Witches and Witchcraft

Witchcraft is the use of supernatural powers and magical spells. In Christian Europe witches were thought to be in worshipers of Satan and used their powers to harm people and property. The concept of witchcraft as good and bad is increasingly distinguished with good witches involving healing.

Beliefs in witchcraft have existed in many cultures worldwide and still exist in some today.. The witch was a respected in primitive times and they were valued, not feared, they helped ease pain and healed people and their animals. In primitive times religion and magic were virtually the same. Priests were magicians and magicians were priests.

These beliefs were prominant in Early Europe of the 14th to 18th century, where witchcraft came to be seen as diabolical and resulted in the Witch Hunts.

In the Christian and Islamic faiths, sorcery came to be associated with evil.

Many French healers were accused of witchcraft a majority of the accused witches in Hungary seem to have been healers.

Some of the healers and diviners accused of witchcraft should be considered as Shamans. These people had contacts with fairies, spirits and traveling through the Otherworld. These beliefs are found in the folklore of most of Europe, and were described by the accused witches in Europe.

The basic characteristics of a witch is that they poscess the ability to cast a spell. A spell could consist of a set of words, or a verse. Spells are cast by many methods, by the binding or pricking of a wax image of a person to affect them magically; with incantations; by performing physical rituals; and by the use of magical herbs, amulets or potions.Necromacy is the practice of conjuring the spirits of the dead for prophocy.

Today, it is thought that many witches and the possessed were those with dementia or other psychosis. In early times the medical and the psychological sciences to explore causes, other than possession, for the behavior of people was not as advanced as it is today; although Anceint Greece surpassed the European countries. A victim who was thought to be possessed because of their spastic jerkings and verbal utterances such as people with Tourette's syndrome were victims for the accusations of possessed. The involuntary profanities and barks, curses, tics, facial contortions were thought to be possessed by the Devil.

The name Witch conjures up Sabbaths and demonic activity to this day and the association of the Old Hag and her cat still crosses people's minds when it is uttered. Throughout time this reference has been made; and it has been proven that even when there is doubt there is still a grain or truth. Are witches a part of the imaginary world or is the imagined the truth buried in the seas of unknown.