As a proud Eclectic Pagan witch (meaning I pick and choose the beliefs that resonate with me best, from a wide range of cultures) and a passionate animal lover, I am deeply disturbed by the portrayal of witches in one of the world's most popular games, Minecraft. The game depicts witches as evil entities, which is a gross misrepresentation of our beliefs and practices. We Pagans, Wiccans, and those of other New Age religions believe in kindness, love, generosity, the power of nature, a love for nature and animals, and the positive collaboration of magick (the energies of nature and it's use in ritual) and science, so it saddens my heart to see witches being portrayed as warty, living only in swamps, turning villagers into zombies in igloos, and harming the player with evil potions. Contrary to popular belief, we do not condone the harming of people or animals for rituals, spells, or potions, nor do we condone placing spells/conducting rituals on another being without their consent, nor do we use poisons. I have witnessed the effects of the portrayal of witches as evil firsthand, myself and others have been demonized by those who don't or refuse to understand. Furthermore, it promotes the use of rabbits' feet for good luck - a practice that involves harm to animals, a practice that people have been trying to rid the world of...only for it to rear it's ugly head in a video game played by adults, teens, and children around the world, threatening to undo all the hard work to abandon the practice.

The game also has no option to pet your pet cat, dog, or bird, only hit them, or make them sit. I don't believe Mojang intended to be malevolent, but that this is a grave oversight on their part that I would like addressed with them. I think it would benefit many players to change the hit button/option to a pet button/option for tamed wolves, cats, and parrots. The player should be able to interact positively with their animal companions, other than feeding them and dying their collar a specific color. No one wants the game to promote animal abuse. They removed the ability to feed parrots cookies because chocolate makes them sick, so they can get rid of hitting your animal companions.

Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios, has over 200 million copies sold across all platforms as of 2020 (source: Statista). This means it has an enormous influence on its players worldwide. It is crucial that this influence be used responsibly to promote understanding and respect for diverse beliefs and practices.

We demand that Mojang Studios change the characterisation of witches in Minecraft into healers - a more accurate representation reflecting our peaceful practices. We also call for replacing the rabbit's foot item with something that does not involve harm to animals. What about a four leaf clover or something similar instead? We also call for replacing the hit button/option for your animal companions, to a pet button/option.

This petition is not just about changing elements in a game; it's about promoting understanding, respect for diversity and animal welfare among millions of players worldwide. Please sign this petition to support these changes in Minecraft.