MALLEUS MALEFICARUM

"The Malleus Maleficarum or 'Hammer of the Witches', is a treatise on the prosecution of witches, written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic clergyman.

Three years after its publication, the Catholic Church condemned the Malleus Maleficarum", although, sadly,  it was later used by royal courts during the Renaissance, and contributed to the increasingly brutal prosecution of peaceful pagans and practitioners of the craft in 16th and 17th centuries. So basically, (mainly) women who worked as healers and worshipped the Sun, the Moon and the elements such as wind, water, fire and earth herself, were barbarically killed/burnt/slaughtered after being wrongfully tagged as devils/ workers of demons. (Who is the devil again?)

"Kramer wrote the Malleus shortly after being expelled from Innsbruck by the local bishop after a failed attempt to conduct his own witchcraft prosecution."

"The treatise describes how women and men become inclined to practise witchcraft. The text argues that women are more susceptible to demonic temptations through the manifold weaknesses of their gender. It was believed that they were weaker in faith and more carnal than men. The very title of the Malleus Maleficarum is feminine, alluding to the idea that it was women who were the villains. Otherwise, it would be the Malleus Maleficorum" (a masculine/unisexual term). The text is clearly disrespectful towards women and shows that it had been written by someone who doesn't understand the beauty of Goddess/ Goddess religions/ the Divine Feminine. Perhaps women can easily relate to the Goddess but some of the greatest practitioners of the art and science of 'the craft' have been men. Anyone who has an open heart can relate to the Goddess, as after all, it is women who give birth to both men and women.

Also, the fact that most of the "women accused as witches had strong personalities and were known to defy convention" suggests that perhaps Kramer wished that women be suppressed.

Although, the book accuses both male and female witches as worthy of punishment. It accuses the peaceful followers of paganism, healers, druids etc. of heinous acts that paganism and wicca actually prohibit, such as infanticide, cannibalism and casting evil spells!

Clearly the book gives an altered picture of pagan beliefs to those who aren't familiar with them and creates hatred towards some of the wisest and most tolerant people who call themselves 'sons and daughters of the Earth' and celebrate the beauty in the bounties of nature: moon, sun, rain, snow, hail, herbs etc.

Is it a sin to acknowledge the Sun who shines upon us each day and gives us crops and ripe fruits?
Or is it a sin to collect fresh herbs in exchange for an offering to mother Earth (Yes, we do not simply go about plundering the nature! We know we are asking the Earth for a part of her that we need and we offer her a small token as gratitude) to brew some hot tea for an ailing neighbour?

Paganism, neopaganism or wicca, teach us to honour the abundance of nature around us. It makes us more mindful of our unkind acts of ruthless plundering. It reminds us to try and coexist with everyone: animate or inanimate.

It tells us to honour all beings irrespective of their nationality or religious beliefs.

May the light of true knowledge deliver you to the truth. May your heart be kind and soul be blessed!

-Iyah

(With excerpts from wikipedia)