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The Devil is the light that reveals the path through the dark woods of desire. After all, getting what we want is what the craft of the witch is. Witchcraft is wish craft, for our wishes are his wishes, and our worlds shall be his world.
— Sebastian von Marburg

Witchcraft is a very powerful form of sorcery that channels its power from the Devil. For a wide range of magic practices, see "Magic."

Description

Witchcraft, also referred to as 'crooked way' by Mary Sibley [1], is an extremely dark and powerful form of sorcery that draws on malevolent powers, primarily used for malicious purpose.[2] While the Church is known to disapprove of all magical practices, witchcraft is the only magical tradition that is prohibited by law as it is aimed at causing harm and for its affiliation to demonic forces.[3] Countess Von Marburg considers Witchcraft as a "long path to endarkenment" [4]. According to Reverend Increase Mather, the practice of Witchcraft dates as far back to the beginning of humankind. Reverend's implications were later confirmed by Countess Von Marburg, who expressed how Eve – the first and best of women according to the Countess – was the first who "followed the Serpent". Since then, witches have existed, passing down their knowledge and skills through generations in family lines or by making a deal with the Devil.

Witchcraft is black magic, and the practice of it blackens the soul of the practitioner regardless of how it is used. This was proven by Anne Hale, who, in spite of her vow to harm none, still turned to the dark side. The blurred lines of wrongdoing such as the sacrifice of thirteenth victims for the Grand Rite is explained by the Sentinel — all power corrupts. Mercy Lewis, who struggled with mental disorders [5] worsened after coming into her powers. Rose Browning once mentioned that "malice ferments better in a loveless heart." [6] Witchcraft can, for the most part, be used however the witch see fit, it was proven that if a witch were to abuse or misuse their power by the few standards that are held by their Dark Lord, that the Devil can rescind their contract, preventing the latter from further harnessing his power. According to Cotton Mather, there is no mention in recorded history of such event before Mary endured it.[7]

Deal with the Devil

Main article: Deal with the Devil

One of the simplest and most common ways to join the Devil's army is to make a Pact with the Devil. Generally, there is an exchange between the aspirant witch and the Devil, although the nature of this exchange is not yet entirely clear. Tituba and the Essex Hive allowed Mary to believe that her unborn baby would have been the price to pay in exchange for the powers. Anne Hale was sexually assaulted by the Devil in the guise of a man with caprine features, but it was not specified if this happens to every witch or Anne Hale was a special case, being both a virgin and a cradle witch coming to her powers. In the contracts depicted, the aspirant witch has always been pushed to the brink of despair; Tituba enslaved by Englishmen and sold like cattle since she was a child. Mary was left alone and pregnant out of wedlock by John Alden. Mercy was threatened with death by Mary and assaulted by the aforementioned demon. Anne Hale was depressed and scared upon the discovery of her witch heritage and murdering her own parents.

Sex Magic

A method to harness enough power to be used in spells is to achieve sexual arousal both with a partner or through autoeroticism, generally via the use of a witch's shaft. This method seems to be very common among witches as lust is one of the cornerstones of witchcraft – the other being sacrifices of blood. [8] Several rituals require the use of sexual arousal, especially the rituals that allow projecting an astral double of the witch wherever they wish to go. As the soul is exalted during arousal and the mind is free from the material world, a witch is able to use this altered state of consciousness to manifest their will and get magical results. Sexual activities are not limited to partners of the opposite sex, but rather the homoerotic transgression seems to accentuate the significance of this practice.[9]

Sacrifice

Main article: Sacrifice

The ritual sacrifice of shedding blood. This includes the voluntary offering of the witch's own blood, but more often it is the shedding of the blood of a victim chosen specifically because it meets certain prerequisites, be it animal or human. The bloodshed not only appease the dark spirits but has the property of being a key ingredient for special rituals requiring a considerable amount of blood. Be it to consecrate the earth to the devil as the Grand Rite or to ensure everlasting beauty and health by blooming from blood baths.

Memorable Quotes

Cotton Mather: "Everything the witch does is powered by two things — lust and death. The lust they provide for themselves, but they must look elsewhere for the dead parts."
The Stone Child

Rose Browning : "True malice, like that which powers the Grand Rite, ferments best in a loveless heart. I have looked into your heart, and it is anything but loveless."
The Red Rose and the Briar

Mary Sibley : "I, too, came into my powers in the wake of great and painful loss. And I remember what it was first like to feel my body from within like a fever in the blood, that I could now do things, do things with words, with gestures."
Cry Havoc

Mary Sibley: "You have yet to feel the terror, slowly becomes fascination, and eventually joy as you learn to take in the life force in all the creatures around us, turning the power within it, directing it as you will, into another person...Or into say, a doll."
Cry Havoc

Dr. Wainwright: "My religion is science and I am more convinced than ever that what the Church calls magic and witchcraft is but undiscovered science. I told you once that I had never met a woman like you, one who would peer into the abyss with me. And this orrery, like some celestial clockwork, tracks the comet overhead? Only the great Edmond Halley has even speculated that comets are not singular occurrences, that they cyclically return. And yet you witches have known for centuries. Such knowledge, such power, and yet you hamstring your own great achievements."
Dr. Wainwright: "You are scientists years beyond the rest of us. Why do you hide?"
Mary Sibley: "Because they kill us if we do not."
Dr. Wainwright: "I understand now. Like Socrates, like Galileo, like Bruno, you are martyrs of truth. And finally, you are fighting back, waging war against the Puritans. And wiping out your enemies. Well, I will tell you, your enemies are my enemies."
Dead Birds

Gallery

Trivia

  • Adam Simon gave several interviews where he discussed at length about witchcraft.[3]
    • "I had been interested in some time in the traditions of European witchcraft in the early modern period and the borderlands between early science and the occult. There is a lot of exciting historical material that sort of turns the history of witchcraft upside down. Suggesting that there was more reality to it than most of us have come to believe. More and more evidence that some of those accused did, in fact, conceive of themselves as involved in some form of witchcraft."[3]
    • "I was also fascinated by a wider landscape of magical belief in this last period in which magical thinking dominated all of the thinking. Even as late as the period we are talking about, say the 1690s, the vast majority of people still have a fundamentally magical view of how the world works, how the universe works, what's out there and what's in there. In particular, I've been interested in the body of work being done on European witchcraft and its relationship to Shamanism and other worldwide witch traditions."[3]
    • "Every episode contains many elements drawn from or inspired by history — we feel free to use pretty much anything that anyone believed about these things, anywhere in the world, for a couple of centuries leading up to our period. If one had the will and the patience one could footnote dozens of details in every episode."[3]
  • Adam Simon argued more than once, including through the words of Countess Von Marburg, that there is no single god or practice of magic. Salem witches, however, practice malefic magic.[2]
  • Ahead of the third season, Adam Simon revealed a pagan origin for the Essex Hive, asserting that before devoting themselves to the Devil, their beliefs were directed elsewhere.[10]
  • Adam Simon stressed the difference between witches and cunning and other magic practitioners falling under the role of charmers, healers, and sages and that the only form of magic that is considered dangerous and illegal is Malice, or dark magic.[2]
  • Adam Simon also referred to Malice as Left-Handed Path.[2]
  • According to Cotton Mather, everything a witch does is powered by two things: death and lust.
  • The Devil is the primary patron of all witches, but not necessarily revered by seers or cunning ones. He has no role in the belief systems of indigenous tribes of America.
  • Witches follow seasonal cycles, phases of the moon and the celebration of pagan festivals and sabbaths.

References

  1. Season 2, Episode 9: Wages of Sin
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Adam Simon Talks Season Two and Witchcraft Lore.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Spoilertv.com - Adam Simon exclusive interview
  4. Season 2, Episode 2: Blood Kiss
  5. In ASK SALEM:Elise Eberle Talks Playing Mercy, Eberle describes Mercy as suffering from "bipolar disorder and mild schizophrenia".
  6. Joe Menosky & Adam Simon (writer) & P.J. Pesce (director). May 25, 2014. "The Red Rose and the Briar". Salem. Season 1. Episode 6. WGN.
  7. Brannon Braga & Adam Simon (writer) & Joe Dante (director). November 30, 2016. "Night's Black Agents". Salem. Season 3. Episode 4. WGN.
  8. Cotton Mather explained this in Season 1, Episode 2: The Stone Child.
  9. Tituba and Mary had several erotic scenes, notably in S1, E1: The Vow and S1, E6: The Red Rose and the Briar.
  10. Adam Simon reveal a pagan history of Essex Hive at San Diego Comic Con 2016

See Also

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