Witchcraft is a very interesting topic which is highly misunderstood by society. These people of nature have a way of life that made me want to learn more about them. They often seem bizarre and are mostly outcast from the "norm" of society. However, there are many positive ways of looking at their mysterious religion.
             The evolution of witchcraft, other wise known as a religion called Wicca, is spread out over a very long period of time. A brief timeline of the development of Wicca can help one to better understand how the spiritual beliefs and practices came to be. There are three separate Eras that are labeled as the prehistory, the burning times, and then the current history. The prehistory is dated before the 8th century. These times are the beginning point where the Gods and Goddess of the harvest became known. The Goddess figure dominated most of the cultures. The 8 holidays, also known as sabbats, are inborn into spiritual practices at this time. Gypsy communities form, and spread the practices of witchcraft throughout all cultures (Pagans Path, 1).
             The burning times are known to have taken place between the 8th and 19th centuries. This was a very long span of time that would be great suffering for the people who practiced witchcraft. Sorcery and witchcraft became labeled as evil and associated with heresy by the church. During the years of 1227-1233 the name Wicca was born, which meant "the wise ones". In 1490 the Witch trials began with full force. Many people lost their lives for their beliefs. The year of 1542, King Henry VIII established the first Witchcraft Act of England. The Wiccan beliefs were observed as illegal; therefore, the religion went into hiding that would last many years. In 1563, Queen Elizabeth signed the second Witchcraft Act. The fear of witches is at it highest during this time. Panic and fear among the people introduced many misunderstandings of the Wiccan religion leading to vast confusion. I...