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.)