Witches and Witchcraft

 A witch (usually female) is someone who claims or is believed to possess magical powers and practice sorcery. 

Witchcraft is a form of sorcery which is the magical manipulation of supernormal forces by the use of spells and invoking of spirits.

The supernormal powers that can be used are flying, shape shifting, clairvoyance and astral projection.

Many Witches were also believed to have familiars such as cats and a form of mark such as a birth mark, and were more likely to be old and considered odd looking.

During the Middle Ages and the renaissance witches and witchcraft were seen as evil and part of devil worship, but contemporary meaning is that is part of a pagan religion, and that it has no direct connections with Christianity or the devil.

America

Witchcraft came to America with the first settlers, and if you were found to be involved with the practice you would be sentenced to death.  The first trail and execution was in Connecticut and was that of Alice Young, after this many other witches were taken to trail and executed as a result. The most notorious of trials were The Salem Witch Trails in 1692 with began with 2 young, who were displaying some rather strange inexplicable behavior deemed beyond normal, and were linked to them being involved in witchcraft, the case escalated and 24 other people who were thought to be involved and were found guilty were also executed.  This led to the belief that if these were witches then there must be others in all around 150 were found guilty and hung.

England

Witchcraft did not become a capital offence until 1563, but it was considered hearsay. The worst time for witches were between 1645 and 1646 when a man Matthew Hopkins became known as the witchfinder general  and was responsible for at least 300 people being put to death who were accused of witchcraft.

The most notable witches were the Pendle Hill Witches.