| “ | Most agree the soul lingers for some time, very close to where the body lies. It sees and hears and feels keenly what happens. | ” |
— Mary Sibley about the Afterlife
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The Afterlife is a collection of metaphysical, undetectable worlds that are reachable through physical death, in which the spirit will live on in an incorporeal state. Contrary to the religious belief that Heaven is exclusive to saints and that hell is exclusive to sinners, there is little-to-no concrete evidence to support this. Humans who are damned to hell upon death, usually are for specific reasons. For example, Mary Sibley explained to Reverend Increase Mather that every witch who "offered up [their] soul to hell" is damned to this dimension upon their death. However, contrary to religious belief, not all souls suffer in hell. For many souls, especially those of witches, rather than being subject to eternal punishment and torture, life in the Underworld is considerably pleasant. This was proven after numerous witches were seen dancing and playing and swimming in a pool of hell-blood without fear or pain. The basis of heaven also differs from conventional beliefs. While it is commonly believed that only those who follow the teachings of Abrahamic faith can enter heaven, this was proven untrue after John Alden (a free-thinking heretic) was shown entering a heavenly realm.
Spiritual Planes[]
Heaven[]
- Main article: Heaven
Heaven is a heavenly plane revealed to John Alden by Sooleawa and her father was a beautiful place of rest for souls in between their earthly incarnations. According to Sooleawa, the Great Spirit is the proprietor of this heavenly realm and this world is a place of ultimate beauty and peace. Contrary to religious belief, this is not a world exclusive to Christians or saints as John Alden (a freethinker and a sinner), Sooleawa and her father (shamans) were all shown entering this heavenly plane. While the basis of this world remains a mystery, it is superficially seen as fields of rolling green hills and lush grass.
Hell[]
- Main article: Hell
| “ | No, I've always gone where all the others, my idiot son included, are too weak to go. | ” |
— Increase Mather about Hell
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Hell, also known as the Underworld, is the kingdom of the damned that is hidden deep within the earth and is ruled by the Devil. According to Cotton Mather, the belief that Hell is completely made of fire is a common misconception and is actually a world of black tar that burns hotter than earthly flames. According to Cotton Mather, there are more souls in Hell than there are in Heaven. Cotton explained to John Alden that every man, woman and child has committed sins, and for these sins, everyone will be judged and punished. However, according to Mary Sibley, Hell is not a world of pain and suffering, but an end to it. Mary explains that the Hell that is taught in biblical scripture is a barbaric lie created by the Christian rulers as a means to use fear and manipulation to turn the nations away from the Old Ways and submit to their biblical God. Mary further explains that the miserable and painful "Hell" that is taught in Christianity is not the true Hell that follows death, but the strict and tyrant world being created by the Puritans. It is because of this joyless world being created by the Puritans that for the last five hundred years, witches have attempted to complete the Grand Rite as a means to eradicate the Puritans and create a world free of their violent hypocrisy and oppression.
Trivia[]
- While it was originally believed that upon death, all souls were condemned to Hell, it has been proven that this is untrue, as John Alden, Sooleawa and her father were all shown entering a heavenly plane.
- According to Reverend Increase Mather, all souls that are too weak to enter Heaven, are forced into Hell.
- Heaven is a dimension of bliss, sovereigned by God, of which the Great Spirit seems to be one of the multiple faces or interpretations.
- Hell is a place of eternal damnation, created aeons ago to imprison the Fallen Angels and, later, the souls of all human sinners.
See Also[]
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