big-gadje-world:

The entire notion of “witchcraft” was something that was forced onto non-European and non-Christian societies. It was a descriptor used to systematically destroy indigenous religious beliefs. 

You don’t view praying to Jesus, or a saint, or a deceased relative in order to influence your own or someone else’s life as “witchcraft”. 

You don’t view using Christian relics and symbols in order to conjure the powers of Jesus, a saint, or a deceased relative in order to influence your own or someone else’s life as “witchcraft”. 

And, yet, many indigenous religions involve those exact things; deities, prayer, symbols & relics being used to influence the non-spiritual world. 

Practicing European Paganism is just that: European Paganism. It is practicing the rites, rituals and beliefs of pre-Christian Europeans. Celtic Paganism is not the same as Slavic Paganism, which is not the same as Norse Paganism, which is not the same as Greek Paganism. 

“Paganism” is just a term used to refer to pre-Christian European religions.. none of which have anything even remotely to do with Romani people. 

Wicca is a twentieth century English invention that not only appropriates from various European Pagan beliefs, but also from many non-Western indigenous religions. In fact, many people who had a heavy influence in creating Wicca outright falsified and lied about Romani religious practices and their own ethnic background in order to bring a sense of “exoticism” to the movement. 

In many aspects, modern [especially “Eclectic”] Wicca is like nailing Buddha to a cross, performing a pooja, and calling it your spirit animal. For many, it has veered quite far from its original practice, which was meant to revive European Pagan traditions. 

Romani people never asked, nor wanted to be associated with Wicca, nor its witchcraft.

Referring to non-Western and indigenous religious beliefs as “witchcraft” is steeped in centuries’ old racist ideologies that developed in a post-Christianized Europe. 

These belief systems have their own names. They have their own deities. They have their own rites and symbols. They are diverse. They don’t deserve to be lumped under a single umbrella term borne from racism. 

So, yea, it’s not only just irritating, but it’s also pretty outright offensive. 

Romani religious beliefs are, in a nutshell, Hindu beliefs hidden behind Christian and Islamic rituals. 

Indigenous Romani religious beliefs do contain some similar ideas akin to the Westernized notions of “witchcraft”, but those are not yours to take. 

My religion is not your witchcraft.