TRADITIONAL WITCHES
WHAT THEY DD – One of the most shocking facts to emerge from the new trial data is that may traditional witches actively supported the persecutions. During these times, most common people divided Witches into “black” and “white” categories (despite the fact that all Witches were evil). “Black” Witches cursed people. “White” Witches (also called wise women and cunning men) were healers and diviners who specialized in undoing the baneful spells of their “black sisters”. Witches blamed misfortune on harmful magic, and they helped Witch-hunters discover the “evil” Witches. This did not lead to much persecution during the Middle Ages, but at the height of the Witch scare, traditional Witchcraft suddenly became deadly. People looked for remedies against “black” magic beyond the simple protective charms. Many people took suspected practitioners of baneful magic to court. Thus, may of the people named were put to death. In France, for instance, twenty five percent of all Witches put on trial were accused by a wise woman or cunning man.
WHAT THEY DIDN’T DO – They didn’t die in grest numbers. Contrary to public opinion, most Witches were not herbal healers or traditional magic-users. Healers and traditional magic-users made up a small percentage (perhaps about twenty or thirty percent) of Witches. Most traditional Witches, in fact, lived through the burning times in absolute peace and safety. They were never accused of Witchcraft, simply because, as today, most people were able to distinguish between “good” magic and “bad”.
To Learn more about the real history of these times, Brian Levack’s The Witch Hunting Western Europe and Robin Brigg’s Witches and Neighbors are excellent summaries of the new evidence collected from trial records.


And that’s all she wrote… whatcha think about that!!!!??????