Modern mysticism: from hocus-pocus to reality

YADIRA R. TOLEDO ASST SPORTS EDITOR YRT722@CABRINI EDU

For years, witches and their sorcery have ignited fears in the hearts and minds of many In the 15th century alone, thousands of men and women met their fate in the fiery outcomes of witchhunts. It had become a phenomenon, a trend for Christians to hunt these individuals, catch them and torture them until a confession was attained. Their sin, was devil worship.

Today, for most, a witch is a festive holiday symbol; over the years, their likeness has been utilized in horror films or novels to inspire fear in audiences worldwide. The overall image of a witch has certainly become much more commercially animated and less realistic due to television series such as, “Sabrina the TeenAge Witch” and “Bewitched.”

Although the mass paranoia has faded and the topic of witches is used for entertainment, witchcraft lurks behind society’s mainstream. Within the past cou- ple years, alone, there has been a sudden growth in new religions; one, in particular, is Wicca.

Wicca does not focus on any one witchcraft tradition; instead, it provides the full range of belief systems. Despite the fact that many Americans have probably never heard of this faith-group, in the span of several decades Wicca has become one of the largest minority religions in the United States.

Just the thought of the actual existence of witches is enough to arise that ancient fear and sense of discomfort in many. The words witch, Wicca and witchcraft almost instantaneously spark curiosity and immediate concern; assumptions are made and stereo-types perpetuated. Fear overshadows reasoning and the discrimination begins prior to attaining an education on the matter.

There are many misconceptions that arise at the mere utterance of the words witch or witchcraft. Somewhere along the line, probably dating back the days when Christians, Catholics and

Protestants persecuted countless witches in a state of intense paranoia, witchcraft became associated with Satanic worship. But, this assumption is simply untrue.

“Witchcraft is not synonymous with evil, negativity or what some people call ‘Satanism.’ It is an earth-centered religion with rituals and ethical codes. Contemporary witches, worship nature and are respectful of the natural cycles of the earth and the living creatures that inhabit it,” according to professor of religious studies, Dr. Primiano.

As said by a Wicca practitioner on religioustolerance.org. “We are not evil. We don’t harm or seduce people... We are not a cult...Just give us the same right we give you; to live in peace.”

Wiccans simply wish to have their faith recognized as a religion. In several ways, this has already been accomplished. There have been several highcourt rulings, which have favored the consideration of Wicca as a religion. Despite these findings, the Supreme Court has never

Ruled On The Matter

Many years after its establishment, the acceptance of Wicca as a religion continues to inspire controversy The anxieties and fears that resulted in the unrest and persecution of witches during the 15th century, though not as extreme, continue to exist in modern society As a result, Wiccans exist in silence, awaiting the day that their faith will be publicly accepted.

“Wicca or contemporary witchcraft can be understood and acknowledged as a religion. Such believers should be given the same respect and constitutional protections as any other religious person in the United States,” Dr. Primiano said.

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