The year is 1586. The setting is the small village of Treves in Europe. Due to the recent harsh winter, the Archbishop of Treves sentences one-hundred twenty men and women to death. The charge is that these persons interfered with the elements. A good plot for a fictional story, don't you think? Unfortunately, this incident is not fictional. The Archbishop obtained a 'confession' by means of torture. These one-hundred twenty people were burned to death as witches.

This event is one of thousands caused by hysteria. A hysteria set into motion by two infamous German monks, Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger. Kramer and Sprenger published their book, the MALLEUS MALEFOCARUM (THE WITCH HAMMER), in 1486. The purpose of this book was to give definite instructions for the prosecution of witches. The book was submitted to the Theological Faculty of the University of Cologne, the appointed censor at that time. The majority of the professors refused to have anything to do with the book. Undaunted, Kramer and Sprenger forged the approval of the whole faculty. This forgery was not discovered for another four-hundred and twelve years. The hysteria spread through Europe like wildfire. The persecutions of witches raged on for nearly three-hundred years. One estimate claims that nearly nine million people were hung, burned, or tortured to death on the charge of Witchcraft. Gillian Tindall, author of A HANDBOOK ON WITCHES, states:

"All the same, witches were not entirely the hapless victims which some nineteenth- and twentieth-century commentators have painted them."

In my opinion, anyone charged and convicted of a crime they did not commit IS a hapless victim. Of course, not all of the accused practised witchcraft. This was a convenient way for some to rid themselves of anyone they begrudged. Tindall goes on to say:

"Whatever doubt there may be about the reality and/or wickedness of their ritual practices, it is fairly certain that a large number of the witches throughout history were anything but nice people."

Tindall makes a generalization on the character of witches. It is due to prejudices like this one that the word "witch" holds an ominious meaning for most people in societies today. WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY defines witch as:

A woman supposedly having supernatural power by a compact with evil spirits"

Granted, the majority of witches today are of the feminine gender, but there are male witches. The males are called 'witch', the same as the female gender.

It is true that the Craft does attract a few 'bad seeds', most witches abide by the 'Harm None' rule. Also, most witches have some kind of 'Rule of Three' that they believe.

Witches do not want sympathy, nor do we want an apology. The only request we make is that the general public educate themselves on the Pagan religions. We do not begrudge anyone, we just refuse to allow 'The Burning Times' to reoccur. Knowledge is power. The power to Understand, and only through the light of Understanding can the darkness of Prejudice be dispelled.

May the light of the Goddess shine brightly on you and yours.

Merry Part and Brightest Blessings,