The picture of the cemetery above is of the Old Burial Grounds in Salem. This is the cemetery that you will most likely visit if you get the chance to visit Salem as it’s also the site of the monument for those that were falsely accused of witchcraft in Salem.
I have a story for you today that I love. I learned about it last Summer in my reading and I was beyond excited to find the house when I went out there to visit. It’s a story that’s not as widely known and I hope that all of you enjoy it as much as I did.
If you look in the picture you will see a house that’s pretty run down in the background.
There’s a bit of a closer view from the side.
This is a picture of the back of the house.
How many of you know who this man is?
That is Mr. Nathaniel Hawthorne, American Author. Many of you are likely familiar with his House of Seven Gables and the Scarlet Letter. The picture above is his portrait hanging in the House of Seven Gables.
His wife lived in the house with her parents that you see which is run down and located next to the burial grounds. Her Father was a dentist in Salem. Unfortunately, Sophia was sick a lot in her life. One of the problems that she has was severe migraines. Her illnesses often made it difficult for her to go outside as the light would hurt her eyes. She was hesitant to marry Nathaniel for this reason. However, he truly loved her and convinced her to marry him anyway.
Nathaniel spent many nights walking with her around the Old Burial Ground in Salem. It was a time that was much easier on her eyes and it was a beautiful place to walk at the time. They spent a lot of time there and Nathaniel would make up stories to go with the names that he found on the headstones there for her. You will find that many of the characters in his books have names that match up to people who are buried in the Old Burial Ground.
If you ever get the chance to visit the Old Burial Ground make sure you look for the house next door!
By the way, he was related to the Salem Judge Hathorne from the Witch Trials, the only Judge who never said that he felt bad about what happened. It is said that is why Nathaniel added the W to his last name to distinguish himself from his relatives. It is also proposed that he may have added the W to ensure that his name was pronounced correctly.
I hope that you have an amazingly magickal day!
I have more stories from Salem coming up for you this week.
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong