Facts about witches and witchcraft

Not gonna lie, I’ve always been very interested in this subject. I have a black cat, so I guess it makes sense. But no, that’s not why I adopted a black cat. In any case, witches have always been a very sore subject within the history of humanity. And so, I thought it was a good idea to share some interesting facts to lighten some of the negativity they carry with them!

1. Are witches evil or not?

Witchcraft in real life has a very negative connotation, so much so, that witches were given death sentences to cleanse the society. But there have been, throughout history, practitioners of white magic too. Witchcraft isn’t synonymous to black magic. It’s an umbrella term that includes both white and black magic.

2. Burnt at stakes or not?

Only a handful of witches were ever burnt on stakes in real life. Even during the well-known Salem Witch Trials, 165 people were accused out of which 31 were imprisoned, 19 were sentenced to death. Out of those 19 people, 18 were women, hanged to death. The one remaining was a man who refused to admit that he was a witch and was crushed to death with stones. So, immolation was never the primary means of execution as it wasn’t permissible by law.

3. Are witches always female?

It was believed that witchcraft was mostly a female activity. But there are male witches as well, mostly referred to as wizards, warlocks or sorcerers. Countless men and women have been persecuted throughout history in suspicion of practicing witchcraft.

4. Was there ever any solid evidence?

Not really. It wasn’t required to convict a person of witchcraft. It happened in a society writhing under baseless superstitions. ‘Evidence’ like appearances in a dream was enough to book a case against someone.

5. Manual for hunters?

There’s a witch-hunting manual called Malleus Maleficarum that is some sort of gospel for witch-hunters. It became the go-to handbook on how to deal with a witch. It was a legal and theological document written by two clergymen, which offered tips like: shave the hair off the witch’s body, so that she can’t hide magical objects.

6. What’s wicca?

Englishman Gerald Gardner created this religion in 1954. According to Gardner, Wicca emerged from a European witch-cult that was persecuted during the witch trials. The core of this religion is formed of ancient pagan and 20th century hermetic motifs.

7. Is Halloween the only time for witches?

Halloween isn’t especially marked in a witch’s calendar. They’re also believed to celebrate the first day of May or Beltane and Midsummer’s eve that coincides with the summer solstice. In fact, Easter is associated with witches in Sweden.

8. Is witchcraft similar to Satanism?

Witchcraft is rooted in pagan beliefs. Most of the pagan belief systems aren’t Christianity. These pagan systems don’t have any concept of Satan and worshiping him doesn’t make any sense to these systems. Satanists worship Lucifer and Satanism has existed for almost as long as Christianity has.

9. Is there an Indian version of witchcraft?

The terms daayan or daayani have been taken from the Sanskrit word dakini that refers to ‘a woman with supernatural powers.’ It’s believed that the daayan cult stemmed from a 15th-century secret society in Latur, Maharashtra.

10. Is there a Land of Black Magic?

It’s believed that the people of Mayong practice black magic and that they can cure any ailment. It’s also believed that people from Mayong could transform people to animals, make them disappear, tame beasts and do many unspeakable things. These practices are said to have been passed along the younger generations.

11. Do witches use broomsticks to fly?

Practitioners of witchcraft experimented with herbs and potions. They might have used a mandrake plant while doing so, which has hallucinatory properties. It made people euphoric and even hallucinate at times. There were rituals that were performed in the nude and involved rubbing a herbal ointment that contained mandrake. After the ointment was put in the private parts, it caused a floating sensation, which has been linked to the sensation of floating on a broomstick.

Love, Deem/Skye Lewis ❤

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