Galatians (book of the Bible), the word translated as “witchcraft” comes from the Greek word pharmakeia. What struck me most is that this word is also the root of the modern word pharmacy. This immediately created a bridge in my mind between ancient language and modern systems, because both seem to point toward substances that interact directly with the human body, mind, and perception.
The original meaning of pharmakeia referred to substances, potions, and mixtures used to alter consciousness, perception, or physical state. It carried associations with herbal preparations, mind or body-altering substances, and practices involving influence through chemistry or mixtures. Over time, this linguistic root evolved into the modern concept of pharmacy — the structured medical system that uses chemical substances to treat and influence the human body and mind. So what was once a term connected to ancient preparations and altered states of awareness has become the foundation of modern pharmaceutical language.
When I reflect on this, I also think about how, in ancient and pre-modern times, many women who worked with healing were labeled as witches. In reality, many of them were herbalists, midwives, and healers working with plants, roots, natural remedies, and intention. Their medicine was based on observation, experience, and a deep relationship with nature rather than synthetic chemistry. Over time, as systems of authority and knowledge changed, this type of healing was often misunderstood, feared, or redefined, and the word “witch” became associated with danger rather than care or healing.
In contrast, modern pharmacy is based on synthesized chemical compounds, controlled dosages, and structured systems of medical treatment. It can be life-saving and deeply important, but it also represents a shift from natural, plant-based understanding toward highly engineered chemical intervention in the body and brain. In that sense, both ancient pharmakeia and modern pharmacy share a core idea: the use of substances to influence human biology and consciousness, even though the methods and frameworks are very different.
For me, the deeper reflection still comes back to consciousness itself. Conscious thinking feels like the ability to direct awareness intentionally, to observe thoughts, and to choose focus. Mind chatter, on the other hand, feels like fragmentation — constant noise, reaction, and automatic thinking. The ability to focus your mind on what you want to think about and what you want to attract into your life feels like alignment, not control over reality, but control over attention, because attention shapes experience.
In Galatians (book of the Bible), Paul writes about the “works of the flesh,” listing behaviors such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, jealousy, anger, and excess. Within this list, “witchcraft” is translated from pharmakeia, which connects back to substances, perception, and influence. What stands out is that this is not only a moral list, but also a description of states of consciousness — states of separation, fragmentation, and lack of inner clarity.
What I see through all of this is not just religion or morality, but a deeper map of awareness. Pharmakeia becomes more than an ancient word; it becomes a reflection on how substances and systems influence perception. When I connect ancient herbal medicine women, often labeled as witches, with modern pharmacy and the evolution of medicine, I see a continuous thread of humanity trying to understand and influence the body and mind through nature and chemistry. These women worked with herbs, plants, and intention, while modern systems often work with synthesized compounds and clinical frameworks. Both are part of the same human search for healing, balance, and influence over suffering and consciousness.
But beyond all systems and interpretations, the central question remains personal: what is influencing my awareness right now? Because whether through herbs, chemistry, or thought itself, consciousness is always being shaped. And the real practice becomes learning how to stay present enough to observe it clearly, without losing awareness in the noise.