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The image here is from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, which is probably the most popular and among the oldest decks used. The image here is The Magician, who represents part of what is known as "the Major Arcana". The Magician is often said to represent the Greek messenger god and trickster, Hermes. The objects on the Magician's table all relate back to Hermes as well. Note that the Magician has four items - a wand with a caduceus, a staff, the sword that was given to him by Zeus to slay Argos (the multi-eyed monster) and the cup of fortune which Hermes offered to mortals to drink from so that they could alter their fortune, and the pentacle and coin which symbolize Hermes's as protector of merchants and thieves alike.
The Magician, like Hermes, controls all manner of divination and he is able to summon up the elements to tell the future. In a Tarot reading, the Magician symbolizes a new and important beginning and a time for real action. He suggests an abundance in creativity and skill as well as intellectual growth. It is up to the individual to put these means into action.
Salem, Massachusetts is located about an hour or forty minutes from Boston and is probably best-known for its history of witches from centuries ago and the Salem Witch Trials all the way through contemporary practitioners of Wicca like the modern Laurie Cabot who is one of, if not, the most well-known among Salem's witches. Salem has more to offer than just Wicca, but let's talk about that first since that is what it is most well-known for.
Laurie Cabot is a practitioner of Wicca and is probably the most well-known Salem witch. She has her own shop in Pickering Wharf at Salem, Massachusetts where you can buy all manner of ingredients for her various spells and the like as well as books to try out your own hand in Wicca.
Laurie Cabot has been a Salem fixture for many years and though she probably, obviously, was not the first "witch" she is considered the pre-eminent witch here and her shop alone drives lots of tourists to Salem - people who also come to see the Witch Museum as well as the Peabody Essex Museum.
Salem is known for it's history of witches, which likely accounts for the various shops that cater to this market. Here in Salem, people come to get their palms read, their Tarot cards read, tea-leaves - you name it, you'll find the supernatural alive and well in Salem.
Salem is located on the North Shore of Massachusetts and is approximately an hour or forty minutes outside of Boston. It is a seacoast town, and is situated right next to Marblehead, which is at the very tip of the North Shore. To get to Salem, it is very easy if you are coming from Boston, you simply follow route 1A (note, not route 1, which is different, but 1A) all the way through Lynn and Swampscott and you will be led to Lafayette Street. Follow Lafayette (also part of 1A) to the end, then make a right and you will be at Pickering Wharf where most of the shops are and occult bookshops like the famous Pyramid Books.
You can find "witches" here to cast spells for you, or buy books to learn how to do such things yourself. More recently, Salem has seen a real change that is reflected socioeconomically as well by the caliber and cost of houses and the desirability of living in Salem, which has increased over the past five years or so. Salem now has some of the best restaurants on the North Shore along it's main street. The local pub, "The Pig & Whistle" is still a fixture and will probably be so for a long time, we hope.
Every summer, Salem sees a great influx of tourists on the weekend who come to see Laurie Cabot's shop and the other Wiccan shops. Note that Salem a diverse grouping of ethnic groups and thus myriad religious institutions, so all religions are practiced here, including Wicca. Celtic dancing is held at a local parish right on the outskirts of Salem.
It's one of the most interesting small cities in Massachusetts and not that far from Boston so makes for an excellent day-trip.
Outside.in is a search engine for local news, here are recent stories they think are about Salem.
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