Birthday of "official witch of Salem" Laurie Cabot - March 6th

"In the mid nineteen seventies, Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, bestowed upon Laurie Cabot the state's Patriot Award.

This historical award is issued by the Governor to honor citizens of the state for public service which leads to the betterment, enrichment and welfare of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Patriot's Award is given to Civic leaders, Distinguished Civil Servants, Community Leaders and others who are dedicated in a significant way to improving the lives of their fellow citizens and their community.

This award has been given since the early days of the Commonwealth and the recipient of the Patriot's Award has amongst other things, the privilege of grazing cows on the Boston Common, and wearing a tri-cornered hat. To the best of our knowledge Laurie has not done either thus far.

The proclamation is signed by the Governor and the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it reads:


"I proclaim Laurie Cabot the Official Witch of Salem for her work with children with special needs."

Laurie's first official duty as a state Patriot residing in Salem, was to greet a delegation of artists who were visiting the city from China. The artists had been invited to the United States to display their art at the Boston Museum of Science, and were the first such group of artists to be invited to America after relations with China had been established by President Nixon.

While this certainly was a compliment to Laurie Cabot, it was and is today a symbol of hope for all Witches who do good works on behalf of their community and nation. Equally as important, it serves as a testament that Witches have a place in America today and are recognized as practicing a legitimate and honorable religion which shows a path of dedication for the good of all. This was the first time in history that a high standing politician openly recognized a Witch for their good works."


An early Happy Birthday wish for you Laurie! May fate be ever in your favor.

Blessed Be )0(

-The Crafty Witch

Special Blog Today - To My Mom

Let me just start out by saying I know I don't posts blogs on Monday but today is a special occasion. I just wanted to wish a very Happy Birthday to my Mom.  We don't always see eye to eye or get along all the time but she does love me threw thick and thin and made me the person I am today. I love you Mom, Happy Birthday.

Love Kelly

Happy Krampusnacht!

December 6 is the day in which parts of Germany and Bavaria celebrate Krampusnacht, which is a throwback to a pre-Christian tradition. The word Krampus means "claw", and apparently certain Alpine villiages have big parties featuring a scary clawed incubus who hangs around with Santa Claus. The Krampus costume also includes sheepskin, horns, and a switch that the incubus uses to swat children and unsuspecting young ladies. The Krampus' job is to punish those who have been bad, while Santa rewards the people on his "nice" list. There's been a resurgence in interest in Krampus over the past century or so, but it seems as though the custom goes back hundreds of years.


While the men parade around dressed as creepy demons, the women get to have some fun too, wearing masks and representing Frau Perchta, who was a Nordic goddess, who may have been an aspect of Freyja, the fertility goddess. Interestingly, in the Pennsylvania Dutch community, there's a character called Pelsnickel or Belznickel who is an awful lot like Krampus, so it appears that the tradition migrated across the water when Germans settled in America.

Krampus.com, which calls itself the official home of "Krampus, the holiday devil," calls Krampus a "dark counterpart of Saint Nicholas, the traditional European gift-bringer who visits on his holy day of December 6th... The bishop-garbed St. Nicholas rewards good kids with gifts and treats; unlike the archetypal Santa, however, St. Nicholas never punishes naughty children, parceling out this task to a ghastly helper from below."

-The Crafty Witch