Hocus Pocus

I read an article on CNN about the witch culture in Romania. There are communities of witches and gypsies that the Romanian government is embarrassed of but many local civilians seek out the assistance of witches for various matters. They go to witches to ask for advice and talk to them about any problems they may be facing. In the article, one person said it does not matter whether or not the witch can really perform magic, it just provides comfort for many people to have somebody listen to them and support them – that is their ‘magic’. In Romania, the people are afraid to approach a psychiatrist or psychologist to get help because they do not want to be labeled ‘crazy’ but it is normal to have the witch’s aid.

I found this article very interesting because of the contrast between the American and Romanian perspectives of witches. In American culture, the witches are pictured in Hollywood movies and inspire Halloween costumes; they are often times the villain in many fairy tales and movies. You would be considered ‘crazy’ for seeking help from a witch or participating in any witch rituals and quite normal for seeking help from a psychiatrist. However in Romania, many seek a witch's assistance and are rather their 'hero' or 'mentor'. This article is a perfect example of showing how each country and region has their own practices and views on various subjects that distinguishes one culture from the other.

What do you think about this?

http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/01/witch-reveals-heart-of-roma/?hpt=hp_c1