Magic may be having a comeback, but in America witchcraft is still on trial, tell me about this news in (https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/09/us/practical-magic-modern-witchcraft-millete-trial)

The story explores the cultural resurgence of “practical magic” and modern witchcraft in American pop culture, contrasted against how occult practices are viewed and weaponized in the American justice systemmost notably in the high-profile murder trial of Larry Millete.While modern witchcraft, astrology, and pagan practices have experienced a mainstream revivaloften embraced as forms of female empowerment, spiritual exploration, or aesthetic wellnessthe legal reality inside American courtrooms reveals a starkly different reception.In the criminal case against Larry Millete (accused and convicted in the murder of his missing wife, Maya Millete, in California), prosecutors placed his extensive reliance on occult services under intense scrutiny. Key elements highlighted in the case include:

• Escalating Spells as Evidence of Malice: Larry Millete had paid online spellcasters and “witch doctors” over $1,000. While his requests initially began with love spells to force Maya to stay, they progressively darkened into requests to inflict physical sufferingsuch as broken bones, severe illnesses, or incapacitating accidentsshortly before she disappeared in January 2021.
• Intent and Desperation: Prosecutors used his correspondence with occult practitioners, along with positive online reviews he left for spellcasters, not as proof that magic works, but as concrete evidence of intent, control, desperation, and premeditation.
• The Legal Stigma: The trial demonstrated that while contemporary American society often views witchcraft as trendy or harmless folklore, invoking esoteric beliefs in a court of law remains deeply sensational and carries a persistent stigma of instability, deviance, or dangerous obsession.