| The reason why witchcraft is commonly considered a | | | | a deplorable sphere. There is of course no practical |
| territory that is taboo is because most traditional | | | | basis for such an assumption and it is mostly an |
| connotations of the term associate it with different | | | | offshoot of superstition, ignorance and lack of |
| senses of 'harmful'. This is in spite of the fact that | | | | education. Witch hunts and persecutions are rampant |
| the etymology actually encompasses implications of | | | | in Indian villages till today in spite of several |
| 'curative' and 'benign'.' Wicca', the Old English masculine | | | | awareness drives initiated by the Government and |
| noun meaning 'male witch, wizard' somehow evolved | | | | other social service groups. The form of witchcraft |
| into embracing the domain of female spirituality. | | | | that is most prevalent in India is the 'Dakini Vidya', |
| However, popular opinion seems to be that | | | | which involves invoking the mother Goddess to |
| notwithstanding the 'Wizard of Oz', a male witch is | | | | absorb spiritual strength. In this, it is akin to Wicca. |
| also a 'witch', and not a 'warlock' as is sometimes | | | | Dakini Vidya is a structured cult according to Tantric |
| assumed. It is only that through long association, the | | | | texts. |
| word witch has come to have a female feel to it, | | | | Often, when a woman prefers to stay alone and |
| phonetically and conceptually. | | | | resists interference from other people and society in |
| Association with necromancy or black magic has | | | | general, an unnecessary web of curiosity starts to be |
| rendered the subject a lot of mistrust as it hints on | | | | woven around her. It is true that this does not |
| the potential to do harm and psychic control over the | | | | happen so much in the cities where the pace of life is |
| course of nature. Wiccans maintain that Wicca is the | | | | hectic and people are generally impersonal. It has |
| 'craft of the wise' and this idea comes closest to the | | | | been seen that sometimes, in the backward sections |
| meaning of 'necromancy' in the Faust legend. | | | | of society, women who have to live on their own do |
| Remember Dr. Faustus giving up his soul in order to | | | | not retaliate the meaningless accusations of |
| conquer ultimate knowledge? However, Christopher | | | | witchcraft simply because the sense of fear that the |
| Marlowe's 'Dr. Faustus', happens to be written | | | | idea invokes keeps more dangerous advances at bay. |
| approximately at the same time as Shakespeare's | | | | It is like a shield around their privacy. Somehow, |
| 'Macbeth' where the famous witches of literature call | | | | situations can take a nasty turn at times and women |
| on the powers of evil to cause every kind of harm. | | | | and sometimes entire families have been attacked |
| In India, witchcraft as a practice has been associated | | | | and lynched in mob fury having to bear the blame for |
| with evil since ages and it is generally accepted to be | | | | natural disasters, illness, death or theft. |