The whole debate regarding fundamentalism has little to do with fundamentalism but more to do with the reclamation of the word “witch”, and whether such reclamation is a form of fundamentalism fired by militancy within Paganism.

I do not think that the drive within the SAPC to reclaim the word “witch” has anything to do with fundamentalism. I do, however, think that opposition from both within and outside Paganism to the reclamation of the words “witch” and “witchcraft” (and perceptions and misconceptions regarding these words) may be driven by misunderstandings, a lack of knowledge and an even greater lack of information.

Also, this debate has little to do with anthropology and the origins and roots of words and terms (perhaps it has to do more with semantics -especially the meaning or the interpretation of a word/concept within specific communities).

The words “witch” and “witchcraft” (or even sorcery) can be etymologically traced and defined a thousand times from a thousand different sources, and although this does indeed tell us more about the origin of the word (and thus indirectly what a witch was/is), I think it fails to answer, especially to those outside Paganism, a much more important and pressing question: “Who (not what) is a Witch?”

The terms “witch” and “witchcraft” are used by many different people and the perception/understanding of the terms change depending on that portion of society which utilises them. What one believes and understands is a result of interplays between past experiences, including one’s culture, and the interpretation of the perceived. In fact what we are dealing with here is a conveyed concept. If someone explains an idea, then that idea is a conveyed concept but in the mind of the person to whom it was conveyed it is a concept processed within the framework of “their understanding” of that concept. And whether “their understanding” is misplaced or not does not affect their reality as they experience it.

Also it is obvious that we as Pagans do not use the same system of reference when we use the terms “witch” and “witchcraft” as others outside the Pagan community - and vice versa.

From these points of view what we are dealing with is a difference of perception. How witches are perceived by people outside Paganism (especially in African communities), and whether the way witches are perceived by the population at large are based on misconceptions, propaganda, misinformation and disinformation, matters little. What matters is what are we as Pagans doing to correct these misconceptions - and attempting to go “legalese” and “academic” in a country with an illiteracy rate of close to 70%, a country with deep-set misunderstandings- and cultural conceptions, is a waste of time.

Furthermore, going gun-ho with utterances such as “I will die for …..” or “I am prepared to die for …” can, and will indeed, be perceived (and perception and common-day usage of words is what really count in the everyday-world, not the origin and correct usage of words) as utterances made by fundamentalists and militants.

Once again, we should not forget that what people believe (perceive) is real to them, even when these beliefs, perceptions and terms of reference are based on misconceptions - or what others may define as misconceptions.

Outsiders must not only be shown what Witches are not, but they need to be shown what and who Witches are, and this is only possible if we as Pagans can actually reach agreement on this.

When Pagans defend the right of someone within Paganism to refer to themselves as a Witch, what/who are we actually defending?

• Are we defending a label/term/word/concept/ideal?
• Are we defending what a witch is?
• Are we defending anyone’s and everyone’s right to label themselves a witch?
• Are we defending the right of Witches to publically identify as such and are we thus defending the religion of Witchcraft?

It seems that the term “witch” within Paganism itself has perhaps become rather ill-defined and is an umbrella term which covers a myriad of magical practices. And this can, has and will cause confusion within society - and in this case society is exactly who we are attempting to educate.

We need to explain the following to non-Pagans:

• Are all Pagans who practice magic witches?
• Are all Pagans who “self-identify” themselves as such a witch?
• Are all healers witches?
• Are all root workers witches?
• Are all spell weavers witches?
• Are all people who practice some form of divination witches?
• Are energy workers witches?
• Are shamans witches?
• Are all mages witches?
• Are all ritual workers witches?
• Are all who worship the Goddess witches?
• Are all Pagans who work with spirit entities witches?
• Are only Traditional Witches real witches?
• Are Wiccans witches?
• Are Druids witches?
• Are all nature worshippers witches?
• Etc. etc. etc…

To most Pagans this may sound silly, but how can we expect others to know, understand and accept what “we” mean when we talk about a Witch, and why it differs from their concept (perception) of what and who a witch is, when we as Pagans seem rather uncertain (it seems due to a much too broad definition) what exactly it is we mean when we refer to Witchcraft or a Witch?

So before we can even consider tackling this mission we should answer the following questions:

• Are we defending a label/term/word/concept/ideal?
• Are fighting a misconception within other communities?
• Are we defending self-defined (and perhaps ill-defined) “witches”?
• Are we defending the rights of Witches and a religion?

Once we have answered this, perhaps we as Pagans will find it slightly easier to explain why the words “witch” and “witchcraft”, and why (Pagan) Witches should find favour outside Paganism, and why Pagan Witches are different from the “perceived reality” of witchcraft and witches among, especially, African communities.

We will then perhaps be able to explain why people within African communities accused of witchcraft (where accounts witchcraft remain largely a “negative force”, born of greed, jealousy, fear, social uncertainty and political and/or religious manipulation) are not “witches” but victims of a variety of crimes. (Although here we may be faced with a conundrum: On the one hand we say that certain people are Witches, on the other hand we deny the existence of witches in specific communities - perhaps this too has to do with perception and interpretation, this time our own).

There is no quick-fix answer, but perceptions and attitudes can indeed be changed.

I believe that the only way to teach anyone anything about Pagan spiritualities and religions that is going to stick is through information and by example.

People have to be shown how Witchcraft is and can be harnessed for the betterment of people and society.

The reclamation of the words Witch and Witchcraft should not be seen as a battle, but rather embraced as a long-term mission.