Several people noted, taking varying degrees of umbrage, that “witches” is also the term used by people who belong to neo-pagan (I think that’s right) religious groups that are sometimes also known as Wicca. I’m aware of that; but as I think my posts made pretty clear, I’m talking about “witches” in the traditional sense of people said to be in league with the dark forces and to have magical powers. That’s the way the term is used in the phrase “witch hunt,” which triggered my posts. It’s also, to my knowledge, the more common modern use of the term.
People who belong to these groups are of course free to call themselves “witches,” and I have nothing against them. But they ought to realize — as I suspect most of them do — that when people talk about witches these days, it’s usually not about them.
Comments are closed.