Time to live out a dream for the inner-child, I am headed to Salem!
My fascination with ‘witches’ dates back to my elementary years, when we first learned about the Salem Witch Trials in school. A topic that consumed me, sparking an obsession that to this day I haven’t been able to shut off.
It wasn’t until I found one of my journals from age 8 that I remembered how deep this obsession lies. ‘The Witch Busters,’ was the name my friends and I chose for our ‘club.’ We spent time at recess analyzing the clues we gathered to determine which teachers could possibly be witches. Revisiting this childhood memory brought me back to a memory of my first year of teaching when I, in turn, was accused of witchcraft from one of my students. Two stories that echo the same hysteria and fear that has plagued the earth for centuries.
Let's start with 2001. From a young age, I struggled in school. Anything taught seemed to go in one ear and out the other, with zero comprehension or retention. It wasn’t until my fourth grade teacher introduced the Salem Witch Trials to the class, that I was completely entranced.
I remember wanting to know everything I could about Salem, and feeling an immense amount of sadness for these souls. A close friend of mine seemed to gain an obsession as well, but driven by fear. She was convinced that witches were evil, much like the townsfolk of Salem believed.
The ongoing discussion of witches led us and several other students to form what we called the “Witch Busters.” We were convinced a strict substitute teacher was a witch. The evidence? She was mean, wore square-toed shoes, had long fingernails, often wore gloves and had a wart on her nose. Obvious witch.
This journal that I still have to this day has the notes that we passed back and forth in class, gathering clues and voting whether or not she was deemed to be a witch. This obviously was not the purpose of this journal, as our teacher intended for us to write journal entries to turn in for her to read and respond back to us. If we didn’t want a page to be read, we were to fold it in half and she would respect our privacy. Needless to say, most of my journal entries were folded in half because they were documenting all of our witch evidence. A handful of my journal entries that my teacher could read also spoke much of witches, so much that she responded, “Nicole, I think you are obsessed with witches!” I laughed when I read that line all these years later
My favorite journal entry, written to my friend; speaks of how witches are just ordinary women, wearing ordinary clothes and working ordinary jobs. At that age I was trying to convince others that “witches” weren’t something to fear. Yet we are fed the illusion that witches are nasty creatures like we often see in films and pop culture.
Fast forward to 2015 when I was a first year teacher. A third grade student conspired against me, stating I was a witch that bewitched their old art teacher into leaving so I could take her place. Months and months went on where this student would run past me entering the art room, covering her eyes so we couldn’t make any eye contact. Guidance counselor involved, all the things. It eventually blew over and it was never brought up again.
Fast forward to 2024, here I am, still highly intrigued by the history of witches. The hysteria that led thousands to their death, the intense empathy for their souls and the fear that still exists for many to this day. Thousands upon thousands of innocent souls, rebellious souls, souls who were healers, souls in touch with nature, souls who wouldn’t conform.
Upon starting my business, I knew my overall goal was to instill a ‘witchy’ vibe, with the desire to shed light on the truth, contrary to what history and the entertainment industry has provided. Vending with my pottery in Salem has been at the top of my bucket-list, and I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity.
Salem Witchcraft and Folklore Festival
Mercato Della Strega : A Witches' Market
Saturday, August 17th
Hawthorne Hotel
6:00-10:00PM
Comments