Dispelling the Myth of the Witch with Tom Hatsis
Withered old hags cackling before a boiling cauldron is the stereotypical image of the witch which has been passed down through folklore and legend for generations. Tom Hatsis scrutinized medieval documentation of witches and has uncovered a history mired in misogyny and persecution against peaceful practitioners of folk medicine who used entheogens as part of their worship of an ancient fertility goddess. Join him for this interview with Regina Meredith.
Thomas Hatsis, author of The Witches’ Flying Ointment, is a historian of witchcraft, magic, Western religions, contemporary psychedelia, entheogens, and medieval pharmacopeia. He was head historical research assistant at Queens College, taught history at Pioneer Pacific College, and also teaches roller derby all over the world. He hosts the website arspsychedelia.com and has articles published in the psychedelic journals Psypress UK and Psychedelic American.