What do you say when non-pagans find out you are Wiccan or pagan? How do you answer their questions, respond to a negative reaction, without freaking them out or boring them? Feedback is requested on different situations where you’ve had an encounter (positive or negative), or anticipate having to deal with one. This video is in response to a question by NeoPagan2007.
INTRO : Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll never go in the wrong congregation. Woh, woh, woh, woh rastaman a burn pagans, so. CHORUS : I’ll never go where the pagans go. Never do what the heathens do. For rastafari give I the guidance. Never say what the idolaters say, for Emperor Selassie I I trust and obey. Rasta words are pure substauce. Never go where the pagans go. Never do what the heathens do. For rastafari give I the guidance. Never say what the wicked hearts say. Neither will I walk in their council no day, hey. Haile I, Speak no guile, so VERSE 1 : Mythology and illusion i’ll be always burning. Corruption and confusion, will be thrown in the ash-bin. Can’t full rastaman with your false doctrine. Your false teachings, oh wat a sinting. Justice in the sky, is it salvation that yu seeking From the throne of David it obvious dat you’re drifting. You ave’ no raspect for the king of all kings. Oh his name I’ll be always exalting, so. VERSE 2 : I’ll never go astray from my roots and my culture Neither will forget my homeland mother Africa. Mi grow congo and separate from the vipers. From the hypocrites and from the vampire. Hail the king of kings for he giveth all the powers. Born in Ethiopia, look! it written in the scriptures. Who are the righteous hey they are the truth seekers. O be onto you fales leaders, so. VERSE 3 : I’ll never go, I’ve never go where they go. I’ll never stray, no way, no day. I’ll never say what they say. Oh I’ll never go, where they go. Rastafari I …
Video Rating: 4 / 5
most of my relatives are roman catholics and they have not spoken to me since I was 18 and did not join their “jesus-eating” cult of mass murder…(i was never again invited to thanksgiving or christmas partys)…
I lead a double life…i have pagan friends and non-pagan friends and I never introduce or mix them!…i have non-pagan girlfriends just for sex and pagan girlfriends for romantic love…i also have “new age” friends etc…
in the work world I never ever” out” myself or discuss any religious topics…in private life the less my x-tian friends know the better!…never trust anyone!
the usually call me adevil worshipper and tell me that i will burn in hell. and i say :
” accusing a wiccan of worshiping the devil is like accusing an athiest of worshiping god i cannot worship what i do not believe in. i cannot burn in hell for my oppinion it does not exist and if it does, it’s your hell you burn in it. ”
if they would respond with decency as in not telling me to burn in hell or fy not accusing me of satanism i would not have to be so mean. but most ppl give no choice
I’m only 16 and I have been pagan for going on 2 years (I grew up christian.) My mother and brother know and so do my friends and a few pepole at school that I got into the conversation at school. My grandma and one aunt and one uncle all belive paginsm and wicca is devil worship. The main problem I have is that my mom thinks this is a fad, I can’t really think of anyway to tell her it’s not a fad. Thankfully she doesn’t bring it up as much anymore, mostly she threatens 2 make me go to church.
@bicclookfrmwiccbks – Our Trad is somewhat different as well. Just tell them the basics – that there are some things that remain secret because they are meant to have a psychological spiritual impact. Gather some general information about the ideas of oaths, dedication etc and let them know you are honorbound about the specifics. Most people don’t want details anyhow; they just want to satisfy basic curiosity.
@RainArborNox – After 20+ years, I think my family’s figured out it’s not a fad. 😉
@chalicechiq – I never really “came out,” I just live my life as I see fit, and don’t treat anything as out of the ordinary when it comes to religious expression. I carry myself as an equal. As for time off, I work for the Gov’t so that’s not really an issue. I just take a leave day, no questions asked.
@GreenGirlGoin – exactly! Approach is a big part of the picture.
@WiccanTexan You have a point there; even Christianity is a blended path.
Due to the pendent I wear (silver triskele), the question of religions came up at work a few months back. After explaining holidays, views on dieties, and the differences between prayer and spellwork, they actually didn’t make to big of a fuss. I think what helped most was to be logical, brief and accurate, and love what you do of course ^-^
@WhiteDragon1989 Oh I don’t know; I can be pretty charming and get people laughing about it and give me a pass. 😀 It helps when you have DDDs too. 😉
I also always request the entire week of the winter solstice off, as I do an all night vigil around a bonfire with several friends. I have been doing this for several years, and the people who know (like my manager/HR director) are usually quite interested in what we do and why we do it. She’s not interested in conversion, just learning something new.
Now, does “coming out” also involve taking a day off work that is a non-standard holiday in the secular or Christian calendar? I do this a lot, and I’m up front about why I do it. Today I took the day off (April 16) as it is my late father’s birthday; remembering the ancestors is important, so I wanted to have a day to myself to reflect and drink a toast to his memory.
@chalicechiq if they said take it off I’m sure the laughing would have stopped real quick lol.
@heyjenknee strange reaction, not welcoming someone into your house because of their beliefs. will you act the same way to a hindu coworker or muslim? or someone who votes for a different political party? or likes different music? it’s pretty much guaranteed that everyone you meet will disagree with at least one of your beliefs
( 2 ) “worship the devil”. I smile and quietly state ” I don’t worship the devil.I in fact do not believe in him” and so far that has been the end of the conversation.
( 1 ) Avoidance has been the most noticeable reaction since coming out of the broom closet, which I can understand. I believe once my family realize I’m still “me” and not a clone (lol) they will warm back up, or maybe not. We shall see. The other reaction I hear is the “I used to mess with that stuff but I grew out of it ” (I’m 34 and have been pagan since I was born) so I quietly and calmly looked him in the eye and asked “what stuff”? an the reply ( 3 times now) has always been :
My life-partner is Asatru and I’m still finding my way, but rest assured we aren’t racist or white supremacists or whatever. Sadly, that gets thrown at people who walk a Germanic path like he does, thanks to the Nazis and the SS, etc. And what’s weird is that Hilter was a Catholic who simply didn’t attend Mass. Himmler was the *real* psycho. Anyway, I just wish folks would give the Angles and Saxons some credit once in a while. 🙂
RE: “Gardner? used the current history of his time” etc
Yes, this is very true. I think a lot of younger people first coming into the Craft don’t realize he was writing his books less than a decade after WWII, and being English, he would likely not want to write much of anything that sang the praises of the Germanic people, some of whose traditions inform Wicca to this day but many don’t realize it.
But other than that…there was one day I had to go to the airport to pick up a friend flying in from out of town, and I had my silver pentacle on, very clear against a red shirt. (I suppose this counts as being “out” right?) The woman at security asked me if it was “the Devil’s cross.” I about fell over laughing. I’m really suprised I’ve had it this easy around here.
I live in central Florida. In some ways, this area can be kind of conservative. But I’m out on my job; have been the entire time I’ve worked there (about 13 years now). I’ve used the word “heathen” to describe myself and one person laughed because he equated “heathen” with “hedonist” and thought I was some kind of licentious, loose woman!
I think it depends on the situation. I always use “Wicca” as this is my religion’s legitimate name. Other terms I will judge the situation first.
I try and avoid the words “wicca”, “witch”, “horned god” (at first). I know those are important tags but they are also the words that scare people that have heard untruths about them before. I talk about “nature religion”. How I feel that all energy and power comes from nature and then the balance between male and female and how they work together in everything. If people are then open to hear more about it, I give them more conventional words and explain them.
@OfTheWillows you are so narrow minded. why are you even watching her vids?