Euro-American Witchcraft Timeline

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Euro-American WitchcraftTimeline

• 0-300 C.E., Pre-Christian Roman empire
• Sorcery as involving the manipulation of evil
  spirits
• miracles of Jesus may have been taken as a form
  of sorcery
• 273-337 C.E. Constantine I converts to
  Christianity, which officially ended the
  persecution of Christians made famous under the
  previous emperor Diocletian.
• 313 C.E. Edict of Milan, a decree from the
  emperors Constantine and Licinius that proclaimed
  religious tolerance in the Roman Empire.
• With Christianity now sanctioned by, and slowly
  becoming the official religion of the Roman
  Empire, those who performed magic outside of
  that performed by Jesus or his followers were
  termed heretics and said to practice
• Heresy Crimes against God
• All other forms of magic now labeled sorcery
  and the work of the Devil. Other, non-Christian
  groups Pagans were thought of as worshippers of
  Satan the embodiment of everything amoral and
  indecent.
• Middle Ages (5th-13th centuries) Roman Law
  Crimes against God punishable by death
• Unrepenting heretics and witches were burned.
  Heretics were brought to attention of authorities
  only if an accusation was made against them.
• 13th Century Europe Inquisitions Formal
  investigations whereby a unit of the Roman
  Catholic Church would convene to judge cases of
  heresy.
• 1227-1235 Establishment of the Papal
  Inquisition Official regulation of Inquisition
  activities by Roman Catholicism and the Pope.
• 1252 the papal bull Ad Extirpanda is introduced
  by Pope Innocent IV authorizing the imprisonment,
  torture, execution and property seizure of
  heretics.
• Most areas in Continental Europe contained
  Inquisitors (mostly of the Franciscan and
  Dominican order)
• At first punishment was mild (wear a crucifix or
  go on a pilgrimage). The goal was to get
  heretics/witches back on the Christian track.
• Execution only reserved for those who steadfastly
  would not repent.

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Extent of the Roman Empire at its peak in 120
C.E.Towards the end of the Dark Ages and into
the Renaissance (the time of the Witchcraze), the
Holy Roman Empire encompassed the areas on the
map below of Galia (France) Italia (Italy)
Brittania (British Isles) upper parts of Hispania
(Spain) and eastern parts of Germania (Germany)
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Euro-American Witchcraft Timeline cont.

• 1450-1650 Witchcraze in Continental Europe
• In which many people (anywhere from 1,000 to many
  millions of people) were accused, convicted, and
  executed as witches
• 1486 Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer against
  Witches). A book put out by the Catholic Church
  that classified witches as
• Those who renounced the Catholic faith and
  devoted themselves, body and soul to the service
  of evil.
• Engaging in orgies that included the Devil.
• Shape-shifters that could fly and make magical
  ointments.
• Mostly women, due to their weaker, stupider, more
  superstitious and sensual nature.
• 1640s-early 1700s Witchcraze in England
• On the outskirts of the Roman Empire, England had
  no Roman Law, no Inquisitors, no English
  translation of the Malleus Maleficarum until
  modern times, and a weak tradition of heresy.
• Witches seen not so much as heretics, but instead
  as those who harmed livestock, caused diseases
  and hurt infants and children.
• If found, they were tried under a Civil, not
  Religious authority. That is, until
• 1640s King James I (Scotland) was a big proponent
  of the Continental European Witchcraze and opened
  the door for its occurrence in the British Isles.
• 1640s-early 1700s Witchcraze in the United
  States
• 1692 Salem A farming society at the edge of the
  settled world where accusations of witchcraft
  erupted resulting in the jailing of over 100
  people and the execution of 19.
• 2 young girls (ages 9, 11) experimenting w/
  divination techniques, apparently scared
  themselves and started acting strangely
• Trashing around, contorting themselves in odd
  ways, constantly jumpy/nervous
• Other girls and women began acting the same.
• All medical explanations were ruled out, so
• Witchcraft was suspected

4
The Evil Eye

• Similar concept to Witchcraft
• Found primarily in India, the Near East, parts of
  Europe and Mexico, the belief that a person is
  able to cause illness or some other type of
  misfortune simply by looking at or praising
  something or someone.
• Power of the Evil Eye, like that of witchcraft,
  lies within the body of the individual. No
  spells, sorcery, chants, etc. are necessary to
  gain this power. It is innate.
• If someone with the Evil Eye is jealous, the
  individual who is the object of that jealously
  may encounter misfortune, so
• In some cultures it is recommended not to show
  off ones wealth/happiness in public for fear of
  this very occurrence.

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Satanism

• Worship the concept of Satan/Lucifer (not the
  Devil of Christianity) who represents power,
  virility and sexuality. Do not believe in
  Heaven/Hell/Angels/Demons/Human Sacrifice, etc.
  Everyone responsible for their own actions.
  Lust, greed, selfishness are things to be
  embraced as the normal state of a human being.
• Church of Satan Founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor
  La Vey based on the principle that
• human beings are inherently selfish, violent
  creatures. ? from the forward to the The Satanic
  Bible (1969). The Church of Satan is a form of
  hedonism
• The pursuit of or devotion to pleasure as a
  matter of principle
• Believe in indulgence over abstinence, vengeance
  over forgiveness, love only to those who deserve
  it.
• Catholic sin as virtuous, but within Satanism,
  sin still exists in the form of
• Stupidity, pretentiousness, self-deceit,
  conformity
• Magic used to help friends and family, but also
  to destroy the enemy.
• Sigil of Baphoment Symbol for the church of
  Satan