By Lester Williams Jr
The thought of Florida being home to witches may seem odd to an outsider, but it is in fact true that the U.S. state has quite an interesting history with witches.
The idea of witchcraft has both fascinated and terrified people for several generations. Even as far back as the 17th century, witches influenced society such as during the 1616 trial of Mary Smith. Smith was a woman from Florida who was accused of using witchcraft and later executed because some of her neighbors became sick after she cursed them.
As a result of witch trials like Smith’s, the concept of witches was given a negative reputation in American history. Due to this, it makes some people living in America wonder: why would anyone want to involve themselves in witchcraft?
In today’s world, witches are not just seen as evil creatures, but they are icons of Halloween and profitable figures for the American economy. For example, a resident of Gainesville, Florida, Jessica Webb, uses witchcraft as a part of a ritual for the soaps she creates.
During her ritual, Webb places her soaps on the floor so they can be exposed to the moonlight. Then, she lights a sage bundle to bless them as well as the environment they’re in. Finally, she prays for those who are ill and require help.
It is thanks to the help of people like Webb that witches have made a new name for themselves in American culture and the economy.
Jennifer Hawley, an adjunct professor of humanities and history at Saint Leo University, demonstrates the value of witchcraft on society by teaching a course on the topic.
“A lot of people still have the perception of witches as though they were Halloween costumes instead of real people. I think it’s unfortunate that so much of history has been forgotten or lost,” Hawley said.
Hawley is disappointed that the current perception of witches neglects the historical significance of the real witches and their craft.
“Witchcraft is something that has been present in Florida (with reportedly as many as a million today), just as it has in the rest of the United States,” said Hawley.
Besides ancient history, witchcraft should be valued because it is a growing industry in places like Florida.
“I think that knowledge of the history of witchcraft is important because it is something that has touched nearly every culture. Remembering that past is an important part of our cultural heritage,” Hawley said.
Hawley commits herself to teaching witchcraft because it is a valuable part of human history which influenced and linked multiple cultures together.
“When we study the history of witchcraft, one of the things that is important to remember is that people who practiced witchcraft (and those who were falsely accused of doing so) were persecuted and often killed for the evil that society attributed to their actions,” Hawley said.
Furthermore, she acknowledges the witch trials of the past, and believes that they are an essential part of learning about the history of witchcraft.
By looking back at humanity’s past involving witches and acknowledging the work of people like Hawley and Webb, society can learn to appreciate different cultures, prevent people from making the mistakes of past generations, and expand the public’s perception of icons like witches. It is this way that people can be thankful for how the concept has changed the modern world for the better.
1 Comment
Just a point of clarification to this article. Mary Smith is not from Florida, she was from London, England and never lived in Florida. Based on the article from the Florida Supreme Court that was linked above, it only talks about an English law book that contained the trial being in the Florida Supreme Court Library. However, nowhere in this book does it indicate Mary Smith was from Florida. She in fact never stepped in Florida in her life.