The Real Witches of New England

History, Lore, and Modern Practice

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Pub Date 18 Sep 2018 | Archive Date 16 Jul 2018
Inner Traditions | Destiny Books

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Description

Reveals the origins and history of the New England witch hysteria, its continuing repercussions, and the multilayered practices of today’s modern witches

• Shares the stories of 13 accused witches from the New England colonies through interviews with their living descendants

• Explores the positive role witches played in rural communities until the dawn of the industrial age, despite ongoing persecution

• Includes in-depth interviews with 25 modern witchcraft practitioners, interwoven with practical information on the sacred calendar, herb lore, spells, and magical practices

New England has long been associated with witches. And while the Salem witch trials happened long ago, the prejudices and fears engendered by the witchcraft hysteria still live on in our culture. What forces were at work that brought the witch hysteria quickly from Europe to the new American colony, a place of religious freedom--and what caused these prejudices to linger centuries after the fact?

Weaving together history, sacred lore, modern practice, and the voices of today’s witches, Ellen Evert Hopman offers a new, deeper perspective on American witchcraft and its ancient pagan origins. Beginning with the “witch hysteria” that started in Europe and spread to the New World, Hopman explores the witch hunts, persecutions, mass hysteria, and killings, concluding that between forty and sixty thousand women and men were executed as witches. Combining records of known events with moving interviews with their descendants, she shares the stories of 13 New England witches persecuted during the witch trials, including Tituba and Mary Bliss Parsons, the Witch of Northhampton. Despite the number of false accusations during the witch hysteria in the New England colonies, Hopman reveals how there were practicing witches during that time and describes the positive role witches played in rural communities until the dawn of the industrial age.

Exploring how the perception and practices of witches has evolved and expanded over the centuries, Hopman also includes in-depth interviews with 25 modern-day practitioners from a variety of pagan faiths, including druids, wiccans, Celtic reconstructionists, and practitioners of the fairy faith. Emerging from their insights is a treasure trove of practical information on the sacred calendar, herb lore, spells, and magical practices. Bringing together past and present, Hopman reveals what it really means to be a “witch,” redefining the label with dignity and spiritual strength.

Reveals the origins and history of the New England witch hysteria, its continuing repercussions, and the multilayered practices of today’s modern witches

• Shares the stories of 13 accused witches...


A Note From the Publisher

This is a PDF file, not available on Kindle.

This is a PDF file, not available on Kindle.


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781620557723
PRICE $24.99 (USD)
PAGES 400

Average rating from 20 members


Featured Reviews

I really enjoyed this book and I certainly learned something new from this. Especially during the first part of the book regarding the history of Witchcraft and the hysteria that went through Europe and the New England colonies. The interviews with the witches of today started off interestingly enough but became redundant for a bit because of some of the interviews, in my opinion, seemed similar. However, I was thrilled to read about Sancista Brujo Luis, I am familiar with him through YouTube. And the other person, to stand out was Terry Eiji Nakamura-Meyers. They represented a break from the norm. But all in all, a very compelling read and lots of info provided. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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"The Real Witches of New England" by Ellen Evert Hopman is a fascinating, well-written, and thorough examination of witches in both the past and present. Hopman delves into the persecution witches faced in New England. The author tracked down descendants of thirteen witches and interviewed them about their ancestors; she includes these accounts in books.

It's always a delight to read a work written by a author who took a hands-on approach to the subject and shows dedication and passion for the material. "The Real Witches of New England" is such a book and contains a wealth of information. Highly recommended. (I received an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.)

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A very good book, full of interesting facts. This book is so well written that it can be read like a novel.
Strongly recommended!
Many thanks to Inner Tradition and Netgalley for this ARC

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Great book, well researched and written. Really liked hearing the stories of the descendants of the 13 accused witches from New England. The history should be of interest to anyone who practices or just wants to read about it. I picked up a lot of tips from the modern practitioners. I recommend this book highly. I received this book from Net Galley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy . All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This book is packed with information. If you love history and witchcraft, then you can't go wrong. This book has it all.

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New England is a magical place. Filled with history of Witches and Witchcraft, these interviews with the individuals who count themselves as Witches were smart and intelligent. I learned something from each one.

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I got a copy of this for a fair and honest review. As I read through this book I saw names and companies that I have wound while studying and learning about the craft. It is a very delightful collection of information of the past and present. I do believe that the word "witch" does come with its own persecutions and downfalls. That does not make it a bad word to the community. I think it was a lot of jealousy, fear and misunderstanding of others feelings, beliefs, and spirituality that caused a lot of the persecution of spiritual people world-wide for generations and not just in New England. One of my favorite part were the stories of how they found their way in to the witch communities. I would recommend this to those that want to read what others think even the section on the descendants of those from the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's. I hope the pains of the past do not come back to repeat themselves. That is not something also that needs to be done another time. This just the opinion of one who has see it for themselves and knows the pain that it can cause.

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This book is very informative and really interesting. I enjoyed the section devoted to the accused Witches Descendants. The interviews with these people were eye-opening.. If your interested in this subject I would highly recommend this book.

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Who better to write a book about witches--specifically, The Real Witches of New England--than an author who belongs to the Grey Council of Mages and Sages and is an Archdruidess in the Tribe of the Oak? Ellen Evert Hopman says she's also a descendant of Mary Estey, accused of witchcraft in New England.

This is a fascinating book for history buffs. Hopman includes interviews with the descendants of accused witches and modern witchcraft practitioners, herbal lore, spells, and, of course, the history of witchcraft hysteria in New England. The author says she doesn't consider herself a witch, but an empath who can feel and sometimes incorporate the feelings of people, places, and animals around her. She says she's proud to be the descendant of an accused woman who showed courage in the face of imprisonment and death.

The book gave me a lot to think about, considering the hysteria that's sweeping America's political system today.

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Thankyou to NetGalley, Inner Traditions, Destiny Books and the author Ellen Evert Holman for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Real Witches of New England.
I found the book to be extremely well written and informative. I was hooked right from the start.
Definitely well worth a read .

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