In Salem, Massachusetts summer of 1692, a group of teenage girls were said to have been “under evil hands”. When the girls were asked, who had done this to them, they accused local middle aged men and women. According to Castillo, “the first three women they accused were Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, the slave” (1692, Castillo). Tituba claimed to not be a witch however, her mother was. These three women were the first witches to go on trial, all three were found guilty. By the end of summer hundreds were accused, twenty-seven awaiting trial, fourteen women and five men were executed mainly by hanging. Witches have been around for centuries.Witchcraft is deeply embedded in European culture. Many agreed and disagreed with beliefs of …show more content…
Wiccans celebrate seasonal and lunar cycles, worship goddesses or sometimes a goddess and a god. Has nothing to do with fourteenth - seventeenth century witchcraft. Basic tenets of Wicca include a reverence for nature, explore new and ecological principles, and a code of ethics. The Code of ethics also known as the wiccan Rede: “an ye harm none, do what ye will.” (Wicca, Adler). This code of honor or living simply means that one will harm none, what one does will come back to them. These codes are called ‘Sabbats’. Sabbats are two sections containing 4 parts, major and minor. Major includes Beltane (spring) the beginning of warmer summer nights, Lughnashadn (summer) celebrates ‘Lugh wedding’ and first harvest, Samhain (autumn) final harvest, beginning of winter and the Celtic new year, and Imbolc (winter) lengthening days, coming of light, and pregnancy of livestock. Minor includes Vernal Equinox (spring) balance of light and dark, relates to fertility of the crops Summer Solstice changing of seasons, crops and animals are thriving, Autumnal Equinox (fall) the final thanks to the crops gives the finding of winter, Winter Solstice celebration of light. Those who practice use an important tool, magic, “not black magic, but the magic of healing and making whole” (Wicca, Chambers