Between Satan and Harry Potter: Legitimating Wicca in Finland

This article explores how Finnish Wiccans use different strategies to legitimate their religion in a situation where the media and authorities have labelled the movement in negative terms, as satanic, an offshoot of the recent Harry Potter boom or as a non-religion. The study shows how Finnish Wiccans negotiate their self-identity and their identity vis-à-vis the larger society by using discourse that portrays their religion as a natural choice and a true religion, in opposition to the prevailing public discourse. While unified in their sentiments concerning biased media coverage, for example, the study shows how some of the legitimation strategies used by the Finnish Wiccans also function as divisive elements. This in turn implies that outward pressure is a considerable factor affecting the future of Wicca in Finland.