Chaos & Witchcraft?

In 1692, a panic swept through Salem, Massachusetts. At that time in history, many women in the community were accused of witchcraft. People died. We still wonder what led that quiet town to turn against itself. This history still captivates us today. Have you thought about how we might have reacted back then?

The chaos and dissonance right now is challenging me to re-examine my own behavior and the behavior of others. We want to think that our response back then and even now, would be on the side of justice, but it's really easy to get carried away and turn on one another. In a culture as patriarchal and racist, and materialistic as ours, I can see witchcraft as radical and revolutionary. Our culture is under attack. It would be easier to say it was a witches spell.

Bianca Basker, an award- winning journalist ABOUT — Bianca Bosker wrote in a 2022 Atlantic article, that witchcraft has always spiked in times of chaos and turmoil. From the civil war to Trump, people get disillusioned with the status quo and seek something new.

There are massive amounts of uncertainty today. When I see or hear some people paint a picture of an entirely different reality than our own, it heightens my fear just like those witch stories from Salem.

It seems real enough today when witnessing the attack on women's rights and control of their own bodies. This is just one example that is so hard for me to understand. Where is this fear coming from?

Today, we have communities or groups of people that are responding to perceived threats, looking for others to blame and then repeating that which seems parallel to the fueled witch hunts hundreds of years ago.

Historically, accusing witches explained away misfortune, or social discord by blaming “outsiders” or those who did not fit in.  Today, collective fears related to conspiracies play a similar role: anxieties are projected onto groups and it fuels suspicion, violence, or panic.

What psychological factors fuel fear of the unknown today?

• Intolerance of the uncertain

• Lask of predictability

• Imagining the worst-case scenario for yourself

 What to do?

I find that leaning into daily meditation, reframing my thoughts, reaching out to my support network or joining conversations that build coping skills, helps me deal with this craziness. Also read poetry. Here is one that I could relate to and was fascinated with the idea our human body is like a house where we welcome guests of all type. Check this out. The Guest House by Jalaluddin Rumi - Scottish Poetry Library

So, yes, Halloween is coming soon. You may not see a contemporary witch or be put under a spell. However, it feels like witchcraft when we see women and hard-working members of our community in the cross hairs of a vengeful and cruel administration.

I wish us all the strength in sharing our voice, seeking to understand others and taking action where your heart says truth and integrity matters. You might even invite these guests in for dialogue, first within ourselves.

Sending best - Sherry

sherry@scbcompany.net