Valen,
I liked that they talked about how we have to face the fact that this is a real dangerous world. She had to have protection coming out saying she was a witch during that time. She had a martial artist who was her bodyguard ! It just goes to show. She had bodyguards and said that there are some fundamental born-again Christians who are in England that were so militant that they stoop to violence.
Not just against Witches but against anyone who is not of the same religion? We can look at history, and see the we must be grounded! I feel like witchcraft is getting to be more adored and I am just wrapping the light around all of us!
Doreen
Blockquote
Jeannie
Doreen Valiente has some great contributions to Witchcraft too. I found this interesting interview.
Interview with Doreen Valiente
Jeannie 
Blessed beāØ
@Jeannie1 Wow what a great find! Loved how Doreen talks about Alex Sanders and others claiming that their Book of Shadows is ātraditionalā and sheās like āI know its not because I wrote it.ā LOL! And when she talks about initiation not being needed because the power resides inside of us and isnāt granted to us by someone. Also its worth watching just to hear her say "Darksome night and Shining Moonā¦ 
Blockquote
Lol I know I thought it was funny too, because thereās all the talk about Alexander Book of Shawdows being copied by Gerald Gardner! But then confessed shes wrote it! Lol 
quote=āValen, post:39, topic:14546ā]
And when she talks about initiation not being needed because the power resides inside of us and isnāt granted to us by someone
[/quote]
I really liked that she was encouraging ritual to be shared itās not like the old times where it was illegal to be a witch. She emphasized and she doesnāt see why some people canāt be initiated if they say there a witch then your a witch! It canāt hurt bringing the old ways back because the earth can use some love because of the climate change then people will think about nature and the green world. That would be great to bring the old ways back, I think we are at a time of revival!
Ow yeah lol she uses a grain of salt for the people that didnāt know they were practicing black magic when they participated in blood sacrificing and Orgies ! Lol 
Love her!
Blessed be!
Jeannie
My Challenge Entry on The History of Magic:
I thought it was a good choice to choose The Sanderson Sisters, more commonly known from the movie āHocus Pocusā. But in fact it was a daunting task because I cannot find any further info about the sisters in real life. Which leaves me wondering if they were indeed ārealā people of that time as I have read that they were, or just a fictional trio based on those witches in the era. None the lessā¦
Many of us know the trio from the movie as Winifred, Mary, and Sarah and throughout the movie their characters delight us and make us laugh. The locations from the movie, of which many are actual places such as:
The Salemās Pioneer Village (shown in the beginning of the movie)
Ropeās Mansion
Old Burial Hill
Just to name a fewā¦
The movie was not an exact telling of the time nor the effects of the Salem Witch Trials but it did do some key details of the āwitchyā ways justice in my opinion.
I was able to find out that the sisters were āhangedā outside their home as the movie portrays, for the disappearance of a little girl and her brother. But this was a couple years before the actual Salem Witch Trials had happened.
I also discovered that the movie was derived from a bedtime story that the producer David Kirschner would tell to his children, though it was stated the bedtime story was much darker than the movie turned out to be.
Although my research attempts into the Sanderson Sisters was unsuccessful, I do like bringing attention to this movie as it is one of my faves all through out the year. I enjoy the lighthearted energy it brings to such a dark twisted period of which people still have a misconception about as well as witch craft in general.
After All, Who doesnāt love a little Hocus Pocus?
Hereās what I learned about Joan of Arc (or Jehanne dāArc and Jehanne la Puchelle). Iāll post a link with more info down below.
I donāt remember too much about the Hundred Yearsā War, but I do know that it was fought over who would sit on the French throne - an English or a French monarch.
King Charles VI of France was mentally ill and unfit to rule, so King Henry V of England took over. Charles VI left behind a son (Charles VII) who would eventually sit on the French throne because of Joanās campaign.
Contrary to popular belief, Joan wasnāt actually a peasant. Her family owned roughly 20 acres of farmland, which included a meadow and a forest. Their annual income was roughly 200 pounds a year (which was quite a lot in the fifteenth century) and had stashed away some of it in case of an emergency. Her father was the ādoydenā of their village, which meant he was the most important figure there.
Joan did not start hearing the voices of angels and saints until her hometown of Domremy was attacked and burned to the ground by English and Burgundian (French allies of England) when she was only 13. She is said to heard the voices of St. Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret of Antioch.
Scientists today think that she might have suffered from schizophrenia. However, my Catholic school teachers told me that schizophrenics arenāt able to draw out battle plans or peace treaties, which Joan did. There are also theories that she might have suffered from epilepsy or bovine tuberculosis, the latter which is contracted by drinking unpasteurized milk and tending to cattle.
To me, it sounds like these voices were the result of trauma after losing her home.
Anyway, the voices told her to lead a campaign against the English and put Charles VII on the throne in Remis.
Charles VII agreed to let her lead the French army because she knew things that only a messenger of God would know. The details of this conversation are unknown.
Joan never actually fought in any battle or killed an opponents ā she was more of a figurehead and a motivational speakerā but she was injured several times.
She is said to have had a temper (which, if I might add, I think is one of the reasons she was accused of witchcraft). She would chew out the soldiers who took the Lordās name, skipped Sunday mass, drank, or cursed. She was even said to have driven away the camp followers (prostitutes), even going so far as to beat one of them when they wouldnāt leave.
She was captured during an attack at Compiegne by English-Burgundians forces. Charles VII refused to negotiate her release because he wanted to keep his distance from an accused heretic and witch.
70 charges were brought against her, including heresy, sorcery, and cross dressing. These charges were later dropped to 12.
She recanted hearing the voices of angels and saints. However, she was caught wearing menās clothing again, deemed a lapsed heretic, and sentenced to burn at the stake. It should be noted that Joan probably wore menās clothing to protect herself from being raped on the battlefield and in prison.
20 years after her death, she was cleared of all charges. She was canonized on May 16, 1920, and is the patron saint of France.
This seems perfect for this weekās challenge.
I enjoy learning what scholars say about any given subject more than what culture or myth might have to say. Thatās why I found this playlist from Angelaās Symposium so interesting. I wish I had time to read her references and I wish there were more references to be read. I thoroughly enjoyed her examination of the material, though.
Tarot & Divination
By Angelaās Symposium
- History of TAROT. From Game to Divination
- Rider Waite Smith Tarot Deck - History & Meaning
My entry for this challenge is here: https://forum.spells8.com/t/my-entry-for-the-history-of-magick-challenge/14711
Itās time for a friendly reminder!
This challenge will close TOMORROW
If you would like to participate and havenāt done so already, please post about your challenge experience(s) by the deadline: Tomorrow: October 5th, 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time Zone)
Blessed be! 
Thank you for sharing your knowledge about the chakras, @Princess_Tara! You are very right- magick is not restricted to just one culture or one location on the map. I think all cultures have magick in some shape or form- it is truly something that brings the world together 
Thatās really interesting, @Kasandra- what a fun local legend in the Appalachian area! I also love the idea of women using magick to help their communities, and thereās something really Southern and charming about the term āgranny witchā 
Thanks for sharing!
Well said that magick is something that has been with us over history, @moonshadow- thanks for sharing your insights and for the interesting links as well! Faerie magick in particular is very curious- it makes me want to learn more! 
I think ābizarre and tragicā is really good way to put it, @mary25- it sounds like it was a really rough time back then. I remember learning about the man who was crushed on a visit to Salem- really tragic indeed. While it is true that people can do great things when they come together, the opposite is true as well. There may not have been real witches during the Witch Trials, but there is definitely a powerful message about humanity. Thanks for sharing! 
Thanks for sharing the video about the Farrs, @Jeannie1! 
And hahaha glad you thought it was funny, @TheMuslimWitch 
I always thought the Sanderson Sisters were real, @Rowan- but perhaps they were just āhocus pocusā themselves! Thanks for looking into them, theyāll always have a place in my heart haha And beautifully said- itās a fun, exciting, and much-beloved movie that brings a real-life witch town to life on the screen!
I always had a picture of Joan of Arc as a shining hero on the battlefield- but it sounds like there was a lot more to her story, @Kasandra- thanks for sharing it! The fact that the accusations were later removed makes me wonder what was real and what had been recorded to shut down a woman in power. All in all, she sounds like an interesting person! 
Thank you for sharing the history of tarot video, @praecog29! The cards have a long and fascinating history. And how cool that Angela is so invested in exploring their source 
And thanks again to @Amethyst, @Abs53, @Brightbear, and @Temujin_Calidius for sharing their entries (in separate, linked-to threads)- they were a delight to read! Thanks for exploring witchy history
I might be late for this challenge and the awesome posts during it. Hereās my 2 cents of it.
Thatās a very nice experience with your neurologist indeed!
One of my dreams is to go to Salem for Halloween. Lemme know how everything goes there, Iām sure itās going to be incredible 
Iāve read the whole article and wowā¦ I didnāt know all of that happened and is STILL happening, it breaks my heart, itās really really sad, and even more sad to know that there are evil witches over there hurting peopleā¦ but, thanks for sharing @Garnet that is part of our history and reveals our mission as neo-pagan witches to help to heal the world in any way we can.
Thanks again!
Thanks a lot for sharing, @Jeannie1 !
I didnāt know about Circe, she seems very empowered and determined.
Iām completely sure that India created its own magic as well. The kinds of meditation they created, the mantras (sang and gestures) itās all magic, even yoga. Itās all about the intention you put to it.
American Indians had their own ways of magic as well. We used to worship the sun, the moon, and the mother Earth (or Pachamama as we call it) as well. That, unfortunately, got a bit lost after the Spanish colonization.
Thank you for sharing, @Kasandra ! I didnāt know they existed.
Iāll anyways check for Jan of Arc, sheās was a role model when I was young, the first time I saw her was playing Age of Empires (a great videogame to learn history).
Looks like a book worthy to be read. Iāll add it to my list for sure.
And thank you for sharing!
Wow! That looks really interesting. Iāll check it out, and thank you for sharing!
Wow! What a great video. Really inspiring!