"I'm the hitch, I'm what no one believes, I'm the Witch...."
Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods

Which word or words do you use? "Witch" and/or "Wiccan"? I've been hearing a lot of argument about this. I know people who call themselves "Wiccans" who won't use the word "Witch." I know people who call themselves "Witches" who won't use the word "Wicca". Gods forbid we add the word "Pagan" into the discussion; it could escalate into a holy war! (Every faction would call themselves "Athame of the Goddess", and the only way you'd be able to tell them apart would be by how they pronounced the first word.)

Among the reasons given for not using the word "witch" are historical arguments as to the use of the word in older times and the negative connotation that's been in place since the Burning Times. Why should we use a word that conjures up images that are the exact opposite of what we are? Why not just avoid the hoopla altogether and use a less infamous sort of name?

Well, there are a lot of reasons.

First of all, historical misconceptions and etymological arguments aside, the word is associated with us in the here and now. Even if we all banded together and stopped using the word-- which is about as probable as getting us all to use the same pronunciation of "Samhain"-- the association would be there, and it could be used against us. I can picture Barr or Falwell now, saying "They don't want you to call them Witches anymore. They know you know what that word means."

Second, why should we surrender a part of our culture just because somebody else has spread lies about it? It's the equivalent of asking a gay person to quit using the pink triangle or the rainbow flag. We, as a minority, have an advantage that many other now-accepted minorities did not-- we have the others to study. Notice how the African American culture took the word "Nigger" and absorbed it into their culture, transforming it from a slur to a word that they use with pride. The same can be said for homosexuals with the "Queer" label.

Allowing the negative connotations of "witch" to prevent us from using it could set a very dangerous precedent. Would you be willing to stop saying "athame?" Or more specifically, would you be willing to stop using an athame because some idiots believe that they are used for sinister purposes? How about the people who confuse the image of our Horned God with Christianity's image of Satan? It's an extreme example, but it's the same issue. Oh. I'll be the first to say that we have among us certain people who need to change a few habits, but suggesting that there are people who need to bathe more and talk less is not the same as suggesting that we give up a part of our culture in order to cater to people who don't like us anyway.

Finally, there's the magic end. In this case, the magic is in the form of psychology and politics. Wicca, Witchcraft, and Satanism are all associated with each other. If we can make people realize that "Witchcraft" and "Satanism" aren't the same, then they'll be more likely to realize that Wicca doesn't have anything to do with Satanism, either. Any witch who's put any thought into it can tell you that perception is power, and any political figure will say the same.

The word "witch" has power, it always has. To surrender the word in favor of public opinion would be a mistake. Besides, a witch by any other name just doesn't have the same ring to it.

© 1999 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp