It’s a good thing that the law has evolved a bit since the 1600s given my penchant for visiting shamans, inquiring about witches, and talking directly to higher powers without any male or priestly intercession. In May 1647, the first execution in the American colonies of a woman accused of witchcraft took place in Hartford, Conn. Not much is known about the specific circumstances that led to the hanging of Alse Young for being a witch, but her punishment predated the mess in Salem, Mass.
In thinking about, and engaging in, traveling, most of us probably don’t consider the freedom we have today to inquire and learn about witchcraft, shamanism, voodoo, religion, dreams, higher powers of any sort. In visits to places where we can learn about such things—Salem; Peru; New Orleans; Rouen, France—we might think more carefully about efforts, official or otherwise, to quell such inquiries.
—Lori Tripoli
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Interested in witches and the spiritual side of life? You might like these posts:
- Are Witch Hunts Good for Tourism?
- Bonus History in Witch City
- In Praise of Pachamama
- Recovering New Orleans
- North Salem’s Stonehenge