Wonders of the Invisible World

I grew up in a very conservative home and school, so even the discussion of witches and witchcraft isn’t something I encountered much. In a religious sense, I do believe in a supernatural realm, but while church and private school occasionally raised the subject of angels and even demons, witchcraft was never openly or explicitly discussed. I think that’s interesting given the fact that our culture—as evidenced by the television shows mentioned in the blog prompt—contains so many references to witchcraft and the supernatural.

Granted, I don’t believe that the majority of these references provide an accurate depiction of witchcraft as a seriously practiced religion. It’s treated a bit more dramatically or lightly, sometimes with humor, and although many of the supernaturally charged television shows diverge from the broomstick and pointy black hat, you still see a lot of stereotypical images. Upon reflection, many of the cartoons and movies that I watched as a child lightly portrayed the ugly old witch with a warty nose. Even now, some of my favorite books, like the Harry Potter series or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, include witches and wizards. But I didn’t immediately think of them when sitting down to write this entry; that leads me to think that we’re probably so accustomed to such references that they don’t stand out that prominently in our minds.

However, I do agree with the prompt’s suggestion that we don’t fully understand witchcraft and the supernatural. Obviously, that prompts natural curiosity, and our curiosity is undoubtedly heightened even further when something is considered “taboo.” I need only think of the uproar surrounding Harry Potter. I wonder how many people picked up a copy of The Sorcerer’s Stone just to see what the big to-do was all about.

With regard to the term “witch-hunt,” McCarthy and the communist scare of the 1950s that was mentioned in class stands out as a prime example. Drawing on our class discussion of seventeenth-century Salem and that modern-day example, I began thinking about all the characteristics of a witch-hunt. It’s easily fueled by paranoia, anyone and everyone can become suspect, and sometimes all it takes is one person’s word or suggestion to incite fear in people. That made me think of a conversation I recently had with my dad about how some people unfortunately regarded Muslims in America after 9-11. Although not necessarily the best example of a witch-hunt, those same characteristics were evident. There was heightened paranoia and suspicion, as some people began wondering whether their Muslim neighbors entertained any terrorist sympathies. I remember some relatives telling my family that we should keep an eye on anyone who looked like they were from the Middle East the next time we were at the airport. And with comments like that, wasn’t it hard not to take notice or be a little distrustful? I imagine that the people of Salem felt the same suspicion and alarm during the witch-hunt, as they wondered which of their neighbors was a God-fearing woman and which was a witch.

Finally, in our contemporary society, I think you’d hear numerous perspectives on the existence of evil. For many people, religion provides that framework; according to the Christian religion, evil is driven by Satan and is clearly offset by God’s righteousness. But the diversity of belief systems in America means that not everyone would define evil that way. It’s something that many people may be uncertain about, and again, that may contribute to our curiosity and attraction to the evil side of the supernatural.