Tom, a self - proclaimed witch, explains why Salem is now home to the current population of witches. He explains that at a point in Salem history, residents and tourists could not even mention the witchcraft hysteria of 1692, without being fined or jailed. Salem spice trade history or ghost stories were spoken about on tours then. So what changed? Tom did speak of the deplorable acts of 1692 as we walked through Salem, but his main focus was on the rituals and beliefs of witches. This was an interesting walk highlighting witchcraft as non-threatening and beneficial.