The High Priestess of Kali, that much-maligned Goddess, has big blue eyes and an exuberant young bull terrier named Borg. Borg is wearing a sensible winter coat over his short fur, and the High Priestess (aka Donna DarkWolf Vos) is wrapped in a velvety red and black number that could be dressing gown or ceremonial robe.

It's chilly in Donna's cottage, and when coffee materializes it's not out of thin air, but with a strident 'ping' from the microwave. The Priestess also the head of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC), which is devoted to Wicca, and President Emeritus and special adviser to the Pagan Federation of South Africa, serves coffee, curls up on the couch and chugs a Red Bull. There are esoteric paintings on the walls and an altar in her bedroom. On the altar are symbols of her faith, including knives and a chalice.

"A reporter was here recently and got freaked out by the knives", remarks Donna. "He didn't bother asking, but if he had I'd have been able to explain that the knife represents the male side (phallic) and the chalice (receptive) the female side of existence."

A simple case of yin and yang, not Norman Bates's little sister.

Let's get a couple of things straight. Wiccan are Pagans, but Pagans are not necessarily Wiccans. And many Wiccans would rather not be called a "witch" - a word that labours under a weight of misinformation and misconceptions.

"Pagans honour the earth and derive inspiration of divinity from nature", explains Donna, "but it's not a deity-worshipping religion. Wicca lies within Paganism. It is a religion, we have churches and believe in deities, and follow a chosen lifestyle."

With the emphasis on chosen. The ATC is not a church one meanders up to on a Sunday morning to ogle the hats. Let's pop a few more balloons. Wiccans do not worship Satan, make candles out of baby fat or sacrifice anything, let alone virgins.

The Wiccan life is bounded by two fundamental philosophies. The first: "And it harm none, do as ye will", an acknowledgment of life's endless possibilities.

"We start with the concept of "thou shalt" rather than "thou shalt not", explains Donna.

Sounds like a license to party, but here's the second philosophy: The Karmic Law of Three. This states that whatever you do, good or bad, will return to you threefold.

"This religion is not about sitting on your ass and simply having a good time", says Donna, "You have to be an activist - but following your own path. Many of our members are active in ecological issues and, naturally we are very involved with women's rights."

"Some members run counseling services, or are involved in creating places of sanctuary for the abused. My personal focus is more militant. If Wiccans are discriminated against on the basis of their faith, it's my job to see that they have legal representation, and that the movement is fairly represented and continues to grow. Many Pagans and Wiccans are still 'in the closet' because of the damage that wrong perceptions of our movement causes."

The freedom of religion of Wiccans is protected by the South African Constitution, although Wicca is not technically recognised as a religion.
The Pagan rites of passage, which include coming of age ceremonies, weddings and rites that deal with death and bereavement, are not yet seen as legal although this may soon change.

"We're living in a predominantly Christian country and so we try to fit within the framework of what people understand in terms of setting up our churches. It also makes sense legally and in terms of taxes and so on."

Kali gazes down from the wall as the High Priestess offers more coffee. Borg yawns and stretches. The microwave goes 'ping'.

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