There are many arguments about the period in history known to some as “The Burning Times”. Facts about this time are usually exaggerated or played down, depending on the source. But to those who don’t know, the one truth about the situation is that it was a period spanning over a number of centuries where the judicial systems around Europe and colonial America hunted down and tried people for heresy and “witchcraft”. Today most Neo-Pagans identify themselves with the “witches” that were hanged, beheaded, tortured, and burned at the stake (hence “The Burning Times”). However, the truth is, only a fraction of those killed during that time practiced a form of paganism similar to ours. Most people were killed because they were accused of Satanism. And most of those people were actually Christian. Some were targeted because they were old women, disliked by the community, ugly, or owned too much money or property than a woman should. Some were accused of witchcraft by others who were being tortured. Some were healers or midwives, and some indeed practiced some form of paganism. Estimates of the actual number of deaths range anywhere from 3,000 (by the Roman Catholic Church) to 9,000,000 (by some Pagan groups) the actual number, according to Religious Tolerence.org, is about 50,000-100,000, this number coming from recovered court documents, and estimating the number of lost ones. Whether or not the majority of these poor souls were Pagan is beside the point. A lot of people died based on misconceptions and hate. We can’t let it happen again. A lot of people today still believe religions like Wicca are devil worship. A lot of Pagan parents are having their children taken away from them. Young pagans in school are being teased and tortured by the students, and suspended by the administration. Some have even commited suicide. People are getting fired for wearing their pentacles out side their clothes. The Burning Times are not over. We must let people know that Wicca and other pagan religions are peaceful, nature based religions. And just telling them won’t do the trick. We must get involved in our communities, help people, help the environment, so that everyone can know who we are.