Spotlight on Witchcraft III: The 4 Salems on Oct. 31

While visiting Salem, MA on Oct. 31, I came to the conclusion that there were 4 (mostly) distinct Salems during Halloween/Samhain: 

1. The Salem of the Tourists
2. The Historical Salem 
3. The Salem of the True Believers 
4. The Salem of the Critics. 

The Salem of Non-Witch Tourists

Essex Street on Halloween/Samhain

No-Maj (the American word for Muggles or non-magical people) were by far the largest portion of people in Salem. All of the other Salems were vying for attention/money from them, at least to some degree. And to be fair, I fit most neatly into this group myself. 

These people came for various reasons. Some were just there for the mass party, some wanted to see the tourist attractions in their peak, some may have been legitimately interested in the details of witchcraft. 

The Historical Salem

One of the many museums about the Salem Witch Trials

Historical Salem is one of the main draws for tourists. Here you learn about the politics of the Salem Witch Trials and that an accusation of witchcraft meant being accused of making a pact with Satan. 

(This historical conception of 'witch' is at odds with the contemporary witchcraft that Salem is also known for.) 

While this was generally accurate, there was some commentary that was questionable. For instance, the introduction to the live reenactment of a witch trial at the Witch Dungeon Museum incorrectly represented predestination, a Calvinist concept. 

Predestination is the belief that only some (the elect) will make it to heaven and this was predetermined by God. 


However, in the next sentence she implied that in Salem people believed that engaging in playful divination, such as looking for the face of their future spouse when they dropped an egg into water, would risk their immortal soul. 


They could easily fix this problem by saying that engaging in any fortune telling would be proof that you are not predestined to heaven and you would suffer socially as a result. 

In predestination, only God can save you; he made this determination before you were born. No action can prevent or help you get to heaven, but actions can be evidence of salvation.


(This is nit-picky, but the audience deserves accurate intellectual history, especially when the change would be minimal)

The Salem of True Believers

Witches gathering to walk to Samhain Sabbat

There is the Salem of true believers and this is a great day financially for some of these true believers. They are able to give readings, have seances, sell potions, and etc... 


But their shops function all year round. However, on Samhain, when I entered their shops, it was not typically the owners or proprietors on the floor greeting customers. 


In one shop I asked how they would photograph my aura and the person really did not know. In another shop, the floor person didn't know if the model of a tree with a face in the center was Yggdrasil that was part of a functioning alter. 


Nevertheless, I could easily tell that the altar was set up by someone who was an active practitioner. It was just that the true believers (or at the least more knowledgeable and charismatic practitioners) were in high demand doing readings, seances, and etc...



Again contemporary witches do not make pacts with Satan, which is what being accused of witchcraft in historical Salem meant. 


Thus, the various stores dedicated to the craft and the witches being portrayed in the Witch Dungeon Museum are two very distinct tourist draws.

The Salem of Critics

Deadpool evangelizing for Odin

In Salem there were several Christian protesters who were preaching against witchcraft and the dress and conduct of the tourists. 

One Christian evangelical was counter protested by Deadpool holding a sign saying "Odin is God (Read Mighty Thor #5)"

Previously I had decided to ask a group of Christian evangelists if they felt that they were being disrespecting those being accused of witchcraft in this location centuries ago. (It would be disrespectful for Christians to try to convert Jews outside a holocaust museum.)


Immediately before I asked this question. I witnessed a live historical reenactment of a Salem witch trial that went through a part of Salem and contemporary Christians condemning almost everyone in Salem for one reason or another. The irony was palpable. 


The four men in this group (are women ever street evangelists?) appeared to be between 18-35. Dressed in nice, yet blue collar attire. 


I spent about a minute trying to shout my question to them. Finally the youngest, who appeared to be in his late teens called me over and I was able to shout my question to him. 


What follows is not exact, but a recreation. I am sure, I was not this eloquent given I had a megaphone about a foot away from my left ear. 



Me: Do you find it disrespectful to be here protesting Witchcraft when people accused of being witches were hanged not far from here?

Response: We are being persecuted by witches.

Me: Give me an example.

Response: In the Bible.

Me: O.K. anything after 500 A.D. 

Response: Yeah the Romans

(At this point I didn't want to and couldn't get into an argument about history) 

Me: O.K. how about anything after 1000 A.D.

Response: Are you denying the Bible as history?

Me: No. I just don't think it's relevant to this particular discussion.


At some point in the conversation he compared me to a witch because I was rebelliously asking questions. I repeated my initial question a few times and got the same answers. I told him that this was silly, turned around, and started to walk away. 


Then the guy with the megaphone turns to me and says "You know what's silly, denying Christ as your savior." I turn back around curious and listened to this guy who I can't have a conversation because with he can literally drown out my words with his megaphone.

Religion Critic symbol

Then he calls me a sissy. I assume this was based on how I was dressed. I was wearing a nice looking black overcoat, a white tie with my symbol on it, a nice lavender dress shirt tucked into jeans, and black dress shoes. 


I assume it was the color of my shirt that earned me the insult. But, at this point, I am just amused. A grown adult making fun of how I am dressed to prove a religious point. (Later in the day I heard him make fun of other people, including men who were dressed as women and women who were dressed immodestly.) 


What I do next, was virtually instinct and it simply amused me. I started to mock flirt with him. I said: "Hey big boy what are you doing later," imitating a gay lisp. He continued to make fun of my masculinity and at that point I was completely done and walked away. 


(I want to stress that I deeply respect and believe in many of the tenets associated with Christianity, especially that of love your neighbor. I also respect many Christians. However, I do not respect stupidity and rudeness; I will return silliness with silliness.)

Bottom Line:

These are the four Salems I witnessed. They all interacted with each other and at one point I saw a Christian protesters across the street from Hare Krishnas chanting the Maha Mantra, while people were arguing with the Christian protesters. 


The scene was similar to this.

The main lesson I learned and what I would like everyone to take from this post: 



We can't forget about religious tourism, evangelism, and indigenous religion even if we are simply taking a day trip into the next town. 


Far away places are not inhabited by 'other people,' and our indigenous religions are only familiar to us. If we step back, maybe we can see the strangeness.  

Spotlight on Witchcraft II: A Samhain Sabbat

Samhain (pronounced so-wen) is generally considered to be the Pagan New Year, celebrated by witches (Wiccans) in the Northern hemisphere. (Since the celebrations are tied to nature, Samhain is celebrated at a different time of the year in the Southern hemisphere). 


Samhain is associated with harvesting and thus the time when plants stop their growth. Often called the festival of the dead, it is the time when witches believe that the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. 


I had the fortune of spending Samhain with witches in Salem. Based on my amateur estimate there were about 200 in attendance of the Samhain Sabbat at Gallows Hill Park. 


Most were wearing black cloaks, some were wearing costumes that would be more associated with Halloween rather than Samhain. 


(That's to be expected, some witches believe that you should dress as something you wish to emulate in the new year for Samhain. So if you want to perceive yourself as more powerful you can dress up as Thor.)


I met up with a group of witches in front of Nu Aeon, a magical supply shop, and from there we walked to Gallows Hill Park where 19 people accused of being witches had been hanged in 1692 (or at least one of our guesses where this happened).

Celtic Knot

During this walk, volunteers were asked to carry banners, such as a naked Artemis, Celtic Knot, and the wheel of Hecate.

At the beginning of the walk, I heard shouts of Jesus! Jesus! directed at us. 



The walk was approximately 1.6 miles and through virtually every residential area there were people were recording our walk with their cell phones. 

Wheel of Hecate

When my group arrived, there were already some people there doing ritual preparations. Some were drumming and some were drawing a magic circle with what I suspect to be sea salt. 


It was chilly, but not too cold. The trees in the park were starting to turn different shades of orange, red, and yellow. It looked like autumn; it looked like harvest time. 



People already in the circle left the circle to come greet us so that we could form the circle with everyone. I saw people walking slowly through an arch adorned with fall colored plants similar to one that might be used for an outdoor fall wedding. 


As I got closer there were gatekeepers in black robes, many hiding behind mirrors. They were tasked with asking questions prior to our entrance into the circle. 


One woman sprinkled water on me with a feather and asked me what I was going to leave behind (remember its the Pagan New Year). I answered doubts. 


Next there was a pair of women with mirrors, one of which asked me who I was and how I served humanity. I answered that I was a writer and I served humanity by being fair to those I write about.


These were deep questions and with an estimated 100 people behind me waiting to be let through, it was more pressure than I expected. But, I did manage my answers relatively quickly and was allowed to enter. 



Finally after being asked to gaze into a mirror I was allowed through the threshold and enter the circle. 



It took some time for everyone to go through this ritual, so I stood there observing for some time before anything happened. 


During this time priests wearing colorful robes greeted everyone in the circle. One of them was passing  around Dandelion seeds to remember my ancestors. (Remember the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest on this day). 


Once everyone was in the circle we did what was called a spiral dance. (Well most of us walked). But as we did so we interwove with other parts of the circle while chanting/singing:

We are a circle

Within a circle

With no beginning

And never ending 

After this, it took us some time to reform the circle. Also, at the request of the leaders we formed two circles. 


After this rearrangement was done we asked the Guardians of the North, East, South, and West to protect the circle separately and in a singsong chant. 


Then we asked protection from the Horned God and the Triple Goddess (remember Wiccans have a duotheistic theological system)


While we had the protection of the circle we were asked to recall our ancestors and feel their presence with us. When allowed I like to at least attempt to immerse myself in the experience. So I brought to my mind my grandfather. 


And I did remember.  I do not think this is magic, if by magic you mean supernatural; but rather a psychological effect. I remembered how he would give me high fives. 


I remembered him watching Westerns usually with John Wayne. He complained that at the beginning of a movie the good guy couldn't shoot, couldn't fight, and had 4 shots in his 6 shooter, but at the end of the movie he was deadly accurate, fought well, and had 10 shots in his 6 shooter. 


Then we were asked to say out loud what we wanted for the future. I did not respond to this, but many others did. Some of the answers were: peace, love, harmony, religious tolerance, and the like. 


After this someone returned wine, bead, and milk to the earth as a sacrifice and then offered a dumb supper (a supper offered in silence) to our ancestors. 


This was a minimalistic dumb supper, in that we were only tasked with staying quiet for a few moments. Unlike more elaborate dumb suppers. 


At the end we asked the Guardians, the Horned God, and the Goddess to go in peace. And it was remarked by one of the leaders who went by the name Gypsy that they were blessed to live in a place where they could practice their magic openly. 



Then the leaders praised the police escort for accompanying us on our way back to Salem. 


They passed out pentacle cookies and we lit candles to further honor our ancestors on our walk back. The lit candles were placed at a grave site in further remembrance at the end of our walk back.


(I will give analysis and recap of Wicca in my final post.) 

Spotlight on Witchcraft I: Review of The Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot

In this series I take a look at Wicca or Witchcraft. As always I will start with a book summary/review, after that my future posts in this series will cover my recent experience in Salem for Samhain (pronounced so-wen, seriously exactly like that, so--wen). 



Laurie Cabot is the official witch of Salem, mother of two witches, and author of several books, including The Power of the Witch: The Earth, the Moon, and the Magical Path to Enlightenment, Celebrate the Earth: A Year of Holidays in the Pagan Tradition, and The Witch in Every Woman: Reawakening the Magical Nature of the Feminine to Heal, Protect, Create, and Inspire.


(Her titles are long, but at least she uses the oxford comma). 


First, what contemporary witchcraft isn't. It isn't Satan worship or Satanism (actually Satanism isn't usually Satan worship). Wicca isn't (usually) a group gothic women dancing naked under a full moon. 


They don't have black masses that invert the Catholic mass (that actually is Satanism, though typically these black masses are usually a 'symbolic revolt'). It isn't spinster or jealous women casting evil spells.


What witchcraft is, will be the subject of this post, at least as represented by Laurie Cabot in The Power of the Witch. 

Book Summary:

• Witchcraft or Wicca, is a craft, something that is done, not just something you believe.
• Witches create new rituals based on their principles and beliefs.
• Witchcraft is a science, with methods that are repeatable and consistent.
• Witchcraft includes the use of various objects for magic including, crystals, wands, and herbs.
• Some magic can be done without items, such as psychic diagnosis or finding parking spaces. 

Extended Summary and Analysis:

Practices:

Seriously finding parking spaces seems to be a recurring theme for Cabot. There are four separate stories about using magic to find parking in The Power of the Witch. 


But how does magic work? (Finding parking would be a useful spell for virtually any college student who drives to campus) 

Remember how I told you that magic is scientific? Well the first thing you need to do is get yourself into an alpha brain state, which is characterized by being awake and relaxed. This is "the scientific basis for magic" (pg. 182). 

Comparison of the different types of brain states.  Cabot believes that all magic must be done while in this brain state. So the first advice she gives for anyone practicing magic is to learn how to induce this state in yourself.  Cabot endorses two ways to get yourself into an alpha state. The first, crystal countdown, involves imagining various number and color combinations in the following sequence with your eyes closed: red 7, orange 6, yellow 5, green 4, blue 3, indigo 2, and violet 1. Then count down from 10 to 1 to deepen the alpha state.  Then you say to yourself "I am now in alpha, and everything I do will be accurate and correct, and this is so" (pg. 185).  Once you are experienced with the crystal countdown method, there is a faster way to go into alpha. Since you can't close your eyes while driving around looking for a parking lot, this quicker method is what you would use to find parking.  While in alpha you can perform you magic, including charging items in a magic circle, psychic diagnosis, or creating potions.  Beliefs: Generally witches recognize the Horned God and the Triple Goddess (Maiden, Mother, and Crone) as the main deities.  This is called a duotheistic theological system, because there are two Gods recognized equally.  The Horned God represents the male part of divinity and the Triple Goddess (Maiden, Mother, Crone) the female part. They can be called upon for protection for magic circles.  While Cabot admits that Wiccans can see examples of the relevant archetypes in many traditions, she herself takes the vast majority of her examples and stories from Celtic traditions.  Also, she claims that her style of magic (and presumably most contemporary Wiccans) originated with the ancient Celts. (Though she leaves open the possibility of other styles of magic) Wiccans celebrate holidays based on the Celtic calendar and think of time as a turning of the wheel.  The most recent turn was Samhain (Oct. 31), the Pagan New Year. It is the point in which the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, thus it is the best time to communicate with your ancestors.  There are seven other sabbats: Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh (or Lammas), and Mabon. All are characterized by a changing of nature. Morality: The principle: An (if) it harm none, do what ye will. Is the key moral code of most Wiccans. This means that curses are usually forbidden and that any magic you do must be given thought as to not harm.  For instance, if you have someone that is somehow making your life miserable there are magical solutions. However, you must be careful. According to Cabot all spells should end with some version of 'that is correct and for the good of all,' (page 217).  Analysis: It was Gerald B. Gardner who "...claimed to have discovered a coven in England that had followed the Old Ways rather continuously..." (pg. 81).  Thus, witchcraft is at least partially a reconstruction. It was not the English coven who revived these (literally) pagan practices, but someone who was taught by them. Given that Wicca is a reconstruction and given that the description of witches in Medieval Europe is vastly different than the self-description of contemporary witches, her usual identification with them is questionable.  I am only aware of her addressing this topic once and it is embedded in commentary about the Salem Witch Trials. She says whether they were witches or not, we should adopt them as such because they died for our freedom (pgs. 78-79).   She is not quite as careful to make this distinction in other places however. Consider this passage: During the Burning Times 80 percent of the millions of people who were executed for practicing Witchcraft were women. Even today most practitioners of the Craft are women... (pg. 15). Nothing in this passage disavows the connection between those executed as witches during the Burning Times and contemporary witches. The comparison even seems to be encouraged. This missing link in the historical connection does not mean that contemporary Witchcraft is somehow inferior or inauthentic. It's just that I personally question whether or not it is as thoroughly connected to the past as they would sometimes like to claim.  Bottom Line: I sincerely believe that for the individuals who practice Wicca that these people are being authentic. That is they are 'true believers' or perhaps more accurately 'true practitioners' (in the sense that they believe that the magic they practice has true effects in the world).  And their beliefs and practices are not completely divorced from history, but rather that the links are thinner than in some other religions.  However, many religions often overemphasize their continuity with the past. For instance, Christianity in America used to be primarily Calvinist and the majority believed in predestination; now that is no longer the case. Yet no politician talking about America's Christian past will stress these theological differences. In short religious authenticity is not derived solely from history, but rather in the seriousness in which people practice their religion.  My next post will feature a description and commentary on a Samhain Sabbat in Salem, Mass.