When Neill first mentioned to me about his religion being Wiccan or witchcraft, my initial reaction was that of 'a puzzled surprise' as I'd never had imagined it to even be classed as a major religion.
This is due to the fact that the 'witchcraft' I know of from africa (Nigeria to be specific) is of pure negativity and evil pagan acts and beliefs.
Witches over there are believed to worship the devil and practise magic for use to torture and torment their victims. They tend to practice their rituals in their covens late into the night in secret too; most of the time spiritually too.
Witches were said to possess super human powers that they use to perpetrate evil. According to certain belief a witch could harm anybody including her family members. This especially makes her highly hated. They are said to kill their own children, drink human blood and bring ruin and ill health on their friends and families. That is to say, in contrast to normal human beings witches conceive and cause the most horrible misfortune on their families and communities. They were viewed as the embodiment of everything that is evil. Witches, it was said, could practice their wicked art only in the dead of night. Deaths, natural disasters, and epidemics; everything were blamed on witches. In most beliefs a witch was said to confess her "crimes" before she died or went mad. (CD, 2002)
This is therefore widely frowned upon and classed as a highly controversial topic so to find someone openly confess to being a 'witch' or pagan worshipper in Nigeria (or I'd imagine anywhere) is highly unlikely.
However, further more into my conversation with Neill, he explained to me how his Wiccan beliefs are in fact the complete opposite of my initial perceptions. Describing that Wiccan's believe in peace, nature and positive world energy.
I have now come to understand that there may well be various kinds of Wiccan's with varying beliefs and practices.This may well turn out to be a huge eye-opening documentary; myself included.
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