It all started for me with Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Don’t judge me too harshly, but kids didn’t really have much to go off of when it came to education of other religions. To be honest, Sabrina the Teenage Witch was at least somewhat positive, if only in the sense that it didn’t perpetuate the ‘witches worship satan’ thing. Which, in case you don’t know, Wiccans/Witches literally do not recognize satan as a real thing. Seriously.

One day, as an adult, I was channel surfing and happened to watch a few minutes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Nostalgia, ya know? Then it dawned on me. It was like a light bulb was flicked on, or a connection was finally being realized. Their cat was named “Salem” in the show; after Salem, Massachusetts.

You guys, No. Stop it.

I am not a fan of feeding the “Witch Wars” epidemic, but we need to talk about this.

As a reminder of the history behind this place…you know…it’s the place where the Salem Witch trials took place. Where an entire town rallied behind a group of elementary school kids, to put 20 fellow grown ass adults TO DEATH. With no proof other than he said-she said.

I am just going to say it, and I guarantee people won’t agree with me, but I’m still going to say it. Witches (or anyone for that matter) going to Salem like they are going to a theme park is seriously messed up. Since we are on the subject anyway, people of the Wiccan community naming their animals Salem is super cringe-worthy too.

To put it in a bit more perspective, equating Salem to a holy place or “mecca” to a Witch is like saying Auschwitz is the holy land of all Jews. Just stop it. Super offensive, y’all.

Witches going there like it is a fun theme park, should recheck their perspective on history. What happened there not only got 20 people murdered (oh, sorry, “tried and found guilty”… on the basis of no factual information; just saying), but it also started a ripple throughout history that people of the community are still trying to get past. People still think absolutely absurd things like animal sacrifices and devil worship exist in the Wiccan/Witch/Pagan community. Now if people would do some actual research, they would find that it is like accusing Christians of worshiping Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes box. It makes no sense and the perpetuation of this negative information is based on hearsay and fear-based lies.

As for me, I could never set foot in Salem, and you know why? Because I am a Psychic and death permeates that land. Not just the feeling of ‘natural’ death either, it is the kind that never had closure. That is the kind of death that lingers for generations. Then to make matters worse, mass amounts of people flock there, feeding to the energies that can never rest. It is like paving over a Native American Burial Ground in a classic horror movie, you’re just asking for trouble.

Once, while visiting family in New England, I drove close to Salem. I didn’t have time to stop and I admit I was curious, but what I felt while simply in the general area still makes me uneasy. To this day I still get nervous and anxious when I think about how I felt. The air was heavy, the fear leached into every old structure, and I could still hear them screaming about injustice. I stayed for the weekend in the next state over, but I still felt it.

Look, I am not saying that it is blasphemous to go to Salem, just keep in mind what horrible things happened there. Pay tribute in some way. The first thing you do when you visit a place like that is take more than a minute to morn, pay respects, and not just in a fleeting afterthought.

Regardless of what religion you practice or believe in, just remember that people once existed there and they were murdered for no proven reason.  Show some respect.

And no, it is not advisable to ask a friend whom you just found out is Wiccan, if they have ever been to Salem. Sure, they may be polite about it, but in the back of their mind they are wondering why you just asked if they have ever been to a mass burial ground where their people were tortured and executed. Are you getting the picture yet?

Good.

-A. Elise

The funny thing about life is that it only gives you what you should have at that moment. It doesn’t matter how much you know will happen, it will still take its time and happen when you least expect it.

I met my husband several times in casual settings over a span of several years. He was there, just waiting to be found, and there I was lost in my world of trying to be everything for everyone. In my defense, I still had a lot of ‘fixing’ to do for myself at that time. I had gotten used to putting my own needs aside in order to focus everything on my child, who deserved my utmost attention of course. But as my child grew and became more independent, the option of putting more time on myself came into fruition. I, stupidly, wanted someone to help me find meaning for myself again. As I am sure you all know too well, you can only give yourself meaning, no one could ever do it for you.

I meditated and studied, I forgave myself and healed, I put myself at a higher priority and learned self-care. My confidence rose, my stubbornness became more prevalent, and I began to realize I was not as wrong as I was told I was. Learning to trust yourself is very hard to do, but if you are consistent in it, you can essentially retrain your brain for the positive.

This well known quote says it perfectly; “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”

Fast forward to me fixing my shit. I had decided that the only person limiting myself of finding “the one” was my inability to put myself out there. I literally made that realization a little over two weeks before the BBQ I attended, in which I gave my future spouse my number.

Now, I feel the need to note before I move on, that I had been having prophetic dreams for years up until this point. But even the most seasoned of psychics will tell you that not everything makes sense until it all comes together. That usually tends to happen in wonderful “ah-ha” moments of hindsight. Convenient, right? …I know, it drives me nuts too.

These dreams were always involving a man looking just like my spouse in stature, but slightly blurry in the face. The dreams stuck out to me because of how caring he was and how he treated me. In the insanity realm of dreams, so many things can go wrong, but no matter what happened he persisted with strength and patience. He was kind, he saw me for who I am, and he never turned away.

I knew on the very first date that he was “the one”. I told him everything about myself as bluntly as possible. He knew I was a single parent already, but what he didn’t know was that I am a psychic. I was going through course studies to become a priestess and an ordained minister. I told him about my continuing struggle with anxiety and my battle with PTSD from an abusive past, I told him that I was a work in progress, but I don’t take charity or pity. I told him that I am incredibly stubborn, weird, and obnoxious as all hell. He just nodded, saying nothing, until I had finished the worst sales pitch in the entire world. I concluded that I do not put up with bullshit and I don’t tolerate passive aggressiveness, be honest with me and I will always do the same for you.

He patiently waited until I was finished, then smiled and said, “Awesome. My mom’s house is haunted.”

A. Elise