This file is copyright of Jens Schriver (c) 
It originates from the Evil House of Cheat 
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Essay Name       : 725.txt 
Uploader         : Sean Gould
Email Address    : 
Language         : english ( USA)
Subject          : Mythology
Title            : Witch Craft
Grade            : A-
School System    : high school
Country          : usa
Author Comments  : it was a ok paper 
Teacher Comments : Great work!
Date             : 10-14-96
Site found at    : Link
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WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT

IS THE EXORCISE OF SUPERNATURAL POWERS BY PEOPLE WHO CALL
THEMSELVES WITCHES. A WITCH IS A PERSON WITH  SUPERNATURAL
POWERS AND KNOWLEDGE USUALLY ACQUIRED FROM THE DEVIL IN
EXCHANGE FOR HIS/HER SOUL. WITCHES DON'T LIE BUT ARE VERY
MISLEADING, THEY ARE BELIEVED TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE SHAPE,
TRANSFORM OTHERS, CAUSE ILLNESS OR DEATH, CONCOCT CHARMS AND
TELL THE FUTURE. WITCHES ALSO TEND TO BE FEMALE, RATHER THAN
MALE.

THE CONCEPT OF WITCHCRAFT IN THE MIDDLE AGES DEPENDED ON
CERTAIN PRESUPPOSITIONS. THESE INCLUDED THE BELIEFS THAT THE
DEVIL AND HIS SUBORDINATES, SUCH AS DEMONS, IMPS, INCUBI, AND
SUCCUBI, WERE REAL AND HAD POWER IN THE WORLD; THAT PEOPLE COULD
HAVE PHYSICAL RELATIONS WITH THEM; AND THAT CONTRACTS BETWEEN
PEOPLE AND DEMONS COULD BE ENFORCED.

IN THE SATANIC WITCHCRAFT OF THE MIDDLE AGES, WITCHES WERE
THOUGHT TO BE SERVANTS OF THE DEVIL. IN RETURN FOR SERVING THE
DEVIL ACCORDING TO CONTRACT, WITCHES ALLEGEDLY RECEIVED CERTAIN
POWERS, PARTICULARLY TO CAUSE OR CURE ILLNESS OR TRANSFER IT FROM
ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER; TO RAISE STORMS AND MAKE RAIN OR,
SOMETIMES, TO CAUSE DROUGHT; TO PRODUCE IMPOTENCE IN MEN AND
STERILITY IN WOMEN; AND TO CAUSE CROPS TO FAIL, ANIMALS TO BE
BARREN, AND MILK TO GO SOUR. THEY WERE BELIEVED TO BE ABLE TO
AROUSE LOVE THROUGH THE USE OF PHILTERS AND POTIONS AND TO
DESTROY LOVE BY CHARMS AND SPELLS; AND TO DO HARM OR EVEN BRING
ABOUT DEATH BY THE SO-CALLED EVIL-EYE, OR BY STICKING PINS INTO A
WAX FIGURE OF THE VICTIM. THEY SUPPOSEDLY COULD BECOME INVISIBLE
AND FLY WITH THE AID OF A BROOM OR SPECIAL OINTMENTS. WITCHES
ALLEGEDLY FORETOLD THE FUTURE; ANIMATED INANIMATE OBJECTS,
REVIVED THE DEAD, AND CONJURED UP OTHER SPIRITS; AND
TRANSFORMED THEMSELVES AND OTHERS INTO ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY
CATS AND WOLVES.

WITCHES IN EUROPE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES AND LATER WERE
ORGANIZED INTO COVENS OF 12 MEMBERS, MAINLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY
FEMALES, AND A LEADER USUALLY A MALE. THE LEADER WAS CONSIDERED
THE VICAR OF THE DEVIL AND WAS REGARDED BY MANY OF HIS SIMPLER
WORSHIPERS AS THE DEVIL HIMSELF.  TRADITIONALLY, HE REPRESENTED
AS DRESSED ALL IN BLACK OR IN THE GUISE OF A GOAT, STAG OR OTHER
HORNED ANIMAL. THE COVEN SUPPOSEDLY GATHERED ONCE OR TWICE A
WEEK. AT THESE MEETINGS, THE WITCHES ALLEGEDLY PERFORMED ACTS OF
DEVIL WORSHIP, REPORTED ON THEIR ACTIVITIES, AND MADE PLANS FOR
THE COMING WEEK. LARGER REGIONAL MEETINGS, CALLED SABBATS, WERE
SAID TO DRAW HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS OF JOYOUS REVELERS,
INCLUDING WITCHES AND THEIR UNINITIATED FOLLOWERS.

THE MOST CELEBRATED WITCH'S MEETING PLACE IN ANCIENT AND
MEDIEVAL EUROPE WAS BROCKEN, THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE HARZ
MOUNTAINS OF GERMANY, THE SCENE OF THE SABBAT SO VIVIDLY
DESCRIBED IN GOETH'S FAUST. THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SABBATS, WERE
HELD ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 30TH ROODMAS AND WALPURGIS NIGHT AND
THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 31ST HALLOWEEN. SABBATS WERE CELEBRATED
ALSO ON THE NIGHTS OF JULY31ST LAMMAS AND FEBRUARY 1ST
CANDELMAS AND PROBABLY ON OTHER NIGHTS ALSO.

THE OPENING PROCEDURE AT A SABBAT WAS THE INITIATION OF NEW
MEMBERS. THE INITIATION CEREMONY SUPPOSEDLY INVOLVED TAKING THE
OATH OF OBEDIENCE TO THE DEVIL, SIGNING OF CONTRACTS WITH HIM IN
BLOOD, AND DESECRATING CRUCIFIXES AND OTHER SACRED OBJECTS;
ASSIGNMENT OF A FAMILIAR; IN THE FORM OF A CAT, MOUSE, WEASEL,
TOAD OR OTHER SMALL ANIMAL TO DO THE BIDDING OF THE WITCH; AND
VARIOUS ACTS OF OBSCENE ACTS OF OBEISANCE TO THE DEVIL AND HIS
VICAR. INITIATION WAS FOLLOWED BY A GENERAL WORSHIP, WHICH
SUPPOSEDLY FREQUENTLY INCLUDED THE BLACK MASS A PARODY OF A
ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS INVOLVING THE WORSHIP OF SATAN OR THE DEVIL.
WORSHIP WAS SAID TO BLEND INTO DANCING, WHICH BECAME WILD AND
INDECENT. THE SABBAT ALLEGEDLY INDEED IN SEXUAL ORGY.

THE WITCH -HUNTING MANIA  OBSESSED EUROPE FROM ABOUT 1050
TO THE END OF THE 17TH CENTURY; IT SUBSIDED OCCASIONALLY BUT THEN
ATTAINED GREATER FURY. CHILDREN WERE ENCOURAGED TO INFER
AGAINST PARENTS, HUSBANDS AGAINST WIVES, RELATIVES AND
NEIGHBORS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. WITNESSES WERE PAID TO TESTIFY.
INHUMAN TORTURES WERE INFLICTED TO FORCE CONFESSIONS. THE
INQUISITORS DID NOT HESITATE TO BETRAY PROMISES OF PARDON TO
THOSE ACKNOWLEDGING GUILT. A CLASS OF PROFESSIONAL WITCH FINDERS
AROSE WHO COLLECT CHARGES AND THEN TESTED TH ACCUSED FOR
EVIDENCES OF WITCHCRAFT. THEY WERE PAID A FEE FOR EACH CONVICTION.
THE MOST COMMON TEST WAS PRICKING. ALL WITCHES WERE SUPPOSED TO
HAVE SOMEWHERE ON THEIR BODIES A MARK, MADE BE THE DEVIL, THAT
WAS INSENSITIVE TO PAIN. IF SUCH A SPOT WAS FOUND, IT WAS REGARDED
AS PROOF OF WITCHCRAFT. AMONG OTHER PROOFS WERE ADDITIONAL
BREASTS, SUPPOSEDLY USED TO SUCKLE FAMILIARS, INABILITY TO WEEP,
AND FAILURE IN THE WATER TEST. IN THE WATER TEST, IF A WOMAN SANK
WHEN THROWN INTO A BODY OF WATER SHE  WAS INNOCENT; IF SHE
STAYED AFLOAT, SHE WAS GUILTY.

IN RECENT YEARS , PUBLIC INTEREST IN VARIOUS TYPES OF
OCCULTISM HAS INCREASED. OCCULTISM IS THE BELIEF IN HIDDEN OR
MYSTERIOUS POWERS NOT EXPLAINED BY KNOWN SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES
OF NATURE, AND THE ATTEMPT TO BRING THESE POWERS WITHIN HUMAN
CONTROL BY SCIENTIFIC METHODS. MANY BOOKS ON WITCHCRAFT AND
ASTROLOGY HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED, AND PERSONS PURPORTING TO BE
WITCHES HAVE APPEARED IN EUROPE AND IN THE UNITED STATES. THE
APPEARANCE OF MODERN FORMS OF WITCHCRAFT, OFTEN REFEREED TO AS
WICCA CAN BE ATTRIBUTED BOTH TO THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS CULT
WRITERS AND ANTHROPOLOGISTS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY AND TO A
GROWING INTEREST IN ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION.
WHILE SIMILAR IN CEREMONY AND ORGANIZATION TO THE DESCRIPTIONS
OF DIABOLICAL WITH CULTS OUTLINED EARLIER, WICCA ORGANIZATIONS DO
NOT ENGAGE IN DEVIL WORSHIP OR HARMFUL PRACTICES. SOME SCHOLARS
SEE MODERN WITCHCRAFT AS A FERTILITY CULT, BUT IN GENERAL THE
OFTEN DISTINCT METHODOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN GROUPS DEFY GENERALIZATION.

WITCHES PERFORM SORCERY, THE ART OF SHOWING WORKS OF WONDER OR
GAINING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH SUPERNATURAL MEANS. OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS MAGIC. MAGIC IS ALLIED WITH ALCHEMY, OCCULTISM,
SPIRITUALISM, SUPERSTITION, AND WITCHCRAFT. MAGIC IS DIVIDED INTO
TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES: WHITE, WHICH IS GOOD AND BLACK, WHICH
IS EVIL. WHITE MAGIC IS USED TO HEAL AND COUNTERACT THE EFFECTS OF
BLACK  MAGIC. BLACK MAGIC CONSISTS OF WITCHCRAFT, SORCERY, AND THE
INVOCATION OF DEMONS; WHITE MAGIC CONSISTED OF THE TOLERATED
FORMS, SUCH AS ASTROLOGY, JUGGLERY, AND SLEIGHT OF HAND.	 
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