Witches, Heretics, and Inquisitors

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Witch hunts started to fade in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Many people started to believe that events were getting out of hand and too many innocents were being killed. The standards of evidence were raised, and torture was deemed an insufficient way to gain information.[18] The decline of witch trials in Salem was due to the understanding that “specters” testimonies were not relevant.[19] Judges began to believe that the testimonies of the “afflicted” were not enough to convict and kill someone, which in turn lead to the decline. Over the 160 years from 1500 to 1660 more than 50,000 suspected witches were murdered in Europe. According to Douglas Linder, a professor from Stanford Law School, and a scholar, about 80% of those persecuted were woman. King James, himself, even authorized the torture of suspected witches in Scotland. Dozens of witches were burned at the stake, in what is known as the largest witch hunt in British history.

Gerald Gardner of Britain, is credited with the establishment of modern Wicca. When England lifted its ban on witchcraft in 1951, it opened a new door in religious practices. He published Witchcraft Today in 1954.[20] By the 1960’s its practices had spread to the United States, during a time when a focus on nature, a search for spirituality, and unconventional lifestyles, were in style. Covens began forming, which had between 10 and 15 members, and new members were initiated through a ritual.[21]

Most practitioners of Wicca believe in a general set of beliefs and practices. The three principles from early Paganism are reflected in their beliefs: respect to nature, belief in the Goddess, and their polytheistic and pantheistic views. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, most Wiccans accept the Wiccan Rede, an ethical code that states, “If it harm none, do what you will.” It is believed that Wiccan magic should only be used to help someone or something. As a witch, is not generally acceptable to change the will of the universe without a reason.

There are several festivals through the year, some that even bring Wicca practitioners from all over the world, together, such as: the new moon, the full moon, vernal equinox, summer solstice, and Halloween. During these festivals they summon the deities, practice ceremonial magic, and share a meal in ritual.[22]

It is common for people who are unaware of the practices of Wicca, to refer to its members as witches, which is generally associated with Satanism, due to the negative connotation given to which all those centuries ago. Wiccan’s are constantly defending themselves and their religion against demonic accusations, attempting to establish relationship with other religions such as Hindu and some Native American communities.[23]

Gender places a very large role in Wicca practices. Just to be considered a Paganist religion, there must be some female deities. The goddess became a symbol for strength and independence, and Wicca became a religion that was for woman, by woman. The feminine ideas of Wicca have spread so far that they overshadow many other aspects of the religion. Every aspect of Wiccan ritual is aimed toward enacting and embodying balance and unity, even the altar and the circle itself. During a ceremony known as the Great Rite, the god and goddess create balance by uniting and becoming one, through intercourse. It is explained that the Priest and Priestess transubstantiate into the God and Goddess, which has been referred to as a type of possession. The reason for this ceremony is to offer ones-self fully to the god and goddess.[24]

Wicca is a religion that perceives the Universe as being balanced, making men and woman equal. During the Gardnerian time of Wicca, things were very much ruled, and gender based. It is thought that the deities themselves do not have genders, or if that do it is a fluid gender. This is true in other religions as well. It is understood that aspects such as gender, are beyond divinity. This is why Wicca is thought to be an accepting an open religion.

Male witches are simply referred to as witches. According to Wicca.com, it is actually highly offensive to refer to a male witch as a warlock, of “oath breaker”. Throughout the witch hunts in Europe men were: accused in small numbers, guilty by association, more highly accused during large witch hunts when fear broke down the stereotype, were not accused of diabolism, accused in larger numbers in places were the charge was only heresy, and were accused of different types of witchcraft all together that the woman. There were even areas in Europe where men made up the majority of those accused like Normandy. G. R. Quaife, author of The Witch in Early Modern Europe, say that the men persecuted in New England were merely secondary targets as husbands or associates of female witches. [25] In many cases it is there is no way to prove who was accused first though, the wife or the husband. It may be that in all the cases the women were accused first.

The growth rate of Wicca has slowed down significantly since the 1980’s, and branched off into multiple denominations. One of these denominations did not agree with Garners idea of worshiping in the nude, therefore they wore robes. The traditionalists got upset about that. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Wicca has spread all over the English speaking world, and across northern and western Europe.

Wicca, Paganism, and Magic all share similar aspects, but one is not required to do the other. Paganism is an umbrella term that encompasses all polytheistic, nature-loving, religions. The fear of this religion was established during the spread of Christianity, and was practically wiped out. It later seemed to transform into something else, and before and after an English man named Gerald Garner, found it, or rather, it found him. Once he published his writings in Witchcraft Today in 1954, it seemed to spread like wild fire, making its way to the United States just in time for the hippie movement.

Wicca is a gender neutral religion, allowing no one gender control of anything, and does not place a stigma on any gender(s) participation. For example, in some denominations of Christianity, like Southern Baptist, (I can speak to this because I was raise southern Baptist), women are all but forbidden to hold an office place in the church, unless has to do with teaching children’s church, doing finances, planning banquets, or running children’s choir. In many churches it is extremely found upon for a woman to be a pulpit, at all, not even for testimony. Which makes Wicca a very empowering religion for woman, because it encourages woman to be free thinkers.

Many people were targeted and persecuted during the witch hunts, the majority being women.