Cotton Mather is commonly associated with the notorious Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Mather was a prominent Puritan minister and scholar who played a significant role in the events leading up to and during the trials. Mather was born in Boston in 1663 and came from a family of influential Puritan ministers. He received an excellent education and was known for his intellect and religious devotion. Mather's father, Increase Mather, was also a prominent figure in the Puritan community and served as the president of Harvard College. In the late 17th century, concerns about witchcraft and the devil were prevalent in Puritan society.
American Horror Story Finale: Was the Supreme's Identity in the Opening Credits All Along?
My, my, what do we think of that American Horror Story: Coven finale?! In my opinion, that was a damn fine ending to a stellar season (by far my favorite!) of the hit show—especially because I did not see that ending coming. In fact, I didn't even [SPOILER] include it as a possibility in my recap of last week's penultimate episode. I watch so much TV that it has become hard for me to be too surprised—not a real problem, I know—so I applaud Ryan Murphy and Co. Anyway, let's move on to discussing everything that went down! Spoilers ahead, of course, so don't keep reading if you don't want to know who is the next Supreme. The episode began with the best opening montage I've ever seen: Stevie Nicks singing "Seven Wonders" while the ladies practiced for the. Seven Wonders. I'd embed a video, but the only one I could find was this crummy version. Boo. Anyway, time came for the actual Seven Wonders ceremony. All the girls passed telekinesis and concilium with flying colors. But when they had to descend to Hell, poor Misty Day wasn't able to bring herself back. Delia tried to save her, but to no
January 30, 2014My, my, what do we think of that American Horror Story: Coven finale?! In my opinion, that was a damn fine ending to a stellar season (by far my favorite!) of the hit show—especially because I did not see that ending coming. In fact, I didn't even [SPOILER] include it as a possibility in my recap of last week's penultimate episode. I watch so much TV that it has become hard for me to be too surprised—not a real problem, I know—so I applaud Ryan Murphy and Co.
Anyway, let's move on to discussing everything that went down! Spoilers ahead, of course, so don't keep reading if you don't want to know who is the next Supreme.
The episode began with the best opening montage I've ever seen: Stevie Nicks singing "Seven Wonders" while the ladies practiced for the. Seven Wonders. I'd embed a video, but the only one I could find was this crummy version. Boo.
Anyway, time came for the actual Seven Wonders ceremony. All the girls passed telekinesis and concilium with flying colors. But when they had to descend to Hell, poor Misty Day wasn't able to bring herself back. Delia tried to save her, but to no avail and Misty died. :( I didn't think she was the Supreme, but I secretly hoped it was her.
On to transmutation: At first Zoe, Madison, and Queenie were able to do it—until Zoe ended up impaled on a wrought-iron fence. Not only is she obviously not the Supreme, but she's dead. Queenie tries to bring her back to life, but fails (meaning Queenie is out as well). Delia and Myrtle ask Madison to do it, but she refuses. Instead, she kills a fly and brings it back to life to prove her necromancy.
Magic
As the Covens died out, and witches stopped using their gifts, the powers got weaker and many disappeared almost all together. Mortis, Vitalis, Concilium, Clairvoyance and Transferal are the most commonly seen of the remaining powers. There have through the generations existed several different variants and mutations but all the remaining powers can be traced back as originating from the seven main powers: The Seven Wonders.
Mortis: Touch of Death
The power to take life is the second most potent power and very hard to control. It originates from the Wonder: Descensum.
Mortis requires skin to skin contact with the victim; the words “Alma, Mortis” are spoken and the victim will immediately feel their body begin to shut down.
Mortis manifests differently depending on the witch casting it; some can only cast it when taken over by a strong emotion, some have no control at all and cast it without intention, some can cast it at will but require more skin contact to do so.
Vitalis: Power of Resurrection
The power to return life to the dead is the most potent power remaining and can be difficult to perfect, often needing much practice. It originates from the Wonder: Vitalum Vitalis.
Vitalis doesn’t require skin to skin contact but some witches find this gives better results. The words “Alma, Vitalis” are spoken before gently blowing on the victims face. It can take a little time for the victim to regain the full function of their body.
Mastering Vitalis successfully is no easy feat and the side effects of being raised from the dead can be dire if it is not done correctly. Zombification, loss of speech or sight can be some of the results of an unfinished or badly executed Vitalis. Luckily it can often be corrected by more powerful Vitalis.
The after effects of being raised back from the dead can give the victim a euphoric high comparable with some drugs; this has resulted in some witches using Mortis and Vitalis on each other to get a kick. There are of course many risks, the longer the victim is under the better the high, but the stronger the witch needs to be in order to resurrect correctly. Mortis from some witches can also result in a bad trip.
Concilium: Mind Control
The power to control another’s mind and by extension often their body. It originates from the Wonder: Concilium.
Concilium varies slightly depending on the ability and strength of the caster. Eye contact with the victim is always required and the words “Alma, Concilium” are followed by instructions i.e. “Alma, Concilium. Slap yourself” or a more complex variant could be “Alma, Concilium: Go make me a cup of tea”. The strength of the caster versus the strength of the victim is relevant when using Concilium: a stronger witch might be able to resist a Concilium by a weaker witch. Even a weaker witch might snap out of Concilium mid-tea brewing. Concilium might leave a victim feeling confused and disoriented or have them trapped, fully aware of their actions but unable to stop themselves.
A good indicator that Concilium has been used is the sharp but temporary headache that often follows a longer Concilium exposure. If the victim is being exposed to Concilium repeatedly or has been under Concilium for some time this can even lead to migraines, nausea and vomiting.
Clarvoyance: Mind Reading
The power to read anothers thoughts. It originates from the Wonder: Clarvoyance.
Clarvoyance and Concilium have a lot of similarities; both vary slightly depending on the ability and strength of the caster and both require eye contact with the victim. Clarvoyance however is much harder to break if there is also skin contact between the victim and the caster. The words ‘Alma, Clarvoyance’ are spoken and the victim will start speaking their thoughts aloud; sometimes they do not notice themselves doing this, sometimes they do but cannot stop themselves.
As with Concilium the strength of the caster versus the strength of the victim is relevant; a stronger witch might be able to resist or break the Clarvoyance of a weaker witch.
Transferal: Shifting injury to others
The power to transfer pain and injury onto others. It originates from the Wonder: Transmutation.
Transferal requires that the caster has eye contact with their victim throughout the Transferal and loss of eye contact breaks the Transferal, but will not undo the damage already transferred. The caster establishes eye contact, says the words “Alma, Transferal” and then causes damage to their own body in some way i.e. slaps their own face or stabs a fork in their hand. The victim feels the pain in the casters place and will also sustain the damage to their body even after the Transferal is broken.
It is harder for a weaker witch to break the Transferal by a stronger witch, but the Transferal can be broken by a third person breaking the eye contact between caster and victim.
In the late 17th century, concerns about witchcraft and the devil were prevalent in Puritan society. These fears were heightened in Salem Village when a group of young girls began exhibiting strange behaviors that were attributed to witchcraft. As the panic spread, accusations were made against numerous individuals, primarily women, who were believed to be witches.
The Seven Wonders
Every Supreme of every Coven has gone through the trial of The Seven Wonders and proven themselves to be the most powerful witch in their Coven: able to command all seven powers. Only one is chosen and the other candidates are eliminated round by round. It is possible to die during the trials. You only enter the trial once in your life, if at all. Entering the trials can be a way to speed up the reveal of your powers but it can be a high price to pay; even if you survive the trials you cease to develop anymore powers afterwards. There is no known knowledge avaliable to explain why this happens. Nor to explain why every recorded attempt of a witch to retake the trials has ended in death.
Cotton Mather was initially hesitant to believe in the reality of witchcraft but soon became convinced after witnessing the possessed girls' behavior. He believed that the devil was actively working in Salem and that it was the duty of the community to identify and eradicate the witches. Mather became one of the key figures pushing for harsh measures during the trials. He wrote extensively on the topic and published several books, including "The Wonders of the Invisible World," which served as a defense of the trials. Mather also actively participated in the proceedings, attending many of the examinations and offering theological explanations for the events. However, Mather's involvement in the Salem witch trials remains controversial. While he did not directly serve on the court trying the accused witches, his writings and influence undoubtedly contributed to the mass hysteria and the escalation of accusations. In the aftermath of the trials, Mather faced criticism for his role in the event. Many people began to question the validity of the trials and the methods used to identify witches. Mather himself would later express regret for his involvement in the trials. Despite his association with the Salem witch trials, Cotton Mather's legacy extends beyond this dark period. He was a prolific writer and a champion of education, particularly in the sciences. Mather's work helped to advance scientific thinking and he has been credited with introducing the concept of "inoculation" to America, a precursor to modern vaccination. In conclusion, Cotton Mather's role in the Salem witch trials is a complex and controversial one. While he played a significant part in the events as a believer in witchcraft and advocate for harsh measures, he also faced criticism afterward. Today, the trials serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria and the importance of due process in legal proceedings..
Reviews for "Cotton Mather's Sermons and their Influence on the Salem Witch Trials"
1. Emily - 2/5 Stars - I was really excited to read "Cotton Mather Salem Witch Trials" as I have always been intrigued by this dark chapter in American history. However, I was left disappointed. The writing style was dry and lacked the depth and emotion I was expecting. The characters felt one-dimensional and I struggled to connect with any of them. Overall, I found this book to be a missed opportunity to provide a gripping retelling of a fascinating historical event.
2. Robert - 2/5 Stars - Honestly, I couldn't even finish "Cotton Mather Salem Witch Trials." The pacing was incredibly slow, and there was a lack of tension that I expected from a story about the Salem witch trials. The author failed to create a sense of urgency or fear, and I found myself losing interest after just a few chapters. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to engage with the characters. Overall, this book did not live up to my expectations and I would not recommend it to others.
3. Sarah - 1/5 Stars - Reading "Cotton Mather Salem Witch Trials" was a struggle from beginning to end. The writing was confusing and disjointed, with inconsistent narrative voices that left me feeling disoriented. The historical accuracy was questionable at best, and I found it difficult to trust the author's portrayal of the events. It felt like the author missed the mark in capturing the essence of the Salem witch trials, resulting in a frustrating and disappointing read. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-researched and well-written account of this historical event.