Open Mic Night with Guests Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack

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Show Notes

Witch Cakes, Flying Appliances, and Why We Keep Telling Witch Trial Stories

We turn the mic on each other for a fast, personal Q&A spanning Salem and global witch hunts, from the infamous Salem witch cake to pop-culture “broom” upgrades and the accused people we can’t stop thinking about, including Samuel Wardwell, Katherine Harrison, Mary Esty, and Rebecca Nurse. We dig into why confessions didn’t always save lives, how spectral evidence shaped cases, and how banishment could be a brutal alternative to execution. We break down our three podcast formats—Salem Witch Trials Daily, The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials, and The Thing About Witch Hunts—and share what listeners most ask about innocence, “real” witchcraft, and the reality that accusations still occur in at least 60 countries. We close with how End Witch Hunts grows through volunteering, donations, subscriptions, and petitions for exonerations.