Scotland: Witch Burning Tour

One of my Scotland research projects was to look into what is called “The Burning Times”, which took place from 1563 to 1736, after the Scottish Witchcraft Act became law. This law made it legal to torture and execute anyone who was accused of witchcraft. If you read accounts of any of the torture, no wonder a person would confess, after all the heinous things done to them. The tests to see if someone was a witch, well, were laced with trickery and barbaric, reflecting the backwards ways of the times. According to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, “anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people are estimated to have been accused, with 84% being women”. Women on the margins of society, widows, and single women were targeted. However, men accounted for the others tortured and burned as well.

I research this for many reasons. One being that some of my ancestors would've lived during these times and I wonder how their lives would've been in Scotland, during that time. The other is that we are in a period in time when old ideas are being kicked up that stink of these times. Fear and scarcity breed laying blame on another as a scapegoat or a way to solve the problem. “The Other” in society is usually targeted and the bully mindset has a way of rising to the surface. It’s an age-old script that some grab a hold of that goes back centuries. According to Celeste Larsen, the author of “Heal the Witch Wound: Reclaim Your Magic and Your Power”: 

“Ultimately, the witch craze was not the result of just one single factor. Rather, it was a conglomeration of influences that worked together over the span of hundreds of years to shape early modern Europe into the ideal environment for a continent-wide witch hunt: misogyny, patriarchy, religious tyranny, scapegoating, land disputes, the rise of capitalism, shifting views about magic, political propaganda, and an established history of persecution and violence.”

Before I left for Scotland, I looked at a variety of tours centered around this subject. We decided on the Edinburgh: Old Town Witches Tour & Underground Vault. Juniper aka Jude was our wonderful tour guide! Another reason I came to Scotland was to meet storytellers and tour guides, who could be a part of future workshops. Juniper/Jude combined humor, the brutal reality of these times, and masterful storytelling skills to create an engaging time, demonstrating the art of oral storytelling. 

I met with Juniper/Jude later for coffee to speak about the burning times and how remnants of these times are still present in our world today. She generously gave me some wonderful “witchy” books. She works mainly in a corporate sphere where she speaks three languages but does these tours for a fun side job. I would definitely ask her to be a part of a future class! 

After the tour, my friend and I spoke about the good time we had but also the heaviness of the tour as well. We wondered how we could honor those who died in such brutal ways. We decided on doing all we could in our power to defend those in need and being people who honor hope, diversity, inclusion, love, authenticity, and connection but also feel what healthy aggression feels like in our bones, the fire of courage for whatever challenges may come! 

Here are the photos from that day and one from the day I met Juniper/Jude for coffee: