This is basically a blog response to Monday's Wild Hunt post about the recent lack of figurative broom closets in the Pagan community. I don't have one and I'm not sure I ever did. Well okay, maybe there was a time in my early Pagan days where I was more worried about what people thought. As time went on I decided I didn't care a single bit. Everyone who knows me now knows that I am a Pagan priestess of the Goddess. I'm not ashamed. On the contrary, I'm proud of the fact. It's something I worked hard for so I see no need to hide it. Then again I don't go around advertising the fact either. I don't wear a shirt proclaiming my Pagan-ness nor do I just blurt it out to people I've just met.
I guess I don't really believe in the secrecy thing. How can other people learn anything if we aren't willing to be open and honest about what we do? This not only turns off other seekers but makes the mainstream folks uneducated and scared of us. And we know what happens when people get scared. Someone undoubtedly gets burned at the stake - sometimes figuratively and sometimes not so much.
With the exception of not wanting to give my kooky Southern Baptist Granny a coronary by using words that would trigger her devil-worship-radar, I am open about my beliefs. Gran knows I believe in the Goddess, that I don't believe in the Bible, and that I believe nature is sacred. That about sums things up and prevents agitating the elderly.
I take my honest and open approach pretty seriously and I refuse to play the Rumpelstiltskin game. What I mean by that is that I have known some people who keep their magic(k)al names secret because they believe someone will then have power over them. This measures a whopping 9.6 on my BS scale. (Granny passed some of her radar skills down to me I guess, but I use mine for the good.) Names are names. Go ahead and call me Fandula the Love Pig if you want. Who really gives a crap? My "magical" name is more of a priestess name to me. It's like how nuns take new names when they become... well nuns. It certainly means something but it's not an open door to my true soul or something.
As for some of the other things spoken about in Jason's post...
My altar is in my bedroom because that's where I like it to be - not because I'm trying to hide anything. I can be undisturbed there whenever I need peace. On any given day there are books strewn about my house: on top of the wood burning stove, the kitchen counter, the dining room table, the entertainment stand, and oddly enough on bookshelves. There is Goddess themed art on my walls, goddess chimes over the sink, and signs in my garden. I probably have less stuff than your average Pagan because I'm not really a buyer of those sorts of things. If I buy an altar figure it typically stays on my altar. And I make the decorative things I want instead of purchasing them. I'm not really a nick-knack sort of person.
Anyway... to sum it up I'm not in the broom closet but that's because I don't have one. I don't want one or need one. I am who I am and poo on anyone who doesn't like it. Except Granny.
4 comments:
Quite a while since I looked in on you and I have to say what a good post this is.
I've noticed an unfortunate tendency among American pagans to behave as if it's an organised religion and that's scary.
Who wants to feel obliged to open each conversation with a new acquaintance by saying "my name's ???? and I'm a pagan."
My altar is my garden, not a fussy, well kept garden but a slightly chaotic place where there is colour all year and always something going on.
We must resist those who want to make pagan belief systems, which are essentially personal, into anything that has dogmas, creeds, rules and hierarchies.
Let peoplelearn who we are rather than inviting them to judge us by what we are.
Hi Ian. Long time no see. Great points in your comments.
I will admit that I lean a little towards organization but not in a crazy kind of way. I think it's important to be a little organized or nothing gets done, but that doesn't mean there has to be dogma. Well... this might be a little bit of a conundrum because I believe the Goddess has some univesal lessons that perhaps some people might take as dogma. I don't know. I think I'm rambling a little.
Anyway... enjoyed seeing you have visited and hope you come back soon.
Blessings, Grian
Been a while since I paid you a visit, guess I'll sling so shit on the wall and see what sticks.
I don't have a broom closet, hell, I live in just one room, good thing I have lots of other storage places outside.
My altar is in my bedroom because that's where I like it to be
Can't say that I really have an alter, the owl thing on the wall at the head of my bed, a sort of sick zen garden on the dresser. My so called alter is out in the forests where I go as often as possible.
Take care hon.
Billy - I'm all about nature myself. All of the plants, trees, and stones, are little altars all by themselves. Thanks for stopping in to say hi.
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