A portrait of a Witch : Research on the resurgence of Neo-Pagan & Modern Witchcraft movements in the Western societies and what it means to be a Pagan in 21st century.

Sammanfattning: Records suggest that throughout human history, our cultures have always been tied to some form of religious beliefs. Religions evolve, transform, rise and fall.  This study examines the perceived recent resurgence of Neo-Pagan & Modern Witchcraft movements in the Western societies, the main reasons for this resur- gence, the relationship with the traditional religions and the importance of social networks and media for the vitality of these movements.  The study uses a mix of qualitative and quantitate research methods to discuss the overarching research question: What does it mean to be a Pagan in 21st century? Social Identity Theory (SIT) is applied to examine how Pagan practitioners identi- fy themselves, the dynamics within their communities and their behaviours to- wards more traditional religions. Social Network Theory (SNT) is used to classify what type of network the participants belong to, by focusing on why and how they interact.  The paper concludes that Neo-Pagans of 21 century are part of a growing com- munity of Nature based religions, have complex relationship with traditional reli- gions and rely on social networks and technology. They are aware of issues relat- ed to cultural appropriation, misinformation and superstition within the move- ment. Although they wish to see their movements grow, they have difficulties to articulate how the Neo-Pagan & Modern Witchcraft movements will evolve.  Keywords: Neo-Pagan, Modern Witchcraft, Christianity, Spirituality, Religiosity, Social Identity Theory, Social Network Theory