🇨🇿 Czech Republic: magic is a trade
Here, witch-hunts officially ended in the 18th century with the reforms of Maria Theresa. Today you can legally work as a fortune-teller, astrologer or mage – you just need to choose the right type of trade licence. The state may not protect you from sceptics, but it doesn't persecute you either.
🇺🇸 USA: Wicca as a religion, but with reservations
In the USA, witchcraft is legal thanks to the right to freedom of religion, and Wicca and other forms of witchcraft are regarded as religions and protected by the First Amendment. Even so, some practitioners still face discrimination.
🇨🇦 Canada – a small extra “ritual”
Until 2018, Canada had a law punishing “fraudulent fortune-telling” – it was finally repealed as a relic of the past. The Canadian Charter guarantees freedom of religion and belief – including Wicca, pagan and other esoteric practices.
At federal level, all direct penalties for magic have gone, but at provincial level (e.g. in Ontario or British Columbia) fortune-tellers, mediums and tarot readers must comply with general consumer protection laws:
🇬🇧 Great Britain: the official end of spells in 1951
The Witchcraft Act 1735, which instead of burning imposed fines for “pretending to witchcraft”, remained in force in Britain until 1951. It was then replaced by the Fraudulent Mediums Act, which protected the public from fraudsters. Only in 2008 was this law finally repealed too, and today magic in Britain is entirely legal – as long as it isn't linked to fraud.
Witchcraft still alive in the United Kingdom
In Britain, more than 14,000 cases of faith-related child abuse were reported between 2018 and 2024 – including accusations of witchcraft and spirit possession. So even today in the United Kingdom you can be reported for, say, “possession by an evil spirit”. In the last year alone the authorities recorded over 2,000 such investigations. You can read more in the article
? Another world: death for magic
And then there is the other face of the planet. In Saudi Arabia, witchcraft is punishable by death, as it is in Iran or Sudan.
🇬🇭 Ghana: the law against witchcraft accusations is still awaiting signature
In July 2023, Ghana's parliament passed a law criminalising accusing people of witchcraft and related abuse. However, President Nana Akufo-Addo has not yet signed it, drawing criticism from human rights organisations such as Amnesty International. As a result, victims of witchcraft accusations, especially older women, continue to face violence and banishment.
Witchcraft is still a live topic, as you can read about the horrors in this article:https://san.com/cc/ghana-woman-cast-out-over-witchcraft-claims-say-the-law-has-failed-them/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
What does this mean?
Today we live in a time when in Europe you can open a witchcraft shop, teach magic, tell the future or read cards – legally. But that is not the case everywhere.
Today's witches and wizards must find their way not only through energies but also through laws.