In most cases, this would be an ordinary (albeit serious) story about a woman filing for court-ordered protection against an alleged harasser. This story, though, is getting national attention because it involves a self-proclaimed witch and a self-proclaimed “world’s best-known warlock,” both of whom work in Salem, Massachusetts.
According to the Associated Press, Lori Sforza “filed for court-ordered protection against harassment from Christian Day.” Sforza runs a witchcraft shop in Salem, as well as a pagan church. Day’s website is subtitled with this invitation: “Enter the realm of the world’s best-known warlock!”
Sforza has accused Day of calling her repeatedly late at night to swear at her, as well as posting “malicious” things about her on social media. The AP quotes Sforza’s lawyer as saying, “She’s being abused, intimidated and harassed.” The lawyer also said that Day’s harassment hurt her business.
Sforza and Day both seem like prominent figures in Salem’s occult scene. Day created the town’s Festival of the Dead, which includes a seance and a Halloween ball. Sforza says that she is descended from Italian witches who cured those suffering from the bubonic plague.
Sforza and Day used to be involved in business together. The AP reports their greatest achievement together as such: “They also made headlines in 2011 when they cast spells together to try to heal actor Charlie Sheen, who had called himself a ‘Vatican assassin warlock’ during an interview on national television.”