parents are against my belifes

[MoonlitShadow]

my parents, being christian, dont want me to have anything to do with witchcraft. i do not see why they must keep me away from things that i belive in... they claim that all witchcraft is evil satan worship, and they even think i want be on the satanic side as well! none of that is true but i can't explain to them. after some research, i think that i may follow the wiccan religion, but i can't with my parents around! i can't talk them out of it or explain how it is not evil seeing how steadfast my dad is about this.
what should i do???

[Orion]

The best thing is if you could have a well prepared discussion with them about it, but that won't happen. Things never work out that well, lol.

It's easy if you just don't allow them to know. Don't wear obvious signs or put a five foot poster of a pentagram on your wall, . My parents, family, not even my roommates at college, know that I'm pagan. If you don't try to declare it and use it as a tool of being a rebellious teenager... it won't be a problem. If you are forced to go to church, that would be inconvient of course.

Remember, Wicca is a religion with designs for secrecy. If you go by the laws written, in public you should denounce witchcraft and act just like the majority.

[MoonlitShadow]

true, but i wish that i could make them lay off and stop searching my stuff for any traces. it pisses me off. hmm. i suppose i could try to keep it all hidden. its not that easy for me however.

[AnuChild]

MoonlitShadow, I'm in the same boat you are. I'm a Christian Witch, but my parents would not take it well if they knew what I was doing. I've done a few things to keep my witch-side more secret than otherwise. When I do rituals, I don't use candles (I know that's something of a no-no, but my hands aren't steady enough to light them anyway), instead I use all-natural dyed cloth to represent the elements. I try to only use books that look like they could be fantasy-fiction, rather than Wicca books (though those are few and far between). My parents and I have a difference of opinion on Christian denomination (they left my church a few years ago) so I don't go to church with them anymore. (I also find that my Anglican church is more open to my practices than my mother's holy roller church, lol).

I will keep you in my thoughts and Goddess be with you.

[MoonlitShadow]

my parents also tend to go through my room when i am away, looking for anything they dont want in their house and usually throw it away. this cases some complications with keeping secret.

[Alhandra]

Try keepin your tools somewhere hidden. Maybe a friends house or even outside somewhere in a tree but that isnt what i would reccomend.Instead of buying books go on the internet and research and put everything you know into a notepad with a pad lock on it. You know like those secret diaries. And keep the key hidden but yeh it would be good if you could keep it at a friends house. And only when they are out perform spells. But anuchild is right. You dont need candles anyway. Even pictures of candles would do instead.

[sheherazade]

i agree w/ the idea of keeping it to yourself
i'm an adult & i realize that if certain people knew my beleifs(& i am simply harmless)my children would be shunned by some & my business which deals w/ children & takes place in a church auditorium would be completely shot.
i know at first you want to shout what you know from the highest rooftops,but after a while it becomes a fun secret of your own.
jmoho

[sheherazade]

also your parents should stop going thru your room....if you're behaving & keeping your room neat there should be no reason & maybe you could let them know that(carefully of course)

[Wolf*]

Welcome to the club, you'll get your shirt and button in the mail. lol


Yep,I'm in the same boat as well. But my parents aren't too strict on me being an occultist (I prefer that term to "witch", I'm not sure why) now, so I'm allowed to practice. Thats only because they dismis (spelling?) it as a "passing phase". Which makes getting supplies difficult, such as...oh..tarot cards for instance(reference to a nother thread). I also like to not hide my beliefs. I mean, I wear my pentacle is public and everything, but its not the foot long gaudy piece of junk, its just a simple 1.5 inch metal one. Though I won't lie, I do enjoy the shock value when people find out for whatever reason. But I'm rambling and getting off topic.

So, anyway, why not show them the Wiccan Rede? That may help. You know, the, "An ham it none" rule might help them cope. I'm not a wiccan, but I showed it too my parents and it softened the blow a bit at first...after the initial "OH MY GOD, OUR SON IS GOING TO HELL!" scream at the top of their lungs....but I suppose thats not very incouraging..and it appears I'm rambling again...

[Matt*]

I understand what you are going through on this, my mother is a devout Roman Catholic and when I told her about my beliefs she was sure I was a Satanist and I wuld end up joining a cult and living in a comune, that was until i showed her the Wiccan Rede and she started to understand a little bit more. She has since read "Witchcraft for Tomorrow" by Doreen Valiente and she no longer has a problem with me or Wicca.

If it is still an issue you don't wish to discuss, secrets from parents can be fun, but please hide your stuff better, and ask your parents to respect your privacy a little more

Matt

[AnuChild]

Just a thought, as you say your parents go through your things...

My parents went through that stage, too - and almost no one ever looks in the sock drawer. My parents went through my bookshelves, my makeup, my clothes... but never my socks or underwear. If you have specific, hard-to-explain tools (a wand, antheme, tarot, or runes) that might be helpful. I also say I'm "researching" occultism because I'm a writer, but that might only work because my whole family consists of writers and they've done their share of odd research, things that make my witchy things look saintly.

Also, if they are uber-Christians (most parents who have issues with Wicca seem to be), have you considered showing them the paralells of the two religions? There are books out there written by mystics where I really want to know where the saint got off claiming to be Catholic. ("I, the fiery light of Divine essence, am aflame beyond the beauty of the meadows, I gleam in the waters, and I burn in the sun, moon, and stars..." "I call on Brother Son and Sister Moon" etc.)

[Witch333]

My father doesn't know about me being a witch, wich is a good thing, since he's a devout Catholic But I told my mother, and she is fine with it, or she was. Everytime I start talking about things like magic and stuff, I get this strange feeling, that she's unconfortable with the subject, so I change it quickly. Now we had this tacid understanding, that she acts, as if she dind't know anything, and I keep doing my stuff secretly. And we're both (more or less) happy with this solution.

[WolfWitch]

Try keepin your tools somewhere hidden. Maybe a friends house or even outside somewhere in a tree but that isnt what i would reccomend.Instead of buying books go on the internet and research and put everything you know into a notepad with a pad lock on it. You know like those secret diaries. And keep the key hidden but yeh it would be good if you could keep it at a friends house. And only when they are out perform spells. But anuchild is right. You dont need candles anyway. Even pictures of candles would do instead.

This is your best bet but (and I say this as I grew up with people of the same mold as your parents.) They're looking for hidden things so it will be very difficult to hide them in a traditional sence as Alhandra suggests. Instead, I suggest hiding them in the one place no one ever notices, plain sight.

Hear me out, it makes sence at the end.

There's reasons a lot of the traditional objects of our religeon are plain old house items back in the day. Everything blended into the mundane. You never see sheepdogs in a herd because they look like sheep. So...

Devotionals for the four elements: Doesn't always have to be candles. Look into rocks, crystals (though they might be looking for these.) or plants. Take up Herbology or Botny(sp.) great way to work the old faith and be in touch with nature and no one be the wiser. Start an Herb garden. No one need know of why or what specific herbs...

Alter icons: As my mentor (H.P.Crowley here on the forum.) once told me, The tall glass devotional candles with Christ and the Virgin Mary make excellent God and Goddess reprisentations. Hell a G.I joe and a Barbie would work in a pinch. A couple of artist models. or something with a sun and something with a moon on it.

Athame/wand: Do you build models or have a craft hobby? It'a called and X-acto knife. Most common place benign thing in the whole world. Not big on blades? Take an interest in chinese food and buy a set of reusable, laqured WOODEN chopsticks. A special No.2 pencil.

Chalice: Keep a glass for water by the bed. A lot of people do as you never know when you will wake up thirsty.

See? You just have to be one step ahead of your parents. Keep it in plain sight if they do a lot of searching through your room. I was a devious little child so I will help you if you ask. Your mirror book and eventual book of shadows will be a harder thing, though the locked book is an idea. Is your computer yours or a family thing? I have a "folder of shadows" on my laptop. You might want to make sure, while I am thinking about it, clear the history on your browser after yo visit here. If it's a family used comp. they might watch it too.

Best of luck. I will pray to Skuld that your craftiness is one step ahead of those who persue.

Goddess Bless and may those who need find solice and comfort in Vervandi's bosom.

WW.

[[SanityIsLost]]

Do they look at all of your books? Like go through them and read a bit of each? Because, I was thinking perhaps if you bought a book you could put a different cover on it and stick it in your book shelf. Obviously this won't work if they care enough to check to see if it's really that book, but if you know they dont look inside, its an idea.

[Butterfly1984]

My dad used to go mad at me when he found that i'd been looking at these sites. I'mm 22 now so i'm not living with them anymore but I do keep it from my parents even though their not devout Christians but I don't think they would really agree. I would try to exlain that them going through your stuff is upsetting you beause i don't really think that is right.

Blessed Be