West, Harry G. Ethnographic Sorcery (p. 24); 2007. The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226893983 (pbk.). Kolwezi: Accused of witchcraft by parents and churches, children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being rescued by Christian activists". Christianity Today. September 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011 . Retrieved 14 October 2011.

Imbolc: February 2. Candles are used to celebrate this Sabbat. They are to encourage the sun to shine brighter. The Sun God at this stage is an infant and feeds from the breast of his mother, the Goddess. This also represents the end of winter because the earth is starting to feel the warmth of the infant sun. Meaney, Audrey L. (December 1984). "Æfric and Idolatry". Journal of Religious History. 13 (2): 119–135. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9809.1984.tb00191.x. Davies, Owen (1999). Witchcraft, Magic and Culture, 1736–1951. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719056567. Yule: December 20-23. Yule is the winter solstice. The Goddess (in the form of the mother) gives birth to the Sun God.Whitaker, Kati (September 2012). "Ghana witch camps: Widows' lives in exile". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018 . Retrieved 1 September 2012. Witchcraft murder: Couple jailed for Kristy Bamu killing". BBC News. Bbc.co.uk. 5 March 2012. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014 . Retrieved 8 June 2014. Litha is the summer solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere falls on or about June 21. Linguists disagree about the origin of the Sabbat’s name, but summer festivals were common across pre-Christian Europe. People lit bonfires to keep the sun’s light alive for as long as possible. Solstice revels were supposed to bless the crops in the fields and drive away evil spirits. Nepal: Witchcraft as a Superstition and a form of violence against women in Nepal". Humanrights.asia. Asian Human Rights Commission. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014 . Retrieved 7 June 2014. Ritual Function: Third Harvest of Blood, Divine Funeral, release to death, Ancestor veneration, silence.

Suggested Celebration Timing: Observe early that day between 2:36 am when the moon enters Leo until exact conjunction at 1:55 pm.

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Pearlman, Jonathan (11 April 2013). "Papua New Guinea urged to halt witchcraft violence after latest 'sorcery' case". The Telegraph. London, England: Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018 . Retrieved 5 April 2018.

Mabon is a time for celebration after the hard work of the harvest. Though it is sad to watch the beauty of the growing season fade away, we revel in the mild weather and rest that autumn brings. Akosua, Adu (3 September 2014). "Ebola: Human Rights Group Warns Disease Is Not Caused By Witchcraft". The Ghana-Italy News. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014 . Retrieved 31 October 2017. One pivotal text that shaped the witch-hunts was the Malleus Maleficarum, a 1486 treatise that provided a framework for identifying, prosecuting, and punishing witches. The burgeoning influence of the Catholic Church [ citation needed] led to a wave of witch trials across Europe. Usually, accusations of witchcraft were made by neighbours and followed from social tensions. Accusations often targeted marginalized individuals, including women, the elderly, and those who did not conform to societal norms. Women made accusations as often as men. The common people believed that magical healers (called ' cunning folk' or 'wise people') could undo bewitchment. Hutton says that healers and cunning folk "were sometimes denounced as witches, but seem to have made up a minority of the accused in any area studied". [1] :24-25 The witch-craze reached its peak between the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in the execution of tens of thousands of people. This dark period of history reflects the confluence of superstition, fear, and authority, as well as the societal tendency to find scapegoats for complex problems.

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Evans-Pritchard, Edward Evan (1937). Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic Among the Azande. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-0198740292. Lastly, in Zulu culture, healers known as sangomas protect people from witchcraft and evil spirits through divination and ancestral connections. [97] However, concerns arise regarding the training and authenticity of some sangomas.