Witchcraft and Witch Folklore
Witches:
Some Witchey Facts:
* Wicca is the religion that witches follow, most witches are called Wiccans or Pagans.
* A large percentage of witches are vegetarians.
* Witches use herbs, incenses, candles, oils, etc. to cast spells. They never sacrifice animals or humans. (It is said that in medieval times witches were evil and would sacrifice animals and humans).
* The five points on the pentagram are earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.
* Witches do not believe in Satan.
* Wiccans and Pagans do have two main gods they worship, they are called the Lord and Lady.
* A large percentage of witches believe in reincarnation.
* In Sweden during the 17th Century, many were accused of being witches just because they looked or acted differently.
* In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, a great number of witch trials were held. 24 people died as a result of these trials. Of the 24; 19 were hanged, 1 pressed to death, and 4 died in prison awaiting their trial.
* There are a few witches that practice Christianity, their religion is called Xtianity. Some just call themselves Christian witches.
* In Europe, Africa, and Asia, witches are believed to employ animals as their assistants. These animals are called familiars.
* There are several references to witchcraft in the Old Testament of the Bible. The practitioners of witchcraft were punished by death.
And of course some witchey myths:
* Witches are evil and worship Satan.
* Witches use witchcraft to cast evil spells or curses on people.
* The pentagram is a sign of the devil.
* All witches have big noses with a wart on the end.
* Witches only wear black and pointy hats.
* Witches ride around on broomsticks.
* All witches own black cats or can turn into black cats.
* Witches melt when you pour water on them.
* Witches are immortal.
* Male witches are called Warlocks.
* All witches are old and ugly.
* Witches have green faces.
Some unique superstitions about witches, funny, I've never heard these one's before :)
* If a witch somehow infects you with a spell, drink water from a running creek, using a cup made of cypress wood, for nine days straight.
* Bury a knife under your doorstep to protect your home from witches, who supposedly cannot pass over cold iron.
* Witches also hate brass. To prevent a witch from making your milk cow go dry, make a bell out of brass and hang it around the cow¹s neck.
* Put a witch's nail or hair clippings in a small glass bottle. Burying the bottle will break a witch's spell. Hanging the bottle in the fireplace will keep witches from flying into the room. And placing the bottle in a fire will kill the witch.
And a few intersting facts about the Salem witch tests":
The witch tests ranged from benign to deadly. The sink test involved tying rocks to the accused and placing them in water. If they sank, they were proclaimed innocent. If they floated, they were pronounced a witch, and were then hanged. Unfortunately with this test, even if you were innocent you still drowned and never had a chance to live as an innocent person. The Satan's mark test involved a body search for a black mark of Satan. The search was usually performed by a midwife, who would look for an odd black mark on the accused witch's body. If found, the black mark was often poked with needles to see if the person felt pain or bled. If they did not, they were pronounced a witch. The theory was that all normal people bled when poked, and it must be the work of the Devil if they had no reaction. The scales test involved weighing the accused against a metal bound Bible. If they were lighter than the Bible, they were found guilty of witchcraft. If they outweighed the Bible on the scales, they were innocent. The prayer test was another common test . The accused was asked to recite the Lord's Prayer. If they recited it flawlessly without problem, they were proclaimed innocent. If the accused stumbled over words, made a mistake or shrieked during their recitation, they were considered guilty of witchcraft.
Black Cats
Historically, black cats were symbolically associated with witchcraft and evil. In Hebrew and Babylonian folklore, cats are compared to serpents, coiled on a hearth. Black cats, because of their ability to remain unseen in dark places or at night, were considered especially desirable partners for witches in European traditions. Some witches purportedly had the ability to shape-shift into a cat nine times, hence the archaic belief that cats have "nine lives". Black cats were sometimes used in magical rituals, sometimes as participants, other times as sacrifices. In witch trials, ownership of a cat was often taken as "evidence" of Satanic association and witchcraft. Cats, believed to be evil in their own right, were often punished or burned alive along with humans during these trials
Some Black Cat Superstitions:
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. - American superstition
Dreaming of white cat means good luck. - American superstition
In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on.
The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town.
In Egypt, it was once believed that the life-giving rays of the sun
were kept in a cat's eyes at night for safekeeping.
To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck -Irish superstition
Familiars :
Magical helpers with whom they have a psychic connection. Rather than going out and doing evil, familiars are said to warn a witch of danger, protect her, and defend her. The healing power of the animal is stressed rather than its power for destruction. This interpretation is more in line with Native American beliefs in totem animals, such as bears or wolves, bears or wolves, which shaman or medicine men use as spirit guides in rites of passage or hehes describe familiars as magical helpers with whom they have a psychic connection. Rather than going out and doing evil, familiars are said to warn a witch of danger, protect her, and defend her. The healing power of the animal is stressed rather than its power for destruction. This interpretation is more in line with Native American beliefs in totem animals, such as bears or wolves, which shaman or medicine men use as spirit guides in rites of passage or healing rituals.odern-day witches describe familiars as magical helpers with whom they have a psychic connection. Rather than going out and doing evil, familiars are said to warn a witch of danger, protect her, and defend her. The healing power of the animal is stressed rather than its power for destruction. This interpretation is more in line with Native American beliefs in totem animals, such as bears or wolves, which shaman or medicine men use as spirit guides in rites of passage or healing rituals.
The Broom
Back in the olden days, witches often danced at their Sabbats with either long branches or broomsticks between their legs. For the Sabbats, the stick assisted the witch in "jumping", for how high the witch jumped would determine how high their crops would grow that year (broom dance).They would do this through sympathetic magic It was also the wet season and muddy so many woman would use the stick to help jump over mud puddles, and would appear that she was flying.
Other superstitions:
If the broom falls from your hands while you sweep, make a wish before retrieving it.
To bring rain, stand outside with the broom over your head in the air, (A friend of mine actually did this counter clockwise to calm some very strong wind )
To Protect babies and small children while they sleep, keep a small broom under their pillow.
To combat nightmare, hang a broom on the bedroom door.
Never move a broom from one house to another, it will bring bad luck and will bring dirt from you last residence into your house
It is a sign of good luck to have a broom drop in front of you.
Never sweep the kitchen after supper, whether daylight or dark, or you will sweep out all your money
.Stand a broom on its handle and you will always be poor.
The child who steps over a broom will get a whipping.
Other Superstitions:
If the flame of a candle flickers and then turns blue, there's a spirit in the room.
A person born on Halloween will have the gift of communicating with the dead.
If your palm itches, you will soon receive money. If you itch it, your money will never come.
The superstition of knocking on wood for good luck originates from pagan beliefs in regards to trees.
Eat an apple on Christmas Eve for good health the next year.
Brooms are often associated as a tool of witchcraft and often used to "sweep" away any negative energies. For a good house cleanseing ritual, with your broom, start from the begiining or back of the house, whichever you prefer and in a sweeping motion sweep all the othe neagtive or stagnit energy towards the back of the house. Do this for each room, in each corner and when your house is completely clean; sweep all of the energy outside so it can recycle into the universe.
Sources:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kitchenwitch/kitchenwitch/broom.htm
http://www.opossumsal.com/Legends/BroomSuperstitions.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cat.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, 3rd ed. (Berlin, 1837), no. 43.
http://www.halloween-website.com/superstitions.htm
http://www.texasescapes.com/AllThingsHistorical/SuperstitionsBB1003.htm
http://www.ehow.com/about_4565626_strange-witch-tests.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
http://www.petloveshack.com/hallow.html
Witches:
Some Witchey Facts:
* Wicca is the religion that witches follow, most witches are called Wiccans or Pagans.
* A large percentage of witches are vegetarians.
* Witches use herbs, incenses, candles, oils, etc. to cast spells. They never sacrifice animals or humans. (It is said that in medieval times witches were evil and would sacrifice animals and humans).
* The five points on the pentagram are earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.
* Witches do not believe in Satan.
* Wiccans and Pagans do have two main gods they worship, they are called the Lord and Lady.
* A large percentage of witches believe in reincarnation.
* In Sweden during the 17th Century, many were accused of being witches just because they looked or acted differently.
* In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, a great number of witch trials were held. 24 people died as a result of these trials. Of the 24; 19 were hanged, 1 pressed to death, and 4 died in prison awaiting their trial.
* There are a few witches that practice Christianity, their religion is called Xtianity. Some just call themselves Christian witches.
* In Europe, Africa, and Asia, witches are believed to employ animals as their assistants. These animals are called familiars.
* There are several references to witchcraft in the Old Testament of the Bible. The practitioners of witchcraft were punished by death.
And of course some witchey myths:
* Witches are evil and worship Satan.
* Witches use witchcraft to cast evil spells or curses on people.
* The pentagram is a sign of the devil.
* All witches have big noses with a wart on the end.
* Witches only wear black and pointy hats.
* Witches ride around on broomsticks.
* All witches own black cats or can turn into black cats.
* Witches melt when you pour water on them.
* Witches are immortal.
* Male witches are called Warlocks.
* All witches are old and ugly.
* Witches have green faces.
Some unique superstitions about witches, funny, I've never heard these one's before :)
* If a witch somehow infects you with a spell, drink water from a running creek, using a cup made of cypress wood, for nine days straight.
* Bury a knife under your doorstep to protect your home from witches, who supposedly cannot pass over cold iron.
* Witches also hate brass. To prevent a witch from making your milk cow go dry, make a bell out of brass and hang it around the cow¹s neck.
* Put a witch's nail or hair clippings in a small glass bottle. Burying the bottle will break a witch's spell. Hanging the bottle in the fireplace will keep witches from flying into the room. And placing the bottle in a fire will kill the witch.
And a few intersting facts about the Salem witch tests":
The witch tests ranged from benign to deadly. The sink test involved tying rocks to the accused and placing them in water. If they sank, they were proclaimed innocent. If they floated, they were pronounced a witch, and were then hanged. Unfortunately with this test, even if you were innocent you still drowned and never had a chance to live as an innocent person. The Satan's mark test involved a body search for a black mark of Satan. The search was usually performed by a midwife, who would look for an odd black mark on the accused witch's body. If found, the black mark was often poked with needles to see if the person felt pain or bled. If they did not, they were pronounced a witch. The theory was that all normal people bled when poked, and it must be the work of the Devil if they had no reaction. The scales test involved weighing the accused against a metal bound Bible. If they were lighter than the Bible, they were found guilty of witchcraft. If they outweighed the Bible on the scales, they were innocent. The prayer test was another common test . The accused was asked to recite the Lord's Prayer. If they recited it flawlessly without problem, they were proclaimed innocent. If the accused stumbled over words, made a mistake or shrieked during their recitation, they were considered guilty of witchcraft.
Black Cats
Historically, black cats were symbolically associated with witchcraft and evil. In Hebrew and Babylonian folklore, cats are compared to serpents, coiled on a hearth. Black cats, because of their ability to remain unseen in dark places or at night, were considered especially desirable partners for witches in European traditions. Some witches purportedly had the ability to shape-shift into a cat nine times, hence the archaic belief that cats have "nine lives". Black cats were sometimes used in magical rituals, sometimes as participants, other times as sacrifices. In witch trials, ownership of a cat was often taken as "evidence" of Satanic association and witchcraft. Cats, believed to be evil in their own right, were often punished or burned alive along with humans during these trials
Some Black Cat Superstitions:
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. - American superstition
Dreaming of white cat means good luck. - American superstition
In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on.
The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town.
In Egypt, it was once believed that the life-giving rays of the sun
were kept in a cat's eyes at night for safekeeping.
To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck -Irish superstition
Familiars :
Magical helpers with whom they have a psychic connection. Rather than going out and doing evil, familiars are said to warn a witch of danger, protect her, and defend her. The healing power of the animal is stressed rather than its power for destruction. This interpretation is more in line with Native American beliefs in totem animals, such as bears or wolves, bears or wolves, which shaman or medicine men use as spirit guides in rites of passage or hehes describe familiars as magical helpers with whom they have a psychic connection. Rather than going out and doing evil, familiars are said to warn a witch of danger, protect her, and defend her. The healing power of the animal is stressed rather than its power for destruction. This interpretation is more in line with Native American beliefs in totem animals, such as bears or wolves, which shaman or medicine men use as spirit guides in rites of passage or healing rituals.odern-day witches describe familiars as magical helpers with whom they have a psychic connection. Rather than going out and doing evil, familiars are said to warn a witch of danger, protect her, and defend her. The healing power of the animal is stressed rather than its power for destruction. This interpretation is more in line with Native American beliefs in totem animals, such as bears or wolves, which shaman or medicine men use as spirit guides in rites of passage or healing rituals.
The Broom
Back in the olden days, witches often danced at their Sabbats with either long branches or broomsticks between their legs. For the Sabbats, the stick assisted the witch in "jumping", for how high the witch jumped would determine how high their crops would grow that year (broom dance).They would do this through sympathetic magic It was also the wet season and muddy so many woman would use the stick to help jump over mud puddles, and would appear that she was flying.
Other superstitions:
If the broom falls from your hands while you sweep, make a wish before retrieving it.
To bring rain, stand outside with the broom over your head in the air, (A friend of mine actually did this counter clockwise to calm some very strong wind )
To Protect babies and small children while they sleep, keep a small broom under their pillow.
To combat nightmare, hang a broom on the bedroom door.
Never move a broom from one house to another, it will bring bad luck and will bring dirt from you last residence into your house
It is a sign of good luck to have a broom drop in front of you.
Never sweep the kitchen after supper, whether daylight or dark, or you will sweep out all your money
.Stand a broom on its handle and you will always be poor.
The child who steps over a broom will get a whipping.
Other Superstitions:
If the flame of a candle flickers and then turns blue, there's a spirit in the room.
A person born on Halloween will have the gift of communicating with the dead.
If your palm itches, you will soon receive money. If you itch it, your money will never come.
The superstition of knocking on wood for good luck originates from pagan beliefs in regards to trees.
Eat an apple on Christmas Eve for good health the next year.
Brooms are often associated as a tool of witchcraft and often used to "sweep" away any negative energies. For a good house cleanseing ritual, with your broom, start from the begiining or back of the house, whichever you prefer and in a sweeping motion sweep all the othe neagtive or stagnit energy towards the back of the house. Do this for each room, in each corner and when your house is completely clean; sweep all of the energy outside so it can recycle into the universe.
Sources:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kitchenwitch/kitchenwitch/broom.htm
http://www.opossumsal.com/Legends/BroomSuperstitions.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cat.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, 3rd ed. (Berlin, 1837), no. 43.
http://www.halloween-website.com/superstitions.htm
http://www.texasescapes.com/AllThingsHistorical/SuperstitionsBB1003.htm
http://www.ehow.com/about_4565626_strange-witch-tests.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
http://www.petloveshack.com/hallow.html
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