Witching hour, black cats, what other things are generally associated with witches..?

Question

and do you know the history of why?

Answer 1

Burning at the stake, dunking stools and red hot sex magic (my personal favorite).

Answer 2

Things Associated With Witches

Answer 3

Hmmm lets see...
the black cat was considered to be an ill omen so slowly but surely the Christans began to associated them with witches as the witches familiar.
Brooms are associated with witches because the early farming pagans would show the crops how high to grow by running around them on brooms, hoes, and other farm tools while jumping in the air. The drunken Christan's would see this and tell everyone how the really were flying on brooms!
Witching hour is typically at midnight on the full moon correct? The earliest known use of the exact phrasing "the witching hour" was in the last line of a short story written around 1835 by Washington Irving: "Two pairs of eyes are watching me now, from the couch and the ledge by the window. Faerieland shines in those eyes. And I must leave you, for it's the witching hour and a full moon is rising. . . ."
Cauldrons: back then everyone who was poor had a cauldron to brew their stews and soups. And usually it was the poor, old, and lonely who were accused of witchcraft so if they had a cauldron it was their pot for brewing fowl magick not soup.
Witch's hats: back in the olden days the pagan wicca, or wise ones, wore wide brimmed, pointed hats. The Christan's then (wanting to destroy and pervert paganism) associated these to witches also.
Warts, long noses, and claw like hands are mostly Hollywood added witch characteristics.
Thats all i can think of for now...

~Blessed Be~

Answer 4

Brooms; black hats; cauldrons; Books of Shadows; crystal balls; worshipping Satan; magic wands; Halloween ... a bunch of others, as well, but I think I'll just explain the above:

Witching hour: Midnight, typically on the night of the full moon. It's an old wives tail that this is the time when a Witch's powers are at their greatest.

Black cats (still adored today): I can't remember why, specifically, black cats are associated with Witches but cats are associated with Witches because back in the day, cats were more abundant than any other animal. Also, most people didn't find a use for cats (except to chase mice), so they wouldn't take them in as pets. Thus, Witches being very compassionate towards animals, would take them in. Witches, very quickly, found them to be more intuitive than any other domesticated animals.

Brooms (still used today): There are many uses for a broom! Not only does it keep a house clean, but it sweeps away negative energies, as well. I don't know if it's still practiced today, but Witches used to use the handle-end of brooms for fertility rites. They would cover it with Belladonna oil (I believe) and, well ... they would have their way with the broom stick.

Black hats: Back in the Colonial era, when the Witch Trails where made popular, everyone wore black hats. It was their fashion back then.

Cauldrons (still used today): These were originally used as cooking pots, but later they were used to melt wax to make candles, burn incense, and to perform spells.

Book of Shadows (still used today): Used to write down personal thoughts and spells. Basically a journal.

Crystal balls/Gazing balls (still used today): Used for what is known as "scrying". Scrying is a method of divination.

Worshipping Satan: A myth made popular by Christians. It was, and still is, said that if you're not praying to and worshipping the Christian God, you are serving or worshipping Satan.

Magic Wands (still used today): Used to direct personal energies.

Halloween (still observed today): Halloween, also known as Samhain (pronounced s-ou (as in ouch) -win), is the New Year on the Witch and Wiccan calendar. It's celebrated to remember the loved ones who have passed.

Hope this answers some of your questions!

Answer 5

Bats
Black Pointy Hat
Goblins
Brooms
Spells/Spell Book
Potions
Curses
Warts
Cauldrons
Toil & Trouble

Answer 6

Besides the witching hour and black cats - Witches are associated with the four elements (earth, wind, fire, water), the pentacle, the pentagram, the Book of Shadows, Spells, Tarot Card Readings, Herbs - just to name a few (there are a whole host of things - too many to list).

Most things (witching hour, black cats) - these are things made up from Hollywood.

Have a lovely rest of the evening....Bright Blessings

Answer 7

There is to many to list and as i read the other answers you got lots. so just wanted to say ...... the reason of the black cat is they are the keepers of the dead. They are believed to keep the evil spirits away.... that's why a bad witch doesn't like black cats and good witches have them... Hollywood gets this confused but that is what they do.... makes us look bad. The Egyptians also believed in the black cat to keep evil spirits away.... that's why they had them....

Answer 8

wisdom, peace, and harmony. Arms raised to father sky and feet planted in mother earth, raising the cone of power and bringing down a palpable presence that fills all of the outdoors. Knowing what time and where the moon will rise and set nearly any day of the year.

These are just some of the things I associate with "witches."

Answer 9

Depends on how far back you want to go with witches. There have been many different kinds from cultures. They perceive their form of witches maybe a different way than the traditional American belief.

Answer 10

all this was spoken of back in shakespeare's day-cats, esp. black ones are mysterious and a little spooky-the witching hour just because of man's fear of the dark-the other attributes prob. started because of some old lady that was a bit eccentric and or scary-you know how rumors start

Answer 11

because im assuming that back in the day there was a girl who people thought she did bad things to people that caused harm then they acaused her of having inhuman powers and then people just started rumors about having the long nose and all that crap....but

dont get the gossip confused with wicca...those are 2 differnt things but involve "witches" but not used in the same term as most people say.