Do you know how to spot a witch? You might look for a pointy black hat, green skin, or maybe try to catch them flying on a broom…
But during the Salem witch trials of 17th-century New England, it wasn't so easy.
In order to root out the witches believed to be haunting their communities, local "witch hunters", members of law enforcement, and religious leaders concocted numerous “witch tests” intended to reveal the residents of colonial Massachusetts who were living secret lives.
In total, more than 200 individuals were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts throughout 1692 and 1693. Suspected witches were subject to all manner of violent, invasive and strange tests to prove they were – or weren’t – witches.
Here are some of the most bizarre methods used to find “witches” during the Salem witch trials.
RELATED: Long Before Witches in Salem, Europe Had 'Werewolf Trials'
1. Swimming Test
In this witch test, perhaps the most famous, accused witches had their hands bound, were stripped down to their undergarments, and then were thrown into the nearest body of water. If the accused sank to the bottom, they were innocent, and if they floated, they were a witch (because it was believed that water itself would reject the witch).
This logic has an obvious flaw: if only innocents sank, then this test was putting non-witches at significant risk of drowning. And though ropes were typically tied around the victim’s waist so they could be retrieved, accidental drownings did occur.
2. Touch Test
If someone had a spell cast on them, it was believed they would have a reaction to the physical touch of the witch responsible. If the would-be witch touched the possessed person, and they were suddenly cured of their ailment, that was used as proof that they were indeed a witch. If they were touched by the alleged witch and nothing happened, that was proof of innocence.
3. Bible Test
Witches were thought to be frightened by the Bible and would thus be physically unable to read or recite scripture aloud. This test was simple: If the accused could recite biblical passages perfectly, they were not a witch.
Unfortunately, this was all during a time when most peasants were illiterate, meaning they knew little if any scripture by heart, and even the slightest flub would be used as evidence of witchery.
Reciting scripture perfectly did not guarantee innocence, though. When accused witch Reverend George Burroughs was to be hanged in Salem in 1692, he reportedly recited the Lord’s Prayer flawlessly on the gallows. However, his accusers said Satan was dictating the prayer through him, and he was hanged anyway.
4. Weight Test
This bizarre test (more commonly used in Europe than in colonial America), involved the accused witch being weighed against a stack of Bibles. It was believed that witches were extremely lightweight, so if they weighed less than a stack of Bibles, they were not witches.
There were myriad issues with this method (beyond its basic absurdity). The legitimacy of some weighing sites were called into question, professional weighers were often bribed to skew results, and the individuals accused of witchcraft were often peasant women already weighing very little anyway... so this test often resulted in witchcraft charges.
5. Witch Cakes
We don’t recommend serving this at your next dinner party. When people were suspected of being hexed by a witch, witch hunters would take a sample of the victim’s urine and bake it into a cake made of rye meal and ashes. Then the cake would be served to a dog, which were believed to sometimes be companions or even familiars of witches. According to superstition, the dog would either be able to point the way towards the witch, or the witch might even cry out when the cake was eaten.
In fact, some scholars point to a witch cake as the starting point for the Salem Witch Trials. So the story goes: an enslaved woman was directed by her neighbor to prepare a witch cake to help Elizabeth Parris, the daughter of a local reverend, who was afflicted by illness and convulsions.
Despite this being an old English folk tale to ward off witches, Parris’ father, Reverend Samuel Parris, denounced this in church as devilry. Elizabeth later accused the cake baker and two other women of being witches – leading to panic across the community.
6. Witch Marks
This test was based on the premise that making a pact with Satan would be sealed with a physical mark on one’s body. This practice dates back to the 15th-century but was popularized by Matthew Hopkins, England’s “Witchfinder General,” in the 1600s.
Anything from moles to scars to birthmarks were used as evidence of witchery, and these witch mark investigations were often done publicly, meaning the victim was stripped nude in front of their family, friends, and neighbors in a humiliating public ritual.
One skin blemish that was a surefire sign of a deal with the devil was what was the presence of a supernumerary nipple, a fairly common condition found in up to five percent of the population. Witch hunters called this a “witches’ teat.” Because of the hysteria over these marks, villagers would sometimes burn or cut off their own physical imperfections if they feared they might be accused of witchcraft.
7. Pricking
In the unlikely occasion that witch hunters didn’t find any physical blemishes they could call a witch mark, they’d just make their own.
"Pricking” was a particularly cruel practice where witch hunters would prick or scratch the skin with a specially-designed needle, operating under the belief that witches were unable to feel pain or even bleed from their witch marks. Witch hunters would prick suspected witches all over as they searched for a part of their body which didn’t bleed when pricked, and being pricked dozens or even hundreds of times was common.
RELATED: Wrongly Convicted Salem 'Witch' Could Finally Be Exonerated
What If You Failed a Test?
Failing a test was used as evidence of witchcraft. The accused generally had two options: confess and have their lives spared, or maintain their innocence and risk execution.
Most of those accused decided to confess, realizing it was their best option. But some people stood their ground – and faced the consequences. In total, 19 people were executed (most by hanging), and six more died in jail.
As the hysteria came to an end in May of 1693, everyone in custody for witchcraft was pardoned. However, many saw their lives and reputations irreparably altered as a result of the accusations.
81 comments
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Pamela Kay Waters
What they did back then was barbaric and in humane. It's not like the witches can gain anything by hurting people because whatever they did to a person would come back to them 3 x's fold.
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Melinda Fulk
The threefold law you mention is a modern construct. Witches were truly feared at that time in history, both for what it was believed they could do as well as the fact that they worked with the Devil.
It was an awful time in our history, full of fear and ignorance. But we also need to remember that the people then accused of witchcraft were just people. The witchcraft of then and what we call witchcraft now are VERY different things.
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Theresa C. Marquess
Melinda, Yes, the Salem Witch Trials were a terrible time in our history. They are exemplary of religious zealots having the upper hand in a community. Fortunately, today most people would not know a witch if she/he were sitting down at the table next to them in a restaurant...or even next to them in their own church pew. Witchcraft then and now were not really very different. Ask a hereditary witch.
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Mitch
Wait, I'm confused. Are you suggesting that 'actual witches' in there past were not just people?
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Amber Fry
Not exactly, no. I believe what she's saying is that the people accused were not exactly practicing witches according to what the church believed witches practiced. They were just people who were different in some way. The old, the crippled, women who were single and exceptionally beautiful or wealthy or both, and those who slighted someone either on purpose or by accident were often accused. Sometimes men who supported them or who might have slighted someone. The "witchcraft" presumed at the time was actually not being practiced at all, certainly not to the degree and flash as what was accused.
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Michael Meade
One of the funny stories out of my family is that one of my relatives was sued by a husband of a woman accused of being a witch. (It's in the court records of Salem) It seems that the woman and my relative were caught behind the barn doing (a-hem) naughty things. My relative accused her of bewitching him and her husband took him to court. Apparently, the court thought it was pretty funny, dismissing the case and fining my relative a few pence for their trouble. I am also related to Susanna Martin, one of the first women to be hanged.
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Theresa C. Marquess
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Robert Gagnon
Evil you do only comes back on you if you regret or question your right to cast such evil. Does that count toward love spells, couldn't tell ya. My understanding of Salem witch trials was fathers of the three girls had them pick families that held property they wanted. If you were killed or confessed you lost your property and a couple of the parents were buying it up cheap. Then I'm sure a few were pointed out out from jealousy or being spurned. Once mob mentality takes over it has a life of it's own.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
wow, i was first to comment and mentioned project 2025 and it was removed, completely! must have struck a nerve here
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Julie Lydia Rogers
If a woman performs magic it’s called witchcraft. But if a man named Jesus Christ performs magic it’s called a miracle? The Bible is full of magic. Moses and the high priests had a witch off. Who was more powerful? Moses turned the Nile river into blood with a staff? Perhaps his staff was actually a magic wand. Jesus turned water into wine. Dare I say witchcraft? How about Jesus with his coven of twelve performing rituals around a table turning wine and bread into body and blood. How about the necromancy that Jesus performed. That’s considered dark magic. It’s all in the way way you package it. And the men of old were very crafty in covering up the obvious. Christians just absorbed paganism and witchcraft and labeled it Christianity. Open your eyes people. It’s been right in front of you all along.
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April B
Yes! Yes! Yes! 👏 👏👏
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Katherine Anne Sykes
Before Jesus’ followers named following him “Christianity”, he was just a Jewish man. A good description of Judaism is normalized mysticism, which has many normal practices that would be considered magical or superstitious to outsiders. Please don’t call this paganism, since that is a different set of traditions, where the Biblical characters that predate Jesus and Jesus himself were Jews, and modern adherents of these closed practices are also Jews.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Leave it to religion to create the most barbaric tortures…
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Lionheart
Yes. Religion moved on from there to mental blackmailing torture, creating human constructs like “Sin” “Hell” “Purgatory” “Repentance” “Satan” “Eternal Damnation” etc,.
🦁❤️
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
I believe it's called 'negative reinforcement'. Doesn't work well on dogs or children but then...the regressive goppers don't really care that much about dogs or kids
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Lionheart
That’s in interesting point. Family religionists hold the key to indoctrinating children at an early age. They know that if they can get them to believe in Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy, they can possibly get them to believe in whatever they would like them to believe. It works well for Islamist children, as well as Christian children.
I remember being taught as a child that if I want to see my family in Heaven, I had better be a good boy and do whatever God wants. It is of course mental abuse.
Thank you for your comment. 🤗
🦁❤️
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Pamela Kay Waters
And what do you think scientology is?
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Lionheart
Yes, It's all religious abuse. Thank you for your comment, Lady Pamela.
🦁♥️
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Eric
I grew up in a Very Lutheran household yet we still celebrated the 8 Sabbats and practiced the old Norse, Celtic, Babylonian, and ways of the universe teachings. For that's what my Grandmother and Grandfather were raised in. The way I see it, we are all the same and until we are able to realize it and live as the Wiccan Rede says "AN' YE HARM NONE, DO AS YE WILL" just like the KJV Bible states in Matthew Chapter 7 "WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE ESPECIALLY WHEN THY CAN'T SEE THE PLANK IN THYS EYE". Basically if you think about it they both mean just let each other live without hate or prejudice. For when we live as equals and show and treat each other with respect we succeed. Just stay open and look towards the future with a pure heart free of hate and without judgement we can finally start making this world a better place. Why judge one another when we could use that energy and time to help with saving our world and not trying to cause mass genocide. Which is the biggest reason the witch trials happened. Just because of not wanting to understand something that was not a normal thing back then and still now if you truly think about it. This is what I would continue to teach and pass on if I had a standing in a Covent or Convent or a house/church to do so. Yet I don't give in or up and still pass on the teaching of harmony and togetherness.
Not going to lie I would love to open a house of worship and dedicate these teachings to the ULC, yet I have no funds or means to do so. Open to suggestions.
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Pamela Kay Waters
Exactly
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Darrel Isley
I heard if the bread baked in the house don't come out right there is a evil witch present
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Ari Joseph Bertine
This is what happens when we fail to separate church and state. Dark, dark days. No religion should ever be given power over anyone's life (or death), in any capacity.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
No religion should ever be given power over anyone's AFTER life either
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Theresa C. Marquess
I would fail the test due to a "witches' mark," the mole that I was born with that is located behind my ear.
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Pamela Kay Waters
I too.
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Merlin
Another attempt to maintain control.
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Colleen McAllister
An interesting article. Thank you for sharing this.
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James Mounts
Am I the only one who sees the similarity with today's cancel culture?
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
which (no pun intended) cancel culture? The one that wants to ban books? The one that is afraid of drag queens and wants to ban drag queen story hour? Or is it the one that wants to eliminate Critical Race Theory? Are you referencing any of them?
Asking for a friend
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James Mounts
Rev JJ: I'm sorry but today I'm short of time, so I just can't spare any to educate you. I suggest you do your own research to define "cancel culture," and in future engage brain then mouth."
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
Yet you had the time to insult me, nice. and very (typically) kkkris chn of you
Of the many people I might approach for an education, you clearly didn't make the list
Why would you use a phrase and then be afraid to define it? You used it, you should be able to back up your usage instead of trying to pass the buck
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James Mounts
I gave what I got.
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Michael Hunt
What you got was a critical response to your initial assertion. What you gave was a non-responsive avoidance of the criticism.
JJ gave various examples of "cancel culture" and asked if any of those applied to your definition of "cancel culture" but you're unable to answer.
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James Mounts
What I got was sarcasm. Everyone with an IQ above 60 knows what "cancel culture" refers to. I have read enough from JJ to know his IQ and education level are well above average. So I inferred his was not an honest reply, but a smart alecky offering unworthy of him.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
actually, no, not really. I asked because the cancel culture commenters are goppers who think the left do nothing but cancel everyone else and that may very well have some truth to it but, my point in asking was to point out that the right, the goppers have a thriving cancel culture of their own.
of the two, I am more concerned with the goppers because they appear to dislike everyone not a gopper and make no bones about. I know the left will eventually come to their senses and find a middle path
in the end I was trying to discern to which side of the spectrum you leaned. your CC comment was vague enough to cloak whatever intentions you had. whereas with me I don't think anyone has doubts as to how I view the world, including our wonderful and praiseworthy mods
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James Mounts
So, once again to you everything has to be binary. Because I'm against "cancel culture" I have to be a "gopper." If you were as smart as you think you are, you would realize that the spectrum is not a wall with only two sides. The reason I said I didn't have time to educate you was not that I am so busy, but that educating a "binary spectremist" is impossible.
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Lisa Pinuelo
Drag queens and books about fellatio with little children do not belong in elementary schools or their libraries! What part of any of that do you think is healthy for children?
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Pamela Kay Waters
That's right. The kids these days are getting screwed up enough by society they don't need any more help in school. They need to go back to the basic, reading, the right books, writing and arithmetic and most of all RESPECT to their fellow students and faculty. Then only will they become great citizens when they graduate.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Pamela, respect is taught at HOME. It’s not the school’s responsibility to teach your children right from wrong. Teachers teach subjects, YOU teach them how to get along. When we have to deal with bratty kids, that’s an our problem when it should be the parents’ responsibility. Respect is reenforced at school, but it starts in the home!
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Reverend Paula Copp
Dearest Lisa, you don’t seem to understand drag queen story hour. A drag queen comes in and reads CHILDREN’S books to children. There’s nothing sexual about it, and your ascertation that they do is harmful, at best. Your allegations are false and damaging. Quit it.
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Lisa Pinuelo
I agree, they cancel everything to erase our history and if you are not on their radical evil side of the political spectrum you are ridiculed, called a cult member, bullied, have your freedom of speech taken away , banned from social media, and in England you are ARRESTED!
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Michael Howard Schrader
The fictional history? Or the real history of oppression, murder, misogyny, cruelty, etc. The whitewashed history that is promoted, especially American exceptionalism, is complete and total garbage. Look at all the countries that Anglophones touched and there is a commonality among them all - they are all messed up, including us.
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Pamela Kay Waters
The South has almost abolished all the history there by removing statues and so forth. Yet by those same people, they are thinking they are becoming inferior. WTH. No American is better than the next American, so there should be no catering to one race more than another. We are equal. We fight along with each other in wars, so why should anyone get a special day, months, tv channels, etc because of who they are?
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Michael Hunt
Unfortunately, there's a massive wealth gap in America along racial lines still because white people have been catered to over minorities for generations.
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Bridget Kielas-Fecyk
Sadly, these days, there are many religious zealots out there in many nations, including the USA, who think that the witch trials of old, including the old tortures, should be revived.
In many nations on the African continent, it is not unusual for women, even young girls, to be accused of witchcraft and murdered brutally. If children are born albino, if they're not killed as infants, it's not unusual for someone to accuse them of such and it often leads to brutal abuse, even murder.
Here in the United States, and in Canada, there've been a few instances of this, sometimes even leading to murder as well. Even now in the 21st century. However, it is very rare that this occurs where it leads to murder, it's not uncommon for that to be an excuse in religious communities to side with one individual or another in custody cases.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Although the Satanic symbol is an inverted pentagram, in Wiccan it is sometimes used for earth magick. There are many symbols that mean different things to different people, and are used for different purposes in different religions.
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Rudolph M Garza
Oh those pesky super strict Calvinist (John Calvin, by the way, lead the Reform against the Church of England) purging the neighborhood of grumpy old ladies who inspired the latest movie, “Grannies Gone Wild”. It was their grandchildren who ran off o into the night dancing and singing by a fire when they were surprised by a voyeur who covered his tracks with his accusations. The young girls quickly covered their tracks with stories of possession. What an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up to rid themselves of those nagging Karens! “Witches!” And “witchcraft!” Spread like a plague infesting Salem with hysteria. The rest is history.
Today, known as Puritans faded away to become Anabaptist and later Baptist and Southern Baptist. What a beautiful history with so many stories to tell.
Those who do not believe in witches must also believe the Bible is a lie. After all, there is commandment, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Is it true or not?
Such fun for the lot of Salem thought!
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William Harrison Anderson
Let's party like it was 1692!
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
In our branch (denomination) of the ULC, it’s been hypothesized that the reason that there are no longer any witches, in Christian dominated areas of Europe, and Massachusetts, is that they got rid of em all, back then, and have only appeared, now and then, unpredictably, usually in a Third World country— where verification is difficult— if not — impossible.
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Leigh Anne Petersen
Bishop Dusenberry,
Many witches simply use nature as a focus for their energy and have different names for the Divine than Christians. Many times these Deities are simply more empowering for them than the 2000 year old version of the Divine that is often very judgemental of women and creates "outcasts". Witches and Wiccans are also often very kind as they believe that what they dish out comes back to them 3 fold.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Bishop Bill, I believe you are mistaken. There are millions of witches and pagans worldwide; I am a witch myself. The religious zealots didn’t kill witches; they killed men and women.
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Lady Mutt Cat
There are plenty of us Witches around. All over the planet.
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Reverend Paula Copp
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Reverend Paula Copp
There are still witches. I see one every time I look in the mirror.
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Nicholas J Page
What proof was available at that time and what evidence is available now to prove Salem witches existed.I believe without concrete evidence that unless you can provide back up it's a lot of nonsense the same as Satan what proof and evidence did he exist
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
Agreed! Now let's apply that logic to goD...what proof and evidence did/does he exist
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Victor Allen Hawthorne
The evidence is circumstantial. Yet people have been convicted and put in prison on the lack thereof. God works through the faith of the believer, which can move mountains. God marvels with those who have not seen, yet believe. I believe because I am in agreement with what the Word says, and the evidence presented in His works.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
proof but without the circular reasoning
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Reverend Paula Copp
I believe in Mother Nature. I can see what she does and I know why she behaves the way she does. (Science) As to who made Mother Nature, I don’t believe some dude sitting on a cloud made the Earth. Nature lives by the rules of biology and physics. There is no god who “created” mankind. We evolved along with the other animals in our world. No mystic needed.
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Theresa C. Marquess
How unfortunate that the people who were accused of witchcraft in Salem in the 1692 and 1693 Witch Trials, were simply victims of eating food contaminated with the fungus ergot. On July 28, 2022, after 329 years, Massachusetts exonerated the last person accused during the witch trials. Thank you, Massachusetts!
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Amber Fry
In party perhaps. Part of it was also jealousy, vindictiveness, hatred... It's believed that was only one part of it. The truth is it's never just one thing. Fear can be just as big of an issue, and at the time fear mongering was a pretty big thing too.
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Walter J. Holbrook
They were satanist
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Amber Fry
No, not really. Historically they were just picked out as a little different for some reason, or just angered the wrong someone.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Who is "they"? The witches or the accusers. Neither would have worshiped Satan, which is the definition of Satanist.
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Pamela Kay Waters
Who, the accused or the accusing?
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April B
Tituba was the first accused. An enslaved woman of Arawak descent. If she practiced her heritage beliefs, it would have been similar to Vodou. Satan is not part of their beliefs. Belief in Satan is purely from the colonizers.
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Ellen Fox
Hmm..according to test #2 “touch test”, would that make Jesus , the miracle worker, a witch ??
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Richard Lee Cornell
Back in those days just getting sick was being curse by the God. Your house goty hit by lighting you did something wrong to offen God. Speaking anything but English and your in lead with Satan. It only worked in Salem. Those who said they were from Salem in other villeges were usually stone out of the villege. Just being from Salem could get you hung by other towns judges. Carrying a Bible did not stop you from being hung. It also did not stop homes in that villege from catching fire especlity at 4:00am in the morning.
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Kevin Venteicher
thank you no actually beleive would not until has the new modern day witch evovled like everything else on the planet gett better wiser smarter stronger and new methods thay use if one was too attack you or someone close i would think youd be able too by what would be happening but now a days with all these a.i. apps on the market electronics most are the fault of too much artificial intelegence thay have att there disposal not wise too accuse unless you or one has proof
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Minister Jonathan James Warner
I work with a witch on my job. She wears a Wiccan necklace. And, we get along just fine.
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Pamela Kay Waters
Is it a pentagram or is it inverted? Do you know the difference? What are you calling a Witch Necklace?
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Donna May Evans
I would fail more than one of these tests. Oh My.
Blessed Be
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Donna May Evans
I would fail more than one of these tests. Oh My.
Blessed Be
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Pamela Kay Waters
Blessed be )0(
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Lady Mutt Cat
That's Witch. With a capital W. Just as Christian starts with a capital C.
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Bond Wright
Star Hawk, based on her extensive research, made a documentary about the holocaust committed against girls and women by the male catholic priests. This vicious political campaign lasted between the 14th and 17th centuries. The Malleous Malificarim (sorry for the mis-spelling--you will find it on the internet, anyhow) is the Papal Bull--manifesto--that calls for the murder of women as so-called witches. It is also sexually based and viewed by psychologists as sexual perversion and jealousy by the male priests. This manifesto can, even today, be found and read. Jews have their holocaust. Africans have their holocaust, Indians have their holocaust and YES women do have their own holocaust. Listen up women!
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Pamela Kay Waters
I think you are wrong on that. I believe there are many practicing Wiccan here in the United States and they are harming no one because they keep to themselves unlike other religions who shoot their mouths out everywhere.
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Darrel Isley
I heard if the bread doesn't come out right there is a evil witch there
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Minister Paul Oleskiewicz Jr.
Definitely most were hung. One man, Giles Corey was pressed to death by large stones. When they asked if Corey had anything else he would like to say. His last words were more weight!
a version of the witch trials will be included in PROJECT 2025, reconfigured as loyalty and religious tests
What?
Did you read project 2025 I don't recall anything in there like that. I do agree that. It's a disgrace.
one only need google it to find excerpts and descriptions of what is intended. for example from the project 2025:
"Project 2025 is the effort of a massive coalition of conservative organizations that have come together to ensure a successful Administration begins in January 2025. With...properly vetted and trained personnel...we will take back our government. Project 2025 is being organized by The Heritage Foundation."
"The Presidential Administration Academy...provides aspiring appointees with the insight, background knowledge, and expertise in governance to immediately begin rolling back destructive policy and advancing conservative ideas in the federal government."