In the Witch City we wear sunglasses at night and sunbathe under the full moon. Ok, not really, but Salem is the city for wanderings through witches’ backyards, midnight graveyard strolls, and garden parties after dark (and yes, the moon was full).
[H&M tank and sweater, floral shorts from Urban Outfitters, Senso shoes from Karmaloop (sold out, but still available here), Forever 21 backpack, LF sunglasses, Wicked Peacock bullet necklace (with added vintage pen knife), vintage necklace from The Haberdash, DIY shark tooth necklace]
With an extra-long “weekend” from work for the Fourth of July, Gregor and I grabbed a Zipcar and, after minor misdirections and a few twists and turns, got out of the city for an evening in our favorite suburb. Wonderful as it is each October, with cauldrons of kettle corn in the street and a carnival overlooking the cemetery, it’s nice to visit when the spooky stigma is not as strong. We had drinks with friends on their tiny deck in the treetops, and, when the sun went down and the heat began to subside, went walking through the gardens of the Peabody Essex House and on to explore the town. We ate crepes at the Gulu Gulu Cafe and were tempted by the pile of board games stacked high on their shelves, if only the car hadn’t been due back by midnight.
The outing was decidedly unbewitching… Aside from stops at the Witch House… And the Bewitched statue… And the fact that we cannot go to Salem without constant flashbacks to Hocus Pocus. [Side note: I fell asleep in the middle of writing this post and actually had a nightmare involving a black flame candle that summoned evil from beyond.]
So perhaps the stigma is not so easily escaped, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If ever we decide to move away from the city, we could see ourselves holing up in a cozy witches’ den.
