Daughters of magic

Mihaela Minca, is the most powerful witch in Romania. For her kind, being a witch is not a job, but a calling. Mihaela is a witch when she gets up, and also when she goes to sleep. It's a tradition: her mother and grandmother were already witches.

Together with her daughters Cassandra and Anna and her daughter-in-law Larissa, she runs a flourishing business: from love charms to curses, they have everything on offer; they receive inquiries from all over the world via the Internet. In the midst of their tightly-knit community, this Roma family runs a business that draws profit from magic and mysticism — for them a very natural part of life. Their witchcraft is also an expression of female strength within an everyday culture shaped by men.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Flowers to be thrown into the river Chitila during a witches’ ritual. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

Flowers to be thrown into the river Chitila during a witches’ ritual. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Mihaela at a baptism party held by friends in one of the event halls in Bucha- rest, Romania, 2019.
i

Mihaela at a baptism party held by friends in one of the event halls in Bucha- rest, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Mihaela prepares a fish for dinner at her house. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

Mihaela prepares a fish for dinner at her house. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Image from the Daughters of magic photography project
i

Ana and her son Joseph in their room, in the house of the Minca family. Ana is the daughter of the famous witch Mihaela Minca. Each daughter born in this family can become a witch. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2020.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - The Mercedes star on Mihaela’s steering wheel is decorated with rhinestones. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

The Mercedes star on Mihaela’s steering wheel is decorated with rhinestones. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Larissa and Mihaela stand beside the river Chitila during a ritual. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

Larissa and Mihaela stand beside the river Chitila during a ritual. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - The pigeon was brought to Mihaela for a love spell, by two young men from Hungary. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

The pigeon was brought to Mihaela for a love spell, by two young men from Hungary. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - The burning of brooms is a staple part of many rituals. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

The burning of brooms is a staple part of many rituals. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Mihaela at the graveyard where her mother is buried. Chitila, Romania, 2020.
i

Mihaela at the graveyard where her mother is buried. Chitila, Romania, 2020.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Image from the Daughters of magic photography project
i

Larissa and Ana almost always use the internet to communicate with their customers. This has enabled them to build up a worldwide clientele. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - A church in the countryside. Romania, 2019.
i

A church in the countryside. Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Cassandra in her parents’ house, a day before the birth of her first child. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2020.
i

Cassandra in her parents’ house, a day before the birth of her first child. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2020.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Larissa’s son during the witches’ baptism in Mihaela’s house. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

Larissa’s son during the witches’ baptism in Mihaela’s house. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Ana and Mihaela gather elderflowers for their ritual by the roadside. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

Ana and Mihaela gather elderflowers for their ritual by the roadside. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - The crucifix was decorated with plants, for the nocturnal ritual. Mogoșoaia, Romania 2019.
i

The crucifix was decorated with plants, for the nocturnal ritual. Mogoșoaia, Romania 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Mihaela during a family ritual at Christmas. Mogoșoaia, Romania 2019.
i

Mihaela during a family ritual at Christmas. Mogoșoaia, Romania 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Image from the Daughters of magic photography project
i

Cassandra (21), Mihaela’s second daughter, holds up an ox’s heart that the women have used in a ritual. Cernica, Romania 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Ana, Larissa, and Cassandra during a love ritual at Lake Cernica. Cernica, Romania, 2019.
i

Ana, Larissa, and Cassandra during a love ritual at Lake Cernica. Cernica, Romania, 2019.

© Johanna Maria Fritz - Ana’s daughter Bianca (7), in the house of her grandmother Mihaela. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.
i

Ana’s daughter Bianca (7), in the house of her grandmother Mihaela. Mogoșoaia, Romania, 2019.

Latest Projects

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Stay in the loop


We will send you weekly news on contemporary photography. You can change your mind at any time. We will treat your data with respect. For more information please visit our privacy policy. By ticking here, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with them. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.