Closet Wiccans?

Post by **[GeekyPagan]** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:33 pm

So, I work at Target (ugh.) and I was ringing some lady up and I noticed on her hat, a pentagram with the word "salem"...now, at first I thought "oh god, a touristy type person who went up there and got a 'witchy' looking hat" I was dead wrong, I mentioned I liked her hat, and she said "I go up there every year" and, even though I knew why, I asked "Oh why?" she replies "Oh for some Wicca thing...it's not really something you advertize" I went on to tell her, I am Wiccan too, but just starting out on my path.....and it really made me wonder why she was so wierd about telling me this when she's got a giant pentagram emblazoned on her hat? That she doesn't want to "advertize it" yet she invites more critisicim with her hat. I dunno.

Maybe I am a stronger person, I have no clue. I like to shout out the fact that I am Wiccan, hear me roar. I have a pin I wear that says "Born Again Pagan". I have never gotten seriously put down (once some guy said to me, when I was buying a pentagram "Isn't this like....devil worship?" he worked at Spencers, and I could make a good bet that he was pretty toasted at the time). I feel bad for people who hide thier religion, so much. It's kinda painful to see. It seems like no one wants to talk about it, ya know? Like being Wicca is taboo. But somehow I can't help but think if the Wiccan Mom is doing her shopping at Target with her son happily playing with a toy in his cart-seat, wearing her "Salem" hat.....that has got to be a huge step in the right direction.

I understand though....No one likes to be yelled at, or persecuted but it's those people who are doing the yelling should be ashamed.

Tinu · Post by **Tinu** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:14 pm

It depends on where you live I guess. In New Orleans, where I'm from, being Wiccan would get you moderately harrassed. I moved to Houston, and ended up working in a place where they had bible studies every week, and got severely harrassed even by my employer when they found out I was Wiccan. Fortunately, now I'm, living right outside Salem, Mass, and there's such a difference in attitude. I can't wait to see what Halloween will be like.

Sometimes being flamingly out of the broomcloset will get you do more harm than help, and unless you can clearly explain Wicca and Paganism to anyone who asks, then you shouldn't be out to the public IMO. There's no reason to. You can wear your pent, just keep it hidden under your shirt. Who are you really wearing the symbol for, them or yourself?

Post by moonwitch* » Sat Aug 26, 2006 8:24 pm

I agree with both of you.... I am always up front when asked...
Tinu.. please tell us all about halloween !!! Can't wait to read all the details!

Post by **Addalaide** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:34 pm

I whould like to stay in the closet, unless i can trust someone. I told a christion friend of mine, and she will barly talk to me now. I almost told another one but she is so confused about religion right now i didnt wanna confuse her even more. I told her i study pagan religions and left it at that. I had to explan to her that catholasisum isnt a pagan religion, and that its a christion denomination, so she really didnt need to be told to much, i just told her to keep learning about christianity befor she moves on to other religions.

I wont even tell my mom i am not a Christion, my mom knows my aunt is wiccan, and she ragges about her so much it makes me almost want to cry. My dad finds it just funny. We where in the car once and a car infront of us had a bumber sticker that read "Get a tast of religion, Lick a Witch" and when we past dad licked the window, and she laughted so hard she almost wrecked. It was quite funny ( not the almost wrecking part ). But i remeber him telling me how stupid it was, and that it was just nonsence.

But location is alot of it. I live in the bible belt, and almost all my tv channles are christion channles. In Salem, do thay play like channles about pagan religions? Are there any "witchy" programing? Sorry i have always wondered if anywhere played Pagan tv, like thay play Christion tv, and Salem was the onlyplace i thought might do it.

Post by **[SanityIsLost]** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:18 pm

I was in school and it was during gym in the Fitness Center. I had a treadmill right next to this girl I know and we started talking. She asked me what my religion is and I said I didn't really want to tell her cause she would probably hate me (I know this girl is really christian.) She said to me "Don't be silly, I would only hate you if you were Wiccan." So, after that I'm a bit scared to shout it from the rooftops.

Post by **Addalaide** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:24 pm

Ouch. That whould really be bad. Did she even really know what Wiica is? of was she just told its one of thouse devil worshiping religions?

*Ponders*Dose that mean she likes devil worshipers?....

Post by **[SanityIsLost]** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:37 pm

Well, I pretended not to know what Wicca was and asked her what it was and why she hated it and she said that it is a religion where they put spells on people and that she is really afraid of them so she hates them. Then I said maybe they aren't all bad and she should find out what they really believe and she said she wouldnt have anything to do with Satanism... So then I knew even if I tried to explain I wouldn't get through and would probably have her and her friend heckling me all through the year...

Post by **WolfWitch** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:56 am

I'm going to join in and agree with several of you here. It really does all relate to where you are and who your around. I'm in VABeach. This is the town that the 700 club built. Their brodcasting station and studios are here. There is, never the less a thriving pagan community here as well. Some of it is out in the open but most tolerate the little shop here and there as just "kitchy" or a "tourist" thing. Scratch the surface and you'll find it's greater than most know.
Now, when I'm at work. That's a different story. My command has Christians gallore (One even got up at our command picnic and prosilatized as his entry in the "talent" show.) We also have a couple of budists, six Wiccan I know of and, until he transfered back to sea duty, and activly practicing Muslim (and a nicer man I dare you to find.) I can be openly Wiccan here (My wallpaper on my desktop is basically a virtual alter.) with next to no repercussion. I get my job done and I don't ruffle too many feathers up the chain of command so...

Best of luck to those who have to keep secret.

WW.

Post by **Addalaide** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:45 pm

Thats awsome to be able to be opend like that. In this large of a town i am probly be opend about it, but i dont wish to deal with my family, just because my mom found loose tatot cards in my aunts car "who ever owns them is going to hell" is what she said as she looked at my aunt, who took them and turned around and "acted" like she was putting them in the back set....but handed me my lost cards. So just because i own tarot cards, and read about paganisum i am going to hell, dosnt even matter if i am not pagan ( i am but still ) i will go to hell for lerning about evil...so...

She hates to take me to the "gem" store here in town, but she loves it when i wire wrape stones for her so she takes me and i get "the cute little tiny candles cause there so cute" and the some dryed herbs for cooking...*wink**wink*

I am of age and i can do as i want. But really, i dont want my family to hate me more than thay already do. My mom is already mad at me for wanting a handfasting, out of church, she whould acculy not come at all if she new it was a pagan one.

Doe · Post by **Doe** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:50 am

I also worked at a Target until recently until I left to care for my granddaughter.One day we,the girls I worked with, were having a conversation about weddings because my daughters wedding was coming up.I started telling them about my sons wedding which was on Halloween and they thought that sounded cool and kept asking me questions about it.
Well, I got brave and said to them "did'nt I tell you that I'm Wiccan?"Everyone got quiet for a couple of minutes and I thought oh no ,here it comes,,,,,,,finally someone asked me if I was kidding and I said no and they just started asking me questions about it.I explained the the misconceptions and basically what it meant to me.
After that I kinda kicked myself in the butt and waited for the other shoe to drop but nothing ever happened and those girls never said anymore about it.I dont know if theyjust accepted it or was to scared to say anything ,afraid I'd hex them or something,lol

My husband and I have been planning a trip to Salem in October,we have been planning it for the past couple of years but something came up
the past 2 years.I'm really hoping to make it this year

Doe
) O (

Post by **[GeekyPagan]** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:23 pm

SanityIsLost wrote:I was in school and it was during gym in the Fitness Center. I had a treadmill right next to this girl I know and we started talking. She asked me what my religion is and I said I didn't really want to tell her cause she would probably hate me (I know this girl is really christian.) She said to me "Don't be silly, I would only hate you if you were Wiccan." So, after that I'm a bit scared to shout it from the rooftops.

I couldn't help it, but I laughed a little...not at you, but at the girl. I get this image of a really dopey moron saying that. Probably because she was a dopey moron.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I shout it from the rooftops. Not that it''s the first thing I say to people when I meet them. I tend to hand around an open minded crowd, so my friends are no issue. Anyone else who has a problem with it, meh, they can go read thier Bibles and leave me alone. Since I get to choose my friends, I am not going to surround myself with intolerant Chistians. My family and my boyfriend's family is a different story. But whatever, I am who I am. It's not going to be something I will shout out when I am in the professional world (and believe me, I am in a conservative field.) but if someone asks, I'll tell.

Makes me wonder though, if I mention to my boss that I am Wiccan and I suddenly get fired for no dicernable reason...can I take legal action?

I digress. People can make nasty comments and shout at me all they want. I don't care. Unless someone lays a hand on me, when we have problems. I have a can of mace and I am not afraid to use it on an insane Bible Humper. I am stronger than them. I can walk through this life with grace and dignity and not feel the need to persecute and hate.

Ferymay78 · Post by **Ferymay78** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:42 pm

SanityIsLost wrote:I was in school and it was during gym in the Fitness Center. I had a treadmill right next to this girl I know and we started talking. She asked me what my religion is and I said I didn't really want to tell her cause she would probably hate me (I know this girl is really christian.) She said to me "Don't be silly, I would only hate you if you were Wiccan." So, after that I'm a bit scared to shout it from the rooftops.

wow.. my jaw dropped when I read that. I find it hard that there really are people this close minded. I haven't found really any negative stereotypes where I am from and I keep forgetting the rest of the world isn't like this.

just be happy there are places like this board that you can feel comfortable to share your thoughts on feelings on the subject without being looked down on!
*hugs*

Regardless of the fact that I am confident I wouldn't be shot down for my beleifs I still do not voice it. I find it irritating when Christians go on and on about their religion and can't seem to stop talking about it. I don't want to be one of "those" lol. If religion comes up and I might mention it in passing.. and they inquire about it then I might talk about it a bit till the questions stop. if that closet case.. then in the closet I like being!

Post by **Addalaide** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:11 pm

Well, its a nice big closet...with lots of people.

I really can understand why thay think we worship satan, i really do understand it, but its just soooo annoying to get told your going to hell for being evil! So dose anyone know what Hell is in a differnt language, so that when i get told i am going to hell i can tell them the same....thay will just think its something differnt...i'm so mean. Like russin! not many people can speak Russin in the usa! so thay wont know its just "hell"!

Ok i am done....What i hate is when evey one says "If you really belive in your religion then you wont be afraid to tell evey one it." Thats like.....hard to explane and it kinda makes sence too. But it herts so much when someone tells you your evil and that thay hate you because of your religion......Thay dont even understand and know it.

Estelle · Post by **Estelle** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:03 pm

Addalaide wrote: Like russin! not many people can speak Russin in the usa! so thay wont know its just "hell"!

Haha, well, Hell is pronounced "ah-d" in Russian.

Personally, I don't think that religion is highly personal, and you shouldn't have to tell anyone what you believe, if you don't want to. I also dislike when someone comes up to me and says "Hey! I'm Christian/Muslem/Jewish/Pagan/Agnostic!!!!!!!!" as if it's the only thing I need to know about a person. That's a little too in-your-face for me.

Post by **[SanityIsLost]** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:54 pm

I just read this thread again and remembered something else that may be relevant. It is another school story because school takes up most of my time. It was one day after school and I was standing with my friend in the music room. My friend saw some people come and and she whispered to me, "Hurry, we have to get out of here, the Bible club is coming in for their meeting." So we calmly walked over to get our stuff and leave and the leader said, "You don't have to leave, stay and listen to the word of God." Well, we couldn't refuse as we didnt want to seem rude. Halfway through the horribly long and boring meeting my principal came in and he started talking to us about how Christianity is the best thing in the world and how sorry he is that he HAS to let other religions have clubs like the Bible Club. Then he started saying that we should "annihilate" the other religions in the school. He then said "You wouldn't believe all the filth we have here, Jews, Muslims, Athiests, Agnostics, and even Pagans!!" He especially emphasized Pagans. Then the whole club started agreeing and it turned into a big celebration. I am scared of my school...