Full moon
Witches getting ready
matching pumps with broom
hat in place
watch them zoom
let's get wicked
stoke the fire
sture the pot
cauldron is bubbling
Oooo that's hot
spell book's out
let's all shout
“Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and caldron bubble”
Rabbits guts and chewed up nuts
slime of snail and a pinch of dust
a half a cup of rhino pee and a big green snot from me
mix together, one, two, three !
Five large fleas from a dog with disease
a cup of sick from a hippo that doesn't pee
overcooked eggs from a frosted hen
put in toffee and served with Uncle Ben
A sprinkle of troll teeth
cabbage tart with a big fart
and a fluffy belly with a stinky welly
Double Double howling goo
stink of poo mixed with a shoe"
Witches enjoy a positive place in our culture today. Thanks to Harry Potter, Bewitched, Charmed, Practical Magic and other witch movies, they’re often seen as sweet and smart. But go a little further back and you’ll discover a dark history behind these beings (who just happen to inspire some of the most popular Halloween costumes).
According to the legends, the witches arrived at the gatherings on magical flying broom sticks. The parties were hosted by none other than the Devil himself. Stories based on superstition have been told about witches casting spells that transformed themselves into different forms and casting spells on unsuspecting humans, using their magical powers, which brought pain and trouble. Legend has it that if you want to meet a witch on Halloween, you must put your clothes on wrong-side-out and walk backwards at midnight.
Mentioned in the Bible, witches were thought to do the devil’s bidding to harm others. During the Middle Ages, the hysteria about witches grew, and up to 80,000 suspects were killed. Then the trouble started in America, with the famous Salem witch trials accusing 200 people of witchcraft and leading to the deaths of 20 in 1692 and 1693. Today, those who practice Wicca, a modern form of witchcraft, are seen as harmless and even peaceful worshippers of nature.
The belief in witches and the spells that they cast was brought to America with the early settlers. Then the settlers’ beliefs kind of blended with the beliefs of the American Indians. Later the beliefs of the African slaves were also added to the mix. That strange mixture is what constitutes the general beliefs about witches that abound today.
There is no scientific proof that witches exist or that they can cast spells good, bad or otherwise. But believers don’t need proof! They simply believe. I’m personally not sure, but if a frog spoke up and asked me to kiss him so he could turn back into a prince, I might just do it! I’ve kissed frogs before, but none of them have ever turned into anything resembling a prince, though — so maybe I’d just pass.