 This is Laurie Cabot, of Salem, Massachusetts, probably the world's best-known witch. Much of the acceptance of modern-day witches is attributed to Cabot, who was actually dubbed "official witch of Massachusetts" by ex-presidential candidate Michael Dukakis at the time of the tercentenary of the witch trials seven years ago. ', 'Cabot - a witch for more than 40 years who always insists on wearing her robes public -was at first reluctant to settle in the town, which notoriously executed 20 innocents accused of witrchraft in 1692.
In a 1500 word interview with NOEL YOUNG, Cabot tells how centuries of prejudice is now being turned round, to the extent that this year she led a 20-strong delegation of American witches to Stonehenge in Britain and later gave lectures in midwifery, old-style, at Reading University. On Hallowe'een, she witnessed another historic first, a police escort for a parade of 800 witches back from celebrating witchcraft's most holy night at Gallows Hill in Salem.
|
