Are you open or in the broom closet?

[Makbawehuh]

I"m out of the house, and have been for several years at this point... I just see no reason to invite my father to do something drastic. If you haven't been able to tell from some of my prior posts, the guy's not sane. I love him as far as he's able to let me, but I don't care to spend time with him because... Well.. He's off his rocker. >.<

Easier to let him handle the lesser things about me that he can handle and let those be the issues; Defying his idea of religion has resulted in violence more than once between he and I.

And since that is the case, yes, it needs to simply not be discussed. Sorry, but I am not cut out to be a martyr. It was bad enough when I had to face him down over having a Rosary... It would be worse if I said "Daddy, by the way, I'm Pagan."

No thanks.

[amunptah777]

Yah, that's exactly what I was talking about.
(Even if you are out of the house...there's no point in causing that kind of shyt)

My folx know, but it simply isn't discussed, I certainly don't want to cause any issues with them. I normally don't say anything, unless it comes up in conversations...which are about as rare as moon landings.
They've got their life, I've got mine...whatevva.

[Sacred]

I'm open. My MW (midwife) was wearing some questionable jewelry the other day & I am about to ask her if she is Pagan. How neato would that be?

[stormer89]

im preatty open with my spirituality. only thing is after 5 years i still dont know what i call myself. when its just me i think of myself as a witch. when im around friends im "wiccan". i think if i called myself a witch around them, it may freak them out a little. almost all of my friends know, and they're alright with it. but i think a few of them are a bit uncomfertable with it. my family knows and it was a huge shock for them. they didn't aprove at all. i was raised catholic. imagine me at meal times with christan prayers. ; ) i usually just sit there and think of my own version in my head. they gave up on trying to get me to go to church a few years after they found out. and holidays are intresting. my grandma confuses me a bit with it.
she acts like a hard core catholic but little things she says in regards to "magic" makes me kinda question it. my mom actually started reading up on it and understands it and accepts me for it. she changed faiths herself, for the exact same reasons i did.

[oracle's child]

i'm not close with many people so the opportunity rarely presents itself for me to talk about my beliefs. but, one time my mother-in-law found out that i read tarot cards and had an absolute fit. she is catholic and observes all that involves.
anyway she then proceeded to take certain family members aside and tell them who knows what (i'm positive that she thinks i'm on my way to hell and i know that she prays for me and about me which makes me very uncomfortable). her reaction was so ugly and intense. my sister-in-law just whispered to me "don't worry about it, i used to have a deck in college". since then, i have met three of my mother-in-law's neighbors who were barely civil to me. needless to say, i just keep my mouth shut.

[Makbawehuh]

You know, as close as Catholicism runs to Paganism in some areas, I sometimes wonder where they get off being bitchy about other people's beliefs.

Ah well, you have Fundies in every religion. It sounds like you managed to get yourself attached to one, OC. My apologies- They aren't all that way.

Just remember that if you spend any length of time around these people, they'll eventually see you for who you are, and your mother-in-law for who she is. If you don't spend any great amount of time around them, then it probably doesn't matter what they think anyways.

[oracle's child]

i agree 100% with you but, ooooh if you knew this woman! lol-don't get me started!

[hedge*]

I know a Catholic who reads Tarot cards- wonder where that would fit in with your mother-in-law.

[Heka]

i dont go out and tell people, but i wear my pentacle openly and if people ask i wont deny it. my mum thinks im weird but just lets the buying of books, runes and the altar in the corner of my room go and ignores it.

ive been asked a couple of times if im Pagan ro a witch and had a few people comment positively on my pentacle as if they know what its about and i love that. i wear my pentacle as often as possible because i just love that feeling of people recognising me as, i duno, kindred, and it makes me feel special.

blessings

heka

[oracle's child]

hedge-

i believe from the reaction i received that day, that she sees the tarot as associated with satanic influences. over the years from the bits and pieces i've witnessed and heard from her, it's not wise to discuss anything that deviates from her christian beliefs. during christmas and easter i respect the prayers and going to church (my family was catholic when i was a kid and i have to say that there is a degree of comfort in this because of pleasent childhood associations). because she's in her 70's the family goes along with things and we just learn not to poke the hornets nest.
as far as the person who reads the tarot and catholic, for her either your for God or your for the devil. you can't have both.

[mysticfyrefly]

I'm fairly open some of my friends and family are fairly understanding of it but don't really agree with it. My grandfather whom is a minister thinks that because I keep essential oils and herbs around my home that I'm just having kinky orgies in my home and i've surely lost my mind lol all in all its hard to just come out because most think you are nuts or the superstious think that you'll cast some voodoo curse on them.

[Makbawehuh]

People have all kinds of strange ideas. The good news is, if she's that old, she can't have too much longer before she kicks the bucket... Neh?

Any idea who the family is going to gather around when she goes? That's the person to stick to.

[oracle's child]

if you're addressing me Mak, i'll say that i think my two sister-in-laws will probably visit with each other (one has two children, although their almost out of the house now) on holidays. as for my husband and myself, we've both been feeling that we don't want to "have to" attend anything if we're not interested. we are in our 40's and i've had to remind him that we are not children and actually have a choice. we have been experiencing resentment a time or two and i finally said enough was enough. we care about our family members but at arm's length. so, last month i said i would not be attending a birthday get-together (my m.i.l. and i have our birthdays 4 days apart and she has insisted for the last 7 years that we all get together for this). i did this with a feeling of naughty childish glee and knew i would be asking for trouble. she didn't like it and almost wouldn't take "no" for an answer. ah, life is good! but, not so fast, mother's day will be coming just around the corner. i should behave.

[Makbawehuh]

Wow. Controlling much?

Wouldn't take no for an answer...? How old is this woman, and were her parents ahead of her time? Because it sounds to me like she needs a spanking that she didn't get when she was younger.

[oracle's child]

she's in her 70's and grew up in Scotland in a very conservative household. she's also an Aries like me and has to have everything her way.