For many years I have been fascinated with some similarities and commonalities between the ancient Norse God of Fire Logi and the Norse God, one of my,main deities, Loki who has been associated with fire as well as cunning, wit, counsel and balance; the mischief aspect is over exaggerated at times.
For years on Facebook I covered a lot about Loki in-depth on posts both controversial and scholastically.
I have been looking deeper into Loki’s family tree and while reading about his first known mistress, Glut, I of course was interested in how Logi was connected. Due to the story of how Logi married Glut after Loki left her to be with Angrboda. But there are a number of things I will not get into yet that have me a bit curious on a few things regarding both Gods. I must add that the theory of Loki and Glut having a relationship is one that has been discussed by others besides me and is only an interpretation based on the little information that exists.
I cannot help but wonder if there is a chance if one of the following is possible. Especially after discussing it for quite a while with several close friends who were helping me look into the connections between the two. It is a highly debatable subject that we found out has a lot of twists and turns down a Norse Pantheon rabbit hole.
Loki Laufeyjarson is the famous trickster of Norse Mythology, who brings its pages to life with conflict, humor, and excitement. Far from being just a villain or a prankster, Loki is a god who brings necessary change into the world, transcends boundaries, and shines light on hidden truth. In this book, you will be introduced to Loki and the many masks he wears: whether he appears as the bringer of enlightenment, the traveling companion of the gods, or the ender of worlds. This is also an accessible guide to building a devotional practice with the trickster, where you will learn new ways to honor this often misunderstood deity. Open the door to Loki’s mysteries, and prepare to laugh, be challenged, and potentially change your life.
So here are some thoughts I share with several friends and I always find it interesting what others may think. The theories I have researched are the following:
1. Logi and Loki possibly brothers? (Due to parents not likely but not ruled out)
2. Logi and Loki possibly half brothers? (From what was discussed this could be possible)
3. Possibly an “Adoption” of one or the other due to unknown circumstances. This is something that is not uncommon among the Gods.
4. A yet unknown possibility like a transformation in the telling of the Gods from very ancient times. Meaning since Loki is a shapeshifter and had lust for two women, Glut and Angrboda at the time, was Logi in actuality Loki? If that is true this would mean Loki has more children than what has been considered. Those of Glut, two daughters, Einmyria (Ashes) and Eisa (Embers).
5. Or, this is just very deep theoretical back and forth brainstorming by a group of good friends who are Pathwalkers of Norse Paganism and none of this is true? Either way it makes for fun discussion and last night was quite the intellectually fun fest.
The ancient ancient Norse Fire Spirit god Logi is associated always with the element of fire.
I must add that Logi, the Norse fire spirit god is said to be the brother of Kari, the Norse god of the Northern winds and Ægir, the Norse god of the seas.
So with that said I am just going to provide some resources I have collected through my research and let you see for yourself how you feel about such possibilities.
Since the dawn of civilization, humans have been looking at the night sky viewing the stars, constellations, planet alignments, the moon and more. The vastness of space has been intertwined into folklore, myths and stories of Gods and Goddesses all over the world. It is a subject I have been fascinated with for many years with my interest specifically focusing on star navigation at sea and the ancient Astronomy found in Germanic and Scandinavian history. So today I wanted to share with you some amazing resources on this very topic regarding the ancient and some modern interpretations of Germanic and Scandinavian astronomy.
Our understanding of ancient astronomy in Northern Europe has been limited because no record exists of the native constellations among the Germanic tribes in ancient times. They certainly did not know of the constellations of the south have become our standard ones today. However, it would be unusual to suppose they never had any, only that the knowledge of them has not come down to us.
Fortunately, the surviving mythology of Scandinavia has left us enough clues to allow us to piece together this forgotten knowledge of the past. At the time these myths were recorded in 13th century Iceland the people no longer believed in the old religion. However, even back during the Viking Age, before the year 1000 AD, when the religion was still strong, many of the beliefs held then seem already to have been understood only in abstract terms, while the naturalistic explanations they embodied went back even further.
It is now clear that the mythology of Scandinavia as we know it arose from a fusion of traditional local gods with several other more widespread traditions. While the myths attained their present form within the Iron Age, some elements and aspects of it go back even into the Stone Age, when humans were first trying to make sense of their universe. SOURCE
Bronze age sky disk
A group of German scientists has deciphered the meaning of one of the most spectacular archeological discoveries in recent years: The mystery-shrouded sky disc of Nebra was used as an advanced astronomical clock.
The purpose of the 3,600 year-old sky disc of Nebra, which caused a world-wide sensation when it was brought to the attention of the German public in 2002, is no longer a matter of speculation.
A group of German scholars who studied this archaeological gem has discovered evidence which suggests that the disc was used as a complex astronomical clock for the harmonization of solar and lunar calendars.
Unlike the solar calendar, which indicates the position of the earth as it revolves around the sun, the lunar calendar is based on the phases of the moon. A lunar year is eleven days shorter than the solar year because 12 synodic months, or 12 returns of the moon to the new phase, take only 354 days.
The sky disc of Nebra was used to determine if and when a thirteenth month — the so-called intercalary month — should be added to a lunar year to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the seasons.Continue reading HERE.
For thousands of years people have looked up to the night sky and told stories about the stars. These epic tales tell of vengeful gods and goddesses, of monsters and heroes. Others try to make sense of the natural world, or unravel the mysterious forces of the universe. This stunning book brings together 23 of these legends from all over the world: from Ancient Greece to North America, Egypt, China, India, and the South Pacific. Written by award-winning author Anita Ganeri and with beautifully detailed artwork by illustrator Andy Wilx, this is a magical book to be treasured for generations to come.
Scandinavian Daymarks
The Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans all lived far enough north of the equator that they could not rely on a fairly constant Sun-path over the year, as people in the tropics did, but they were not so far from the equator that the differing lengths of day and night made it difficult for them to use their “temporal hours”, even though their lengths changed somewhat over the course of the year.
Very far north (or south) of the equator, however, the difference between the length of daylight time in the summer is very much greater than in the winter. In parts of Scandinavia above the Arctic Circle (at a latitude of 66.5° North) the Sun does not set at all for part of the summer–it is daylight all the time. On the other hand, for part of the winter the Sun does not rise in these same areas. Obviously there is no point in dividing the daytime or nighttime into twelve sections if they are not taking place! Even if the Sun sets for only three of our modern hours in the summer, if one is dividing the daytime and nighttime into Babylonian/Egyptian-style “temporal hours”, the nighttime hours will be so short compared to the daytime hours that there is hardly any point in making the divisions.
However, even very far north (or south), no matter where the Sun rises or sets, the middle of its path is above about the same part of the horizon. That means you can always tell when the middle of the day is if you know above which point on the horizon the highest point of the Sun’s path is. Also, no matter how high the Sun is above the horizon, it always passes over the same points on the horizon after the same interval of time. Using these facts, the people living in Scandinavia developed a system of time-keeping quite different than the Babylonian/Egyptian system.
As said earlier, our modern system of time-keeping divides each sun-cycle into twenty-four hours, each of which is 60 minutes long. The Scandinavians divided each sun-cycle (sólarhringr, “sun-ring” in their language) into eight sections. They did this by dividing the horizon into eight sections (north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest). Each of these sections was called an eighth (átt or eykt). 3 A place on the horizon which lay dead center in any of these eight directions (due north, due northeast, etc.) was called a daymark (dagmark). 4 The identified the time by noting when the Sun stood over one of these daymark-points on the horizon.Continue reading HERE.
The Vikings used the stars to navigate across the seas on boats like the Skidbladner. They gave their own names to what they observed above them. The North Star (Polaris) is ever present in our northern skies. They called it Leidarstjarna, meaning ‘guiding star’. Watch this animation about the Vikings and the stars.
While the Germanic peoples obviously knew the night skies and had names for the objects they saw therein, as Grimm goes on to comment, few of the old names have been preserved.
Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda says in Gylfaginning:
Þá tóku þeir síur ok gneista þá, er lausir fóru ok kastat hafði ór Múspellsheimi, ok settu á mitt Ginnungap á himin bæði ofan ok neðan til at lýsa himin ok jörð. Þeir gáfu staðar öllum eldingum, sumum á himni, sumar fóru lausar undir himni, ok settu þó þeim stað ok skipuðu göngu þeim. Svá er sagt í fornum vísindum, at þaðan af váru dægr greind ok áratal.
[Then they (the gods) took the sparks and burning embers that were flying about after they had been blown out of Muspellheimr, and placed them in the midst of the firmament (Ginnungagap) both above and below to give light heaven and earth. They gave their stations to all the fires, some fixed in the sky, some moved in a wandering course beneath the sky, but they appointed them places and ordained their courses.]
Vôluspá in the Poetic Edda expresses the same idea:
Sól það né vissi hvar hún sali átti, stjörnur það né vissu hvar þær staði áttu, máni það né vissi hvað hann megins átti.
[The sun knew not where she had her hall, the stars knew not where they had a stead, the moon knew not what power he possessed.]
Elsewhere in the Poetic Edda, the poem Alvíssmál gives a complex series of astronomical synonyms attributed to the various races of the Norse cosmos, but doesn’t name stars or constellations:
Þórr kvað: “Segðu mér þat Alvíss, – öll of rök fira vörumk, dvergr, at vitir, hvé sá himinn heitir erakendi, heimi hverjum í?”
Alvíss kvað: “Himinn heitir með mönnum, en hlýrnir með goðum, kalla vindófni vanir, uppheim jötnar, alfar fagraræfr, dvergar drjúpansal.”
Þórr kvað: “Segðu mér þat Avlíss, – öll of rök fira vörumk, dvergr, at vitir, hversu máni heitir, sá er menn séa, heimi hverjum í?”
Alvíss kvað: “Máni heitir með mönnum, en mylinn með goðum, kalla hverfanda hvél helju í, skyndi jötnar, en skin dvergar, kalla alfar ártala.”
Þórr kvað: “Segðu mér þat Alvíss, – öll of rök fira vörumk, dvergr, at vitir, hvé sú sól heitir, er séa alda synir, heimi hverjum í?”
Alvíss kvað: “Sól heitir með mönnum, en sunna með goðum, kalla dvergar Dvalins leika, eygló jötnar, alfar fagrahvél, alskír ása synir.”
Thórr said: Say to me, Alvíss, for it seems to me there is nothing you do not know: what is heaven called, that all know, in all the worlds there are?
Alvíss said: Heaven it is called by men, the Arch by gods, Wind-Weaver by the Vanir, by giants High-Earth, by elves Fair-Roof by dwarves the Dripping Hall.
Thórr said: Say to me, Alvíss, for it seems to me there is nothing you do not know: what is the moon called, that men see, in all the worlds there are?
Alvíss said: Moon it is called by men, the Ball by gods, the Whirling Wheel in Hel, the Speeder by giants, the Bright One by dwarves, by elves Tally-of-Years.
Thórr said: Say to me, Alvíss, for it seems to me there is nothing you do not know: what is the sun called, that is seen by men, in all the worlds there are?
Alvíss said: Sól it is called by men, Sunna by the gods, by dwarves, Dvalinn’s toy, by giants Everglow, by elves Fair-Wheel, All-Bright by the sons of gods.
The pagan Great Midwinter Sacrifice and the ‘royal’ mounds at Old Uppsala
At the end of the 17 th century, the farmers of Uppland were still using the so-called rule of King Aun, according to which the phases of the moon in the Julian calendar fell one day earlier after 304 years. Such displacements in the eight-year cycle took place in 1692, 1388, 1084, 780, and 476. The semi-legendary king Aun is considered to have reigned about AD 450-500 and t o have been buried at Old Uppsala. The three ‘royal’ burial mounds there have been dated to AD 450-550. These mounds are oriented in such a way that they could have been used to regulate the sacrificial calendar.
The importance of the Disting and the precise definitions as to when it should take place
The original meaning of the Disting was threefold; there should be: a great sacrifice for peace and victory for the king, a general meeting with representatives from all the Swedish provinces, and a major market (Granlund 1958: cols 112-115). At the general meeting, important common political decisions were taken, such as election of a new king or solution of judicial questions that not could be solved at local courts. The participation of the representatives was compulsory, and Christian representatives who refused to come because of the human sacrifice had to pay a great fine.
The dates for the Disting were linked to the phases of the moon according to an ancient rule preserved in medieval texts. Already Tacitus had pointed out that important meetings among the Germanic peoples must take place at the new or full moon (Hutton 1970: 149 [Germania 11]). In his Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, written in 1555 during his exile in Rome, Olaus Magnus, the last Roman Catholic archbishop in Sweden, explained that the Disting was started at the full moon because the light from the moon facilitated travel to Uppsala during the short days at midwinter (Foote 1996: 203 [Magnus 4.6]).
The exact rule for determining the starting date of the Disting was given by Olof Rudbeck (1679: 68), professor in medicine at the university of Uppsala and a scholar with broad scientific interest: The moon that shines in the sky on Twelfth Day (6/1) is the Christmas moon and after this follows the Disting’s moon. This means that the earliest date for the beginning of the Distingwas 21 January (7/1+14 days) and the latest date was 19 February (7/1+29 days). The Disting started on the day of the full moon between 21/1 and 19/2, according to the Julian calendar. The corresponding interval for the beginning of the Disting in our modern calendar is 28 January-26 February. It may seem strange that this originally heathen rule was related to Twelfth Day, or the Epiphany, as in the rule for the start of the Disting in Magnus (Foote 1996: 203 [Magnus 4.6]). The explanation is that the rule for the dates of the Disting was related to the Christian calendar in the 12th century. At that time, there was a shift by seven days between the Julian calendar and our Gregorian calendar that is closely related to the solstices and equinoxes. This fact also explains why the Swedish tradition says that the night of St. Lucia, 13 December, is the longest and darkest night of the year. If seven days are added to this date, we get the date of the winter solstice at that time. This fact indicates that the pre-historic Swedish calendar was closely related to the solstices and equinoxes and supports the results found in my earlier archaeoastronomical investigations of ancient monuments in Sweden (Henriksson 1983, 1989a and b, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999 and 2002).SOURCE
Astronomy is perhaps the oldest science to be studied to this day. Since humans gained intelligence and the ability to think, we have made many discoveries, answered questions, and made many more discoveries, all at the same time. Today on Feed My Curiosity, we explore the Evolution of Astronomy, starting with how the Ancient Greeks and the Mayans observed it. We them look at the accomplishments and discoveries made by key figures such as Newton and Einstein, and how much rocket science and space exploration has evolved, with SpaceX and Boeing leading the way. We conclude with the future of astronomy and what we plan to do next, like sending humans to Mars, and how we understand unresolved mysteries of the universe, like its fate.
Observations in Eddic Astronomy How Passages in the Eddas Act as References to Constellations by Dr. Christopher E. Johnsen
The Norse Myths have a distinctive flavor all their own, but they also have many similarities to the Greek, Roman, Persian and Indian mythologies. These myths from other cultures have many well-known correspondences with the stars, whereas the Norse mythical tradition has a paucity of them, or perhaps it would be better to say that they have been intentionally hidden and the keys to deciphering these correspondences have been lost.
Astronomy, stjörnuíþrótt in Old Norse, is the science of observation of the stars – it seems that the ancients were very good at it. It is likely that the people living far North near the Arctic circle had a natural tendency to focus on observation of the stars since so many winter nights were filled with nothing but darkness and the stars above to observe, with little sunlight present around the winter solstice.
Modern astronomy’s roots can be traced to Mesopotamia, and it descends directly from Babylonian astronomers who in turn derived their knowledge from Sumerian astronomers. The earliest Babylonian star catalogues date from about 1200 BC and many star names are in Sumerian suggesting that the Sumerians were one of if not the first people to study the stars that have been observed in the archeological record or that they inherited an astronomical tradition from some unknown earlier culture. The Sumerians developed the earliest known writing system – cuneiform – whose origin is currently dated to circa 3500 BC. Baked clay tablets with cuneiform writing have been found that recorded detailed observations of the stars which led to the sophisticated astronomy of the Sumerian’s successors, the Babylonians. Only fragments of these cuneiform tablets detailing Babylonian astronomy have survived down through the ages. Many believe that “all subsequent varieties of scientific astronomy, in the Hellenistic world, in India, in Islam, and in the West—if not indeed all subsequent endeavour in the exact sciences—depend upon Babylonian astronomy in decisive and fundamental ways.” An argument can be made that this statement also holds true for the Norse astronomers of old and that they were continuing the ancient Sumerian/Babylonian tradition.Continue reading HERE.
Surveys the pre-Christian beliefs of the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. Provides an introduction to this subject, giving basic outlines to the sagas and stories, and helps identify the charachter traits of not only the well known but also the lesser gods of the age.
The suit of Swords represents our capacity for thinking and logic. It deals with problems, planning, communication, ideas, your intellect and how you use it. When the suit of swords cards appear in a tarot reading, they can signify what our rational mind says, as well as things that are related to communication, and sometimes, conflict.
Upright: In a tarot reading, the Ace of Swords card shows a major breakthrough or insight. This card also tells you that a major decision you are about to make may have life changing consequences.
Reversed: Reversed Ace of Swords suggests that you may be confused about a particular issue. Gather more information and take some time to reflect before you make an important decision.
Two of Swords
Two of Swords
Upright: When this card presents itself upright in a reading, it shows that a sense of balance has been restored. But this balance is imperfect. More work must be done to achieve lasting harmony.
Reversed: When reversed, the Two of Swords shows that a balance has come to an end. It may also suggest that you’ve underestimated an opponent.
Three of Swords
Three of Swords
Upright: The Three of Swords tarot card advises that your emotions must now face cold, hard, rational facts. However, whatever the outcome may be, this card will teach you the discipline required to weather the next challenge.
Reversed: When this tarot card appears in a reading reversed, it points out that you’re not dealing well with an emotional loss or personal setback. You need to reflect.
Four of Swords
Four of Swords
Upright: When the Four of Swords tarot card is seen in a reading, it announces a period of creative downtime. As with all cards in the Suit of Swords, this moment won’t last forever. So it’s important to use this time wisely.
Reversed: Reversed, the Four of Swords shows that the soul is becoming restless. Slow things down. Your mind and body need rest.
Five of Swords
Five of Swords
Upright: Win or lose, the outcome of a conflict can teach you a lot about yourself. With an upright Five of Swords, you learn how conflicts are lost and won – and when you simply have to walk away from a hopeless situation.
Reversed: When seen reversed, this tarot card suggests that you are having a hard time getting over a past loss or defeat. There is a difference between grieving and obsessing over the past.
Six of Swords
Six of Swords
Upright: The swords are at rest. Their tips are buried in the bottom of the boat. Pulling them out to inspect them for rust damage could sink it. The time for that may come, but for now you need to be patient. Upright, the Six of Swords also points towards intellectual growth. This is the process in which all the pieces fall into place.
Reversed: When reversed, the Six of Swords tarot card reflects that your emotional balance has been upset. It could also suggest that a healing process is now beginning.
Seven of Swords
Seven of Swords
Upright: When presented upright in a reading, the Seven of Swords says that certain things may still be in the conceptual/experimental stage. For example, a long term project you’ve been working on shows promise – but it still needs some fine tuning.
Reversed: The reversed Seven of Swords tarot card cautions against relying on others too much. They may give you good ideas, but in the end you’re still responsible for your own decisions.
Eight of Swords
Eight of Swords
Upright: The Eight of Swords tarot card, when seen upright in a reading, suggests that it’s time to be honest with yourself and face the “hard stuff”. Sometimes, this card may also point out that you need to consider making healthy changes to your lifestyle.
Reversed: When seen reversed, the Eight of Swords indicates that you’ve overcome a difficult challenge which may have been keeping you from moving forward with your life. Congratulations!
Nine of Swords
Nine of Swords
Upright: The Nine of Swords tarot card upright says that your conscience is bothering you over something you may have done in the past. If it’s possible to make amends, you should not waste time. This card also refers to the pain that is often connected to spiritual growth.
Reversed: Remember that swords are never at rest for long. When reversed, the Nine of Swords suggests that you may be too caught up in the moment to see that. Instead of rising above the turmoil, your thoughts are darting all over the place – at a speed that’s bound to wear out even the hardiest soul.
Ten of Swords
Ten of Swords
Upright: The Ten of Swords tarot card brings to light a crucial stage in your spiritual development. It may also mean that unforeseen circumstances can undo your plans.
Reversed: There are some painful endings on the way but try not to be disheartened. With reversed Ten of Swords, you are reminded that when something is truly over the only thing to be done is learn from the past and move on. In this, the Ten of Swords reversed brings clarity and a better understanding of your true destiny.
Page of Swords
Page of Swords
Upright: When the Page of Swords card appears upright in a tarot reading, it encourages you to learn empathy and discrimination. Learn to distinguish between which truths need to shared and which ones need to be kept in confidence.
Reversed: While it’s good to be prudent, looking over your shoulder all the time can easily turn to paranoia. When this card is reversed, it urges you to look at the current situation objectively.
Knight of Swords
Knight of Swords
Upright: When the Knight of Swords card presents itself upright in a reading, it’s a sign that you’re bursting full with grand ideas, amazing thoughts, and marvelous plans!
Reversed: When reversed, the Knight of Swords points out that your intense drive is lacking focus – or that you need to pull the brakes.
Queen of Swords
Queen of Swords
Upright: The Queen of Swords says you may be in a pretty lonely spot. Others may feel threatened by your keen eye for detail that doesn’t miss a thing. They may resent your critical intellect which accepts no excuses and cuts right to the chase.
Reversed: When the Queen of Swords is reversed in a tarot reading, it’s very possible that someone’s actions and thoughts are based on pain. Reacting to prolonged pain and stress, a powerful mind often becomes vindictive, arrogant, and bitter. Withdrawing into its shell, the soul refuses to grow.
King of Swords
King of Swords
Upright: When presented upright in a reading, this card says that you are a thinker and a doer. When you commit to something, you’ll do it, no matter what. But be advised, this can also be your downfall, especially if you have to rely on others or you’ve maneuvered into a no-win situation.
Reversed: If seen reversed, the King of Swords may point to a person experiencing great difficulties. Sometimes, that may be their own fault, because they haven’t learned from their experiences.
What It Takes:
These are extremely brief descriptions of The Suit of Pentacle tarot cards. To fully utilize the art of tarot with confidence takes much time and extensive learning. It is strongly advised that you do further personal research and dive deeper into the complex meanings of each tarot card, prior to practicing this form of divination.
THE SUIT OF SWORDS EXPLAINED! Let me tell you the Truth about the Suit of Swords in the Tarot. In this video I teach you to look at these cards from different angles and see the deeper meaning of the Tarot!
Each of us holds gifts deep within and, with tarot, we have the power to unlock those gifts and make transformative discoveries. For beginner tarot readers, learning the cards–all 78 of them–and understanding how to use spreads may seem daunting. Tarot expert Stefanie Caponi explains that interpreting the cards is a blend of knowing the card meanings, listening to your heart, and trusting your intuition. In her fully-illustrated book, Guided Tarot, she offers easy exercises to nurture and grow your intuition, not only to understand the cards’ universal meanings, but to channel your own meanings. This comprehensive guide also shows you how to attune your energy to the deck for more accurate readings. Soon you’ll be confident in doing readings for yourself and even your friends.
Salem Witch Trials: The Accused Sarah Good by Odin’s Daughter
Sarah Good is part of the first accused. Her trial started on March 1st, 1692. Just as Bishop before her; she had gone through many examinations, witness testaments, review of evidence, indictments, depositions, outside testimonies, warrant for execution and even one for her original arrest. Sadly, along with her arrest, her 4-year-old daughter Dorothy (listed as Dorcas) and unborn child joined her. Her husband, though not vouching that she was indeed a witch, was nearing to become one.
Sarah Good, born Sarah Solart, in 1653. Her father was a successful innkeeper. Her first marriage was to servant Daniel Poole, who later died in 1686. Later she married again, this time to William Good. The family was worse for wear. Living the life of poor New Englanders due to her first husband’s debt. They lived in homes of friends and bounced around with two small children.
Sarah Good did not have a decent reputation in the town. She was known as unpleasant and disreputable. This very soon did not help her chances at life. On February 29th, 1692, a warrant for her arrest was established. She was questioned endlessly and repeatedly. She even broke once and named someone else to turn the attention away from herself. Many had accused of witchcraft in various forms. At one point during her trial, a girl in the room pulled a knife tip from the breast of her jacket claiming Good tried to stab her. A man stood up claiming that the accusation was a flat lie. That in fact that was the knife tip he broke off yesterday and threw away. He even produced the knife the tip came from. One would think, that just maybe, this incident would shed hope onto Good. It did not, the girl was told not to lie in court and the proceedings continued. Another point that added fuel to the fire, was her Husband. He did not declare her a witch but did say she was on her way to becoming one. Her bad reputation in Salem was the big nail in the coffin. It was even said she was an aged woman in or near her seventies with white hair and bad skin. Giving way to what we see to today as descriptors through media, stories and tales of witches and hags.
Sarah Good Salem stone marker, Salem, Massachusetts.
Sarah Good was sentenced to hang, but not before the birth of her unborn child. Sadly, the child born in prison was a girl she named Mercy. Shortly before she hung, Mercy died in prison. Her daughter Dorothy, sat in prison for 7 to 8 months before being released to her father under bond. She thankfully never had to stand trial. Only though she lived a mentally unstable life; she endured much questioning, little to no food, damp conditions, loneliness, physical examinations and cracked. She gave testimony against her own mother under extreme duress. She is said to have lived a life with insanity. Her mother was hung July 19th, 1692.
The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, a special court convened in Salem to hear the cases; the first convicted witch, Bridget Bishop, was hanged that June. Eighteen others followed Bishop to Salem’s Gallows Hill, while some 150 more men, women and children were accused over the next several months. By September 1692, the hysteria had begun to abate and public opinion turned against the trials. Though the Massachusetts General Court later annulled guilty verdicts against accused witches and granted indemnities to their families, bitterness lingered in the community, and the painful legacy of the Salem witch trials would endure for centuries.
Six Women of Salem is the first work to use the lives of a select number of representative women as a microcosm to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials. By the end of the trials, beyond the twenty who were executed and the five who perished in prison, 207 individuals had been accused, 74 had been “afflicted,” 32 had officially accused their fellow neighbors, and 255 ordinary people had been inexorably drawn into that ruinous and murderous vortex, and this doesn’t include the religious, judicial, and governmental leaders. All this adds up to what the Rev. Cotton Mather called “a desolation of names.”
The individuals involved are too often reduced to stock characters and stereotypes when accuracy is sacrificed to indignation. And although the flood of names and detail in the history of an extraordinary event like the Salem witch trials can swamp the individual lives involved, individuals still deserve to be remembered and, in remembering specific lives, modern readers can benefit from such historical intimacy. By examining the lives of six specific women, Marilynne Roach shows readers what it was like to be present throughout this horrific time and how it was impossible to live through it unchanged.
Witches and Witchcraft can be found throughout the world in many countries and has existed since the dawn human existence. It comes in a huge variety with an endless amounts of spiritual beliefs and practices. Over the past decade there has been a huge rise in the practice of Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Heathenry, etc. One place that has always had a rich and strong practice of their craft are the Witches or Romania. This is a part of Europe that has amazing history, culture, folklore and is a region I am absolutely fascinated with. So today’s post I want to take you into the spiritual world of the Romanian Witch.
(Please note: The term “gypsy” is sometimes considered pejorative. It appears in this article only when directly quoted or out of respect when practitioners or tribal members expressed a preference for it over the alternative “Roma.”)
Like most places in the world, witchcraft in Romania remains a complex, and often taboo, subject.Romania is home to many forms of witchcraft.
First, it’s important to note the difference between the neopagan practice of “gypsy magic” (popularized in the West by modern Roma pagans) verses the Roma people themselves (whose practices descend from an unbroken lineage of Hinduism with Christian and Muslim influences).
Although most Romani people identify themselves as Christian (as well as some Hindus and Muslims), their traditions and rituals inspired neopagan Romani authors like Patrinella Cooper to popularize a form of witchcraft known as “gypsy magic.”
The practice of “gypsy magic” emphasizes fortune-telling, the use of charms, healing and protection spells.
“Gypsy magic” rides a strange middle-land between neopaganism and hereditary witchcraft because often, much is borrowed from the unbroken lineage of the practitioner’s ancestors. These witches recognize their practice as a form of magic.
For the rest of us, this form of magic shares a lot with the larger practice of modern witchcraft.
We owe many common divination techniques (like various approaches to tarot reading and palmistry) to our Romani sisters.SOURCE
In Romania, the home of Count Dracula, witchcraft is recognized by the current government. There are many thriving organizations of witches, all government recognized. Being a witch is considered to be a job. They are employed, not just by Romanians, but people from all over the globe to cure them of heartbreak, depression, demonic possession or even to kill or harm enemies. Our Romanian witches carry out most of their operations online these days and are confident that their influence is not dying out. Instead, thanks to modern technology, it is only on the rise. This isn’t how it always was in Romania. In fact, under Communist rule, witchcraft was banned and punishable by law. And yet, the secret societies of witches and their practices survived, in hiding from the eyes of the ruler. Today, witchcraft is commonly accepted by Romanian society.SOURCE
This book provides a history of witchcraft in the territories that compose contemporary Romania, with a focus on the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. The first part presents aspects of earthly justice, religious and secular, analyzing the codes of law, trials and verdicts, and underlining the differences between Transylvania on one hand, and Moldavia and Wallachia on the other. The second part is concerned with divine justice, describing apocalyptic texts that talk about the pains of witches in hell, but also the ensembles of religious painting where, in vast compositions of the Last Judgment, various punishments for the sin of witchcraft are imagined.
Mihaela Minca is one of the most famous witches in Romania. She and her coven—all women of the traditionally itinerant Roma minority—live at the margins of European society, in the suburbs of Bucharest. There, they make a living through conducting rituals that help their clients find love, money, and adequate punishments for their enemies.
Sometimes, the witches’ endeavors extend beyond the personal: This past year, Minca cast a spell against political corruption in her country by dumping black liquor outside a Romanian government building. The next day, the state issued a final sentencing for Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea, who’d used his own power to create fake jobs and appealed prior convictions.Continue reading HERE.
In Romania, the homeland of Dracula and superstition, witches were pretty much spared from the medieval witch-hunts that plagued most of Europe and killed 100,000 women. In fact, witchcraft here is not only alive; it’s thriving, and it’s even feared by politicians. There are hundreds of witches in the country, and they make and break marriages, cure diseases, cast or release people from good and evil spells, and predict the future. Supposedly, one in ten Romanians visits a witch. To find out how this influences modern Romanian society, Broadly correspondent Milène Larsson spends a week with Mihaela Minca’s witch clan and learns how to brew a love potion, cook up a curse, and even witnesses the exorcism of a woman supposedly possessed by the devil. We also meet Minca’s mother-in-law, Bratara Buzea, reputedly one of the world’s most powerful witches, who was jailed under communism when dictator Ceausescu banned witchcraft. Finally, we celebrate Summer Solstice, the year’s most important celebration, when the witches use their magical power to predict the future of mankind in the stars.
