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Salem is LOADED with witches. Many are wiccans however there is a large population of traditional witches who have been around long before Gardner.
I think when mentioning Cassadaga, NY, one has to mention nearby Lily Dale. Lily Dale is a community of psychics and witches. The village functions as a cooperative and that includes the housing. You have to buy-in to Lily Dale to live there. It's quite unique.
Salem is LOADED with witches. Many are wiccans however there is a large population of traditional witches who have been around long before Gardner.
I think when mentioning Cassadaga, NY, one has to mention nearby Lily Dale. Lily Dale is a community of psychics and witches. The village functions as a cooperative and that includes the housing. You have to buy-in to Lily Dale to live there. It's quite unique.
Jason- Thank you for the link, it was most helpful. I briefly read it and it looks like it's more of a school serving to educate and enlighten people on spiritual practices and understanding. Is Lillydale part of/near Cassadaga or is it a seperate city in its self? Very interesting place indeed. They are so rare in the U.S. especially with everything being dominated by Christian churches and right wing politics.
I will definitely look in to Salem/MA (Have you ever been there?)
What's this talk about Portland/OR and Seattle/WA as being a Wiccan haven?
Can someone elaborate on this, someone who has experienced this themselves.
I have been to Salem, never to Lily Dale. Salem is a beautiful town and I know one of the old tradition families there. My introduction, via a good friend who told me about his family, was an interesting experience and confirmed for me that there are witches and, "old ways," people who are definitely pre-Gardnerian. They are definitely not the crystals and cards crowd you find in most places. It was a bit unnerving actually as many of these families have been practicing for a long time and not only are they rich, they are powerful. As I understand it, they arrived in Salem soon after the hysteria and never left. The women are the heads of the families and they run the show. The men aren't as involved in the craft but rather go out and earn piles of money though they do participate in most rituals. The families tend to intermarry too. It's kept quite hush, hush. No outward appearance would tell you these people are witches. They do not much mix with the Wiccans in the town, prefering their own little social enclave.
Cassadaga is a tiny village, Lily Dale even smaller. Cassadaga is an incorporated village in the township of Stockton in Chautauqua county. Lily Dale is an unincorporated hamlet in the township. It is not within the confines of the incorporated village of Cassadaga, just close to it.
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