Wonders of the Invisible World

In his lengthy discussion and condemnation of witches and witchcraft, Cotton Mather predicts, “Witchcraft will not be fully understood, until the day when there shall not be one Witch in the World” (131).  His prediction is curious, for both early American culture and contemporary, mainstream American culture.  For early American people, Mather’s statement allows for an inexplicable, unceasing presence of evil in the world—a belief that could be (and was) wielded irresponsibly and detrimentally.   As contemporary American readers, Mather’s prediction causes us to reexamine mainstream portrayals of witches and other supernatural beings, indicating that we might still be trying to understand both witchcraft and the supernatural.  Cable TV shows like Supernatural, Charmed, The Ghost Whisperer, Bewitched—even Marge is accused of being a witch on The Simpsons Halloween special!—exploit our fascination with witchcraft in contemporary terms.  We can also think of movies like The Sixth Sense, Practical Magic, The Blair Witch Project, or The Craft, all dedicated to exploring and understanding witchcraft in contemporary times and all pointing to the idea that our society may still need the presence of an inexplicable power.  Consider also that Wicca and various forms of paganism and natural religion are among the fastest growing beliefs today.

As you continue to re-read and digest Mather’s musings (and convoluted syntax), consider possible encounters you may have had with witches, witchcraft, or the supernatural.  These “encounters” can and should be broadly defined—textually, visually, spiritually, personally, or theoretically.  You may also consider how terms and phrases used in Mather’s Wonders of the Invisible World have translated into modern rhetoric (for example, “going on a witch-hunt” usually means some sort of campaign of persecution directed against a person or a group holding unpopular or unorthodox views).  Can you think of any “witch-hunts” that you have observed, or heard of?  Also, consider Mather’s concept of evil.  He and his contemporaries believed that evil was an active agent, an entity known as the devil, that sought to corrupt the world.  How do we explain or understand the existence of evil in our contemporary world?

Please remember that your post in response to this prompt is due by Thursday (9/4) by 8:00 am, and your 3 responses to your classmates are due by Friday (9/5) at 5:00 pm.