it depends on the area really. same with countries, certain ones believe old legends more than others. my country is alright with witches [generally] but the smaller towns are grey area's, it depends how stuck in old beliefs the area is. my town doesn't go around with torches hunting down witches, but whenever they find out about things involving witches [occult books, covens, occult shops] that's when they break out the torches and demand it ends. back in 2002 the high school was forced to remove all books on wicca [teaching aids for the world religions class] from the school library because a bunch of parents basically went 'think of the children'. unless new ones were recently purchased, the religion section now consists of 2 books on 'witchcraft'; one about the salem witch trials, and a paragraph in a book about cults.
i've gone into the city, and other towns, for gatherings or supplies and they don't care. my town does just because the majority of people don't know the real facts and go by the media and their own religious views. that's life really. there's a time and place to come out of the broom closet and show people we don't fly broomsticks withering your crops and cursing your livestock. i live my life with my religious views personal, if someone was to ask me i'd tell them. the reaction i get from people is usually the same thing 'really? i would of never guessed'.
I live in Oklahoma which is a state in the United States of America. And it depends on what part of Oklahoma you are in. We have many native american reservations where witch doctors are still common. But if you go to Oklahoma City, they think your are crazy and need professional psychological help when you say you are a witch. There aren't many who would burn us at the stake here. Now Texas is a different story. They have Kenneth Copeland and I'm sure he would burn me at the stake in an instant.
Where I live, people are very interested by the occult and witchcraft. More and more people are taking up different paths, announcing them, etc. For a long time my village has been full of people who believed, but never practiced. Now it seems that more and more are beginning to practice and become part of the witch community.
I know the public areas, such as the trails, park, and cemetery are becoming much more taken care of. Honestly, this makes me wonder, but it's also pretty awesome. Oh well.
I live in Michigan, USA and here they used to treat you as if you worshiped the devil and would take you to court and take your kids away. Now it is becoming more known and so they do not do this but it is still frowned apon, but that does not make it any easier to come out. Until a store popped up in town (it stayed for a couple of yours but then left for a larger town.) They were receiving business but not enought to sustain them because of all the church (I think they harassed them) but I did find out that there are a lot of witches and pagans in my community because of this. :) And we are starting to walk freely (people know) and no one seems to be harassing us now. But over half of the higher ups in key positions are still against it, but since we do not harm or harass anyone they can not do anything, but I'm sure they would pounce at the chance if someone screws up. :P
well I live colorado and there's this one small place here that witches can roam and spread their magick without people criticizing them. The bad thing is that I live quite a ways from it and i cant go there very often, so I have to remain in this witch-hating town where I have to keep everything a secret. :(
I live in Washington, USA. Here, beliefs aren't criticized and witchcraft is more pronounced, but like everywhere else in the world, beware the mental evaluators.
