Olivia's Witch Blog

Picture this. It's the 1600s. Witch hysteria is cultivating in the little town you've grown up in. People are talking about the possibility of being bewitched almost daily now. That's right--you're in Salem. Except, if you were in the historical city of Salem versus the tv show Salem , things would look awfully different.  Salem  the tv show was unusual and scream-worthy to say the least. I would be lying if I said I didn't have to shield my eyes a few times. It was fun to see so many characters we've read about in our texts like Tituba, Cotton Mather, and Giles Corey to name a few. Except in this screen adaption of history, Tituba is a beautiful, young girl who actually did carry out witchcraft; Cotton Mather is a multi-faceted man who preaches the gospel and condemnation of witches, but also goes against the typical pure relationships of puritan culture; and Giles Corey is an old man who isn't portraying the story of valor and perseverance as in his histor...

 I know we've talked a bit about the concept of "witchtok" in class, but it was something super interesting once I searched the hashtag myself. I saw everything from spells, to potions, to powers and more. Here's 3 of the most interesting that I wanted to share:  1.  https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeDk361J/ This first one stumped me. My natural know-it-all self is dying to know how she controlled the fire simply with her fingers. Maybe, just maybe, she truly is a witch.  2.  https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeDkxbc8/ This next one I might have to try out myself. A potion to find out if you're actually meant to be with someone!? Therapists might just have to go out of business if it really works. Honestly, I think this potion might be a complete fraud though considering the outcome was him checking his Snapchat account... 3.  https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeDknsPf/ And last but not least--moldavite. After some quick google searches and research, I found out moldavite is a "holy grai...

When reading the transcripts of Sarah Good and Tituba's examinations, a lot of things were stirring in my head. The first being, "how much can I trust these accounts." The second being, "dang, trials were pretty straightforward and to the point in Salem." The third and one I want to flesh out in this post being, "who recorded these examinations and is there any possibility that maybe, just maybe, there is some subconscious, subliminal bias strung within them." Ezekiel Cheever is the first recorder we need to analyze today. Ezekiel Cheever is said to have been a male school teacher in the city of Salem. He was highly respected in the schooling arena and seemed to be within high regard with the colonial people. Cotton Mather even gave a speech at his funeral. Ezekiel Cheever is depicted in The Crucible as a subtle antagonist. He's characterized by being almost blindly obedient. It's interesting how this highly respected man, who allegedly was a w...

One of my earliest memories was my dad sitting down with my older sister and pulling out the very first Harry Potter book to read with her. They would take a seat in our living room and flip through the cream colored pages almost every weekend. All I wanted to do was be in on their book club... too bad I couldn't even read yet.  When I finally was able to read well and ultimately fell in love with the hobby of it, I pushed myself into their magical book club and picked up the Harry Potter novels myself. They were fun, adventurous, and enthralling. The magic felt real enough to be believable but whimsical enough to embody escapism in a book. Harry was of course my favorite character because of his bravery, humility, and perseverance. I wanted to be just like him, have all the qualities that he possessed. I even dressed up as Harry for the final book release party at my local Barnes & Noble. If you don't believe me, look at the picture below.  Yep. Almost identical right? It...

In what I read of Witchcraft: a Very Short Introduction today, there was a very short line mentioning “a moral grading of witchcraft.” This one line got me thinking.     At the start of 2021 I decided I was going to try out this new trend called manifesting. Manifesting in my eyes is just speaking affirmations over myself every morning or every day to ultimately steer my life in the direction I choose. I even downloaded an affirmation app that gives me new lines to speak to myself every few hours to help me on my new manifestation journey. These range from lines like “I am worthy of feeling happy” to “I will find a loving partner in my life” to “I am content.” Do I feel stupid sometimes saying these things to myself? Heck yeah I do. Is it now the third month of the year and am I still doing these affirmations? Heck yeah I am.    I can’t help but think if I am engaging in a “witchcraft” of sorts. There’s an interesting intersection especially in Millennial/Gen Z worl...