Witches, Witchcraft, and Witch Hunts - Blogs

 Here is our final video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPSDBsJOvOA&feature=youtu.be

       For my last blog, I am basing it off of my total curiosity. I googled “how to be a witch”, and went on a deep dive of what the internet has to offer. One of the first links that popped up is to a site called Wicca Academy. This site claims it can teach you how to become a witch, and offers classes such as Wicca 101. Even more, upon completing certain courses, you can earn Wicca degrees. To become a first degree wiccan, you need only to complete the first three courses of the Wicca Academy. They include education on magical signs, herbs and crystals, Wiccan holidays, dream interpretation, symbolism, and lucid dreaming. After completing the videos for these courses, you also have to complete the quizzes with a passing grade. The website offers courses up to becoming a third degree wiccan. Wicca Academy offers a few free things, but beyond that you must have a subscription. They offer an $8 monthly subscription, $39 monthly subscription. or $333 for a lifetime me...

       All semester long, I have been interested in the legal aspect of the Salem Witch Trials. To me, it seems that the United States legal system dramatically failed those accused of witchcraft. I was interested in comparing the legal system used to try those individuals, versus the legal system we know today, and to get a better idea of the history behind the legal system. When the Salem Witch Trials first started, Governor William Phips had to make a quick decision on how the accused would be tried. He decided to create a special court to try the accused witches, and this court was known as the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which means “to hear and determine”. That court looks quite different from the courts we know today, however some of the legal language remains, as the phrase “oyez, oyez, oyez” begins proceedings in the US Supreme Court.  Of course, one huge difference between the legal system that tried the accused witches and the one today is the...