Witchcraft is a pagan religion. Pagan religions worship multiple deities rather than a single god. Paganism is one of the oldest religions and includes all religions that are not Christian, Muslim or Jewish, meaning Paganism includes the Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and American Indian religions as well as all other nature-oriented religions. According to the 1998 Cambridge Fact Finder,Paganism accounts for 50 percent of all religions.

The word "Pagan" actually stems from the Latin Pagini or Paganus, words meaning "hearth" or "home dweller" or, more simply, "country person" -- those labeled as Pagans were considered inferior to those living in cities. It didn't, however, mean those people were "bad." It wasn't until the 1450s that fear of witchcraft became more prevalent, and people began associating witchcraft and paganism with devil worship, evil hexes and spells.

Take an in depth look at these often misunderstood spiritual practices.