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fandomhigh2014-02-11 07:51 am
thepaledreamer.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2014-02-11 07:51 am
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The Occult | Period 1 | Tuesday
Paige hoped the students had recovered from their off the wall weekends sufficiently enough. She'd thought about taking it easy and making today a movie day but, in the end, decided to go along with her lesson plan in the hopes that it would provide even more distraction than even a movie could.
"Today, we're going to be talking about witchcraft," Paige said by way of introduction. "Some of you might already be familiar with this and some of you may even practice witchcraft. For those that aren't aware, witchcraft is the use of magical faculties most commonly for religious, divinatory, or medicinal purposes."
Paige crossed her arms. "In anthropological terms, a witch is different from a sorcerer in that they do not use physical tools or actions to curse; their possible evil notions are perceived as extending from some intangible inner quality and they person may be unaware that they are a witch or may be convinced of their evil nature by the suggestion of others. Witches, though, get a bad rap. The majority of them are not evil. They do not wear black hats or ride brooms and they're not out looking to eat children. In present day, witches are most commonly associated with modern paganism and is most notably practiced in the Wiccan traditions."
She paused again. "The most common practices associated with witches and witchcraft are spell casting and conjuring the dead. Spell casting is, of course, the use of words that signify a meaning to carry out a magical action. And some witches also have the ability to perform necromancy. They can conjure the spirts of the dead for divination, prophecy or other reasons that aren't as clearly defined."
With the basic ideas about witches out of the way, Paige went into their last topic of discussion. "For the most part, society views witches as evil and harmful. Most of you have probably heard of the Salem witch trials or the great witch-hunt in that women who were thought to be witches were accused of such and given no ability to defend themselves. They were drowned or burned at the stake. It's probably easy for us to sit here and think that an awful practice, because it is, but what would we be thinking if were alive back during th Salem Witch Trials? Would we be so easily swayed to thinking witches evil without evidence? Or do you think you could have withstood the calls to join the angry masses and stood up for the witches who were accused so easily? Well, today you're going to get to try. We're in the Danger Shop where a version of the witch trials experienced back then are about to be recreated. You're not going to see anyone burning or being killed but you will be thrust into an angry, loud crowd of people, wanting the blood of the witches and wanting it now. You'll have to make your choice to stand with them or against them. It won't be easy either way. There are great orators in the crowd giving grand speeches and showing why they were so easily able to convince people of the guilt of those without any shred of evidence. And if you choose to stand against them, you'll be blasted with rage and anger and possible physical violence. We'll see how you react. Go."
"Today, we're going to be talking about witchcraft," Paige said by way of introduction. "Some of you might already be familiar with this and some of you may even practice witchcraft. For those that aren't aware, witchcraft is the use of magical faculties most commonly for religious, divinatory, or medicinal purposes."
Paige crossed her arms. "In anthropological terms, a witch is different from a sorcerer in that they do not use physical tools or actions to curse; their possible evil notions are perceived as extending from some intangible inner quality and they person may be unaware that they are a witch or may be convinced of their evil nature by the suggestion of others. Witches, though, get a bad rap. The majority of them are not evil. They do not wear black hats or ride brooms and they're not out looking to eat children. In present day, witches are most commonly associated with modern paganism and is most notably practiced in the Wiccan traditions."
She paused again. "The most common practices associated with witches and witchcraft are spell casting and conjuring the dead. Spell casting is, of course, the use of words that signify a meaning to carry out a magical action. And some witches also have the ability to perform necromancy. They can conjure the spirts of the dead for divination, prophecy or other reasons that aren't as clearly defined."
With the basic ideas about witches out of the way, Paige went into their last topic of discussion. "For the most part, society views witches as evil and harmful. Most of you have probably heard of the Salem witch trials or the great witch-hunt in that women who were thought to be witches were accused of such and given no ability to defend themselves. They were drowned or burned at the stake. It's probably easy for us to sit here and think that an awful practice, because it is, but what would we be thinking if were alive back during th Salem Witch Trials? Would we be so easily swayed to thinking witches evil without evidence? Or do you think you could have withstood the calls to join the angry masses and stood up for the witches who were accused so easily? Well, today you're going to get to try. We're in the Danger Shop where a version of the witch trials experienced back then are about to be recreated. You're not going to see anyone burning or being killed but you will be thrust into an angry, loud crowd of people, wanting the blood of the witches and wanting it now. You'll have to make your choice to stand with them or against them. It won't be easy either way. There are great orators in the crowd giving grand speeches and showing why they were so easily able to convince people of the guilt of those without any shred of evidence. And if you choose to stand against them, you'll be blasted with rage and anger and possible physical violence. We'll see how you react. Go."