Are you open or in the broom closet?

[lilady_love]

well i was more or less raised pagan with out the name, without the gods and the goodess...i was doing all kinds of stuff my dad taught me when i was kid, i ws usinf the pendulm when i was about 12...but he called "sub-conscience" i was basically meditating when i was 6 but he called it self-hypnosis he finially figured out that he was a pagan when i started with this...so my family knows... my kids are being raised as pagans to a point my husband is way more pagan then he will ever know he just doesn't like reading or labels unfortuneatly. My friends all k\now aside from one shes a jehovahs witness, and i don't think i will go there...funny thing is she is married to a "practising" native american...and theres an alter at her house but she has no idea of its meaning... i was shocked the first time i visited her...but haven't brought it up to either one of them...takes all kinds to make this world go round!!

[Tianta]

I'm just curious how many people here are open about their spirituality and how many have to or choose to hide it.

I'm very open with mine. While I don't talk about Wicca to my grandparents, the rest of my family knows and are thankfully very supportive of my decisions. But we are all in different situations. What is yours?

I'm basically fully open about my beliefs. Most new friends find out pretty quickly, and most of my family knows. I dont regularily talk about it besides with a few friends, but my parents are very open minded, etc. so it's nice....

[Daughter of Dreams]

Hmm...I have one friend who I've known for about a month who knows about me. She started learning tarot cards which is how I found out about her.

But other then her, no one knows. Im still learning and I dont know what I'd define myself as of yet ^_^

My friends wouldnt understand and my family would kill me!!!! As in dead and buried six feet under.

They're very hard-core Christian. When I was in grade 8 and did a creative writing essay on witchcraft and pagan beliefs my mother had a fit! She freaked out about the books I'd brought home to read and review. And I had to get rid of the paper I'd written once it was graded.

Ironically she's the Librarian of the Egyptian society back home and *me and my brother* were raised knowing all the old myths and legends of Rome, Egypt and Greece. With bible stories in the evenings as balance....

Go figure.

[spinneyhex]

out of the broom closet

[Sobek]

LOL daughter of dreams, thats pretty queer.

[Blazewind]

I'm somewhat open about my beliefs, but only in the right sort of company. I have a friend who knows, because we share some of the same beliefs. As do my mother and sister. I do talk to people about it, if they ask. The sad this is that my boyfriend doesn't know yet, and we plan to be together for life.

[Sercee]

Blazewind, if you're planning to be together for life then you might want to starting practicing honesty with eachother.

*sigh* I grew up in Camrose. I don't think I remember knowing anyone in that town OR Wetaskiwin that were actually honest with eachother. It's a generalization, I know, but still far too common regardless of where.

[Adularia]

I am fairly open, i am totally open with me partner who is not Wiccan, but supports me 100% and so does my mother to my disbelief! The friends I have told don't really understand but they aren't mean about it. I keep a lot of things private too though!

[Blazewind]

Blazewind, if you're planning to be together for life then you might want to starting practicing honesty with eachother.

I do intend to tell him, and soon too. I know that honesty is always a good thing. The subject has just never come up. As soon as it does, we will talk about it. I am not hiding it from him for any reason, other than the fact that I just have not had a chance to talk about it yet.
As for Wetaskiwin... yes, I must agree with that. I live in a very strange town indeed, LOL.

[Broken2nite]

I live in the Bible belt (TX), so its very difficult to find anyone who I can talk to about it. Right now I'm simply researching,reading, and whatnot, but the more I do the more I am drawn to this religion. My parents don't know of my interests. I keep all my books && whatnot hidden in a drawer in my room && keep it well hidden. I've only told a few people that I'm interested in Wicca, and even then I'm very vauge... I honestly just don't know what people would think, and its possible my parents would kick me out of the house, and I just cant risk it...

I think its so sad that there is such a negative stigma. Comes from a few centuries of bad publicity I suppose. I was just now watching the History Channel saying Witches were agents of the devil. It's absolutely ridiculous! And that's the kind of thing that make people cringe when they hear the word "Witch" and its sad. I'm a mini-activist for religious tolerance, and I tried doing a speech about Wicca, and all I got to show for it was being accused of being a devil worshiper and having people whisper and sneer at me. And I'm in college! *sighs* Sorry, I'm ranting..

[Myst]

I'm in the broom closet. Not even my parents know. For a long time I thought they knew, but my mother recently mentioned that she didn't consider witchcraft or Wicca to be religions because of the animal sacrifice. I literally choked on my coffee. I can't imagine where she got the idea that Wicca, with it's central tenet stating "harm none," would advocate something like animal sacrifice. She went on talking about how Wicca was in the prison system and inmates were upset because they weren't allowed to practice animal sacrifice. I was tempted to ask her if she thought I could ever hurt a little animal, because I am a practicing witch, too. But, instead I just laughed and said that Wicca is completely harmless and left it at that. I didn't want to come out of the broom closet just then.

I honestly don't have any plans to be open about my faith. People in this area are so misinformed about witchcraft that it would be very difficult to change their perceptions. It's funny how people cling to their stereotypes. In their eyes, witchcraft is something inherently sinister, and anti-Christian, and they would think it's wicked no matter what I said. That's the harsh reality that I face everyday. Plus, news like this would make the rumor mill work overtime. People don't have much to do in a small town except gossip.

But, I'm actually very comfortable with keeping silent. I never felt the need to advertise my faith. My spirituality is a private thing, and it's really no one else's business but my own. So, I practice my solitary path in secrecy, and if one day the news gets out, I'll deal with it.

[jcrowfoot]

Wow. That's intense. I wish I had been ok with being quiet.

[Adiens]

I am open to close friends and fiance about my believes, but I have to hide them from my family...

[Vicki*]

Half and half Anybody who asks outright is told, otherwise I dont tell anyone! My beliefs are my own business

[Sobek]

if thats the way you see it i'd say your more than 50/50...just because you dont wear it on your sleeve doesnt mean anything.