We often talk about the Magick performed at Rituals, such as charging objects and manipulating energy to Cast. These are very real powers that a Practitioner can attain by studying the Universal Laws and other Laws of Physics, experimentation and much practice, and sometimes coupled with inherent ability. But when it comes to the Craft, the power that many people associate with Witches is that of Transvection, or flying.

As you just read this last sentence, you are likely imagining the stereotypical Witch, in a black cloak with a tall hat (perhaps even with green skin and warts on her long nose) flying on a broom stick across the sky. Unless kept as a very deep secret, this type of Transvection is undoubtedly a creation of the mind.

Paganism is believed to be the oldest religion of the world. Even though the origin of this religion is unclear, there are many people who are of the opinion that paganism can be dated back to the Paleolithic times. They feel that this religion started out because of the desire of human beings to find out about the unknown and also to attempt to harmonize with the heavenly force. This is something that was discovered through the statues and paintings of the ancient people in the caves.

Pagan is a word that is a derivative of Paganus (a Latin word) that means a civilian and the word referred to those people who were country dweller, not the Roman military. During the time when Christianity was considered to be the official language of Rome, people who followed a religion before this one were referred to as pagans. The pagans were people who believed in a religion that was before Christianity. However, this term is used to portray the different spiritual paths with affinity with nature. You will find that the concepts that were important for the purpose of carrying on with live is valued and respected even at present. The principles of these concepts have been preserved although modified to go with the modern lifestyle.

Recently we have been outlining some of the largest witch trials throughout history, from the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th Century to the Salem Witch Trials at the end of the 17th Century. Most notably, we have mentioned the Basque Witch Trials in Spain, transpiring from 1609 to 1611 A.D., and the Wurzburg and Bamberg Witch Trials in what is now Germany, occurring in the 1620’s. However, prior to any of these trials came the largest series of witch trials throughout human history – the Trier Witch Trials.

The Spanish Inquisition had begun in 1481 through a tribunal established by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. For the first few decades, though there was still persecution, many administrative and organizational matters needed to be sorted out, and therefore few trials occurred during this time period. Once this was figured out, and the Inquisition was well under way, the Authorities charged with the expulsion of non-Catholics dedicated their time to exiling Jews and Moslems, who they initially blamed for all political problems.

There are many neo-pagans who are of the opinion that witchcraft is something that should not be used for evil deeds and that it should only be used for doing good deeds. This has been mentioned in the Rule of Three and the Wiccan Rede. According to the Rule of Three, anything that a witch does will be given back to her three times, and this includes any bad deeds too. On the other hand, the Wiccan Rede states that as long as a person does not harm someone else, he or she will have no reason to fear about any harm on him or herself. The belief of the pagans is a lot like the belief of the followers of Christianity when they are praying: the heavenly will recognize and provide answers to ritual that has been undertaken.

We recently discussed the Basque Witch Trials, occurring at the beginning of the 17th Century, and have previously discussed various other instances where Practitioners have been persecuted for their spiritual beliefs. These include the Salem Witch trials, the early Spanish Inquisition, and the Burning Times in general. Today, we will delve into one of the most devastating witch trials in human history, known as the Bamberg Witch Trials.

The Bamberg Witch Trials occupy a very important place in history, especially during a period of extreme religious discrimination and witch ‘hunting.’ However, the significance of this event is too often overlooked because it occurred around the same time as many other witch trials – just years after the Basque Witch Trials, the same time as the Wurzburg Witch Trials, and only decades before the Salem Witch Trials. But unlike the Basque Trials, which ended without punishment to any despite over 7,000 interrogations and 11,000 pages of supporting documentation, and the Salem Trials, in which nineteen innocent individuals were found to have been Practitioners, the trials in Bamberg resulted in the execution of 300-600 individuals, most of whom had no connection whatsoever with the Craft. The death total covers such a wide range because while there exists evidence of at least 300 executions, there were another 300 individuals who were never declared dead, but were nonetheless never seen again.