Once the Middle Ages hit, Christianity took over. If you were a single female living by yourself, a healer using herbs, a midwife, or even just someone that adored nature, you became subject to suspicion of witchcraft. Even though all of these people had before been useful members of the community, now they were easy targets for the clergy and the ignorant. If your ox died, you could blame the ugly, old lady living down from you. If your child became sick and the prayers of the clergy did not heal him yet the herbs from a "healer" did, you must be a minion of the devil. This is the era when witches became the old crones, ugly creatures, worshippers of Satan because this is how the Church told you it was.  This is when witches went into hiding.