#witch history

[thevirginwitch]

The Origin & Evolution of Correspondences in Witchcraft

This post was shared a week early over on my Patreon! Working a day-job and running a blog full-time is a ton of work, so any support is insanely appreciated! Patrons will receive early access to content, exclusive content such as research notes and book recommendations, free tarot readings, access to a private Discord channel within my server, discounted products from my Etsy store, free digital files, voting power on my content, and MUCH more! Check it out here for as little as $2/month.

If you’ve been a witch for a while, you’ve probably asked yourself: where do correspondences come from? Who decided that lavender was good for calming, or that obsidian was good for absorbing negative energy? Where does the concept of correspondences come from in the first place? To answer these questions, we must first look at something called “correlative thinking”: Marcel Granet (1884-1940), a French sociologist, coined the term “correlative thinking”, which can be defined as “thinking of an item of one class by correlating it with an item of another class”, typically organizing and relating “natural, political/social, and cosmological data in highly ordered arrays or systems of correspondence.” Sound familiar?

Correlative thinking takes many forms throughout religion, philosophy, and humanity – even showing up as early as Mesopotamia, where they believed events on earth ran parallel to events in heaven: “each city-state had its own patron god and every change in the balance of power between the city-states was seen as the direct reflection of a change in the relationship of the gods.” (Cavendish, pg. 12) In ancient Greece and among Hellenic philosophers, they came up with the “macrocosm/microcosm” analogy, which describes the relationship between the smaller, human being (the microcosm) with the much bigger, seemingly infinite cosmos (the macrocosm).

This correlative thinking is prevalent in many magical texts throughout the years – including The Emerald Tablet (late 8th-early 9th century), The Picatrix (a 9th century Arabic grimoire), The Key of Solomon (1312), and the Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533). After the publication of The Three Books of Occult Philosophy and the boom of new-age spiritualism in the 1970s, there have been a massive number of publications related to witchcraft, correspondences, ritual magic, and more. For the purpose of this post, however, we’ll be focusing on these foundational texts to better understand the evolution and origin of correspondences.

The Emerald Tablet, dated around the late 8th-early 9th century, is one of the most highly influential texts within the philosophical and occult realm. An English translation of a line of text within The Emerald Tablet provides one of the most popular terms among new agers and modern pagans: “That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above”. A shortened version of this phrase, “as above, so below”, can be found in Helena Blavatsky’s work, Isis Unveiled (1877), where it became massively popularized among the modern pagan community. This phrase, along with terms related to correlative thinking, tie back to many cultures – including China, India, and more.

The Picatrix, 9th-century Arabic grimoire on astrological magic, is yet another influential piece of text. This text contained astrological magic, magical potions and spells, and different Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Aristotelianism philosophical passages – and it also included the explanations of links between planets and intangible objects such as colors and perfumes/fragrances.

After a few series of translations in the 12th and 13th centuries, the information within the Picatrix (and other sources) were recorded and arranged by Henry Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535) in his work, Three Books of Occult Philosophy in 1509 (not being published until 1533). From there, Dr. John Dee (1527-1604) expanded on Agrippa’s work in the 1580s and 1590s.

Shortly after, in 1620, the Magical Calendar was published, which compressed much of the previous material. This calendar, amazingly recorded on one page, “contains tables of correspondences arranged by number, from one to twelve. The material is based largely on the extensive tables in Agrippa, book II, but goes beyond this, especially in its inclusion of sigils.” (Skinner, pg. 14)

Moving onto another incredibly influential text, The Signature of All Things, published by Jakob Bohme in 1764, covers a similar concept to correlative thinking known as ‘the doctrine of signatures’: God created everything on Earth with a “signature”, or sign, that tells you what that object’s purpose is. The idea is that any plant, herb, or object on earth should resemble what it’s purpose is – for example, walnuts (which look like brains) are used for brain health, and tomatoes (which are red, plump, and contain ventricles like the human heart) are used for heart health. Obviously, this concept was adopted in the context of medicinal use – by looking up an object’s signature within this book, a physician could theoretically find treatments for specific illnesses. While the contents of this book (and similar texts) have been debunked as pseudoscience, the influence of the doctrine of signatures is prevalent in witchcraft correspondences today.

In 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded, and during that time S L MacGregor Mathers (1954-1918) and Dr. Wynn Wescott (1845-1925) prepared knowledge lectures for the Order, which eventually led to the generation of a Book of Correspondences (unpublished). According to Adam McLean in his edition of The Magical Calendar, this book circulated among members of the inner order of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and was later published by Aleister Crowley as his own work, Liber 777 (1909). Meanwhile, in 1908, The Kybalion (an anonymously written text, though often attributed to William W. Atkinson [1862-1932]) was published, including topics like “The Principle of Correspondence” and “The Planes of Correspondence”.

From here on, we have an uproar in magical texts, thanks to the new-age/spiritualism movement of the 70s and 80s – popular authors like Gerald Gardner, Scott Cunningham, Ray Buckland, and many others published works on the subject of magic, often including their own correspondences, typically influenced or inspired by the works of Crowley, Mathers, and Atkinson. Of course, the contents of these modern texts are what is most recognizable to practitioners today – we usually find tables of information, relating astrological signs, herbs, planets, feelings, colors, and more to their “meanings”: protection, anti-stress, happiness, love, etc.

As it stands, correspondences are a by-product of the ‘correlative thinking’ concept we covered earlier – this correlative thinking shows up in Mesopotamia, and evolved throughout magical texts and grimoires, eventually becoming these “tables of magical correspondences” that we are familiar with seeing in modern witchcraft and pagan books and resources.

As I round off this post, I want to share a quote from Richard Cavendish in his book, The Black Arts: “Man is a tiny replica of the universe. If two things are naturally associated together in the human mind, which is an image of the ‘mind’ of the universe, this is evidence of a real connection between the two things in the universe. Many of the important magical analogies and connections are not natural to most people’s minds today, but have been handed down by tradition from the remote past. This enhances their value for occultists, who believe that humanity was a great deal wiser in these matters in the remote past than it is now.” As practitioners, particularly modern practitioners, I feel we put too much emphasis on older concepts and traditions. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with sticking to traditions and building off of older magical systems, I think it’s just as important that we work on our own magical systems – what does the color red mean to you? What about the planet Jupiter? Find out what works for you – you may find that it makes you feel more connected to your craft and your practice, and your workings could become more powerful, too.

Sources/Further Reading:

Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism by Wouter Hanegraaff

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa

The Signature of All Things by Jakob Bohme

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish

A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult by DK

The Complete Magician’s Tables by Stephen Skinner

Neurobiology, Layered Texts, and Correlative Cosmologies: A Cross-Cultural Framework for Premodern History by Farmer et al

https://youtu.be/p0z3MuuB9uc

https://youtu.be/gYSGSjU84vE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1av438mLY

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2018/06/03/magickal-correspondences/

https://howardchoy.wordpress.com/tag/correlative-thinking/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/An-abstract-diagram-meant-to-illustrate-the-perfectly-correlative-structure-of-the_fig4_237249544

https://swedenborg.com/emanuel-swedenborg/explore/correspondences/

#correspondences #thevirginwitch #witchcraft #witchcraft 101 #witchcraft 102 #witchcraft 201 #witches #witches of tumblr #pagan #beginner witch #witch history #reading materials #witch #magic #grimoire #book of shadows #astrology #astrological magic #astrological #planetary magic

[coinandcandle]

Familiar Spirits and The Witches' Familiar - Coin's Notes

What is a familiar, and how do they fit into modern magic?

Definition

Familiars are spirits that act as assistants or guides to magic users, helping them with domestic and/or magical duties.

Familiars were and sometimes still are classified as a type of demonic spirit that often take the form of an animal, mostly thought to be cats, dogs, toads, and hares.

They are thought to help witches or magic users in domestic areas as well as in their magical affairs. Familiars can take on any color or shape.

In the 17th century, Familiars were more likely to be called “Imps”!

Etymology

The word Familiar comes from the Latin familiaris meaning "of or belonging to the family". Familiaris may come from the Latin word famulus meaning "slave" or "servant".

As far as we know, the first usage of the word in the context of witchcraft is attested from the 1560s. Before this, it was used as a noun meaning “familiar friend”.

History

The idea of familiars being a witch’s helper spirit was especially strong in the 17th century when King James I wrote about them in his book titled Daemonologie in which he talks about witches and their supposed "relations" with the devil.

This belief was most popular in East Anglian Europe and was scarcely found elsewhere during the witch trials.

The first recorded witch trial to reference a familiar in witchcraft is that of Dame Alice Kyteler, in 1324 (Wright 1833, p. 2) but it would be two centuries later that the idea of the witch's familiar took off.

Margaret Alice Murray talks about two different kinds of familiars The Witch-Cult in Western Europe: "those by which the witch divined and those who attended on the witch to obey her commands." *

Many historical accounts that we have regarding the confessions of supposed witches were likely falsified since the people being accused were under duress as they were being tortured. This doesn’t mean all historical accounts of Familiars are false, but we should take them with a grain of salt.

Most of the time those accused of witchcraft and of having "familiars" were lonely or isolated folks, likely older in age, that would talk to the animals probably similar to how we speak to our pets now.

However, keeping animals as pets wasn't too popular among the working class, and relationships with animals that were more than a farmer and his stock were seen as unnatural.

Cunning folk practices were said to involve familiars as well, though were often thought to be different than the witch’s “demonic” familiar and were sometimes referred to as the “fae” or “fairy” familiar in literature.

Side Note: We can’t talk about familiars without talking about demons!

“The noun meaning 'demon, evil spirit that answers one's call' is from the 1580s (familiar spirit is attested from 1560s); earlier as a noun it meant "a familiar friend" (late 14c.). The Latin plural, used as a noun, meant ‘the slaves,’ also ‘a friend, intimate acquaintance, companion.’ The usual ancient Greek sense, ‘supernatural agent or intelligence lower than a god, ministering spirit’ is attested in English from the 1560s and is sometimes written daemon or daimon for purposes of distinction. Meaning ‘destructive or hideous person’ is from the 1610s; as ‘an evil agency personified’ (rum, etc.) from 1712.” (etymologyonline)

Famous Familiars

Familiar spirits were confessed to during the witch trials of Huntingdon. Two of their names were Greedigut and Grissel and they were given to the witch in spirit form by a demon who went by the name Blackeman. They were said to look like black dogs with hoglike, bristled hair on their back. -> It was said that they would do whatever their master requested and when they were not given a task would attack or rob passersby.

Agathion is a type of Familiar demonic spirit that can appear as an animal or a man. Once bound as a familiar it will live inside a ring or talisman of some sort. They were said to only appear at midday or to be most powerful at midday.

Sybacco was the familiar to the Comte de Corasse, the Comte de Foix, and Adriano Lemmi. Described as having bull horns and three eyes on his forehead, he is under the command of the demon Botiz.

Thomas "Tom" Reid was said to be the Familiar of Bessie Dunlop of Scotland, who was tried in 1576. Tom was described as the spirit of a soldier as well as an honest, elderly man. Tom told Bessie that he lived in Elfhame with the fae.

Boye was Prince Rupert’s dog that some believed to be his familiar due to their closeness and Boye’s tagging along during the British Civil War, though this was likely a smear campaign against the prince.

Similarities and Comparisons

Fylgr, a Norse guardian or “follower” spirit, was attached to a person related to their fate. These were often only seen by those with the ability to see the supernatural. In some cases, they would foretell the death of the person they followed but they weren’t inherently a sign of death.

Ancient Romans had genii that fall under the “helpful spirit” category, such as Lares Familiares which were household deities or spirits that were guardians of the family.

The Greeks believed in daimons which refer to supernatural beings between men and gods, such as minor gods or spirits of dead heroes. -> Some believed you could have personal daimons that acted as guides, guardians, or spiritual companions. Socrates was said to have a personal daimon, see: De Genio Socratis.

Fetches, historically considered bad omens, are now sometimes seen as a servitor spirit with a time limit that a person creates for a specific purpose. The Fetch will disappear once their task is completed or they’ve been dismissed. (pg 63-66 Barbarous Words) -> Originally, fetches were seen as a sort of spectral doppelganger, and seeing one foretold the death of the person they took the shape of.

Familiars in Modern Magic

Not dissimilar to their old definition, Familiars are seen as spirits that aid and guide witches. They are teachers, helpers, and companions.

Familiars can teach you magic, help with spells, or perform tasks for you.

They are not a pet. Treat a Familiar the way you’d treat a colleague or even a friend.

Divination is a great way to contact familiars. If you've done spirit work before then it's similar to contacting any other spirit.

Familiars are usually seen as a contractual spirit relationship.

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

Resources and References

On Familiars Familiar - Britannica Etymology of Familiar - Etymology Online Notes on Familiars by Early Modern Whale Guardian spirits or Demonic Pets by James A Serpell CunningFolk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby Paltrie Vermin, Cats, Mise, Toads, and Weasils: Witches, Familiars, and Human-Animal Interactions in the English Witch Trials. by Helen Parish

On the Witch Trials Witch Persecutions edited by George L. Burr. Malleus Maleficarum or The Witch’s Hammer by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger The Witch-Cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray  Daemonologie by King James I

*Note: While her witch-cult theory has been thoroughly debunked, Murray helped shape modern witchcraft whether she meant to or not and as such her texts are worth a read.

Misc Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures by Theresa Bane The Folklore of Isle of Man ch. III by A. W. Moore Barbarous Words: A compendium of Conjurations, British folk magic, and other Popish charms by George Hares The Witch’s Familiar and the Fairy in Early modern England and Scottland

#familiars #witchblr #witch history #witchcraft #familiar spirits #coin's notes

[bornthrough-bramblearch]

New witch tip:

Practice is more important than study.

You need to fuck up in your path in order to learn and if it doesn’t work try again or try a different way.

Witches of the past majority of the time learned from their spirits so while it’s nice that we have a large community to learn from, pay attention to your spirits and learn from them first and foremost.

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witchcraft #occult #witchblr #trad witch #folklore #witch history #familiar #trad witchcraft

[hecatesdelights]

Love in the Edwardian age

#edwardian inspired #witch art #witch history #witches in love #alteredai #lgbtqia+ #love is love #witches reed

[mrsmothmom]

is wicca really ancient? 🤔

#witch #witchcraft #wicca #wiccan history #wiccan #pagen #pagenism #pagan wicca #wiccablr #witchy #witchblr #witch history #the craft #magic #magick #youtube #mothmom clips #Youtube

[manifestmoons]

Are you curious about what type of witch you are? Take our “What Type of Witch Are You?” quiz to find out! This quiz will ask you questions about your interests, and preferences to determine which type of witch best suits you. Are you a Green Witch who works closely with nature and plants, or a Cosmic Witch who harnesses the power of the stars and planets? Take the quiz now to find out! 🔮🌿

#witchcraft basics #witches of tumblr #witch art #witch community #witchblr #manifestmoons #pagan witch #witchcraft #beginner witch #grimoire pages #cosmic witch #witchcraft 101 #witchythings #green witch #hedge witch #kitchen witch #eclectic witch #witch history #lunar magic #astrology #zodiac signs #astrology community #astroblr #zodiac #horoscope

[chaotic-gremlin-27]

☽What is a Familiar?☾

This lesson will go over the historical contexts of familiars as well as the more modern ideology of them. This lesson will include some UPG so I will add a warning before any UPG.

The Definition of Familiar

A familiar is a spirit that is contracted with a practitioner to help them with their craft. This can be done in a plethora of ways and I will get into those in another lesson.

The History of Familiars

Familiars have been associated with witches for centuries. Depending on where you look there are different beliefs about how a witch gets a familiar or what a familiar is. The first case I could find of a familiar was actually the first witch to be executed in England back in 1566. Agnes Waterhouse confessed to owning a cat named Satan that was given to her by her sister. It was then believed that Satan the Cat would go off and do Agnes' dirty work, namely injuring or bringing misfortune to people. Back then, Satan the Cat was believed to be a spirit who took the shape of a cat. Another example of familiars in history is when, in 1582, Ursula Kempe accused Elizabeth Bennette of keeping a "ferret-shaped spirit in a pot". Another example of familiars in history is during the Salem Witch Trials. Familiars were seen as imps who were given to witches by the devil himself to help them do his evil bidding. One of the ways they would identify witches during the trials was by looking for moles on the accused witch's body. They believed that familiars would feed off of the witch's blood and that would then leave a mark on their body.

Modern-Day Perception of Familiars

When you bring up familiars nowadays, people often think of pop culture like Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch or Archimedes from The Sword in the Stone. While these are examples of magical people having animal companions they don't equate to what a familiar can actually do for you. Don't get me wrong, some familiar rep in the media isn't horrible but you also must remember that the witches in the media can create things out of thin air or move things with their minds.

Closing Statements (UPG BELOW)

As stated above, a familiar is a spirit that is contacted with a practitioner to help them with their craft. A familiar can be any type of spirit, from something as simple as an animal spirit to something as complicated as a demon. Some people also believe that a physical animal can be a familiar. If you choose to believe this or not is 100% up to you. That being said having a physical animal as a familiar can be very difficult depending on the type of familiar you want, mainly if you want them with you 24/7. The most important thing to remember with familiars is that you are equal in your relationship, you aren't their "master". For a familiar bond to even form, both parties have to be completely consenting.

If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them!

#gremlin’s witchy knowledge depository #witchcraft #familiars #witch history

[lunavenefica]

Witches of History-Pt.2

⛤Hello fellow friends ⛤

This week's history on famous witches is about Marie Laveau, also known as the "Voodoo Queen".

Born in New-Orleans, Louisiana, at the beginning of the XIX century, she was a free woman in a slave state.

At this time, Louisiana's slave population raised to 13%, reaching one of the highest percentages in all of the USA.

After getting married and losing her husband, she got herself called the "Paris Widow".

It's after the death of her mother that Marie started to practice the Craft ; From occultism, to herbalism, magical healing and divination. However, her main power is in Voodoo practice and she was called a Mambo.

She organized secret celebrations, and her reputation went further than the borders of Louisiana; she worked to bring luck or to shield curses in love, justice, financial, fertility and even health affairs.

She died in 1881 and was buried in New Orleans.

This is our little attempt to give some justice to the powerful women that practiced the Craft in the past.

Witchfully Yours,

⛤ Isidora & Bleiz ⛤

#witchcraft #witch #witch history #witchcraft history #witch community #history #women in history #powerful woman #voodoo #magic #occult #baby witch #witches of tumblr #wicca #pagan wicca #wicca for beginners #wiccablr #wicca aesthetic #wicca phase springs eternal #pagan #witchblr #spirituality #meditation #spiritualawakening #spiritualgrowth #spiritual #spiritual healing #kitchen witch #witchythings #scarlet witch

[theblasianwitch]

To anyone who is like me when it comes to learning history (reading it is very difficult for me unless it's a subject I'm really passionate about. Only time was art history) I'm just here to share my current fav podcast/s for learning witch history and folklore. I'll probably share a list of my fav books soon.

The History of Witchcraft by Samuel Hume

Carribean Folklore and Mysteries by Michelle Eastmond

I am still looking for podcasts specifically for Asian and African Folklore. I have TikToks and YouTubers I watch for them but I just want something I can listen to on my walks and at work discretely.

#witchblr #witches of tumblr #witch community #asian witch #black witches #afro witch #witches of color #witch history #folklore #Caribbean folklore

[ghoulishmorbidchick-blog]

Witch History & the origins/culture of England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales

I never understood why modern day witches seem to be willfully ignorant of Witch history from the (14th-18th Century) in various countries including England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales & why they act like it never happened or they only focus on their country of origin. The witch-trials happened in various countries, men & women were accused of witchcraft but some of the accused never admitted or confessed to being a witch under duress due to torture, I respect their resilience & courage. I'll never understand why some disrespectful people claim white people supposedly don't have any culture, but England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales is Celtic, Druid, Pagan in it's origin, why would we have Stonehenge in Wiltshire if there were no Celtic people, Druids or Pagans? It is a place of worship, it is sacred. 💖😊 Why do we have places associated with witchcraft or witch's (The Ancient Ram Inn, The Witch's Cage, The Hellfire Club Caves, Loftus Hall, Leap Castle) if we supposedly have no culture? England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales all have their own individual mythologies, folklore, Lore, Urban Legends, Unexplained mysteries, Paranormal encounters, Cryptids, Witch History. This is our culture, our beliefs, I think people should educate themselves about all Witch History instead of having a biased opinion, perception, attitude, mentality & confirmation bias because they choose to only know one aspect of Witch History that's just based on their country of origin. It's narcissistic, boastful, arrogant, attention-seeking, dismissive of other countries, cultures, because you think your country of origin is better than the rest of the world for whatever reason 🙄😒😑

A lot of things that are celebrated now are "borrowed from Paganism, so it's witchcraft. I am aware that some of the people that were originally accused of being a witch were a very early version of a healer, botanist, physician, apothecary, herbalist. They were thought of as suspicious since not everyone at the time had knowledge of herbalism and how to use plants, herbs, spices for medicinal purposes.

The werewolf trials were just as interesting the (14th-18th Centuries) is a very interesting period of time, due to mass hysteria, people consuming ergot on rye bread which is a fungus that makes you hallucinate when consumed. So it makes sense that people thought that anyone they were suspicious, fearful, distrusting of was a witch, werewolf, or they sold their souls to the devil and consorted with demons.

#Witch History #This is our culture #Origins of England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales #Education versus willful ignorance #Learn from history #Not all witches are evil! #Not all witches dedicate their soul to Satan #Not all witches work with Lucifer or Satan #Not all types/forms of witchcraft are the same #Witches are good people #Witches are healers #Witches/Satanists/Occultists/Spiritual people are good people #Witchcraft & Spirituality is NOT evil!

[reign-of-hecate]

Timeline of Witchcraft

#witch history #witchy #aesthetic #witchywoman #witchythings #witchyvibes #witches #witch aesthetic #witchlife #witch community #witchesoffacebook #witchesoftiktok #witchesofig #witchesofinstagram #witches of tumblr #witches of color #witches of the world #blessedbe

[thevirginwitch]

witchblr: what is your favorite witchy artwork?

historical or not, i would love to see your favorite pieces of media that depict witchcraft/the occult! (don’t forget to properly give credit to any authors you may cite.) i’ll leave you with a piece i found not too long ago:

this is supposedly one of the earliest depictions of witches ‘flying’ on broomsticks. the illustration appears on a poem, 'Le Champion des Dames', written by the French author Martin le Franc, in 1451. the illustration was likely drawn by Peronet Lamy, a native of Savoy; inspired by the Valais witch trials (1428-1447). you can read more about the piece, which currently resides in the The Museum of Witchcraft, here!

#witchcraft #witchy #witchblr #witchcraft community #witchy art #occultism #esoteric #occult #occult history #witchy history #witch history

[coinandcandle]

Coin's Research Tips

As you may know, I do a lot of research for my posts, to the point of adding references and citations. So I know very well that occult and witchy history is murky at best and full of nazis at worst. Here are some tips I've come up with for those of you who want to do your own research.

Cross-reference. Especially when you're looking into something that isn't widely accepted as fact or truth. For example, correspondences vary by region and culture, but a lot of times you'll be able to find similarities in the meanings of correspondences by looking at multiple sources. Cross-referencing also helps keep biases in check!

Use Wikipedia as a starting point. High School may have scared you away from using Wiki as a source, but it can be really helpful! Go to the citations and reference sections at the bottom of the pages and you'll see a few, and sometimes a lot, of references that you can go off to read!

Check for references and citations, and then check those references and citations. There can be dozens of links in someone's reference section or on their blog, but if none of them are valid or have any historical relevance to the post, then they're useless.

Look for reputable sites. These are often sites created by experts or consult experts. (Check below for resources)

Look into the author. Sadly the occult has a long history of bigots weaseling their way in, be sure you know who you're reading from.

Know that researching a bad person and why they're bad is not a bad thing and you are not bad for doing it.

Look for credentials. Why should you believe this author? What cultures and circles are they a part of? Are they academics, scholars, or historians? Find the credentials needed for whatever you're researching.

Fact check. Especially if it's your first time seeing the statement somewhere, see if there are other credible sources that back this statement up.

Ask for references. This really only goes for blogs or social media. No one who researches and writes about it should be offended by you asking for references.

Ask around. If you're looking into something but don't know where to start, ask your witchy friends! You can also send me an ask and I'll do my best to send you resources if I can find them.

Talk to people who actually practice what you're looking into. If you're researching a culture or practice, talk to practitioners and see what they have to say before proceeding further.

This doesn't just go for those of us that love research, at some point in everyone's path, they will stumble across something that needs to be looked into. You can also use these tips for casual research!

Here are a few of my favorite resources:

Sacred-texts.org

Your local library

worldhistory.org

@s-n-arly shared a list in this post of useful research sites such as:

refseek.com

worldcat.org

linkspringer.com

base-search.net

pdfdrive.com

If you're a person who also loves to research witchcraft and the occult, please add your favorite sources and tips in a comment or reblog!

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

#witch history #witchcraft history #occult history #beginner witch #coin's notes

[bornthrough-bramblearch]

Let’s have conversations, let’s talk about our spirits, initiation, old ways and new, the virtues of flora and fauna, let’s talk about how we plan to debunk misinformation and EXPLAIN WHY we are debunking it.

Tumblr has been a hub for many new witches to access information that isn’t a 30 second clip or an Instagram ad for services by mystic Sarah (just an example not a literal person). So let’s bring that back let’s be more than just reblogging posts from 3 years ago.

Let’s talk!

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witchcraft #occult #witchblr #witch #trad witch #folklore #witch history #trad witchcraft

[soulsanitarium]

Tulen morsian - English title: "The Devil's Bride" is a Finnish historical drama film released in 2016. It was directed by Saara Cantell and is based on the historical treatise of the same name written by the Finnish author, Leena Virtanen.

The film is set in the late 17th century and revolves around the life of Anna, a young woman living in a small Finnish village. Anna is accused of being a witch and is forced to confront the prejudices and superstitions of her time. The story delves into themes of oppression, religious intolerance, and the power dynamics between men and women during that era.

It is perhaps the most accurate historical film presenting witch processes as they were (but there is a lot of fiction too). The Movie and this podcast are based on Academical research of the subject and yet it is exiting and revealing. (Watch the video clip below)

*The first trials in Sweden-Finland influenced by Diabolism took place on the Swedish speaking island, Ahvenanmaa (Åland) situated between Sweden and Finland (1666) - map below.

*The judge of Ahvenanmaa Nils Psilander acted on his own initiative, and supposedly believed to have based his actions on the most modern information of the time - as he did, indeed.

*In the theoretical part I will sum up things from the psychoanalytical viewpoint. We are in the middle of the crisis now - learn what can happen to people’s mind in crisis. (The Audio Part was made during COVID-19)

My podcast series about Witches in Finland and witch films is coming to an end. It is time to remember the victims of these Witch processes.

There were about 1,200 trials in Finland in which the crime was witchcraft or sorcery - about 150 death sentences. It is not known how many of them were released in the Court of Appeal. Of the more than a thousand people accused in 1620-1700, more than half were men. In Åland, those sentenced to death (in 1666 - 1668) were all women.

Listen and watch this episode for free (below).

#witchcraft #witch #movies #witches #cinema #film #folklore #horror #history #Devil’s bride #witch history #Witch prosesseissa #Witch hunt #finland #åland #feminism #Devil #satan #the crucible #salem #the craft #the vvitch #akelarre #hagazussa #vredens dag #witchhammer #malleus maleficarum #demonology #Youtube

[guirandanadelay]

A brief introduction to Aragonese Witchcraft

greetings to all! First of all i would like to point out that i don`t speak english so maybe my writing has some strange issues, also i i’m new in tumblr so i don`t how to make beautiful posts. Have patience with me please. Anyway.

Basque witchcraft trials and galician folklore are very well known, but its remarkable that the spaniard witch hunt begun in the northeast area (due to the conecction to France, where the Inquisition was founded). Catalonia and Aragon were the regions in which more witch trials took place, and they share the very rich and old folklore of the Pyrenees.

I would like to make a simple introduction into aragonese witchcraft, but before it i think that i should do a tiny presentation of Aragon.

Aragon is a region located in the northeast of the Iberian peninsule, bordering with France and other iberian regions like Catalonia, Navarre and Valencia. This is the land of the famous painter Francisco de Goya, and of other personalities like Catherine of Aragon (the first wife of Henry VIII), Michael Servetus, Baltasar Gracián, Joaquín Costa or Luis Buñuel (filmaker).

 During the Middle Ages it was a reign of its own, but because of the marriage of the spanish catholic monarchs (Queen Isabelle I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon) the Aragonese Crown started to mix more with Castile originating the future concept of Spain. This map is a representation of the Crown of Aragon during 1492: 

The Witch Hunt started in the peninsule in 1424 due to a pyrenean law that punished “those who go with witches” with death penaltie. In all the Pyrenean area the rumors about a devilish group of people that consorted with Satan weren’t new. The bloody prosecution of cathars influenciated the Crown of Aragon, bringing here not only the ideas about heretics and devil whorshippers but a bad fame to the french foreigns and a growing sensation of insecurity too. In 1461 on Villanua (Bellanuga in aragonese) a woman named Guirandana of Lay was accused of being a sorceress, and after being carried to Jaca she was found guilty and burnt at the stake. Studies tell that she was probably of Béarnaise origin, and that she worked as a healer before her arrest. In her confessions Guirandana explained that she was the "cap e bordon" (leader) of a local group of poisoners (ponzoñer@s in aragonese), they would met on each other houses to concoct toxic potions and powders and teach the younger members about their making. Later, allegedly, they would poison townfolk because the Devil have told them to do so. Guirandana gave a recipe of a powder that she throwed to the ground in which her victims were stepping to cause the illnes, it was a grinded mix of toads and snakes' bones. Obviusly her confessions are very debatable because torment was presumably used. Altought Guirandana wasn't accused of witchery at all, her trial set precedent to aragonese witch trials. With Guirandana some other people were likely carried to Jaca and burnt, but in the same area (Cenarbe, a dissapeared village very near) and only 37 years after her polemic a new hunting arosed. Three siblings were suspected of being witches, two of them (Maria and Juan) escaped, but one remained and was chased. She was Narbona Dacal, firstly interrogated by local judges (it was the secular judges and not the Inquisition who more witch hunts started on Spain) but afterwards some inquisitors that had have notice of devil whorshipping and heresy carried she to Zaragoza. In Zaragoza she was tortured and interrogated, her confession depicted a secret cult to the Boc of Biterna (the he-goat of Biterna). Elements like the pact with the Devil and the sacrilege associated with the term "witch" appeared for first time in Aragon with this case. She was burnt at the stake, and on later months other women like Gracia la Valle burnt on september of the same year or Maria (unknown surname, "wife of Garcia Biessa") burnt in 1499 were prosecuted under the witchcraft charge. Since Guirandana in 1461 up to 1645, the aragonese witch trials took place. 

Simultaneously as the witch trials were developing, they were arrested also those accused of practising sorcery, divination, necromancy or folk healing. Commonly their penalties were less harsh than those of witches supects, being very rare death and more frequent flagellation, public repentance, humiliation and exile. In a lot of cases witchcraft charge was accompanied by sorcery or poisoning accusations, specially cause "ponzoñería"/"metzinería" (the term in aragonese, and in catalan) was not only considered poison making but specifically witch poison making. The catalan word "metzina" came from the latin and remained the antique ambiguity of poison and medicine.         That made easy the witch accusations to healers and midwifes.                           

if you like this post perhaps i will write about specific aragonese witch trials or about the figure of the Boc o Biterna. Finally i have to warn you that the vast majority of bibliography is in spanish.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

·         “Abracadabra Omnipotens. Magia urbana en Zaragoza en la Edad Moderna” by María Tausiet Carlés. (this is available in english on the internet).

·         “Brujería e Inquisición en Aragón” by Ángel Gari Lacruz.

·         “Eros y Tánatos. Brujería, hechicería y superstición en España.” by Juan Blázquez Miguel.

·         “Europe’s inner demons” by Norman Cohn.

·         “Guirandana de Lay, hechicera, ¿bruja? y ponzoñera de Villanúa (Alto Aragón), según un proceso criminal del año 1461” by José Antonio Fernández Otal.

·         “La bruixeria a través de les Ordinacions D’Àneu” by Ángel Gari Lacruz.

·         “La brujería en los Pirineos (siglos XIII al XVII). Aproximación a su historia” by Ángel Gari Lacruz.

·         “La Mala Semilla. Nuevos casos de brujas” by Carlos Garcés Manau.

·         “Las brujas en la historia de España” by Carmelo Lisón Tolosana.

·         “Nuevos datos sobre brujería y superstición en Sobrarbe. Siglos XV-XVII”  by Manuel López Dueso.

·         “Origens i evolució de la cacera de bruixes a Catalunya (segles XV-XVI)” by Pau Castell Granados.

·         “Ponzoña en los ojos. Brujería y superstición en Aragón en el siglo XVI” by María Tausiet Carlés.

·         “Procesos criminales en el arzobispado de Zaragoza” by M. I. Falcón Pérez y M. A. Motis Dolader.

·         “Sanar y dañar en la Baja Edad Media: la medicina, la magia, la brujería y su relación con la sociedad cristiana occidental” by María Pilar García Romano.

·         “Vienen de noche. Estudios sobre brujería y la Otredad” by Júlia Carreras Tort. (Co-founder of OccvltaCrafts).

·         “Wine vat witches suffocate children. The mythical components of the Iberian Witch” by Pau Castell Granados.

·         “Witch or Demon? Fairies, Vampires and Nightmares in Early Modern Spain” by Fabián Alejandro Campagne.

In addition, I have read and reviewed some of the original manuscripts of the trials. Some (very few) are available to read and download online at https://dara.aragon.es/opac/app/results/?p=0&q=brujeria&ob=re:1&vm=nv

#traditional witchcraft #witch hunt #witch history #spain #aragon #folklore #witchcraf #sorcery #poison path #poison making #ponzoñeria #metzineria #pyrenees #zaragoza #catalonia