Down South They call us Blasphemers!

Lookie here, all. For those of you who don't live in the South...send help!

I'm only partially joking, of course. I suppose it could be worse, right? We could be getting burned at the stake for being witches. We could be getting hunted down and murdered (see: YIKES) in cold blood. We could be thrown through countless hoops and ways of judgement, where no matter what we do, it's wrong and we die.

Sound ridiculous?

I agree. Unfortunately, these are some actual, factual ways that individuals deemed Witches were put to death. Being stoned, being forced to drown because swimming meant witchcraft, being burned alive...it was all 'for the greater good'. It was all heinously backed by men with religious ties to God (yes, that God). More so, the witch trials were the direct result of several political factors. Five of them to be exact.

Government instability, religious insecurity (I know, right?), the desire to 'combat atheism', fear of Native American attacks (There's the racism and ignorance), and an increasingly oppressive overseas authority by way of the English government. The system was a church-based structure specifically designed to go against women and those accused of witchcraft. The religion itself was Puritan. That being said, Catholicism and Protestant religions have also played parts in various witch trials. The Catholic and Protestant churches used to play a game of "Who can kill the most witches to boost our popularity?". Yep, you read that right. Women/men and those deemed 'off' were murdered for the sake of popularity in the world of cult faith. Mainly women, though.

You see, back in the day - and let's be honest, even today- women were deemed to be the weaker sex, categorized right alongside children and the elderly. Due to this forced perception, women were more often accused of doing the work of Satan (I can't wait to burst some bubbles here) as they would fall prey to his seduction. Thus, women were stolen in the dead of night and hunted and murdered and... well, need I go on? At this point, I'm going to assume a good portion of you have done the research at varying points of your lives. Women, children, mentally disabled and differently abled folks were strewn up for the world to see as 'Witch' and they were burned. All in the name of religion.

This brings me to today, modern day Southern America.

What could possibly be happening today that we should be worried about? you ask. Let me break it down for you a bit more. I live in North Carolina, and in one of the more conservative cities in the state. Yeah, sure, it pretends to be all inclusive but let's be honest... Asheville, NC isn't. It's a wall of feigned acceptance with underlying issues of misogyny, bigotry, racism and discord swirling in the depths. Witch hunters are absolutely still a thing these days. No, I don't mean some guy dressed like Van Helsing roaming the streets and carrying various items of repel. What I mean is men like Pastor Greg Locke or Pastor Dillon Awes (Look them up). These men claim that people like us, witches, are of the devil and should be dragged out into a yard and shot in the back of the head.

The result of men like this, in different states across the U.S, are others in the conservative South feeling brave enough to waltz into the store I work (will go unnamed for now) and threaten my coworkers. It indeed did happen! From what I recall, an older man had walked in, poured dirt onto one of our spirit boards and said, specifically " You're lucky I'm a religious man or I'd have my knife with me". The space I work in, due to people like this, has a panic button under the front desk in order to immediately contact the police should someone decide they wish to attempt harmful action upon my coworkers/friends.

Here, in the South, we are blasphemers. We are harlots, we are the Devil's kin, we are wrong. I couldn't exaggerate if I tried. It's why I will emphasize the importance of remaining safe while practicing. Be it on your own time or out in the world... be safe! There is a time and place for everything, even your craft. Now, that's not to say you shouldn't be proud of who and what you are. Always, above all else, be proud. We are the healers of the world. The ones who are there when needed, though we do most of our work in the shadows. We are the ones people talk about in sermon but come to our back door seeking advice in the spirit. It is my goal in 2022, and into 2023, to give you tips and tricks for everyday witch life. For those of you who live in more conservative spaces, I'll be sharing ways to maintain your spiritual independence among oppressive and aggressive family members, friends, and passersby.

Again, being proud is encouraged. Being safe is a must.