~ WITCH  start see> WIT               sug> SORCERY 
^u       id+ | WICKED WITCH or        sug> VICTIM
               EVIL WOMAN with WIT and MAGIC powers |  
     id+ | CAPACITY TO CONJURE ATTRACT BEGUILE BEDEVIL | 
     sug> see> WICCA below 
     sug> see> MAGIC  sug> SORCERY 
     lit+ "THOU SHALT NOT SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE" 
           Exodus xxii-18 
     maxim> WICKED WITCH of the WEST  
     masculine is WIZARD or           sug> WIT 
     SORCERER                         sug> SOURCE of knowledge 
     WOMAN DIVINER                    sug> DIVINE  
     CAPABLE OF MAGIC                 sug> INCANTATION
     CAPACITY TO CHARM                sug> BEWITCH 
     often ILL TEMPERED               sug> FIT 
     FRIGHTENING                      sug> SCARE 
     etymology start see> VICTIM      sug> WICKED 
     eng       WIT       see> WISDOM 
               WITCH     SORCERESS 
                         SOURCE OF SINISTER POWER 
               WICKED    DIABOLIC  DEVILISH  DEMONIAC 
     old eng   WICCA     SORCERY 
               WICAN     WICKET  DIABOLICAL  DEVILISH  
               WIGLE     DIVINATION as in 
               WICCE     WITCH 
     ger       WEIHE     CONSECRATION  ORDAIN  BLESS    
                         SACRED VICTIM 
     ger       HEREIN    TROUBLE 
               HEILIG    HOLY 
               HEXE      WITCH 
     sp     ADIVINAR     AUGUR PREDICT FORETELL or 
     eng     DIVINATION  PREDICTION 
             DIVINE      CELESTIAL BLESSED FORESEE  
     lat       UICTIMA   VICTIM           
     Frisian   WIGILA    VICTIM 
     sp        VICTIMA   IMPLIES CASUALTY or CRUELTY    
                         UNDESERVED INJURY 
     ukr       ZHERTVA   VICTIM of SACRIFICE             
                YERTVA   same 
                YERTO    DEAD HUMAN or INERT HUMAN
                YACER    LAY FLAT IMMOBILE   
     myth> BABA YAGA     FAMOUS WITCH      
     sp        LLAGA     like PLAGA or OPEN WOUND       
                              PLAGUE       
     it     STREGHE      WITCH         sug> STRANGE 
     ukr    STRAKH       FREAR         sug> STRIKE
     eng    STR          implies TENSION 
            STRESS 
            STRANGLE  
            STRING 
            STRAIN 
     sp     BRUJA        WITCH
            BRUJULA      MAGNETIC COMPASS or a 
                         MAGIC NEEDLE IN A BOX
     lat    BUXIS        BOX 
     old sp BRUXA        WITCH 
                         has unknown roots 
    sp    EMBRUJAR       TO BEWITCH as in  
                         ENCHANT      sug> CHARISMA
    sp      BRUJAS       perhaps points to WITCH HUNTS
                         in Central Europe including in 
    eng     BRUGE        HISTORIC CITY IN BELGIUM known as 
    sp      BRUJAS       or BRUXAS for CHARMING 
    ukr   CHAR           CHARM            see> CHARA
          CHARY          WITCHCRAFT       see> CHARACTER
          CHARIVNA       CHARMING WITCH   see> CHARIS
          CHARA          CHALICE          see> CHARISMA
    sp  HECHICE          BEWITCH          see> CHARITIES
        HECHICERA        CHARMING WITCH   see> CHARM
        HECHO            DONE  MADE  ACT  FACT
        HECHIZO          CHARM  ARTIFICIAL  ARTIFACT  FEIGNED 
  note                   links of WITCH with WILE  WILY  
                         GUILE  BEWITCH  BEGUILE
        BRUXA            HEXE   LAMIA  STRIGES or STREGA and 
        MAGAE            sug> MAGICIAN
        VENEFICAE        sug> VENOM
        INCANTATRICES    sug> ENCHANT
        MALEFICAE        sug> MALFEASANCE  
               note 
~ WITCHCRAFT   id+ | METHODS or TECHNIQUE TO CHARM | 
               id+ | CHARISMATIC CHARMING CHARISMA |  
~ WITCH HAZEL  or WYCH ELM             sug> CHALICE
               biol> A SHRUB HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA  ITS BARK
                     IS USED TO MAKE AN ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT 
               TO SERVE AS A COSMETIC         sug> COSMOS
~ WITCH HUNT   see> below 
~ WIZARD       male WITCH 
               id+ | SAGE or WISE and SORCERER or MAGIC | 
  from old eng WICCA  also see> VICTIM 
  implies sug> SKILL       see> DIVINATION 
  myth> sug> CIRCE  sug> MEDEA 
  hx>   see> HALLOWEEN 
  hx> the modern and recent WICCA "RELIGION" 
      represents an emphasis on the PARA NORMAL 
  such modern BELIEVERS may called adherents to 
  WICCA  BLACK MAGIC  WHITE MAGIC or other 
  ill defined set of beliefs 
  hx> current adherents to WICCA stress that it is 
      A "NEOPAGAN" "RELIGION" with roots in 
  CELTIC MYTHS with an overlay of 
  NATIVE AMERICAN beliefs 
  much is based on a 1954 publication by 
  Gerald GARDNER [#] about which much can be found 
  from sources published on the world wide wed
  lit+ a "IDIOT'S GUIDE TO WICCA" and other guides 
       are extant and often are prominently displayed 
  by leading bookstores 
  hx> note A MODERN WITCH HUNT 
      October 11th of 1996 
  a Ms. Kerri POTAVINO OF BRIDGEPORT CONNECTICUT 
  CLAIMED AS HER DEFENSE
  RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION 
  DURING HER PROSECUTION AT THE SUPERIOR COURT 
  HEADED BY Judge Joseph GORMLEY
  Ms POTAVINO CLAIMED MEMBERSHIP IN 
  A NATURE BASED RELIGION CALLED
  WICCA WHOSE PRACTITIONERS CALL THEMSELVES WITCHES
  lit+ " WITCHES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN UPPITY WOMEN
         WHO HAD TO BE GOT RID OF ... " 
  attr to C. G. HEILBURN [#]
  note LINK OF WITCH with OBJECTIONS BASED ON 
       JEALOUSLY UNRULINESS or 
  CHARMING BEAUTY AND SEX MATTERS
  CHIEF REASONS OF THE QUEST TO
  GET RID OF "DIFFICULT" PEOPLE  MOSTLY WOMEN 
  ALSO A REFINED WAY TO 
  ELIMINATE CHARMING FEMALES SEEN AS SEXUALLY OMINOUS
  THE ACCUSED WAS SAID TO BE POSSESSED BY THE DEMON
  ONCE DEMONIZED CONFESSIONS COULD BE OBTAINED UNDER TORTURE
  hx> many experts contend that the 
      WITCH CRAZE or WITCH MANIA or
  WITCH HUNT STARTED MOSTLY IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE
  GAINING FORCE IN FRANCE and HUNGARY and soon 
  SPREADING INTO HOLLAND  ENGLAND etc 
  THE WITCH CRAZE WAS MOST VICIOUS 
  IN AREAS WHERE TORTURE WAS LEGAL
  note how "SCIENTIFIC" or "LEGAL" TESTS 
       WERE CONSISTENTLY USED TO DETERMINE IF 
  A WOMAN WAS "ENCHANTED" BY THE DEVIL including by 
  THE " PLUNGING TEST " or " DUCKING " 
  in the belief that
  A TRULY BAPTIZED PERSON WOULD NOT DROWN       
  sug> ANABAPTIST   sug> BAPTIST 
  note IN ITALY POLAND and SPAIN 
       THE WITCH CRAZE DID NOT TAKE ROOT 
  perhaps a reflection of the lack of 
  RELIGIOUS FERVOR and A BETTER EDUCATION OF RULERS
  note THE BASQUE REGION IS TO THIS DATE 
       MALIGNED BY PURITANS AS HARBORING 
  BRUXAS or WITCHES          see> BASQUE
  lit+ at the time the Reverend John GAULE [#] wrote 
       " EVERY OLD WOMAN WITH ...
         HAIRY LIP  ...
         SQUINT EYE ...
         SCOLDING TONGUE ...
         IS NOT ONLY SUSPECT ... {but condemned} " 
  hx> the HEAVY PREPONDERANCE OF WOMEN 
      AMONG THOSE ACCUSED OF BEING WITCHES 
  LED SOME FEMINISTS TO ANALYZE THIS PHENOMENON
  A. l. BARSTOW [#] in Witchcraze Pandora Publ 1971
  points out that 
  92% of WITCHES EXECUTED IN ENGLAND WERE WOMEN
  akin to the WOMEN WITCHES KILLED in SALEM MASSACHUSETTS
  note EVIDENCE OF A MODERN 
       WITCHCRAZE IN THE USA                see> HYSTERIA
  implicit in the PROSECUTIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE 
           ACCUSED BY YOUNG CHILDREN 
  OF SEXUAL CRIMES        see>  SECT
  lit+ D RABINOWITZ [#] in the March 21 1997 issue of 
       the Wall Street Journal points out the 
  dismissal of false parental charges of
  SEXUAL ABUSE at the BREEZY POINT DAY SCHOOL 
  in BUCKS COUNTY PA
  THE PROSECUTOR INSISTED ON 
  HARD FACTS AND MEDICAL EVIDENCE WHILE 
  REJECTING TESTIMONIES FROM "EXPERTS" BASED ON
  INTERVIEWS OF YOUNG CHILDREN   in contrast to
  OTHER PROSECUTORS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED
  BY THEIR PERSONAL POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS INSTEAD OF
  UPHOLDING THE STANDARD THAT A PROSECUTOR IS      
  TO SEEK "JUSTICE BE DONE" not to be measured by 
  WINNING IN COURT NOR BY CONVICTIONS
  note that in RECENT SCHOOL SEXUAL CHILD ABUSE    
       CONVICTIONS OF PEOPLE WERE BASED NOT ON 
  PHYSICAL NOR MEDICAL EVIDENCE BUT ON
  TESTIMONY FROM "EXPERTS" WHO APPARENTLY CAJOLED 
  YOUNG CHILDREN INTO GIVING DAMAGING TESTIMONY
  District ATTORNEY Scott HARSHBARGER [#] of MASSACHUSETTS
  "GAINED" A CONVICTION AGAINST 
  THE FAMILY AMIRAULT [#] WHO WERE
  ALLEGED TO HAVE ABUSED AND TORTURED CHILDREN     
  in DADE COUNTY FLORIDA THE STATE ATTORNEY OFFICE UNDER
  Janet RENO [#]  now USA ATTORNEY GENERAL
  PROSECUTED and had Grant SNOWDEN [#] 
  CONVICTED IN A SIMILAR MANNER USING SIMILAR TACTICS      
  HIS CONVICTION IS UNDER APPEAL
  med> note OLD BOOKS and GUIDES 
       DESCRIBED WHAT WERE THE MOST RELIABLE MARKS
  THAT COULD IDENTIFY A WITCH  
  AMONG THE CARDINAL SIGNS WAS
  A BIRTH DEFECT CONSISTING OF EXTRA NIPPLE or POLYTHELIA
  A RATHER COMMON ANOMALY SEEN IN MALES AND FEMALES
  THIS SIGN WAS CONSIDERED TO BE 
  A SIGNAL OF POSSESSION BY A DEVIL   
  IT WAS CONSTRUED THAT EXTRA NIPPLES 
  WERE USED TO SUCKLE DEMONS
  

| Tags and Abbreviations Explained |