• After the arrival of the Inquisition in Trier, Germany, only two villagers and only one single female inhabitant were left alive.
• In 1586 the Archbishop of Treves accused the local Witches of causing severe weather. By the time the Inquisition moved on, one hundred and twenty men and women were burned to death for interfering with the local climate.

Because of the overwhelmingly strict societal adherence to Christian law at the time, and a strict Christian upbringing of children, there was a strong belief in 'the devil' and in the current (and false) idea of Witchcraft that had become so common overseas. Though the paranoia in europe was subsiding, with the last execution back in 1685, New England was just getting started in its anti-Witchcraft hysteria. 
  
Much of this hysteria was related to a group of young girls, one of whom was the daughter of Rev. Samuel Parris. The girls had several meetings with a west Indian slave named Tituba, and began performing divinations about their future husbands. Some of the girls began showing signs of, what was considered to be at the time, demonic possession. Some researchers believe that their unusual behavior was due to a psychotropic fungus called ergot, a mold known to grow in wheat crops during damp weather. Whatever the cause may have been, the town's people were certain of satanic influence and rather than take responsibility for their own behavior, the girls began blaming other people in the community and claiming they'd been 'bewitched'. 
  
The accusations began to spread. Yet in the New England Trials, none of the accused who confessed were executed. Those who fought to have their names cleared and denied accusations were, however, hanged. 
  
It wasn't long until not even the most upstanding members of society were being accused. On of these people, Martha Corey, had a strong position in the church and in the politics of New England - but nevertheless spoke very strongly against the Witch Trials. The man performing the investigation, Sheriff Corwin, even presented Giles Corey, Martha's husband, as a witness. Giles plead against Martha, but he too was accused and executed for refusing to plea on his own behalf. 
  
Over one hundred and fifty people were accused during this time, fifty of which were found guilty. 
  
A Drastic Change 
By the late 17th century, the surviving Craft was almost completely underground. Then, in 1711, the General Court declared the use of spectral evidence unlawful, and reversed twenty-two of the thirty one convictions in Massachusetts. It was not until 1957 that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts finally reversed the remaining guilty verdicts finally acknowledging their errors. Although there were real Witches at the time, they had gone underground to keep from being caught. 
  
In England, 1736, an act from George the Second, which stated there was no such thing as Witchcraft, and to pretend to have occult powers was fraud, was enacted.  
  
In 1921, Dr. Margaret Murray published "Witch Cult in Western Europe", which discussed the pre-Christian religion of Witchcraft. In 1931, her second book "God of the Witches" elaborated on some of her previous ideas. In 1949 "High Magicks Aid", written by Squire (Gerald Gardner), was published. It combined basic Witchcraft and some ceremonial magick in a fiction book to spread information safely. It was in 1951 that England repealed its last Witchcraft Laws and replaced them with the Fraudulent Mediums Act. Gardner then wrote two more books (this time fact-based, in response to the new laws); "Witchcraft Today" and "The Meaning of Witchcraft". 
  
Other Witches followed. Raymond Buckland was initiated into the Craft in Perth Scotland, and is responsible for bringing Gardnerian Witchcraft to the United States of America.