Coming out of the broom closet

[FyreGarnet]

That's kinda why I haven't told my parents, but they probably already know. It's the books that really give it away.



FyreGarnet

[morgana]

Well I'm pretty much completely out of the closet, though there are a few people who still don't know, but that's mostly because they never ask and I don't make it a point to tell them unless it happens to come up in conversation.

[Fairydust]

Im very out...My whole life knows...well there are a few that dont...Like my friends from camp...but my friend Lilli...She Pagan and well...I think in a way she does...cause lately ive been asking her book s to read

[whitegravity]

(I'm recently joined if you haven't heard...)

I too, Wbdsgnr1, would be willing to shout this new exciting path in my journey. In fact, I do, that is to those people who are not related to me in anyway shape or form. I am not ashamed of what I believe in now, I would say it to the face to my old pastor, not rudely of course, but with a definite confidence.

I am not prejudice against any religion, I respect anything you chose to believe in, if you treat mine in the same manner. I've read many topics about the ignorance of many (I'm sure not all) christians who do not understand Pagan religions, and I agree teaching them the truth is the best measure. Some friends disagree about my conversion, I really couldn't care, just as long as they respect mine as I would would theirs.

Those I am still wary of showing my new religion is my family, again I've read posts of the same subject. From the advice I heard, the choice is simply mine to make, much like my position on choosing faith.

Knowing there are others like myself led me to where I am today, a new religion and a gradual revelation to others.

[runewulf]

Of course the choice is yours to make. It always is. If ever someone or some book or whatever tells you otherwise, then dump it or them immediately, because they're not cool, valid or worth the investment of your time to experience their falacy.

wassail

[whitegravity]

Update!

Well so much for slow and gradual as I completely ripped the doors off my broom closet. Now I'm in a major conflict that I'm sure you've heard already concerning my parents. But I'm way out there now...

So yes, my broomcloset exploded and in its place is a window...

[Wbdsgnr1]

yep we have heard and that is your choice.

Hope you dont regret it now cuz theres no looking back. Thats the bad things about words that tumble out of your mouth.

But its also a good thing in a way if you look at it in a positive way.


blessed be

[whitegravity]

Yup the feeling that I have nothing to hide is pretty, lightening on my load! I don't regret it, it actually sounds fun to test myself. To see if I can persevere!

[RavenEyes]

is fair to say that i'm firmly in the broom closet!

am a newbie to paganism, and while i'm 99% certain that this is the way i want to live my life, i don't want to tell everyone about my beliefs and have something happen that changes my mind..... am considering giving it a year or so, and then telling my family....

[runewulf]

Smart move RavenEyes. Things can, and often do change, so make sure you are firmly rooted to the path you're on before telling everyone. Who knows, two years down the road you could be a happy Taoist, or maybe an Asatru or a Buddhist. The beginning of this kind of path is just that, the beginning. It can evolved in many directions

[MuladHara]

I was raised free. I was allowed anything i wanted in terms of information.
it blew me away when I found out many of my friends at school couldnt watch R rated movies or read certain books.

you know what?
I am so happy to be free. no rebelion, no bad feelings towards mt parents requiring the services of a psychologist.

and I didnt even say the "naughty words" in front of an adult until I was 19 years old. My dad heard me say the F-word once before he died.

I experimented in many things. things the moderators dont let me talk about here, and I am glad for doing all of them. you never learn if you dont try.

I think the need for dishonesty and hiding actually makes these things MORE attractive to those who are interested. this attraction and the prestige of having a hidden life actually makes it harder for some to learn.

the things I can't talk about here, they taught me alot, but I am not slave to them, as many i knew are. because i am not weak, and i was not coddled.

Openess and toleration of all things will lead to the dissolution of the dangerous by simple LACK OF BUZZ.

if everyone is allowed to do X, then noone talks about X, and X is not attractive, no one does X.

dig it?

anyway, I was a freeform witch/shaman at 13. I got into the necronomicon, then chaos magick, and through all of it, i transcend labels, becuase anything that sounds right to my heart is right for me.

in this way I am a wiccan, a chaote, a hindu, a satanist, voodoo, shaman, yogi, scientologist or anything else and parts thereof at any given time and all at once.

the only thing i don't like is Hebraic traditions. Jewish myth and expansions just dont trip my trigger. (xtianity, islam, whathaveyou)

so, yes. there never was a closet.

[Kystar]

...but since I'm new, I thought I'd pitch my pennies into the ring.

I started exploring paganism/wicca back in high school, but kept it very low key. In college, I started seriously doing research. I used runes for the college newspaper, to write horoscopes. When I moved out of my mom's house is when I started to talk about it. I was very open, explained my position, and took their opinions seriously. I had two women at work who were trying to "save" me by converting me to Xtianity. Been there, done that, not for me, thanks.

Now, everyone at work knows, my parents know, my future inlaws know...the only one in my family left is my older sister...who is working for a church in Texas that's on TV. That might be difficult...if I didn't want her to be Earth in my Wedding, I would not even bother to try and explain it to her.


*Sigh* Well, I can only state my views, tell her I want to respect her beliefs, but that I want her to respect mine. If she isn't comfortable with it, I won't ask her to be in my wedding.

This might make Yule a little stressful...but oh well...that's the hand the Divine delt me...I'll play the game with it.

[socialgreen]

With the Druid path I was pretty much out of the closet but to a point. As for the Wiccan path, well...I decided it was in my best interest to keep that in the closet. I realised that you will come accross too many people that will make your life miserable if they learned that one was a practicing witch or Druid. Not everyone knows that I have practice Druidry nor should they. I am not out to convert people and I felt there was no need to blow my horn. Since we are now in uncertain times I think it best to use discretion.

[lunaria]

My broom closet has huge windows..... but my parents have yet to look in them.

In my room at my mom's house, I have a wall covered in random things I cut out of magazines, print out of the internet, etc. Amongst all this, I have several pagan references..... but my mom just thinks its something from an anime. Sometimes its a blessing to have clueless parents.

The day they come to me and ask if I'm pagan I'm not going to lie to them, but I see no reason to tell them otherwise. Of course, they'll probably think I'm Jewish before they think I'm pagan. The menorah I asked for for xmas doesn't help things much. (if I have to celebrate xmas, I'm gonna be respectful of all my gazillions of Jewish friends and celebrate Hannukah too.)

As far as my friends go, most of them know I'm pagan. The only ones who don't are the ones who would tell my parents, but those people aren't that close to me anyways, so I don't care.

[RicanShorty]

I'm out... to most people (excluding my family). My friends are ok with it but my husband (who is Roman Catholic) is not, it took me forever to get up the courage to tell him. When I did he told me his ex-gf was a pagan also - but it sounds to me like she thought it was about demons and satanic powers and stuff..... so it caused a huge argument. He normally keeps his mouth shut but every once in awhile a comment slips out about the books I checked out of the library, why I light candles in the house or how he wishes we could go to church together (UU, maybe. Roman Catholic - HELL NO). Haven't told my family yet - they are not religious but I know my mom thought I was going through an angst-ridden teen-age phase.

But to me its all good. I know what I believe and no fundie Xtain can change that.

RicanShorty