'Agatha All Along': Why The Coven Removed Their Shoes On The Witches' Road

The first two episodes of WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along, featuring Kathryn Hahn reprising her role as the centuries-old witch Agatha Harkness, are now streaming on Disney Plus, and the series is of to an interesting start. The true journey of the show kicks off in the closing minutes of episode two, following Agatha Harkness as she leads a coven of mismatched witches, each with their own motivations, on a dangerous pilgrimage down the Witches' Road.

When the door to the road finally opens, the newly-formed coven flees through it to escape the Salem Seven, arriving in pursuit of the currently powerless Agatha. Once reaching the Road proper, Agatha removes her shoes, and the rest of the witches follow suit, beginning their journey barefoot.

So, why does the Coven remove their shoes before walking the Witches' Road? Let us explain.

'Not a sole, just your soul'

To undertake the gauntlet of magical trials that is the Witches' Road, there are certain rules a coven must follow. A brief shot in the show's end credits explains the rule around shoes.

'Ye shall remove your shoes before touching the hallowed ground. In order to connect to the power of the Earth, you must touch your feet to the soil and channel her divine magic through you. There must be nothing in between, no rubber, no wood, not a sole, just your soul.'

In a nutshell, the main reason Agatha Harkness and her fellow witches remove their shoes before beginning their journey down the Witches' Road is so they can connect with and channel the divine magical energy that flows from the Earth, using it to augment their own magical abilities for the trials to come. Failure to remove one's shoes before attempting the Road's trials would be seen as taboo and deeply disrespectful. Even Agatha, infamous among her fellow witches as a rule breaker, immediately honors the rule of removing her shoes upon arrival on the Road.

Grounding in Nature

The idea of witches going barefoot during rituals is not something the show has pulled out of thin air. Witches dancing naked and barefoot in nature remains a common stereotype. While nudity is a more optional requirement in present day practices, barefoot magick is common.

Modern day practitioners of Wicca or Paganism will often engage in a practice they call 'Grounding' or 'Earthing'. This process involves the witch in question standing barefoot in a patch of grass or earth, before or after spell work, or if they are feeling ill or otherwise unsettled. This allows a witch to reconnect with the magic of nature, and draw upon the energy of the Earth to center and restore their own energies. Some will also attempt to engage in a meditation as part of their Grounding ritual.

The concept of Earthing and Grounding likely served as the inspiration behind having Agatha and her coven embark upon the Witches' Road barefoot. A witch is never more in touch with his or her own magical power than when they are in direct contact with the energy of Mother Earth.

The inclusion of this long running, important tradition in Agatha All Along has earned the series praise from real-life Wiccan and pagan practitioners, pleased with the accurate representation after years of disappointment at having their belief systems all too often dismissed as kooky, or reduced to sometimes unpleasant stereotypes when they are depicted in the realms of popculture.

Some hope this could mark the beginning of positive change in how witches are represented onscreen, and look forward to what Agatha All Along has to offer in the rest of it's run.