You possess that magical talent. It's a power that resides within you, waiting to be unleashed. It's the ability to shape your reality, to bring your dreams to life. This talent is unique to you and cannot be replicated or imitated by anyone else. It's the spark that ignites your passion and fuels your creativity. With it, you can achieve greatness and leave a lasting impact on the world.
Salem is where people visit to learn about the 1692 witchcraft trials, but Danvers, formerly Salem Village, is where it first began on a cold February day.
org for more information on bat curator-led tours, our pop-up shop The Bat Box, drop-in bat art making, palm reading lessons and haunted tales told live in our historic houses. Witch Dungeon, Broad Street Cemetery, Witch Trials Memorial Charter Street Cemetery, Witch History Museum, Witch House, George Corwin Joshua Ward House, Gedney House, First Church.
With it, you can achieve greatness and leave a lasting impact on the world. But how do you tap into this magical talent? It starts with believing in yourself and recognizing your worth. You have to acknowledge that you are capable of extraordinary things and that you possess the skills and abilities to make them a reality.
Behind the scenes of PEM’s Witch Trials Walk
At 11:58 am, my finger hovered above the record button. I had set out on a hot August day to capture the noon bell chimes of the Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Salem. My goal was to weave the ambient sounds into a new audio walking tour on the Salem witch trials. At that very moment, a young woman walked by, a large snake wrapped around her arm. Her male companion had something thicker around his neck, a scarf perhaps. But probably not. I hit the record button, listened to the daily chimes and thought how, in Salem, a large snake out for a noon stroll can pass through a crowd almost imperceptibly — as can a mummy, a vampire, a werewolf and a group of female tourists in ubiquitous black pointy hats.
Not much can shock a local here. That’s because we have more than 300 years of the grim and the fantastic passing on the streets. We live in the Witch City, a place where thousands of tourists flock each year to celebrate the Halloween season and simultaneously seek a better understanding of the infamous events of 1692 that put our small city on the map.
The city’s Samantha statue commemorates when the TV show Bewitched was shot in Salem in the 1970s. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) has long cared for the world’s largest collection of Salem witch trials materials. From 1980 until 2023, this included some 500 original documents on deposit from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. We recently returned these documents to the state of Massachusetts court system following a significant renovation of their archival facilities. We continue to share our digitized copies of these documents, as well as objects owned by the accusers and the accused during the tragic events of 1692. For more than 300 years, the complex drama of the Salem witch trials and its themes of injustice and the frailties of human nature have captivated and fascinated the public imagination. The extraordinary crisis involved more than 400 people and led to the deaths of 25 innocents — men, women and children.
Since 2020 , PEM has presented popular exhibitions on the witch trials, and in 2021, linked the tragic events of 1692 to the modern day, featuring the works of photographer Frances F. Denny, a descendant of a witch trials judge who created a series of portraits of people who identify as modern-day witches. In 2022, we focused on how the trials affected one family, focusing on the Towne Sisters. This Fall, we examine attempts to restore justice and how this is sometimes a very slow process with steps toward healing continuing to this day. In The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice, we look at attempts to make amends and repair reputations that began shortly after the trials ended and continue all the way to the present.
Artist in London, Sundial, Brass. Gift of Abel H. Proctor. © 2007 Peabody Essex Museum. Photograph by Jeffrey R. Dykes.
A beautiful brass sundial, stamped in stars, teaches us how the Puritans thought about time and mortality. It tells the story of its owner John Proctor, a prosperous farmer, who ran a tavern with his wife Elizabeth. He petitioned on his own behalf and on behalf of others falsely accused during the Salem witch trials. When he asked for just a bit more time to live, he was denied the request.
Fast forward to 2021 and a North Andover middle school teacher and her students embark on a civics project to formally clear the name of the last victim of the Salem witch trials. Working during two cycles of the Massachusetts legislature, their petitioning and phone calls prove successful and Elizabeth Johnson, Jr., known to the students as EJJ, is exonerated, making worldwide headlines.
Carrie LaPierre and her former student Lucas Ioakim visit PEM to see witch trial related objects. Photo by Dinah Cardin/PEM.
Last year we began to tap the expertise of our curators to create a new experience to help people better understand this complex story — the Salem Witch Trials Walk. This self-guided audio tour is free with admission and includes stops in the galleries to see objects belonging to 17th century Salem residents tied to the trials and also historic witch-themed merchandise later created to “sell” this story to a fascinated public. This year, it will include the 2023 exhibition The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice. The tour then heads outside the museum to key sites in downtown Salem related to the witch trials, including PEM’s historic Ropes Mansion made famous by its appearance in the Disney film Hocus Pocus.
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is visited by flower-bearing tourists year round. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
Dan Lipcan, Director of PEM’s Phillips Library, has curated two exhibitions on the Salem witch trials. He is shown here in the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
As someone who has made witch trials episodes of our podcast – one about the history and another about the contemporary response – it sometimes feels as though there isn’t more for me to learn. But, of course, that isn’t the case. This history, this city (!) keeps teaching us all. Before this project, I never knew the powerful Witch Trials Memorial, which was dedicated in 1992, is intentionally situated behind the gravestones in the Charter Street Cemetery, to symbolize the citizens of Salem turning their backs on the accused.
Lily Kumar and Thomas Rutigliano from the Visitor Engagement team pose in a promotional shot for the Salem Witch Trials Walk audio tour. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
It is with great gusto that I took on this project. For people like myself who live in Salem, there has always been this sense of “Team History” versus “Team Witch Kitsch.” But the two are inextricably linked. There is a real history of tragic events and also a real history of 19th-century entrepreneurs creating witch-themed products and souvenirs. There is a real connection between a witch trials judge and Salem’s literary son, Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose fictional works would contain the breadcrumbs left from 1692. There is a real history of those who identify as witches now making Salem their home and a real history of witch-themed tourism rising in the 20th century. It’s not one or the other.
PEM Curator Paula Richter talks about witch-themed products and souvenirs that were produced in the 19th century. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
Along with the walking tour, PEM will present an eclectic mix of programs to embrace the Halloween season this October. Our Bats! exhibition includes live winged creatures of the night, where you can also learn the vital role these misunderstood pollinators play in our lives, ecologically, culturally and as inspiration for technological advances. Check out pem.org for more information on bat curator-led tours, our pop-up shop The Bat Box, drop-in bat art making, palm reading lessons and haunted tales told live in our historic houses.
Danielle Olsen, of PEM’s education and civic engagement team, hunts for pumpkins at Marini Farm in Ipswich to decorate the Ropes Mansion. Photo by Diana DiRamio/PEM.
PEM Curator Paula Richter talks about witch-themed products and souvenirs that were produced in the 19th century. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
It's about embracing your strengths and weaknesses, and understanding that they are all part of what makes you special. The next step is to explore your passions and interests. What excites you? What makes you feel alive? When you find something that sparks that inner fire, pursue it with all your heart. Dive deep into your chosen field, learn everything you can about it, and become an expert. This is where your magical talent will truly shine. But talent alone is not enough. It requires hard work, dedication, and perseverance. You have to be willing to put in the effort and push through challenges and setbacks. It won't always be easy, but if you stay focused and determined, you will achieve greatness. Remember, your magical talent is not just for your own benefit. It's meant to be shared with the world. Use your talents to inspire others, to make a difference, and to leave a positive impact. Whether it's through art, writing, music, or any other form of expression, your talent has the power to touch lives and change the world. So, believe in yourself, embrace your passions, work hard, and share your talent with the world. You possess that magical talent, and it's time to unleash it. The world is waiting for your brilliance to shine through, so don't hold back. Embrace your uniqueness and let your talent light up the world..
Reviews for "Awakening Your Inner Magician: Harnessing Your Magical Talents"
1. John - 2/5 stars - I didn't enjoy reading "You possess that magical talent" at all. The plot was very slow and didn't seem to have a clear direction. The characters were flat and lacked depth, making it hard for me to connect or care about their journey. Overall, I found the book boring and it didn't live up to the hype.
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4. Emily - 2/5 stars - I found "You possess that magical talent" to be mediocre at best. The world-building was lacking, leaving me with little sense of the magical realm the story was set in. The pacing was slow and the plot didn't have enough substance to keep me engaged. The main character lacked depth and development, making it hard for me to root for them. Overall, the book felt underwhelming and didn't leave a lasting impression.