A pagan inspired bedroom is a unique and enchanting space that combines elements of nature, spirituality, and ancient folklore. Drawing inspiration from a variety of pagan traditions, this style of decor seeks to create a sacred and harmonious environment. One of the key features of a pagan inspired bedroom is the use of natural materials. Wood, stone, and earthy tones are often used to create a warm and grounding atmosphere. Furniture made from sustainable materials, such as bamboo or reclaimed wood, can also be incorporated to align with pagan values of environmental consciousness. To create a mystical ambiance, pagan symbols and imagery can be incorporated into the decor.
The Salem Witch Trials: A Story of Patriarchy, Persecution and Misogyny
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 tell us so much about how women have been targeted throughout history.
October 19, 2021 Getty ImagesIt’s hard to imagine that the sleepy, bucolic New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, was once known for atrocity, paranoia, and murder. Driving along its winding roads, the proclaimed Witch City has no shortage of shops offering spell castings and divination, potions, herbs, and pendulums. A Bewitched statue commemorates the filming of the iconic 1960s show; the official Salem Witch Museum features mannequin reenactments; and the Salem police logo even features a witch riding a broomstick. At All Hallows Eve, you can see eager tourists dressed in pointy black hats, and scores of Sanderson Sisters look-alikes.
These joyful scenes are a far cry from 1692, when mass hysteria and collective paranoia led to the wrongful imprisonment of more than 150 innocent Salem residents, including a four-year-old child, and the execution of 19 victims — most of whom were women. Their crime was witchcraft.
So what happened? How did we get from there to here? It turns out the Salem Witch Trials were just one small example of a phenomenon that spanned continents and centuries: targeting women as a corrupting force and persecuting them for perceived societal ills.
“From a sociocultural perspective,” says journalist Heather Greene, author of Lights, Camera, Witchcraft, “accusations of witchcraft are a weapon thrown at women.”
“It’s not only a derogatory label that’s associated with women, it’s also a term that’s been used to define the ‘evil aspects’ of femininity. And that comes from Malleus Maleficarum [a 15th-century handbook written by Johann Sprenger and Heinrich Kraemer] — on how to figure out if someone was a witch, how to find them, out them, and how to kill them,” Greene explains.
In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was an early English settlement consisting mostly of Puritan refugees. Salem was slated to be its “shining city, a beacon on the hill,” says Emerson W. Baker, a professor of history at Salem State University and author of A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. It was meant to be a Christian utopia, one that the rest of the world would look upon as an example of harmony and peace.
But even the Pilgrims found the Puritans too strict in their ways. “Puritans were seeking their own version of religious freedom. They were a pretty intolerant lot — freedom for themselves to practice and worship God as they saw fit. It was really a religious colony, a religious experiment,” Baker says. And they had been fighting for their way of life for years before coming to America.
Maureen MacLeod, an assistant professor of history at Mercy College, agrees: “[The Puritans were] pushed from England, Holland, then they’re pushed again from England, and then they go to Massachusetts,” she says. “There’s a lot of mental anguish that comes with being pushed from multiple countries for your beliefs. It’s really fascinating — they’re coming for this religious freedom, but the Puritans are religiously intolerant.”
It came down to control: In the wake of their own persecution, this God-fearing, patriarchal society was determined to preserve its way of life and belief system at any cost.
In 1689, a new reverend named Samuel Parris came to town and became Salem Village’s first ordained minister. According to Smithsonian magazine, he wasn’t well liked due to his “rigid ways and greedy nature,” and quarreling began among the villagers. Mysteriously, in 1692, the reverend’s 9-year-old daughter, Elizabeth (aka Betty), and 11-year-old niece, Abigail, began having fits. These included “violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming.” A local doctor diagnosed them with “bewitchment,” and soon after other young girls in the village began exhibiting similar behaviors. When questioned, the girls accused three women for causing their afflictions: Sarah Good (a middle-aged beggar woman), Tituba (an Indigenous Caribbean woman who was a slave in the Parris household), and Sarah Osborne (a widowed elderly woman).
Under pressure for her life and likely beaten into submission by Parris, Tituba ultimately “confessed” to the crime. “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him,” she allegedly said. She described the Devil appearing as a “hog and sometimes like a great dog”; a “thing with a head like a woman with two legs and wings”; a hairy creature; a red rat and black rat; and a tall man in black clothes with white hair. She also confessed to riding on sticks with the children. In spring 1692, all three women were imprisoned on suspicion of witchcraft and “afflicting” the young girls; over the next year, more than 150 people would be imprisoned for witchcraft.
The “witch craze” of those days has little to do with modern witchcraft or paganism. For starters, contemporary iterations do not typically involve a devil figure in the Christian sense. “Even though the idea of [the Devil] isn’t in paganism, we have to think of evolutionary ideas of religion,” MacLeod says. “Catholicism definitely [has] this idea of a polar opposite of good and evil. In Protestantism, the whole idea is to make sure you get into heaven: If it is deemed not ‘good,’ then you’re being pulled into the negative direction with the Devil. And it’s a scare tactic. It evolved within Christianity, within Catholicism early on," she adds.
In the 17th century, it was believed the Devil could give witches — read: women — supernatural or spiritual powers in exchange for their service and loyalty. In essence, this was a genuinely dangerous moral panic that mixed class, religion, gender, and fantastical imaginings.
“In the witch-hunting era, blaming the Devil for death, disease, disaster, or misfortune was an easy sell," explains writer and educator Kristen J. Solleé, author of Witch Hunt. "Any belief, practice, or behavior that didn’t align with prevailing Christian doctrine could be deemed satanic.”
After Tituba’s confession, more villagers came forward with accusations of witchcraft and bewitchment, leading to more imprisonments. Sarah Good’s four-year-old daughter, Dorothy, was also imprisoned for nearly five months before being released. “You had mothers accusing daughters, grandmothers accusing grandmothers, neighbors accusing neighbors, people accusing ministers of being witches,” says Baker. “It turns out that in most cases of witchcraft across most cultures, usually three fourths of the victims are women. In fact, it’s even more one-sided than that because most of the men who are accused are either relatives of those women or men who will stand up to defend those women.”
The Salem Witch Trials
The events which led to the Witch Trials actually occurred in what is now the town of Danvers, then a parish of Salem Town, known as Salem Village. Launching the hysteria was the bizarre, seemingly inexplicable behavior of two young girls; the daughter, Betty, and the niece, Abigail Williams, of the Salem Village minister, Reverend Samuel Parris.
The Witch House
In February, 1692, three accused women were examined by Magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. Corwin’s home, known as the Witch House, still stands at the corner of North and Essex Streets in Salem, providing guided tours and tales of the first witchcraft trials. John Hathorne, an ancestor of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, is buried in the Charter Street Old Burying Point. By the time the hysteria had spent itself, 24 people had died. Nineteen were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town, but some died in prison. Giles Corey at first pleaded not guilty to charges of witchcraft, but subsequently refused to stand trial. This refusal meant he could not be convicted legally. However, his examiners chose to subject him to interrogation by the placing of stone weights on his body. He survived this brutal torture for two days before dying. It is remarkable 552 original documents pertaining to the witchcraft trials have been preserved and are still stored by the Peabody Essex Museum. Eerie memorabilia associated with the trials, such as the “Witch Pins” used in the examination of witches and a small bottle supposed to contain the finger bones of the victim George Jacobs can be found in the Clerk’s Office in the Essec Superior Court House, Salem. A more provoking commemoration, the Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Memorial dedicated in 1992, can be found adjacent to the Charter Street Old Burying Point.
Salem Witch Trials
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To create a mystical ambiance, pagan symbols and imagery can be incorporated into the decor. This can include wall hangings or tapestries depicting pagan gods and goddesses, as well as symbols such as pentagrams, the moon, or the Celtic tree of life. These symbols can be used as focal points in the room and can be accentuated with soft lighting or candles to create a soothing and magical atmosphere.
Salem witch trials
In addition to the visual elements, aromatherapy can play a significant role in a pagan inspired bedroom. Burning incense or using essential oils can enhance the spiritual ambiance and help create a sense of tranquility and relaxation. Scents such as lavender, rosemary, or sandalwood are commonly associated with pagan rituals and can be used to invoke certain energies or moods. Finally, incorporating elements of nature into the bedroom can further enhance the pagan-inspired theme. This can include potted plants, dried herbs, or even a small altar dedicated to nature or specific pagan deities. Connecting with the natural world through these elements can help create a sense of harmony and balance in the space. Overall, a pagan inspired bedroom is a celebration of nature, spirituality, and ancient wisdom. By combining natural materials, pagan symbols, aromatherapy, and elements of nature, this style of decor can create a sacred and enchanting space for rest, relaxation, and connecting with the spiritual realm..
Reviews for "Incorporating Crystals and Gemstones in a Pagan Inspired Bedroom"
1. Karen - 2 stars - While I appreciate the effort put into creating a Pagan inspired bedroom, I personally found it to be a bit overwhelming. There was just too much going on with the dark colors, mystical symbols, and statues scattered all over the place. It felt more like an occult museum rather than a comfortable bedroom space for relaxation. I also found the lack of natural light to be quite claustrophobic. Overall, it's not the kind of aesthetic that I enjoy, but I can see how it might appeal to others with a strong interest in Paganism.
2. John - 1 star - My experience with the Pagan inspired bedroom was nothing short of a disappointment. The dark and heavy atmosphere made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable. The abundance of mystical symbols and occult artifacts gave me the creeps, and it certainly wasn't the serene and tranquil space I was hoping for. Additionally, the lack of functionality in the room, with decor taking precedence over practicality, made it feel like a poorly thought-out art installation rather than a livable bedroom. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for a soothing and peaceful sleeping environment.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - The Pagan inspired bedroom, to me, felt more like a Halloween set than a place to unwind and rest. The excessive use of dark colors, faux cobwebs, and spooky trinkets took away from any sense of comfort or coziness. It seemed more like a themed room for a haunted house rather than a livable space. I understand that some people may find this aesthetic appealing, but it simply didn't resonate with me personally. I would have appreciated a more subtle approach that incorporated elements of Paganism without sacrificing the comfort and functionality of the room.