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“Of course I am a feminist. Witches were the original feminists, though I am not the bra burning kind of feminist. A witch riding a broom is very symbolical. In ancient days women were tied to their homes and hearths and the broom signified their free spirit, a sign of freedom,” says Ipsita Roy Chakraverty, India’s best-known, self-professed witch. In Kolkata on Saturday to promote the Sahara-produced Sacred Evil, a film based on three of her real life experiences, she is eager to clear a lot of doubts on her favourite topic and talk about what prompted her to endorse the film.

Indians, she believes, have a natural tendency for Wicca, which is one of the oldest branches of paganism and goes back nearly 25,000 years. “Wiccans believe in the cult of mother Goddess and India is the land of Shakti.” And while organised religions like Christianity did spell the doom for the practice of this ancient religion, even modern day healers like ojhas are giving them a bad name. Wicca, she says, is all about women power as most women are wiccans. “The main reason why witches have been prosecuted is because they have always been powerful women who tried to break free from an established system.” Full Story

Related: religion, wicca, pagan, spells