Witchcraft’s chemical secrets: the science behind the spells

There be witches here! As a pre-Halloween treat on the evening of Tuesday 28 October 2025, RSC Belgium is welcoming science writer Victoria Atkinson to Belgium to talk about ‘Witchcraft’s chemical secrets: the science behind the spells’.

The infamous witch hunts of the 16th and 17th century claimed thousands of lives (the vast majority of these victims being women), but behind the accusations lay a complex relationship between chemistry, traditional medicine and magic. Victoria Atkinson will explore how plant alkaloids and folk knowledge created potent and effective remedies that were both feared and sought after.

To register for this event please fill in this form: https://forms.gle/HXwxPLZLR681JjHB8

Registration for this event will close on Monday 27 October at 18h00.

You can read Victoria’s biography here: https://www.chemistryworld.com/victoria-atkinson/500393.bio