The History of Witchcraft and Magic
...herbal remedies, curses, hexes and candle magic; “Black”--used for harming another being; and “Grey”--neither Black, Green, or White, but a magic all it’s own. The term “witch,” meaning “to twist or to bend,” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Wicca” derived from the word “wicce,” meaning “wise.” Many people believed witchcraft to do good, but groups were adding a black name to it by participating in “demon worship” and dark rituals. The beliefs of modern day witchcraft began in the middle ages and early renaissance era. Created from the pre-Christian pagan beliefs and early superstitions, witchcraft was a solution to everyday problems and was often blamed on highly intelligent elders. In the fifteenth century, the Catholic Church began an attempt to end all witchcraft. Anyone who practiced witchcraft were considered agents of the devil set against the good works of God. Instead of destroying witchcraft, the number of witches increased. People were accused of flying brooms, dancing with the devil, and placing hexes on innocent victims. Tests were created, designed in proving a person either innocent or guilty of witchcraft. All of the evidence of existing witchcraft eventually led to the Salem Witch Trials as the girls began using this proof as an excuse for their bizarre behavior in the woods. Scared of being whipped, they blamed their acts on innocent victims, who were to suffer an even worse fate. Abigail William’s ways of pretending led to the ironic end to John Proctor’s life, when she only wanted his wife, Elizabeth, to die so she could take John for herself. Today, modern witchcraft is the same in a lot of ways. There is still white magic, focusing on the well-being of other people. It could include the herbal remedies and healing potions from the folk magic family and also spells protecting one from the devil and all demonic arts. Some white witches believe that their practices are ethical and ...