Coming Out of the Coven

In the hypermediated world of the 21st century, socialmovements often have different goals, conditions, and rhetoricalstrategies compared to 20th century movements. By exploring theNeo-Pagan movement, this book critically examines social movementtheory in light of the postmodern condition. Witches and otherNeo-Pagans illustrate how hidden populations negotiate tensionsbetween private and public spheres. Mainstream media circulateimages and narratives of fantasy witches that are conflated withactual Wiccan practices. This blocks ecofeminist aspects of themovement, such as magic as an alternative symbolic that engagesnature in dialogue, from surfacing in public arenas. The waysNeo-Pagans appropriate mainstream depictions to further themovement are identified by exploring films, television programs,and museums that portray contemporary witches. Through interviewswith witches and participant-observation with a group that holdspublic Goddess services, this work reconceptualizes resistivepractices. The subject matter and theoretical implications of thisstudy should be of particular interest to scholars of socialmovements, rhetoric, media, spirituality, and ecofeminism.