really the word does not matter it's the work that defines the person..

I studied religous anthropology at school and alot of that was magical and animistic practices like "shamanism"..one of my anthropology classes was called magic and witchcraft and I studied many of these cultures..vodou in particular..

ALL cultures have these people..even ours..

These things spring up in any and every cultural situation it seems..why would we be any different?