Does Anyone Else Get Upset When...

[astrowitch]

...When someone identifies themselves as a Wiccan to be edgy? There's a girl at my school who saw my pentacle ring and said "Are you a wiccan?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, I am too."
"Oh really? Do you worship any dieties or are you non-theistic?" being genuinely interested and curious.
"Oh- I- uh...S-Sorry, I've never had someone ask me something like that before, I-..."
And then I realized she had no clue what I was talking about and she identitifed as Wiccan to add to her gothic style. I was really happy and excited I had found someone who was like me.

Again, does anyone else get upset when people wear pentacles/pentagrams or identify as Wiccan to seem edgy? Because it felt like my identity was stripped away.

[AdastraJunction]

It is generally annoying isn't it? I shouldn't get too upset about it though, seems they are going through an identity crisis and it is generally a passing phase especially when they have no idea what you are talking about when asked detailed questions about it.

It is rude though. I really wish people would not identify as pagans when they do not truly follow the path, it gives people like us a bad name for the sake of popularity or looking "tough" and "gothic". Your reaction is completely understandable, but maybe instead of getting upset you should try to take it as an opportunity to educate them?

[SnowCat]

I think some people have a need to not be mainstream. It bothers me more, when people misidentify pentagram and such as being evil. It might be a generational point of view in my case. Having reached the age of crone-dom, I find that fewer things bother me. But as Adastra said, maybe it's an opportunity for education.

Snow

[astrowitch]

I would try educating but after that, she's been rude and stuck up to me. Seems I had hit a chord when I realized she was ignorant.

[SnowCat]

Maybe she just needs to keep her toes out from under your feet. You know your path and you're comfortable with it. That's all you really need.

Snow

[Sakura Blossom]

I actually had the opposite problem and have yet to face this! (Well, with Wicca/Paganism/etc. I have people who come up to me when they see I'm eating gluten free or find out I do, and go "Oh, you're doing the gluten free thing? How do you like it? Are you losing weight? UGH. Anyways...)

I had someone tell me, after I mentioned in a group project at school that I was Wiccan, that I "thought I was". The man seemed VERY Pagan. He just... Had that vibe about him. I'm sure many know what I'm talking about. It's not very hard to tell sometimes, when someone does not follow your traditional Christian/Jewish/etc. path. Haha.

I got so pissed and was just going to leave after class but he caught up with me and began to talk to me more about it. I finally explained to him everything I believed and before I knew it, it turned into this big discussion of Paganism, life, deities and so many other things. Haha! Needless to say, I have a new friend who I see from time to time at school. It could have gone an entirely different direction but I'm glad it didn't.

Regardless, I agree 100%. I really wish others would realize that Paganism is a true religion (well, the pagan paths are) and that you wouldn't just randomly say "I'm Jewish" to seem edgy. It's a similar concept. *sigh* Oh, well... Maybe some day...

[Seraphin]

Yep! An authentic pagan by definition knows the path of paganism. A person who claims to be may wear a pentacle or any pagan symbols but he's not a pagan. They're counterfeit.

[Iset]

I did have a few friends in high school who said they were "wiccan" and claimed it was Satan worship and loved how it made them really goth and edgy. It completely turned me off wicca initially cause I thought that's what it was. Thankfully I ended up researching it and found the correct answers.

[Blackthorn]

I encountered a few people like this while I was in high school (I'm 25 now). I was never wiccan (nor am I now), but I did join a druid order when I was in grade eleven so I would always get excited at the opportunity to speak with other pagans. I feel like my disappointment was more in the lack of connection than their insincere path. It would have been nice, at the time, to have known other people with a similar spiritual journey. But I don't get upset about it.

[YanaKhan]

I used to get very very upset when someone would declare themselves pagan and knew nothing of their supposed path, because of all the reasons listed above. I sometimes even went further and asked them questions to which they were supposed to know the answers. Yet, recently I realized it's not such a big deal to me. I mean, everyone has the right to feel good about themselves and if declaring themselves pagan made them feel special, so be it. I would rather educate them if the interest is sincere, than bash someone for wanting to look different and special (which is actually the main reason why someone would do that).
Still, I understand why everyone is upset about people like that - it sometimes may come across as an insult to people's beliefs and faith.

[Swansong]

People have to start somewhere. That could have been the start of a lasting friendship based on common interest. That individual could have been placed in your path for a reason.

[Naudia Threng]

This is like a late comment, but also before you get mad with them, remember that they could be actually trying to follow the paths and just don't know. For instance, I had no idea that non-theistic was even a thing.