Final Essay

I have so enjoyed our semester of learning about witchcraft, witch trials, and Salem. I feel that I’ve deepened and enriched my understanding of what defines witchcraft, witches, and magic through our fantastic texts, discussions, and projects. In reflecting on our semester, five of the most interesting and memorable things I have learned over the past months are:

1. The importance and purpose of art in witchcraft.

2. The existence and impact of Salem witch trial transcripts.

3. The delineation between magic and religion.

4. How magic and witchcraft persist as a force in our society today.

5. The commonality between and prevalence of witches in popular media today.
   

One of the first things I’d love to discuss in my learning this semester is the role that art has played in relation to witchcraft. I had the chance to touch on this a bit in my final presentation, but one of the most personally impactful things I’ve learned through reading our first text is how art has preserved knowledge and understanding of witchcraft for centuries. Art, defined in this case as paintings, drawings, jewelry, sculptures, book illustrations, etchings, and more, has not only provided incredible visual elements to supplement our modern understanding of magic and witchcraft, but also provides a window into this world. The nature of the work of art, its purpose, who commissioned it, who created it, and where it was displayed all reveal key things about how that form of magic was conceptualized in society at a given time.

For example, Prince Iskander’s nativity horoscope was created for the birth of the grandson of the Mongol ruler, Tamerlane. This first reveals that magic, at least in the form of astrology, was valued among the highest classes of Mongol society in the mid-1300s. By extension, those that could create these maps were also important figures to Mongol leaders. This nativity horoscope also indicates that magic was used to determine what greater forces might have been at play during one’s birth.

Another thing I learned is how prevalent magic and witchcraft have been throughout time. In reflecting on our first text, magic practices appeared in nearly every civilization across the globe in each century. From Ancient Egypt, to Native American civilizations, to Ancient Japan, to the American colonies, the courts of European kings, magic was present.

I also noticed that our book classified elements of certain ancient religions as magic. This struck me as quite interesting. For example, some parts of Ancient Egyptian beliefs, such as protective spells for the afterlife, or Ancient Roman votives were considered magical by our authors.

One question that I am left with, that will continue to spark my learning in the years to come is: What is the line between magic and religion? At what point in time does religion begin to be classified as magic? When do sacred practices begin to seem like ancient rituals?

A third impactful thing that I have learned over the course of our semester is that there were recorded transcriptions of the Salem witch trials. As we know, these transcripts are not entirely reliable, as they were hand-written, and recorded by men in the community who, even if they claimed to be independent, likely had some sort of agenda, bias, or beliefs that impacted the writings. These transcripts were so key for my learning because they provided such a unique perspective on the trials, especially by offering the responses of the individual who was accused. In these transcripts, the aggressive, unrelenting, and often baseless approach of the inquisitions are captured, as well as the unreasonable lines of questioning they employed. The emotional confessions or the futile denials of the accused witches were also captured in unparalleled detail.

Two of the most compelling transcripts that we read were those of Tituba and Sarah Good. The detailed and immersive nature of Tituba’s “confession” enabled me to understand why the people of Salem were drawn even further into the witch-trial frenzy. On the other hand, Good’s examination reveals how even those who denied being witches were cast as magic practitioners. Perhaps most critically, these transcripts enabled me to connect with individuals who lived hundreds of years ago; they humanized the residents of Salem and helped me to further understand the predicaments of the witch trials.

Additionally, through our enlightening new media presentations, I learned about the commonality and prevalence of witches in media. These presentations enabled me to understand how different conceptions and versions of magic and witches exist in many movies, TV shows, and books. Some of these stories, such as Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Enchanted have actively shaped my generation’s and my personal relationship with witches and magic.

This influence and dynamic of how witchcraft figures into my personal understanding of magic through the media was not something that I had deeply considered before.

Through our new media presentations, I was also able to see the similarities and common themes that exist between depictions of magic and witches. For example, the theme of magic being seen as a special ability that could be taught or developed, or the idea that witches can transform their appearance by using magic. I was also able to understand how these modern depictions were rooted in past notions.

For example, the idea that witches can be understood as old, craggy, women (as seen in Albrecht Drüher’s “The Witch”), or as young, beautiful, dangerous seductresses (as seen in “Liebeszauber” or “Love Spell”, which was painted by the Master of the Lower Rhine).

Finally, a key part of my learning this semester was that witchcraft and magic continue to be prevalent forces in today's world. I had not previously considered things like crystals, tarot cards, and even zodiac signs to be fully classified as magic. Although, through our readings, I now understand them to be completely related to this realm.

I believe that part of the reason why these items did not strike me as being entirely related to magic before taking this course was because they have become somewhat commonplace in our society today, or at least in the community in which I find myself immersed as a young woman. Earlier in the year, I saw videos about the powers that different crystals such as rose quartz and malachite hold on TikTok, painted tarot card decks for sale on Etsy, and the horoscope predictions in Cosmopolitan magazine. However, I’ve learned that even though these items, and other things like them, have become somewhat integrated and accepted into mainstream society, that does not diminish their magical origin. Rather, it represents how elements of magic are still thriving and in place in society today.

Thank you so much for leading us through such a great semester, and for helping to foster discussion and reflection on these fascinating topics!