A witch casting a hexing spell
Witches are organizing under the #WitchesForBLM hashtag, casting support spells for protesters of George Floyd's death and hexing the police.

The Black Lives Matter protests may have gained a powerful new ally.

This last week, witches have thrown their support behind those protesting the death of George Floyd with protection spells for protesters – and hexing spells for police.

Organizing under the hashtag #WitchesForBLM, the growing subculture of witches, warlocks, and others shared hexing tips with one another, including how to cast a proper spell and draw a sigil.

The movement came together under the June 5th full moon, a time when witches believe their hexing powers to be particularly potent. They say that their spells will be more powerful in the days following the full moon, as well.

Witches are an increasingly powerful group online, with their numbers growing every day. On TikTok alone, the hashtag gained a whopping 10 million views. That makes sense, as witchcraft is a fast-growing movement particularly popular with Millennials and Gen-Z. 

Hex the Police

The #WitchesForBLM have a simple goal: protect protesters, and hex police officers. Popular TikTok witch GeminiMoon told Refinery29 that “witches or practitioners are using [their] power to help aid in healing and protecting people of color, or anyone affected. Some witches are also taking advantage of this great energy to hex the oppressors.”

Not only are they hexing, but they believe that their hexes are working. On June 6th, lightning hit the Washington Monument, and many witches took it as a sign that their spells were working. And, of course, the arrests and charging of the four police officers involved with George Floyd’s death was also seen as a sign that their spells were working as intended.

Still, witch influencers are urging that witches do more than just cast spells and hexes. They’re urging their followers to donate to relevant charities and causes if they’re financially able. As GeminiMoon said, “we will do our best to help end the racism that’s embedded within our culture, with or without magic."

Not Their First Rodeo

This isn’t the first time witches have made headlines for casting targeted hexes. Since President Trump took office, witches have fought MAGA with magic by hexing him, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and more. They even wrote a book on it.

After he took office, an anti-Trump hex went viral online. The hex requires some rather humorous ingredients, including:

  • Unflattering photo of Trump (small)
  • Tower tarot card (from any deck)
  • Tiny stub of an orange candle

As for the pro-BLM hexes, it's no wonder that modern-day witches are eager to support protesters. Witches are a historically persecuted group (throughout history, but most notably during the Salem Witch Trials), giving them a deep sense of empathy for other marginalized communities.

What do you think of the #WitchesForBLM movement?

96 comments

  1. Paul J. Fumero's Avatar Paul J. Fumero

    Stop calling them witches. its a different belief system than christianity.

    1. Donna Petersen's Avatar Donna Petersen

      We Are witches and we refer to ourselves as such. Obviously its a different religion than Christianity. Thats not new news. In fact Paganism was around a lot longer. Blessed Be

      1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

        And Paganism will be around a lot longer too, for Christianity is on its way out, praise the Goddess! Blessed be!

    2. Joy's Avatar Joy

      I am a witch and I do not mind being called a witch. I'm proud of who and what I am.

    3. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Even though it is a different belief system then Christianity. There isn't anything wrong with them being identify as witches, if that what they choose to be identify as.

    4. Cheryllynn Dyess's Avatar Cheryllynn Dyess

      Why. not call them witches? I am a witch and am proud to say so....

    5. Matthew Mastrogiovanni's Avatar Matthew Mastrogiovanni

      Proud witch here.

    6. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Comment removed by user.

  1. Thom's Avatar Thom

    Surprisingly many of them believe in the power of god. Or gods. The pagans were far more in tune with the natural balance of the creation of this world than any practitioner of Christianity. I feel their beliefs, theology if you will, came from ancient learners and much like the indigenous peoples of the America they were demonized by white racism and made out to be heretics and witch doctors. But you see much of what we have even in pharmacology today comes from remedies those were creating with the very same materials from nature. Birch bark=aspirin. So, Hexes, I fear are negative. Black magic. Negative energy begets negative repercussions. So I don’t necessarily agree with hexing. But our world is not balanced with out Ying and Yang. ☯️ Good and Evil. I don’t suppose we should support these types of behaviors but We can’t prevent them. They are learned behaviors from being wrongfully treated and then seeking revenge for that treatment against society. We, the wiser, spiritually enlightened must work even harder towards bringing white magic and our own enlightenment to others. Be the example. Be the leader. Take upon the burden of proof. It is not an easy task as we have seen with many a monk, priest, witch, prophet, saints, popes, presidents.............but it is our burden as leaders who have been given the opportunity to be enlightened.

    1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

      Wicca is a Pagan life path. All Wiccans are Witches, but not all witches are Wiccan. Many of us Wiccans believe in the three fold law of karma. Whatever energy we put out, be it good or bad, comes back to us threefold. Hexes can be used for good, only if they are used for protection, but simply trying to hurt someone will come back to the original perpetrator of the harm. What goes around definitely comes around. Blessed be!

      1. Sheila Vickery Jensen's Avatar Sheila Vickery Jensen

        Wiccan Rede Harm None! Wiccan or Witch powers should not be used negatively.

      2. Cheryllynn Dyess's Avatar Cheryllynn Dyess

        Not all Wicca are Witches!!! Some only follow the Wiccan belief system! As a witch myself, who is not Wiccan I know some Wicca who are NOT witches.

    2. Anisahoni's Avatar Anisahoni

      Thom, just a minor correction to your awesome post. White Willow tree bark was the original source for aspirin, not Birch bark. Birch bark is also medicinal, but for different ailments. My Native mother taught me a lot about what we call "The Medicine Way" and I learned about our traditional medicinals, like wild mint, ginseng, ginger root, sassafras tea, mullein, St John's Wort, dandelion, and other traditional plants. BTW, we are still demonized by racists, but we are still here, my brother. We are survivors. Peace.

    3. Philip Joseph Ryan's Avatar Philip Joseph Ryan

      Spells, hexes, or prayers won't resolve the situation. Nor will committing further criminal acts, because of a policeman unlawful killing a serial thief and armed robber.

      CooL heads and rationalism is what is needed to deal with the situation, not hysteria and more violence.

      1. Asa William Sprague, II's Avatar Asa William Sprague, II

        There is no evidence that Floyd was a serial thief or armed robber at the time of his death. He had been living in Minneapolis for 6 years and had no arrest records for that time. Apart from possible drug use, which is still not proven, he had every appearance of being a reformed criminal.

        1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

          I haven't seen or heard of any reports suggesting that George Floyd was ever a criminal. All he did was try to pass a counterfeit twenty dollar bill. And who's to say he even knew it was counterfeit? Was a printing press found in his house, and money green ink? It could have been passed to him, without him knowing it. Every once in a long time I've found a foreign coin mixed in with change I've gotten back from purchases made at stores. I recently even was given a small silver dollar instead of a quarter, at an overpriced convenience store. So the next time I was there I spent it as a dollar. I've mostly been making purchases with credit and debit cards for very many years, and give my landlord a check for my rent. On the rare occasions that I've had and spent cash I've noticed that money looks a lot different now, and have wondered if it was real, but spent it anyway, and so far so good.

          1. Amber Fry's Avatar Amber Fry

            He was but that's beside the point. He paid for those previous crimes and had not had trouble with them on a whole for years. However his distant criminal past isn't the concern here. The fact is no matter what he did, no cop should be kneeing anyone for any amount of time... never mind nearly 9 minutes. That should be the focus here. It was a deliberate, long term, torturous move on that cop's part, unnecessary force, brutality that should never have been. Couple that with the fact hat cop has a laundry list of complaints of rough behavior, most of which were not addressed as fully and properly as should have been an issue. We cannot have thugs in an organization meant to keep the peace. We need to push for more training for these guys and a lot more regular refresher courses than what they get. Better pay and harsher reprimands when they repeat actions should be mandatory as well. There should be limits to what is allowed and how often.

    4. Matthew Mastrogiovanni's Avatar Matthew Mastrogiovanni

      Thom;

      Magic is a tool. Like a screwdriver, hammer or a knife. Neither good nor bad, it's the intent that matters.

      Which would you rather? For witches to hang or burn policemen, like we once were, just for being witches? Or to hex police, to keep them from doing harm to innocent people? With a hex like this, a witch does no harm and keeps someone else from doing harm.

      Though, for someone to fear our hexing someone, says that yes, magic is real and yes witches can wield magic; and I find that to be wonderful.

      Blessed be

  1. SibylTheHeretic's Avatar SibylTheHeretic

    BLM is just another violent racist terrorist organization. The witches should avoid associating with them. How are witches and a magicians (the Magi) similar?

  1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

    Us Wiccans don't believe in causing harm, but aren't the ones who turn the other cheek. Protection magick isn't the same thing as so-called black magic. I wouldn't hex the police in general for most of them are not at fault, and that would result in bad karma. I Will pray and cast spells for healing of those who are suffering, and against the specific individuals who have caused their pain and injury. Blessed be!

    1. Matthew Mastrogiovanni's Avatar Matthew Mastrogiovanni

      Hex police, to keep them from doing harm to innocent people, is not black magic. With a hex like this, a witch does no harm and keeps someone else from doing harm.

      1. arawngraalrd's Avatar arawngraalrd

        Restraint would tend to be Harm, and even the need to restrain would be Judgementalism, but I recently recovered a bit of Rainbow Sword type technology, that could help with all this. I'm in New Haven, Ct, if there's anyone you'd like to help or hinder.

  1. Philip Joseph Ryan's Avatar Philip Joseph Ryan

    Spells, hexes, or prayers won't resolve the situation. Nor will committing further criminal acts, because of a policeman unlawful killing a serial thief and armed robber.

    CooL heads and rationalism is what is needed to deal with the situation, not hysteria and more violence.

  1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

    There aren't any similarities between Witches and magicians, or real magick and parlour tricks.

    1. SibylTheHeretic's Avatar SibylTheHeretic

      Don't witches believe in astrology and portents of events? The Magi were astrologers searching for the birth of Christ guided by a star. I read that in their time the Magi were considered magicians.

      1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

        Yes they are called Cosmic Witch Cosmic witches are contemporary witches who look to the cosmos, astrology, and astronomy and work those elements and celestial energy into their practice. Also called “Star Witches”, these witches often follow the planets and the alignment of the stars and base their spells and rituals on the different placements.

        They are just one of the many types of witches however Magi is totally different then a Witch.

        What of the Wizard or Sorcerer? Are they witches or Wiccans?

        When we speak of wizards, we enter the realm of alchemical study. Here you find a blend of metaphysical philosophy and alongside scientific methods. The Wizard seek to use these tools to understand the complex nature of all things, and eventually put that knowledge to good use. In history, people regarded Wizards as one who wield mystical power and magic. In truth a true Wizard (vs. a charlatan) gained a lot of respect simply because he was a student of Nature who could explain these forces in simple yet supernatural ways. They indeed practice magic, and some may have elements of Wiccan beliefs or practices as part of their path. Its is really up to the Wizard to determine what other designation if any, he chooses to accept

        The word Wizard first appeared around the 14th Century (CE). Linguistics feel it came from the terms that equated to a person who is wise. The word “wizen” still remains in use for describing a person who is prudent, astute and judicious.

        As for the Sorcerer, this person master their arts thanks to being born into a magical family. Our ancestors saw the Sorcerer as one with power over the Spirit world and a refined diviner. The term appears in the early 1500s CE from French or Latin foundations. In both instance, the name implied a lot caster and fortune teller

        Historically speaking the term Warlock was used by the Church as a derogatory term for male witches (who they saw as no better than their female counterparts). The Scottish custom was more positive, seeing warlock as simply a wise wizard, an occult practitioner or male witch. Here the label moved from social circles into fictional literature where it pretty firmly remains.

        Some male Witches may decide to use the term Warlock as a self-identification (Usually because they are uninformed and have no knowledge of what the term Warlock truly means). The majority, however, usually avoid this label. When we look at the Old English term which Warlock originate, we see it means traitor or someone who breaks sacred or legal vows. Another connotation is the Warlock became such because he was banished from oath bound traditions for revealing their secrets or ignoring coven strictures

        Magi is a term, used since at least the 6th century BC, to denote followers of Mazdaism or Zoroaster. The earliest known usage of the word Magi is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. ... This pejorative meaning survives in the words "magic" and "magician".

  1. John Robert Seighman's Avatar John Robert Seighman

    All lives matter. Not just black that the media is crawling over. All lives matter; and don’t use police officers as being brutal to the core. Not all police officers are like the ones in Minneapolis.....so do not use general characterization. What about the blacks that shot and killed a black federal police officer in Oakland California ? It’s the media trying to control the country...don’t let it happen

    1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Yes all live do matter, however it been it's been proven that some minorities, are targeted more then others by the polices simply, because of the color of their skin. All they are saying is their live matter just as much your life matter. They are just asking for is equal treatment equal protection.

  1. Shoshana Tso Savyon's Avatar Shoshana Tso Savyon

    The people I know that identify as witches are really more positive than this and not involved in hexing. It's not good to paint them all with the same brush.

    1. Sandra Lent's Avatar Sandra Lent

      A valid point.

  1. Rev. RJ Levesque Jr's Avatar Rev. RJ Levesque Jr

    POSERS!!!! AN INSULT TO REAL PAGANS EVERYWHERE! If they were truly of a Pagan faith of any kind this would NOT be their actions!

    1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      You do not have to be a pagan to identify yourself as a witch.

      Because witchcraft, wicca, and paganism are so closely tied together, there’s often some confusion about what separates each or whether they’re separate things at all. The narrow spectrum of pop culture references doesn’t do much to dispel this confusion!

      In a nutshell, a wiccan is a pagan and can practice witchcraft but doesn’t have to practice. A pagan doesn’t necessarily have to be a Wiccan and their faith may or may not practice witchcraft. Even more confusing, someone can choose to practice witchcraft, but may not follow any particular pagan faith. With so it’s no wonder people have trouble understanding the difference between each.

      Here are the main takeaways: .Paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft aren’t interchangeable terms as the mainstream has led many to believe. .Wicca and all of its subsets are pagan, but not all pagans are Wiccan. .Many pagan, including Wiccans, choose to practice witchcraft but not all do. .Finally, people completely removed from paganism can practice witchcraft

  1. Rev. RJ Levesque Jr's Avatar Rev. RJ Levesque Jr

    And now allow me to say my other thoughts and beliefs: BLM is a ani-american, socialist, terrorist group nearly as bad as antifa! You CANNOT preach integration while show PURE SEGREGATION with your words and actions!!!!

  1. James Kerr Gibb's Avatar James Kerr Gibb

    Sad that even the witches have been fooled by these cretins who are just using this as an excuse to riot and terrorise the lives of decent god fearing people. Not since the black panthers a long time ago has such division been forced onto the people, this has put back racial equality a hundred years and all playing the race card on behalf of a convicted felon. The black people are so oppressed and are never allowed to amount to anything because of discrimination, Hilary Clinton would have welcomed that discrimination if it had put her ass in the white house, poor Barack Obama got so discriminated against and held back he ended up in the oval office, what a tragedy.

    These terrorists burning and looting around the world are driving a wedge between people that wasn't there before and not one person has said a prayer or demanded a statue removed for the double in number white people who have died in police custody, if you support BLM and don't feel you have just been caught up in a lot of manipulative rubbish that is because you cannot think for yourself or see what is staring you in the face so God Bless you and help you because if you can't see it then he is the only one that could.

    All life matters, no individual cases no pointing fingers at what happened hundreds and thousands of years ago, deal with what is happening now, get rid of the terrorist group BLM, get tough with the police force and get the criminals to understand if they put up there hands and drop their weapons they will be cuffed and taken away, if they resist they will be shot and stick to it. If a criminal has a gun and is told to put his/her hands up, drop his/her weapon/put it on the ground and he/she obeys then he/she should be treated accordingly, cuffed and transported to jail, if he/she does not then the public and the police are in danger so they must shoot him/her. If everyone sticks to those simple rules then there should be less PEOPLE of any ethnic origin being shot.

    I will pray for the people who want to make life better for everyone and ask God for guidance for the minority who seek to damage and segregate us. Rev. James Gibb

    1. Sandra Lent's Avatar Sandra Lent

      Well said.

  1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

    Spells, hexes, and prayers won't resolve the situation, but when done in the right way, they'll help. Talking about what won't work definitely won't help, but getting out there and doing things that contribute to the improvement of the situation will. The changes sought are going to take a concerted effort. There is great power in words, and correspondences, when used in the right way. Don't knock something just because you haven't experienced it, yet.

  1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

    18 Reasons One is Executed for Witchcraft during the ‘Burning Times’

    Between the 16th and 18th centuries, a moral panic spread through large parts of Europe and North America. People were seeing witches everywhere. Even the slightest problem was blamed on witchcraft, from a horse falling lame to a child falling ill. As the panic spread, self-proclaimed experts issued guidance on how to identify witches. They also issued guidance on what was to be done with anyone found guilty of practising bloodshed – not for nothing is this period also known as the ‘Burning Times’.

    Nobody knows for sure how many people were accused of being a witch during this time. However, it’s estimated that as many as 60,000 people were executed for witchcraft in Europe alone. Similarly, in North America, Puritans feared that there were many amongst them who were worshipping the Devil. Farcical trials were held, sometimes involving dozens of suspects. Most famously of all, the Salem Witch Trials saw more than a dozen innocent people executed after they were blamed for making some young children suffer seizures.

    So, how did the people of this time identify witches in their midst? Here we have 18 signs witch-hunters might have seized upon, some more bizarre than others:

    1. You were a woman: Simple sexism was behind many accusations of black magic, and 3 in 4 people put to death for being witches were female Plenty of men were accused or sorcery during the so-called ‘Burning Times’, or the witch trials that swept across Early Modern Europe. However, women were much more likely to be accused of being a witch. What’s more, they were also more likely to be executed for allegedly practicing black magic. According to the most accounts, around 75% of all the people executed for witchcraft in Europe between the years 1580 and 1630 were women. However, the actual proportion might have been higher still since women were less likely to be given a fair trial than men were. Thousands more innocent women may have been killed by mobs, with their deaths never recorded.

    This gender bias was all too evident at the Salem Witch Trials in colonial Massachusetts in 1692. There, the vast majority of the 200 people accused of sorcery were female. Moreover, of the 19 people who were put to death, 14 were women. This was merely a symptom of a highly-patriarchal society. Puritans took the story of Adam being tempted by Eve as literal fact. Moreover, women who were independent or self-educated were viewed with suspicion and made for convenient scapegoats when things went wrong, such as when a harvest failed or livestock died.

    1. You ‘looked the part’: As witch hunts became increasingly commonplace, so-called ‘experts’ believed they knew what a witch looked like For witch-hunters, the simplest ways were often the most effective. Quite simply, by the mid-17th century, a popular idea of what a witch looked like had emerged. If a woman had a visible wart, or a crooked nose, or if she limped or had a hunched back, chances are someone would accuse her of being a witch. Looks on their own were not enough to haul a woman before a grand jury. However, the transcripts of numerous witch trials show that appearance was often used as supporting evidence and might even be enough to see a woman hanged.

    In 1640s England, the Revered John Gaule, who fancied himself an expert in rooting out witches, issued his thoughts on the matter. He explained: “Every old woman with a wrinkled face, a furr’d brow, a hairy lip, a gobber tooth, a squint eye, a squeaking voice, or a scolding tongue is not only suspected, but pronounced for a witch.” Given the intense paranoia and hysteria of the time, many people took this advice to heart, leading to a wave of older women being accused of black magic by their neighbors, even their families.

  1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

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    1. You were aged 40 or over: Older women were treated with suspicion, especially if they loved alone At times, witches were seen everywhere. Indeed, anyone could be a witch, man or woman, young or old. But nevertheless, the vast majority of accused were not only women, they were women of a certain age. In 1692, when America was gripped by the Salem Witch Trials, the vast majority of the 200 suspects were women in their late-40s or 50s. Some were older still. Mary Bradbury was believed to be 77 or 80-years-old when she was brought before the grand jury. She was acquitted, but was viewed with suspicion by her neighbors for the rest of her life.

    In Scotland, meanwhile, the last person to be executed on a charge of witchcraft was an elderly lady. Janet Horne was tried and killed in 1727, just six years before the crime of witchcraft was abolished in Britain. It’s almost certain that Horne was suffering from dementia. This would have explained her seemingly bizarre, even sinister behavior. So, when her neighbors accused Janet of riding her own daughter like a pony to go and meet the devil, the local magistrate believed them. While her daughter managed to escape, Janet was convicted. Despite her advanced years, she was stripped naked and forced to walk through the streets of her home town. She was then covered in tar and burned alive.

    1. You were childless: When children fell ill for no apparent reason, it was often believed that the local childless woman had cursed them out of jealousy or spite Many accusations of witchcraft were made after a child, or several children, had fallen ill or even died suddenly for no obvious reason. Indeed, the most famous witch trial of all, the Salem Witch Trial, came about after small children in the Massachusetts village started suffering from seizures. Almost without fail, childless women would be blamed. It was commonly believed that such women were simply jealous of mothers with their children and used their black magic to make them suffer. Notably, this extreme suspicion of childless women is still evident in some parts of the world even today.

    Eunice Cole, sometimes also known as ‘Goody Cole’ was a New Hampshire woman accused of witchcraft on three occasions during the 1660s and 1670s. On each occasion, the fact that she and her husband didn’t have children of their own was brought up as proof that she was a witch. While she escaped execution, Cole served three spells in prison. Moreover, when she died, it’s believed her neighbors drove a stake through her heart and buried her in an unmarked grave so that their children would be safe from her malicious spells.

    1. If you were sexually progressive: Sex outside of marriage has long been frowned upon, but in the 17th century, it could get you hanged for being a witch For most of history, women were expected to follow strict roles. This was especially true when it came to sex and sexuality. Transgressing from these was a sure-fire way of earning the suspicion of your neighbors and being accused of being a witch. The Malleus Malifcarum¸ the 16th century guide to spotting witches, was hung up on sex. It noted that women were naturally temptresses, capable of leading good men astray. It also warned that witches had insatiable carnal lusts – as such, a woman having sex outside of wedlock was almost certainly involved in some kind of black magic.

    Certainly, this was the case for Alice Lake. A resident of Dorchester, Massachusetts, she was a young mother of five. In 1651, her youngest child died of unknown causes. The grief-stricken Lake claimed she could sometimes still see and hear the infant. This was enough for her neighbors to accuse her of witchcraft. Then, when the prosecutors revealed that she had had children out of wedlock, she was found guilty and executed. As the court noted, Lake “played the harlot…being with Child.” It’s said she even confessed to being in legion with the devil before she died – though the ‘confession’ would have been given under extreme duress.

  1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

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    1. You talked to yourself: As the Salem Witch Trials showed, simply muttering under your breath could be seen as being a sign of black magic Lots of people talk to themselves on occasion. At most, it’s seen as a harmless affliction. Not so in the 17th century. Back then, being seen muttering to yourself may be taken as evidence of being possessed by evil spirits or of casting spells on your neighbors. This was the case with Sarah Good, one of the women accused of practicing black magic during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Good, the grand jury was told, would frequently be spotted walking around her small village muttering to herself. So, when some local girls accused her of being one of several witches who had attacked them with evil spirits, she was bound to be found guilty.

    And found guilty she was. Despite the fact that Good was pregnant at the time of the farcical trial, she was sentenced to death by hanging. She was allowed to give birth in prison, but then, within a matter of days, she was brought before the hangman alongside several of her co-accused. Good maintained her innocence to the very end. Interestingly, her last words were directed at the judge, Revered Nicholas Noyes. She warned him that, if she were to hang, “God will give you blood to drink.” Some 25 years later, Noyes died a violent death – choking on his own blood.

    1. You didn’t dress smartly enough: In some witch trials, an individual’s refusal to dress like everyone else was seen as something distinctly sinister At the height of the 17th century’s witch hunts, even something as seemingly insignificant as the clothes you wore could mark you out as a witch – and lead to your eventual trial and execution. Suspicion of different dress was especially strong in the Puritan communities of North America. And, again, it was women who were expected to follow strict dress codes, and who would be judged the most harshly if they attempted to show any individual taste of sense of style. Bridget Bishop, one of the first people arrested during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 found this out the hard way.

    Bridget was hauled before the court in June of that year, the first of the accused to face the grand jury on charges of witchcraft. The prosecution made a point of stressing that she wore black clothing and “odd costumes”. Both were against the Puritan dress code. What’s more, her coat was shown to be torn and weathered. This, along with her so-called “immoral lifestyle” (what exactly this meant is not clear) was regarded by the grand jury as enough to convict Bishop on all the charges brought against her. One week later, she was hanged.

    1. You had a criminal record: Women of ill repute would often be blamed when things went wrong, and with a little coercion might confess to practicing witchcraft Throughout history, those people living on the margins of society have often been used as convenient scapegoats when things went wrong. And this was certainly the case across Europe in the Middle Ages. According to the official history of the northern Italian region of Trentino, when harvests failed or people or animals were struck down with unexpected illnesses, ‘witches’ would be blamed. Notably, accusations of witchcraft “were largely made against marginal figures in society, old men, widows, young prostitutes, and woman who stole in order to stay alive”. In many cases, they would be arrested and then ‘confess’ to using black magic following interrogation.

    This was the case in the village of Brentonico, in the region of Trentino, in 1716. When a child went missing, a woman called Maria Bertoletti Toldini was accused of abducting him. What’s more, she was also accused of throwing him into a vat of molten cheese! It was alleged that she did so because she was a witch. Just a few days after being accused of the crime, she was found guilty of witchcraft. She was beheaded in front of her fellow villagers and her body burned. More than 250 years later, the people of Brentonico moved to pardon the poor lady, acknowledging that the charges were completely unfounded, and she was simply a scapegoat whose past reputation was held against her.

  1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

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    1. You were guilty by association: If you knew or were related to a known ‘witch’, you might have found yourself hauled before a grand jury According to the Malleus Malifcarum, the best-selling Medieval guide to identifying and then punishing witches, most witches were either born evil or were possessed by evil spirits from an early age. At the same time, however, it was also believed that women could train to become witches. As the noted witch-hunter William Perkins stated: “Witchcraft can be learned”. As such, simply being around someone accused of witchcraft, or being related to an alleged witch, might have been enough to ensure you were hauled before a grand jury at a sham witch trial yourself.

    Guilt by association was a common theme at the infamous Salem Witch Trials. For instance, Dorothy Good was accused of being a witch even though she was only four-years-old; simply being the daughter of one of the main accused, Sarah Good, was enough. Sisters, friends and husbands of the initial accused were also brought before the court, often on the flimsiest of evidence. Notably, this led the New England authorities to issue advice, recommending that evidence needed to be more than simple hearsay or guilt by association – even if this was issued too late for several of the Salem villagers.

    1. You were financially independent: Sexist beliefs in the subservience of women meant that those who didn’t need a man’s support were often suspected as witches Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, independent women – that is, women who lived alone, without a man to support them – were often viewed with suspicion. And if an independent woman was financially comfortable, then jealous neighbors might well accuse her of being a witch. Indeed, according to the records, around 9 in 10 of the women executed for witchcraft between the years 1620 and 1725 were financially independent. In almost every case they had no brothers so were the sole inheritors of family wealth. Despite this, many juries were advised that they had acquired their wealth through black magic and were urged to find the women guilty.

    While neighbors might have been jealous of an independent woman’s wealth, religious inquisitors were more concerned by the way they lived outside of the gender norms of the time. A lack of male control was particularly worrying and seen as a near-certain sign that a woman was up to no good. What’s more, women who could read and write, or who showed obvious signs of intelligence or learning, might often come under suspicion, as might a woman who knew how to perform ‘manly’ tasks or even knew how to swim!

    1. You were left-handed: According to many traditions, there was something ‘sinister’ about being left-handed, and it was seen as one obvious sign that someone was a witch Witch-hunters were always on the look out for things that made people – or, more likely, women – stand out. And since, statistically speaking, most people are right-handed, being left-handed was often seen as being the mark of a witch. This wasn’t just during the high point of the European and North American witch hunts in the 16th and 17th centuries. Suspicion of left-handedness has been around for centuries. It’s even been called ‘a mark of the devil’, and so any woman seen using their left hand for writing or for other common, everyday tasks, might have found herself under suspicion of practicing dark magic.

    The Church were at the forefront of promoting suspicion of left-handers. Priests and bishops would cite passages from the Bible to support the idea of left-handedness being the sign of the devil; for instance, the Gospel of Saint Matthew warns that, on Judgement Day, the righteous will pass to God’s right, while the sinners will be sent to the left. The fact that a woman was left-handed was routinely brought up as evidence during witch trials, though this alone was rarely, if ever, seen as conclusive proof of her guilt.

  1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

    (continue of 18 reason One is Executed for Witchcraft during the ‘Burning Times’ because of a limit of 5000 words)

    1. You had a cat: For centuries, people really did believe that women who lived alone with cats for company were probably in league with the devil Quite when black cats started to become closely associated with witchcraft is open to debate. Certainly, in Britain, the link can be traced back to the Celtic peoples, before the arrival of Christianity. They believed that cats were actually humans who had committed bad deeds in their lives and so, after dying, were forced to return to earth in feline form. From that point onward, cats were seen as malevolent spirits, with their independence and slightly aloof nature not helping their cause. Cats were also blamed for the Black Death in the 14th century. Thousands were killed, allowing rats – who were really responsible for helping the plague spread – to thrive.

    The Pilgrims who settled in North America brought European superstitions across the ocean with them. So, during the height of the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, a lady living on her own with a cat or other household pet for company was immediately put under suspicion. According to some witch-hunters, women would even suckle their cats or allow their animal companions to feed on their blood – third nipples, moles or warts were seen as tell-tale signs for this. As well as cats, pet snakes, even pet dogs were might also be seen as witch’s companions and get their owners in serious trouble.

    1. You were a midwife: Wise women used their knowledge of herbal medicine to help others give birth safely – but it left them open to accusations of witchcraft For hundreds of years, female healers were viewed with suspicion. Above all, midwives were at risk of being seen as witches. They just couldn’t win: if a woman gave birth to a healthy baby and lived, the midwife would be accused of having used magic or making a deal with the devil. Or if the baby or mother died, the midwife might also be blamed and accused of cursing the birth. Fueling this suspicion was midwives’ use of herbs and other natural remedies. The fungus ergot was used to stop bleeding after childbirth, for example, often saving the mother’s life, but putting the midwife at risk of being accused of casting spells.

    The Malleus Maleficarum, meaning “Hammer of Witches” was written in 1484 by two reverends, Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenge. The hugely influential book called midwife-witches the ultimate evil. They warned people to lookout for women who wanted to offer new-born babies up to the devil. However, by the late-17th century, the persecution of innocent midwives had largely stopped. As men started to take over the medical professions, including midwifery, the effectiveness of herbal remedies and natural medicines became increasingly accepted, leading to a significant drop in the number of women being accused of witchcraft simply for helping another woman give birth.

    1. You had a third nipple: Prosecutors were always on the lookout for tell-tale ‘signs of a witch’, especially on female bodies For centuries, witch-hunters believed that sorcerers and other practitioners of black magic bore distinctive marks. Tell-tale ‘Devil’s Marks’ included third nipples, otherwise known as the ‘witch’s teat’ as it was thought that Satan himself would suckle on it. What’s more, birthmarks and large moles would also be taken as signs of the occult. Since witch-finders maintained that the devil would change the shape and color of the marks he made on his followers, almost any physical imperfection or skin blemish could be enough to see someone accused of being a witch.

    Unsurprisingly, peasant women would often ask friends, relatives or trusted doctors to remove moles from their bodies. Or, if there was a witch hunt in their area, they might try to do it themselves. Of course, that only meant that the resultant scar would be taken as proof of the devil! And even if there were no marks, an inquisitor would often prick the accused body to find one. A lady called Catherine Boyraionne, the records show, had hot fat applied to almost every part of her body by a priest. She died whilst in prison, most probably from the horrific injuries sustained during her trial.

  1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

    (continue of 18 reason One is Executed for Witchcraft during the ‘Burning Times’ because of a limit of 5000 words)

    1. You were illiterate: Even if you were dyslexic or just hated speaking in public, failure to quote fluently from the Bible might be seen as a sign of being possessed by evil The Middle Ages was no time to be a dyslexic, or to suffer from a stammer. Even a common affliction like struggling to speak in public could see you put on trial for witchcraft. That’s because it was believed that witches were unable to recite prayers or passages from the Bible. In what became known as the ‘Prayer Test’, women or men suspected or practicing black magic would be given a Bible and asked to read a passage aloud from it. Alternatively, they may be put on the spot and asked to recite a well-known prayer.

    Failure to read clearly and without hesitation or struggling to remember the words to a common prayer may have been taken as a sign that the devil was inside you. This was certainly the case in England in 1712. In one of the country’s last witch trials, the accused, a lady called Jane Wenham, struggled to recite several passages of the Lord’s Prayer. However, even saying a prayer fluently wasn’t enough to save you – as George Burroughs found out during the Salem Witch Trials. On the gallows about to hang for being a sorcerer, he recited the Lord’s Prayer perfectly. Even then, his accusers believed it was a trick of the devil and killed him anyway.

    1. You forgot to throw out old dairy products: Believe it or not, curdled milk was offered up as evidence that women were witches Quite where the idea that witches caused milk to curdle has never been firmly established. However, scholars of the history of witchcraft have found this mentioned in texts dating back to the start of the 16th century. For instance, there was the old English tale of ‘Old Mammy Red or Marblehead’, who could curdle milk as it came out of a cow and could even then magically transform it into blue wool. And like many such superstitions, such a belief was brought across the Atlantic to the Americas by Pilgrim settlers. Before long, America’s witch-hunters were busy looking in people’s pantries, looking out for tell-tale signs of spoiled dairy.

    The most notable case of curdled milk being cited as evidence of black magic was at the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Here, the grand jury heard that several of the accused had spoiled milk in their houses, while neighbors also attested that some of them caused milk to curdle just by walking past it. It must be remembered that this was a time when many families relied on their cows to survive. Should a cow stop producing milk, or should the milk be of poor quality, it could leave a person or family on the brink of destitution and starvation. It would also leave them angry and looking for someone to blame – and often, a ‘strange’ female neighbor was the easiest target.

    1. You had a reputation for being argumentative: Nobody liked or trusted an assertive woman back in the 16th and 17th centuries If being an independent woman was enough to set tongues wagging at the height of ‘witch hysteria’ in the 16th and 17th centuries, then being assertive and argumentative was almost guaranteed to get you labelled a witch. While men might have been able to get away with arguing with their neighbors, women could not – especially those who lived alone, without a man to ‘control’ them. Being drunk and disorderly was no excuse, nor was being in an abusive relationship – as Rachel Clinton found out to her cost in Salem in 1692.

    Clinton, who was in her 60s when she was accused of being a witch – more specifically, she had been blamed for making a child’s elbow blame, and even for making a man’s beer go bad – was destitute and somewhat eccentric. The prosecutors at the Salem Witch Trial directly linked her argumentative nature with the practice of black magic. They told the grand jury: “Did she not show the character of an embittered, meddlesome, demanding woman—perhaps in short, the character of a witch? Did she not scold, rail, threaten and fight?” In the end, Clinton was released after several months in jail. She died soon afterwards, alone and with her reputation in ruins.

    1. S.Ong's Avatar S.Ong

      Ohhhhhh, very well done! Thank you! People choose to believe what they do for their own personal reasons. One thing that stands out to me is the fact that with any Religion or Ideology there is the pull of right and wrong. As someone who studies many Religions and Ideologies I see the differences and the "titles" of what is a common description of that Ideology or Religion. As with "Wiccans" or "Witches", if true to their basic knowledge of white or black majik the idea of putting out into the universe the energy behind the words and actions are for a higher purpose, Whether individual or group, the basic premise of "Do No Harm" is very clearly misunderstood by the those that just dabble in it. In any case, putting hexes on people outside of protection can certainly back fire. The principles of human decency in any Ideology certainly are tested. Of all of my experience, I have found that the "sole practitioners" of some who choose to call themselves "Wiccans" are truly very loving giving and genuine peace keeping individuals. Some do not call themselves by anything that seems to fit others narratives of what they would consider them. Even when persecuted and forced to abide by some demented rule of man at the times, their natures never die. Similarly to other Religious figures!
      What has been done to so many in the name of sick ideologies?, that endow a certain feeling of power over others by way of negotiating its worth and "divine" purpose. At some point, it turns tables and returns to its beginning. Maybe to grow from, I only hope.

  1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

    Many people have been confused about what Wiccans and Witches are. The best thing I can suggest those people do to understand us is to read a book called The Wiccan Mysteries, by Raven Grimassi.

  1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

    T Kosse, thank you for clarifying that.

    1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      You're welcome Carl Bernard Elfstrom and blessed be to you

      Here a Caltic Pagan Blessing

      May the light of your soul guide you May the light of your soul bless the work you do May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal May your work never weary you May you be present in what you do May the day never burden you May the dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities, and promises May evening find you gracious and fulfilled May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected May your soul calm, console and renew you

  1. Tony LaCroix's Avatar Tony LaCroix

    Wiccans go by witches it's very accurate to call them that. I dont agree with the warlock name but some of these in the group use that name to self identify.

  1. Sandra Lent's Avatar Sandra Lent

    If you want to cast a spell, cast a healing spell for ALL people. Sides should not be taken.

  1. Donna Petersen's Avatar Donna Petersen

    As a Pagan eclectic witch. I am For the Black Lives Matter movement and have worked craft for the protesters as well. Blessed be #WitchesforBlackLivesMatter

  1. The Rev. William C, Millhouse's Avatar The Rev. William C, Millhouse

    Being a card carrying Pagan, I value the sentiment, but I personally feel that it is wrong to do a working that controls someone. However, there is nothing wrong with sending out unconditional love and peace vibes.

  1. Allen Nace's Avatar Allen Nace

    Well Witches. Really? They want to do damage to the police. I have loved ones who are police and cast a spell that they they shpould be burned on the stake for doing so. May a few spontaneously combust in the presence of their family and full public view. For the good of the world of course. What rubbish.

  1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

    "God, save me from your stupid people!!!"

  1. Rodney Monroe Taylor's Avatar Rodney Monroe Taylor

    Anyone have a flying broom stick I could borrow on the first, I'll get ya. A new dustpan??????

  1. JKM's Avatar JKM

    That will trigger some people...the patriarchy in particular.

  1. Howard Pippin's Avatar Howard Pippin

    Would any of you be interested in a bridge I know about?

  1. Edwin Merle Waltz's Avatar Edwin Merle Waltz

    Honestly believe God will deal with them

  1. Edwin Merle Waltz's Avatar Edwin Merle Waltz

    Honestly believe God will deal with them

    1. Ilmenheru Terikson's Avatar Ilmenheru Terikson

      I slew all the gods long ago.Believe that!

  1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

    What I’d like to know is, who has been performing black magic on Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi? Whatever spells they’ve been using it’s clearly working.

    🦁❤️

    1. Thom's Avatar Thom

      Not enough to stop them. Their in for the long haul! Guaranteed.

    2. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

      Lionheart, it might not only be spells, if spells at all, but possibly only negative thought forms projected iether objectively or subjectively, by you and others. However, I am relieved in knowing that much more negative energy is being projected toward Donald Trump, who is losing the battle continuously more as time progresses. Haven't you noticed that yet?

      1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

        Projection of energy is a very interesting theory isn’t it? My rhetorical comment about Biden and Pelosi was in fact a tongue-in-cheek statement due to their inability to string a few sentences together that has any intelligent meaning. I wasn’t expecting anyone to take me seriously. I actually think that if there was a more eloquent speaking candidate going up against Donald Trump he’d lose, but fortunately his opposition is Joe Biden, a man that has difficulty connecting his oratory skills with the messages coming from his brain. However, the electorate is now consisting more and more of millennials, many of whom still haven’t decided what gender they are, so who knows what’s going to happen on November 3rd? You could be right!

        🦁❤️

        1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

          Lionheart, I must admit that even when I don't agree with you I get quite a laugh out of much of what you say. Jolly good show, ol' chap!

          1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

            Cheers mate! At the end of the day this is a blog that hopefully promotes more thought, love, and respect, than it does animosity. Hopefully, the Christians in here can also promote that. 😇

            In the meantime, I’ll buy you a drink. 🍺 🍷

            🦁❤️

        2. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

          Have you ever listened to Trump speak, he can't even put two words together much less a whole sentence. Everything that spew out his mouth, is nothing more then a bunch of incoherent rambling and mishmash.

          1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

            T Kosse, Are you suggesting that Trump has been trying to speak English? I never had a clue.

            1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

              Carl Bernard Elfstrom I still haven't figured out what language he speak, if you can call what come out his mouth a language. I really don't think I will live long enough to find out either.

        3. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

          In fact a new born baby would be able to speak far better then Trump.

          1. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

            It could be called jibberish, or talking in tongues ( both dialects spoken fluently by people who have Alzheimer's disease).

            1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

              Trump with Alzheimer, his multiple tongues, all tied in a knot talking gibberish. Now that I would believe.

              1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

                You know if this was the 16th century Trump might have been accused, tried and burned as a witch.

    3. Darryl Mizer's Avatar Darryl Mizer

      Comment removed by user.

    4. Darryl Mizer's Avatar Darryl Mizer

      Lionheart

      If your religion is seen through political thought it only hurts you. Hate is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. I've been reading a number of your posts. It seems like you have an opposite view of what everyone else writes. I can only think of trolls who oppose everything. Oops, I can think of one more.

      1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

        Thank you for your point of view Darryl. As far as I’m aware I don’t hate anyone. I might have dislikes for some people, especially some politicians, and people that cause harm to others, but generally I believe in showing as much love as possible ❤️. Thank you for reading some of my posts showing a different point of view. As a secular humanist, and a freethinker, it’s just the way I am. If you have anything constructive you’d like to offer for me to consider please let me know.

        🦁❤️

  1. Darryl Mizer's Avatar Darryl Mizer

    Wicca's or Witches cannot cast spells. If you recall witches were burned at the stake, primarily because they were mentally ill.

    1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      (continue of 18 reason One is Executed for Witchcraft during the ‘Burning Times’ because of a limit of 5000 words)

      1. You had made enemies: In many cases, people were accused of being witches by neighbors bearing grudges and seeking revenge Sometimes – quite often, in fact – men or women did nothing to give the impression they might be witches. However, at the height of the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, just an anonymous accusation might be enough to get someone hauled in front of a grand jury and tried for witchcraft. Indeed, there are plenty of examples where unfounded accusations were made against neighbors, former friends or even family members. Sometimes they were made in order to deflect attention away from someone else. Or sometimes an argument got out of hand or a love affair turned sour – and a woman would end up being labelled as a witch.

      The last person to be executed for witchcraft in Switzerland, for instance, did nothing worse than bring a love affair to an end. Anna Goldi had embarked on an affair with a rich politician whilst employed as the family nanny. When she brought the affair to an end, the powerful man denounced her as a witch. He even claimed that she had used black magic to make his daughter suffer from convulsions. She was also accused of talking with the devil. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Goldi ‘confessed’ to all charges – though only after she had been strung up by just her thumbs – and she was executed soon after.

    2. Anisahoni's Avatar Anisahoni

      Darryl, you might want to take a trip to Salem MA. You will learn about the witch trials held there and get real facts. The ones who were mentally ill were the ones who suffered from delusions and made false accusations against the women, who were midwives and women healers. I spent a whole day there. Check out the Salem Witch Museum and the Courthouse. So sad.

    3. Cheryllynn Dyess's Avatar Cheryllynn Dyess

      So, you are saying... that I as a witch can't cast? Really? This is my belief... you should be more open minded....

    4. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      What?

    5. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Comment removed by user.

    6. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Comment removed by user.

    7. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

      Hopefully they'll overlook your ignorance Darryl Mizer, and not cast any spells on you. Some of our fellow Ministers are best off being ignored.

    8. Carl Bernard Elfstrom's Avatar Carl Bernard Elfstrom

      And no Daryl, it was the ones doing the burning who were mentally ill.

  1. Chaplain Shawn's Avatar Chaplain Shawn

    It also seems evident that some people who bad mouth others for choosing a different path will continual to be bullied. Meaning the ULC forum condones secular people to bad mouth, bully, speak ill of, and put up hate speech to anyone promoting a Christian platform. Shame shame! Actions speak louder than words, but the words I have seen against Christianity so a hateful judgmental and condemning view of non-believers. If that is the best of what your opposing worldview offers, ad-hominem attacks, the band wagon fallacy, the red herring fallacy, or the strawman fallacy; I will stick with not repaying evil with more evil, and vengeance is mine says the Lord, that the Lord will repay. Also, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, not the world. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God, will be with you wherever you go!

    There is more peace and tolerance in those few passages than in any other worldview conceived by Dr. Paul Kurtz, Dr. Bart D. Ehrman, Anthony Flew, Dr.. John L. Mackie, or Dr. William Rowe, or even David Hume. The few mentioned here patterned their lives to oppose beacons of the light with the agents of darkness, confusion, hate, and doubt. Thus, we have what we have today because of false teachers teaching false doctrine to the young and old a like with the intent to destroy Christianity and replace it with a more secular version. Let the persecution continue. Although, I prefer come let us reason together. It is evident other worldviews have no intention on reasoning just continuing as bullies from their home-base pulpits.

    1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Wiccans do not proselytize and generally resent those who do. They believe that no one Path to the Sacred is right for all people, and see their own religious pattern as only one among many that are equally worthy. Wiccans respect all religions that foster honor and compassion in their adherents, and expect the same respect. Members are encouraged to learn about all faiths, and are permitted to attend the services of other religions, should they desire to do so. They believe that each person should decide for themselves what spiritual or religious path he/ she should take,

    2. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      Shawn Allen Hank when you made the statement "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, not the world" You can not only serve the lord and not the world. If you don't serve the world you are not serving the Lord.

      what the Unspeakable Sins is: The Sin of Racism/Discrimination/Prejudice

      Do you know what heaven is going to look like? For most of us, we have images of gold paved streets; we may see angels flying, and a bunch of light. We likely are also looking forward to seeing our family members and friends who have gone before us. The reality, is, however I think our view of heaven is too small. We are not thinking big enough.

      Heaven is going to be a place where God is glorified….all the time. Heaven is going to be a place where there is no more pain, a place where there is no more suffering, and there is no more sin.

      I’d like to share with you a picture of heaven. Revelation 7:9-12 says, “9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

      This is a beautiful picture and a reality which come closer by the day. Yet, when we look at this picture, it should also convict us. As Christians, we are called to establish the kingdom of heaven here on earth and as we look at our church services on Sunday morning, is this what they look like?

      The short answer is no. Not even a bit. Why is this, because we are still experiencing sin in this life. The sin which we must address, is racism and prejudice. Yet, it goes deeper than racism because the church should be on the forefront of making sure everyone has the opportunity to meet the savior. Christ welcomed in the poor, the downcast, the sinners. He met with the people no one else wanted to go near.

      Who might those people be in 2019? Who might these people be in Otley? Monroe? Sully? Reasnor? Pella? Prairie City? The fact is, we must welcome EVERYONE because we all have the same label. Sinner.

      Check out what Paul has to say to the church at Ephesus, a church where the Jews were having trouble getting along with the Gentiles and vice-versa. You might argue nothing has changed. Ephesians 2:14-19, 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[d] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

      Friends we cannot discriminate. Friends we must speak out for our brothers and sisters of other races. We cannot and should not discriminate based on color, creed, sex, gender, or anything else. We are called to love. As the late great Rev. Billy Graham said, “It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.” How well have we loved those who are different from us?

      Church, we have work to do. We have to embrace the fullness of God and this means embracing those different from us whether in thought or looks. This means bringing together, Black and White, Rich and Poor, Male & Female, Democrat and Republican, educated and school of life, white collar and blue collar, Iowa and Iowa state, Christian Reformed and RCA, Calvin and Hope, Dordt and Northwestern, Central and Simpson. It may mean a few sacrifices on our end, but this should be something we do joyfully as we prepare our hearts and ourselves for eternity in heaven.

  1. Ken Morrow's Avatar Ken Morrow

    When the Chinese Communist Party and the witches are on your side...SMH.

  1. John R's Avatar John R

    Witchery is about not wanting to feel powerless. A form of make-believe. Trying to make the spiritual material.

    It's also a sin against the progress made toward a higher conception of God, but what isn't under the materialistic treason we've surrendered to.

  1. Thomas William Cornfield's Avatar Thomas William Cornfield

    What a buch of crap what do you think Jesus or even his cousin John the baptest would say about Wicken spell they would laugh their head off

    1. T Kosse`'s Avatar T Kosse`

      You should not dismiss someone else's belief as being less valid your belief. Some people might ridicule these miracles as described in the Bible's as being a total fantasy written by totally delusional people.

      The miracles are described in the Bible's New Testament and are listed more or less in chronological order.

      1. Born to a virgin - Miracles of Jesus

      2. Changing water into wine - Miracles of Jesus

      3. Healing of the royal official's son - Miracles of Jesus

      4. Healing of the Capernaum demoniac - Miracles of Jesus

      5. Healing of Peter's mother-in-law - Miracles of Jesus

      6. Healing the sick during the evening - Miracles of Jesus

      7. Catching a large number of fish - Miracles of Jesus

      8. Healing a leper - Miracles of Jesus

      9. Miracle of healing a centurion's servant - Miracles of Jesus

      10. Healing a paralyzed man - Miracles of Jesus

      11. Healing a withered hand - Miracles of Jesus

      12. Raising a widow's son - Miracles of Jesus

      13. Calming the storm - Miracles of Jesus

      14. Healing the Gerasene man possessed by demons - Miracles of Jesus

      15. Healing a woman with internal bleeding - Miracles of Jesus

      16. Raising Jairus' daughter - Miracles of Jesus

      17. Healing two blind men - Miracles of Jesus

      18. Healing a mute demon-possessed man - Miracles of Jesus

      19. Healing a 38 year invalid - Miracles of Jesus

      20. Feeding 5000 men and their families - Miracles of Jesus

      21. Walking on water - Miracles of Jesus

      22. Miraculous healing of many people in Gennesaret

      23. Healing a girl possessed by a demon - Miracles of Jesus

      24. Healing a deaf man with a speech impediment - Miracles of Jesus

      25. Feeding the 4,000 men and their families - Miracles of Jesus

      26. Healing a blind man - Miracles of Jesus

      27. Healing a man born blind - Miracles of Jesus

      28. Healing a demon-possessed boy - Miracles of Jesus

      29. Catching a fish with a coin in its mouth - Miracles of Jesus

      30. Healing a blind and mute man who was demon-possessed - Miracles of Jesus

      31. Healing a woman with an 18-year infirmity - Miracles of Jesus

      32. Healing a man with dropsy - Miracles of Jesus

      33. Healing 10 lepers - Miracles of Jesus

      34. Raising of Lazarus - Miracles of Jesus

      35. Healing Bartimaeus of blindness - Miracles of Jesus

      36. Jesus curses the fig tree with no fruit - Miracles of Jesus

      37. Restoring a severed ear - Miracles of Jesus

      38. The resurrection of Jesus - Miracles of Jesus

      39. Catching 153 fish - Miracles of Jesus

      40. The ascension of Jesus - Miracles of Jesus

  1. Robert Daniel Taylor's Avatar Robert Daniel Taylor

    It’s becoming more evident with each passing day that we’re desperately in need of more mental health facilities.

  1. Reverend Sadler's Avatar Reverend Sadler

    All lives matter! I'm so sick and tired of all this nonsense and excuses for everybody to act like fools and destroying neighborhoods and businesses and causing problems with the television industry. Not all police officers are bad and the people need to realize that. There was a good man and pillar of the community murdered by looters who didn't care about him or his family. Yeah he was black too. What about him?? But the rioters and protesters are celebrating a man who was a drug addict and had been in and out of trouble for many years and knew that officer who had killed him and they had issues with each other. This was not a cop out to get a "black guy " this was a human against human crime and is being driven by the extremist groups that want to cause division and hatred in this country. God help you all!

    1. Darryl Mizer's Avatar Darryl Mizer

      Protesters protest. Rioters Riot. Drug addicts take drugs. It's difficult for me to put them under the same umbrella because they're not..

  1. Rev Debi Borchardt's Avatar Rev Debi Borchardt

    You get what you send out. If you send out negativity that's what you get back. The Bible says we should love one another and we have guidelines the Lord gave us to live by. People can't argue with air so walk away calmly. Do not ad fuel to the fire or the fire will never go out. Dr Martin Luther King knew that violence and anger were not the way to make changes. Treating each other as we wish to be treated. That is the answer and it's a simple one. Blessings my fellow Minister's God be with you in this time of trials and errors.

  1. Tori Maricelli's Avatar Tori Maricelli

    so hexing anyone that doesn't agree with BLM< is ok? i don't agree with that or the white racism comment. so is there no such thing as black racism now? there is good and evil. black and white. get off the black good white bad stuff. there are good and bad ppl or all colors and ALL LIVES MATTER. i guess if you harm you get it back 3 times as bad? so good luck with that. God bless and all lives matter. stop with the racist comments of black live matter. dang! if you don't agree all lives matter...IMHO you are part of the problem. js not going to argue my personal belief or opinion. i believe what i want and you believe what you want. in the end it is personal to each individual. but don't say good magic on some and hex on others that don't feel the way you do.

  1. Richard Lee Cornell's Avatar Richard Lee Cornell

    BLM has a lot of people giving them money. The problem is that money has found its way into BLM groups around the world. They even have membership among those in Palestine. Where they support good causes like feeding starving black children.

  1. Tabz's Avatar Tabz

    Somebody needs to go back and spend some time reading their own tenets.

    "Ever mind the Law of Three, else what you cast comes back to thee." Or from a more scientific view, everything is energy and vibration. Tune yourself to a certain vibration and you can't help but attract that energy.

    There are ways of hexing that do not result in direct harm. While I firmly believe that, "a witch who cannot hex, cannot heal", I don't believe in targeted harm. Wishing harm or death on someone else only reflects that back on the witch doing the casting. You would be better off in sending out positive vibrations for those with anger and hate to have a "change of heart". Bring Light into the world. Meeting hate with more hate only drags the whole into Darkness. If you must hex, use this one- "May the full horror of your actions be revealed to you." As long as you cast/focus/pray with a clear heart and good intentions, you do not risk negative return.

  1. Darryl Mizer's Avatar Darryl Mizer

    First off, witches or whatever they call themselves can't cast spells. This is 2020. The spell business hasn't been around for centuries. Of course, some still believe anything.

  1. Christian's Avatar Christian

    You know how wonderful it is to be Loved by God ? To be God's Children ? To be so special, God created this whole Universe for you to enjoy ?

    This is what it is to have Jesus in your Heart... You are a child of God, you are Blessed, you are Saved, you are forgiven, you are part of the family of Heave for all eternity.

    Praise Jesus, thanks be to God - for saving our lives here and now when we are BIRN AGAIN, and saving our Souls in the Life to come...

    I Love Jesus.

    I hope you will find some time to Love Jesus too !

    The sooner, the better - the clock is running out for all of Us..so Ask Jesus into your Heart NOW !

    Go in Grace. Love is God. Love all Beings. Love your self. Love enemies and create new Friendships !

    Love Life ! Enjoy Existence ! :-)

  1. Rev Mark D's Avatar Rev Mark D

    Fine, go for the hex...nothing else seems to work.

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