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Green-faced, warty-nosed, evil, cackling women flying broomsticks – this is the image a lot of people think of when they hear the word witch. I don’t have green skin or a warty nose and, although it would certainly save me from buying bus passes every month, I don’t fly a broomstick. I am a witch. It took me a long time to tell my family that I was wiccan. I was afraid of their reaction. Unfortunately, because of so many misconceptions of what the religion is, many wiccans like me are "in the broom closet" about their beliefs. "I'm definitely in the broom closet," says Tracey, 39, of Arkansas, in an e-mail interview. "I don't tell anyone that I practice witchcraft. However, conversations come up about magic, divination and reincarnation. Since I don't tell anyone that I practice these things, it's generally an intelligent conversation. I have witnessed conversation wherein nonbelievers go into a tizzy trying to sway believers when they know they're speaking to a practitioner. Odd how that little bit of information can change the tone of things." There are too many misconceptions about wiccans and witches. Mainly, these misconceptions come from lack of knowledge and the media portraying witches as villains. Where do all these misconceptions come from? "I think that most of the misconceptions out there originally started through religious channels. Many people were misinformed and left in ignorance about the beliefs of wicca and witchcraft," says Andrea, 28, Manitoba, in an e-mail interview. Witches and wiccans worship Satan, eat children and practice black magic, and their pentagram symbol is evil. These are just a few misconceptions. Society has come a long way since the Burning Times and thankfully we don't hang or burn witches at the stake anymore, but there are still many who fear, misunderstand or hate us. "I think they [misconceptions] come from years and years of misunderstanding and ignorance being passed from person to person," says Lily, 35, of Arizona, in an e-mail interview. Your beliefs are part of who you are, so it's unfortunate that so many other wiccans like me have to be cautious about whom they are around before expressing how they feel in certain areas. Too many times I've been told I'll be going to hell for what I believe or people just give me a dirty look for wearing a pentacle. "Around here, knowledge has pretty much cured a lot of it [misconceptions]. This is a phenomenon that I have noticed in just the past five years or so. Quite possibly TV shows like Charmed, portraying witches in a positive light, have had a lot to do with it," says Sharyn, 54, of New Jersey, in an e-mail interview. It is simple enough to pick up a book or pull up a website and read about wicca and witches and learn what it's really about. Knowledge can go a long way. "I think that the best thing we can do to clear up the misconceptions is to be ourselves. People are going to believe what they want to believe, but if we can help just a few people understand that we are real people with real beliefs and those beliefs aren't as foreign or evil as they have thought, then maybe they will come around ... one person at a time," says Andrea. |