A Witch's Coven

On a neglected downtown Columbus street, a dusty minivan sits across from a store. Nothing suggests what’s inside the shop except for the vehicle’s bumper sticker: “My other car is a broom.”
Store owners and self-described witches Lady Hawk and Ole Bear have kept a subdued business since 2001 – for the same reason they gave only their Wiccan names for this article.
“I don’t go around telling people I’m Wiccan,” said Ole Bear, a stout man with a neatly trimmed silver beard. “In the South, people will hate you because of your faith.”
These two witches – and the couple hundred others in Northeast Mississippi – have no stereotypical features – no pointy hats or Goth makeup. Although predominantly female, witches are both men and women. They are the co-worker, next-door neighbor and volunteer in our communities.
Read the article