WITCH! (Magic vs. Magick)

There are few words I can think of in my own life that have been more divisive than the words "witch", magic, and Magick..  What do these word conjure for you?  

Many people hear the word witch and it inspires vision of a haggard green, shrewish face, with gnarly, warted fingers, and a long pointy nose.  A tall black conical hat, complete with black high-heeled boots, and a cape, she flies around on her broom with her black cat looking for children to eat.  Many of these conceptions of a witch come from old misogynistic views on women, especially old unmarried women who were often viewed with suspicion.

What many today regard as a modern witch or in some cases wiccan, is essentially from a tradition begun in the early 20th century by a man named Gerald Gardner.  Most people who consider themselves  modern day witches come from an offshoot from this tradition in one way or another.    However, it is my experience that there are in fact, still many more who practice what we call magick but in fact do not have any religious connections at all.

I am one of those people.  To me, magick is not reading minds, casting love spells, and telling fortunes ONLY.  Magick is the science of life.  It is chemistry and psychiatry, physics and astronomy.    For many of us, we do not see ourselves as these super mystic beings more gifted than the rest.  We are merely human beings like anyone, learning to survive in an often times hostile world.  We are as happy to share our talents, and our gifts with others.  For some of us, like me, that means honoring our ancestors by sharing their stories with fairness, accuracy, and all due respect.  

Many of those who were once persecuted during witch trials were in fact called cunning folk.  Much like our modern day "witches" these people practiced fortune telling and healing in a time when the poor could not afford doctors.  For people like this, accusations and charges of witchcraft were often a simple case of "medical" malpractice gone tragically wrong.  

These folks were where my bloodline came from, and I still carry these traditions deep within my heart.  For me, magick is as simple as doing all we can to heal the people and the world around us.     Ancestry Tour Agents is my way of doing my part.  I am not a witch, but I am a proud practicing cunning person,  and as such I see the difference between magic (illusion) and Magick (the science of life) and Ancestry Tour Agents is my magick for you all.  

I love you and Blessed Be,

-Roger Herson

Co-Owner

Ancestry Tour Agents

Hello my friends.  I want to introduce you to a very special individual from our history.  You have all seen him, probably taken his picture, and gawked at how stately he looks up on his rock. However, many of you may be mistaken about his identity.    His name is Roger Conant, and he is most assuredly NOT a witch.

Roger Conant was a very early settler, possibly a Puritan, and he was from East Budleigh, East Devon, England.  He was originally a member of the colony in Plymouth, but as time wore on he became disillusioned with the growing fanaticism and aggression of many of the Puritans around him.   He would eventually make his way to Cape Ann and settle there with his family. He had a house built on what is now Stage Fort Park in nearby Gloucester, Massachusetts.  He was made the first governor of the settlers on Cape Ann in 1626.  When he was replaced as governor in 1628, that house was moved to what is now Salem.  Eventually, Conant would leave Salem and cross over with 4 other men to what was then called Bass River Side,  This would be re-named to Beverly in 1667-8.  When in his elder years, Conant would write an impassioned letter to the authorities in Beverly to change the name of the city to Budleigh.  This would never come to pass, and we are still known as Beverly to this day.  AS for Conant, however, he lived a long life in service to the land he helped settle, and even in a time where many Puritans were becoming too fanatic and aggressive for his taste, Conant always had wanted to favor peace and simple living.  He considered himself a true man of God and lived his life that way.

Now, since about 1914, our friend Roger Conant has stood out on that rock looking over the Salem Commons.   Not only just the man who helped settle Salem, Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Marblehead, and Gloucester, but watching over the city perched on his rock..he was also my 3rd cousin 14 times removed…but I as I stated, as great as that man was,he was ne'er a witch.  His identity has been confused due to the tall hat and his closeness to many witch trial attractions.