As somebody who loves researching topics that interest me in my spare time, I am always finding out about the unique lifestyles different people lead. I first researched witchcraft a few years ago, and from then on, I have been fascinated by it. It even inspired me to base my teashop on the theme of witchcraft as I hope to share my interest with many others. However, I have found that many people dislike the lifestyle choices the witch community embrace such as practicing witchcraft and casting spells. Witches are often stereotyped as having green skin, pointy hats, and use their magic skills to cause harm to others. I want to break these harmful stereotypes and talk about the rise of modern witches, where witchcraft originates from and most importantly, the fact that it shouldn’t always be deemed as evil.
It is believed that the first record of a witch can be found in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel, written between 931 BC and 721 BC. It tells the story of King Saul who found the Witch of Endor to summon Samuel, a dead prophet’s spirit to help him defeat the Philistine army. The witch summoned Samuel, who predicted the death of Saul and his sons. The next day, Saul’s sons died in battle and Saul committed suicide. Other verses from the Old Testament disapprove of witches, such as the Exodus 22:18 which says, “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
A fear and suspicion around witches began in Europe during the mid-1400s. Many people, especially unmarried women and widows were accused of being witches then forced to confess under torture for their ‘suspicious behavior.’ Witch hunts would often take place to seek out people who displayed this behavior. Matthew Hopkins aka the Witchfinder General was the most notorious witch hunter. He, as well as many other witch hunters, would break into the accused witches’ homes and conduct a series of tests on them to see whether they were a witch or not. One of these tests involved pricking a needle through a mole or a ‘witch mark’ on the accused’s skin and seeing if it would draw blood. If it drew blood, the accused was found innocent. However, if it didn’t bleed, they were deemed to be a witch. In many cases, con men were hired for these tests and would use a dull needle to ensure the victim wouldn’t bleed and would therefore be proven guilty. Another trial was the ‘swimming test’ where accused witches were dragged to the nearest lake or river and were thrown in to see whether they would sink or float. Witches were believed to have rejected the sacrament of baptism so it was thought that the water would reject their body and cause them to float. Therefore, an innocent person would sink but a witch would float on the surface. The victims had a rope tied around their waist so that they could be pulled out of the water if they were to sink, but in many cases, there were accidental deaths due to drowning.
Between the years 1500 and 1660, around 80,000 ‘witches’ were killed in Europe. Around 80% of them were women who were thought to be conspiring with the Devil. Germany had the highest number of executions of witches and Ireland had the lowest. “Malleus Maleficarum” (The Hammer of Witches) was a book written by two German Dominicans in 1486. It is believed to be the cause of the witch hysteria. The book was a guide on how to identify and hunt witches. For more than 100 years, the book sold the most copies out of any other book in Europe except the Bible.
In America, witch hysteria began to grow as it decreased in Europe. The most notorious witch trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. 9-year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began suffering from uncontrollable fits and screaming which was the starting point of the Salem witch trails taking place. More young women had the same symptoms, so hysteria began to grow and suspicions around witches were high. Bridget Bishop became the first accused witch to be killed during the Salem Witch Trials when she was hanged at the Salem gallows. In fact, 150 people were accused of witchcraft and 18 were killed.
Despite witchcraft being criminalized in the past, there has been an increase in modern witches who are open about their alternative lifestyles. Witchcraft has recently been popularized through social media as many people have taken an interest in the craft by finding out about it online. However, even though the Witchcraft Act that was passed in 1735 by Parliament made it a criminal offence to hunt and execute witches, people who practice witchcraft nowadays still face huge discrimination. In countries such as Indonesia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea, people accused of practicing witchcraft are tortured and even killed. This is because witchcraft is often associated with devil worshipping. This simply isn’t the case however as witchcraft has nothing to do with Satanism. It also certainly isn’t evil or used with bad intentions. Modern witches are most likely to use witchcraft for healing purposes.
Throughout history, witches have been feared heavily due to their vast knowledge of natural forms of medicine and magic. Nobody should be judged based on the way they choose to live their lives. Witchcraft is as fascinating as it is beneficial but is often dismissed as a healing technique as there are negative connotations that are associated with the practice. As modern witches continue the traditions of witchcraft, we must embrace their ideas instead of rejecting them. Witches’ Brew aims to do just this as each tea uses herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm and hibiscus flower. These powerful herbs are also used by witches for their healing properties. Each tea contains many health benefits to care for both your body and your soul. You’ll feel calm and at ease as the herbs work their magic...
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