Comming
Out
"To come out or not come out"
The question of dealing with public awareness has been tossed out, and so I
will share my thoughts with you on the subject. Once again, you will get a
large variety of answers on this from the pagan public at large.
I address this as the issue of coming out. First thing that should be done is
to ask yourself just why you feel it is nessisary. How will it impact your
life and all of those around you ? Will it clear a path, or set up obsticales?
Many argue that coming out and going public will gain us a lot of acceptance
amongst the mainstream population. I question the importanceor even need of
this. Are you planning on purchasing land and erecting a grove or temple
sometime in the near future ? Are you prohibited from buying the books you
need in the world today ? Are people preventing you from holding your rituals
? If the answer to these points is a resounding no, then your need to come out
is at best minimal. Any person who can read this document has access to the
internetand therefore the capacity to purchase any book or tool or so forth
through various online shops - so no one is preventing you from access to
books. Rituals are not written in stone things, and the path has a long
history of adapting to a large variety of hurdles. So if the only way you can
worship the deities is loud and largeyou really should spend some time
examining your spiritual direction. If you can only pray and cast with formal
goods and formal circles, you are no good in an emergency. Period.
Another argument many give for coming out of the closet is that it will gain
us more acceptance. Here is some real practical thoughts on that. If your life
is a mess, if you cannot keep a job, if you are a person who always finds
themselves at the recciving end of arguments from others, if your personal
relationships are so out of line they would make a good topic for a Jerry
Springer show, if you cannot pay your bills on time ( or work out a
responsible payment schedual for these things), if you cannot provide food,
clothing and shelter for you and yours, if you are constantly sick ( an I am
not talking about disabilities or birth defects), then you will do no one in
the Craft any kind of service by coming out. Truth is, magic and witchcraft
are supposed to transform your life . If this is not happening, stay in the
closet and get your head screwed on straight and work harder at transforming
you first. This is of primary importance in your life at this time...not being
public !.If you choose to come out and still have these things hanging over
your head, it will never be certain if people are against your faith
practices, or your personal pitfalls.
When the question comes up , ask just what your motivation is. Are you coming
out to your parents because you want to share with them your religious
holidays , or to hurt them in some way. Is your intent to get even- or to
build bridges ? If your motivation is anything less than positive
transformation, then do not do it. Your announcing that you are a pagan or a
witch is not going to work as a payback for childhood wrongs or any other such
thing. And odds are very, very good that they will not come along on your path
just because you are on it. For every strong reason you have for being a
pagan, they will have just as many strong reasons for being the faith path
that they are.
Or is your motivation to make people notice you ? Notice you they willand all
of the reasons that you have felt that you are blending into the woodwork will
come right to your face in your practice. You really don't want that to
happen.
Rather than announce to the world and be judged for it, let your actions walk
before you. Be honorable in all your affairs. Let your word stand for
something that people can count on. Operate constantly in a way that you would
admire if you saw yourself from the point of veiw of another.. And know your
craft..inside and out. Be prerpared to answer a lot of questions, and be able
to take criticizim without losing your cool. When you find that all these
things are in place, then it is indeed safe to come out to the world. Your
association with the word witch will only be an asset to all.
Blessed Be
Lady Pavane Maya
The Theme From "Sister Act" is playing.