Why is there a "Witchcraft Ordinance" still on the books in Salem, Massachusetts?

In the historic town of Salem, Massachusetts, a place synonymous with the infamous witch trials of 1692, there remains an ordinance on the books that prohibits certain “witchcraft activities.” Though modern-day Salem has embraced its eerie past as part of its cultural identity, with spooky shops and Halloween festivals galore, this law is a quirky reminder of its darker history. While the ordinance doesn’t exactly accuse anyone of being a witch anymore, it loosely bans activities like fortune-telling for profit, a throwback to the lingering unease around supernatural practices. Of course, in today’s Salem, the law is mostly symbolic—fortune-tellers operate freely, and you can even book a tarot reading at any number of charming establishments. But its existence serves as a peculiar footnote to a time when paranoia ruled, and witchcraft was feared rather than celebrated with pumpkin-flavored lattes and ghost tours.