La Befana: Italy’s Beloved Epiphany Gift Giver with Debora Moretti

How did geography shape the Salem Witch Trials? Join returning guest, author, and Salem Witch Trials expert Marilynne K. Roach as she maps the physical landscape of colonial Massachusetts where witch accusations spread in 1692. From the newly identified execution site at Procter's Ledge to the tense boundary between Salem Village and Salem Tow. Discover if property disputes and travel routes fueled America's most notorious witch hunt. Through modern research and historical maps, uncover why location mattered in this dark chapter of New England history. Records of the Salem Witch Hunt by Bernard Rosenthal The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach  Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials by Marilynne K. Roach Purchase Button: Massachusetts Witch Hunt Justice Project End Witch Hunts Massachusetts Witch Hunt Justice Project Sign Our Justice Petition Support Us! Shop Our Bookshop Donate to the Connecticut Witch Trial Victims Memorial Fund

In this special bonus episode of Witch Hunt podcast, hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack announce a groundbreaking commemoration of Connecticut's witch trial history. The event, "Remembering the Innocent Victims of Connecticut's Witch Trials," marks the first official recognition following the 2023 legislative resolution that absolved those accused of witchcraft in colonial Connecticut. The hosts paint a compelling picture of the upcoming event, scheduled for February 1st, 2025, at Connecticut's Old State House in Hartford. What makes this gathering particularly significant is its comprehensive approach to examining this dark chapter of colonial history. The event brings together an impressive array of voices: from the legislators who championed the 2023 exoneration resolution - Representative Jane Garibay and Senator Saud Anwar - to distinguished historians Dr. Katherine Hermes and Dr. Richard S. Ross III. The program weaves together academic insight with emotional resonance through several key elements: a dramatic reading titled "The Last Night" imagining the final hours of Rebecca Greensmith and Mary Barnes, a formal remembrance ceremony led by the Associated Daughters of Early American Witches, and weather permitting, a visit to the Ancient Burying Ground where memorial bricks honor some of the accused. Throughout the episode, Josh and Sarah provide crucial historical context: Connecticut's witch trials, spanning from 1647 to 1742, resulted in at least 51 accusations and 11 executions - more than Massachusetts had before Salem. They emphasize that Alice Young of Windsor's execution in 1647 marked the first known colonial execution for witchcraft, setting a tragic precedent. What's particularly moving about this episode is how it connects historical injustice to contemporary advocacy. The hosts, through their nonprofit End Witch Hunts, frame this commemoration not just as a historical memorial but as part of ongoing efforts to address witch hunt violence globally. They detail the distinction between exoneration and pardon, emphasizing how the 2023 resolution specifically "absolved" the accused, affirming their complete innocence. The episode concludes with a powerful recitation of the names of all known accused, spanning nearly a century of accusations - a sobering reminder of the human cost of these trials and the importance of remembering their stories. This special announcement episode effectively bridges historical scholarship with contemporary relevance, inviting listeners to participate in this significant moment of public history and collective remembrance. Sign the Petition to Support Maryland Witch Trials Exoneration Sign the Petition to Support Boston Witch Trials Exoneration Free Ticket for February 1st Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials Learn about Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials Visit Witch Hunt on the web Make a Donation to End Witch Hunts Nonprofit Support our GoFundMe for Magic & Witchcraft Conference 2025 Buy Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County Learn about witch hunts happening now Learn about the Massachusetts Witch Trials Learn about the Connecticut Witch Trials

In this illuminating conversation, Kacey Baker, host of The Cult Vault podcast, shares her journey from lockdown podcaster to advocate and expert in coercive control. What began as a way to stay mentally stimulated during COVID isolation while caring for her newborn has evolved into nearly 400 episodes featuring survivor stories and in-depth discussions about cults and coercive control. Baker recently completed her master's degree in the psychology of coercive control, bringing academic rigor to her growing expertise in the field. Throughout the episode, Baker discusses how her understanding of cult dynamics and coercive control has transformed through years of interviewing survivors. She candidly acknowledges her own past misconceptions about people who join cults or remain in abusive relationships, explaining how direct conversations with survivors helped reshape her perspective. A key insight from her work is recognizing how coercive control manifests across various contexts - from cults to domestic relationships, military training, workplace abuse, and human trafficking. Baker provides valuable information about current legislation around coercive control, particularly focusing on the UK's Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act (2015). While this law criminalizes coercive control in domestic settings, she explains its limitations in addressing group contexts like cults. She discusses ongoing efforts through organizations like The Family Survival Trust and the National Working Group of Spiritual and Ritual Abuse to expand this legislation's scope. The conversation delves into Baker's thoughtful approach to interviewing survivors, emphasizing ethical storytelling and the importance of avoiding re-traumatization. She explains how most guests reach out to her independently, and she offers various options to protect their identities, including the use of pseudonyms and careful omission of identifying details. Baker also shares insights from her recent participation in a conference about spiritual and ritual abuse, describing the powerful experience of being among professionals who deeply understand coercive control's cross-contextual nature. She discusses her role at CrimeCon events, where she often invites survivors to speak alongside her, ensuring their voices remain central to discussions about cult experiences. The episode concludes with Baker's reflections on how personal interest can evolve into meaningful advocacy work. Her journey demonstrates how taking time to understand complex issues with compassion and curiosity can lead to significant positive change, both personally and societally. This episode contains discussions of psychological abuse, coercive control, and related topics that some listeners may find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised. The Cult Vault podcast: https://www.cultvaultpodcast.com/ Sign the Petition to Support Maryland Witch Trials Exoneration: www.change.org/MDwitchtrials Sign the Petition to Support Boston Witch Trials Exoneration: https://change/org/witchtrials Free Ticket for February 1st Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hartford-remembering-the-innocent-victims-of-the-connecticut-witch-trials-tickets-1126378742139?aff=oddtdtcreator Learn about Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials: https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/remembering-the-innocent-victims-of-the-connecticut-witch-trials/ Visit Witch Hunt on the web: https://witchhuntshow.com Make a Donation to End Witch Hunts Nonprofit: https://endwitchhunts.org/donate/ Support our GoFundMe for Magic & Witchcraft Conference 2025: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-witch-hunt-attend-magic-witchcraft-conference-2025 Buy Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781107689619 Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County: https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/Essex/index.html

Between 1542 and 1735, British courts convicted over 3,000 people under witchcraft legislation. Now, author Charlotte Meredith is leading a campaign to secure their pardons. We first met Charlotte at this fall's Witchcraft and Human Rights Conference in Lancaster, where advocates gathered to address both historical and modern witch hunts. Her work is so compelling that we knew we needed to bring this conversation to our listeners. Her "Justice for Witches" campaign gathered over 13,000 signatures, pushing for official recognition of one of Britain's most profound miscarriages of justice. Charlotte details the stark regional differences in witch persecution, explaining why Scotland's execution count was five times that of England, and illuminates how these historical injustices echo in modern witch hunts around the world. Through her careful research and advocacy, Charlotte makes a compelling case for why these historical pardons matter in contemporary society, revealing how patterns of persecution persist from past to present. Join us for a conversation that bridges centuries and shows how historical recognition can help address ongoing human rights violations. Join the Justice for Witches Campaign Sign the Petition to Support Maryland Witch Trials Exoneration Sign the Petition to Support Boston Witch Trials Exoneration Free Ticket for February 1st Remembering the Innocent Victims of the CT Witch Trials Make a Donation to End Witch Hunts Nonprofit Support our GoFundMe for Magic & Witchcraft Conference 2025

"Witch Hunt" explores Maryland's forgotten witch trial history through a revealing conversation with attorney Elizabeth Pugliese-Shaw, who's spearheading efforts to exonerate those accused of witchcraft in colonial Maryland. While the colony saw fewer witch trials than its Puritan neighbors, these cases still resulted in tragedy – including the 1685 execution of Rebecca Fowler and the death of Moll Dyer, who froze to death after townspeople drove her from her home. Pugliese-Shaw discusses how Maryland's unique status as a Catholic colony with religious tolerance laws may have influenced its handling of witch accusations. She shares promising developments in her exoneration campaign, including a pre-filed legislative resolution to posthumously clear the names of Maryland's accused witches. Through historical records and enduring local legends – including Moll Dyer's story, which later inspired "The Blair Witch Project" – this episode illuminates a lesser-known chapter of colonial American history while examining modern efforts to address historical injustices. Maryland House Joint Resolution 2 MD Witch Exoneration Project Website Sign the Maryland Petition Sign the Massachusetts Petition Witch Hunt podcast Contribute to End Witch Hunts Sign up for our Newsletter

Explore the fascinating evolution of the concept of the Devil in Western civilization with medieval devil lore expert Dr. Richard Raiswell from the University of Prince Edward Island. Dr. Raiswell reveals how our modern understanding of the devil emerged not only from biblical texts, but through centuries of popular belief and cultural transformation.Discover why the devil has endured, reflecting society's deepest fears across eras - from ancient monasticism to witch hunts, Cold War politics, and contemporary debates. This episode challenges common misconceptions about the devil's biblical origins while tracing his powerful influence on Western thought, religion, and culture. Keywords: devil, Satan, medieval history, theology, Western culture, witch hunts, Richard Raiswell, religious history, demonology, Christian theology Richard Raiswell Devil 2024 Conference Free Ticket to Connecticut Remembrance Event February 1, 2025 Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials – Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project Witch Hunt podcast Contribute to End Witch Hunts Sign up for our Newsletter

Join returning guest historian and researcher Dr. Debora Moretti for a fascinating journey through centuries of Italian folklore as she invites you to get to know La Befana, Italy's beloved Epiphany gift-giver. This beloved figure's dual nature - from benevolent grandmother to harbinger of fortune - has endured through generations of Italian tradition. Dr. Moretti weaves historical insights with personal memories of celebrating La Befana and cherishing this treasured tradition today, sharing stories of ancient Christian origins, regional folklore variations, and time-honored customs like the musical Befanata processions. #ItalianTraditions #ChristmasCulture #Epiphany #Folklore #ItalianHeritage #WinterFestival Debora Moretti Free Ticket to Connecticut Remembrance Event February 1, 2025 Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials – Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project Listen to Podcast Episode: Italian Witchcraft Trials with Debora Moretti Buy The Befana is Returning by Steve Siporin Witch Hunt podcast Contribute to End Witch Hunts Sign up for our Newsletter

Explore the fascinating transformation of Christmas traditions in America, revealing how many of our cherished customs emerged more recently than we might imagine. Examine Christmas celebrations in colonial America, where the holiday bore little resemblance to today's family-centered observance. Through court records and historical accounts, we learn how the Puritans banned Christmas in Massachusetts from 1659 to 1681, troubled by its connections to pre-Christian festivals and its often rowdy, carnival-like atmosphere. The narrative threads through several compelling historical cases, including a 1679 incident in Salem Village where four young wassailers - including future Salem Witch Trial figures Samuel Braybrook and Joseph Flint - caused significant disruption during their Christmas celebrations. This event illuminates the complex relationships between holiday revelry, social order, and the later witch trials that would shake colonial New England. Tracing the origins of Christmas customs, hosts Josh and Sarah explore how ancient festivals like Saturnalia and Yule influenced early celebrations, and how Christian leaders strategically absorbed these pre-Christian traditions. Learn how the modern American Christmas largely took shape in the 19th century, with particular attention to the literary creation of Santa Claus by Washington Irving and his circle of writers known as the Knickerbockers. Their work directly influenced Clement Clark Moore's famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which the hosts perform as a special dramatic reading. The evolution of Christmas trees, gift-giving customs, and holiday decorations receives careful examination, demonstrating how these "timeless" traditions emerged relatively recently as part of a broader transformation of Christmas from a community celebration to a domestic, child-centered holiday.  Throughout the episode, Josh and Sarah weave together scholarly research with engaging storytelling, helping listeners understand how Christmas evolved to reflect changing American values while retaining its power to connect generations through shared celebration. Using primary sources, including court records and period writings, they illuminate how our holiday traditions, though often presented as ancient and unchanging, are dynamic expressions of cultural values that continue to evolve. Find more episodes and resources at witchhuntshow.com. Follow us on social media @WitchHuntShow for updates and additional content. Witch Hunt podcast Remembering the Innocent Victims of the Connecticut Witch Trials The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America's Most Cherished Holiday by Stephen Nissenbaum Christmas: A Candid History by Bruce David Forbes Contribute to End Witch Hunts Sign up for our Newsletter

Historian Louis Pulford reveals how a 13th-century religious persecution became the blueprint for centuries of persecution. The Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) marked the first time the Catholic Church turned its crusading armies inward, targeting the Cathar religious minority in southern France. Pulford, who recently completed his PhD research on firsthand accounts of the crusade, traces how tactics developed during this campaign - from systematic interrogations to public marking of the accused - would later be deployed in witch trials across Europe and colonial America. By understanding how these persecution methods were first developed and refined during the Albigensian Crusade, we gain crucial insight into the mechanics of later witch hunts and how established systems of persecution could be turned against any marginalized group. Join us as we explore this pivotal moment when methods of mass persecution were refined and institutionalized, setting dangerous precedents that would echo through the centuries. Order from Chaos: Reappraising the Historia Albigensis of Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay by Louis Pulford Importance of Heresy Impact of Heresy United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8 Study on the situation of the violations and abuses of human rights rooted in harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, as well as stigmatization End Witch Hunts Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project Witch Hunt Website Salem Witch-Hunt Education Project

On Human Rights Day, December 10th, marking 76 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we explore one of humanity's ongoing challenges: how differences continue to be met with fear, persecution, and violence. We welcome special guest Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, United Nations Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism, for a critical discussion that epitomizes Human Rights Day 2024. Her vital work documents how harmful practices and ritual attacks continue to threaten the lives of persons with albinism in Africa and globally, challenging the fundamental principles the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created to protect. Our conversation examines how beliefs that lead to harm continue to target persons with albinism, particularly women and children. Through the framework of United Nations Resolution 47/8 on accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, we explore how countries worldwide are developing protective measures while respecting cultural contexts. As we mark International Human Rights Day and its vision of dignity for all people regardless of race, color, religion, abilities, or status, this discussion provides both a sobering look at ongoing human rights challenges and hope through education, awareness, and community engagement. Join this crucial exploration of human rights protection, where harmful practices meet National Action Plans, and learn how global communities are working together to ensure safety and dignity for persons with albinism. #HumanRightsDay #PersonsWithAlbinism #UnitedNations #HumanRights #AlbinismRights Resources: United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8 Study on the situation of the violations and abuses of human rights rooted in harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, as well as stigmatization Papua New Guinea Sorcery and Witchcraft Accusation-Related Violence National Action Plan Pan African Parliament Guidelines for Addressing Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks IK Ero On Next Steps For Ending Witch Hunts TINAAWAHP Sierra Leone Association of Persons with Albinism Sierra Leone Association of Persons with Albinism Facebook Page Pro Victimis Medical Assistance Sierra Leone End Witch Hunts Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project Salem Witch-Hunt Education Project