Random Poll

[TheFireWithin]

I was wondering if your family and friends are supportive. Of course, EVERYONE won't be, but still.

[jcrowfoot]

YES. I'm fortunate. I have some relatives who REALLY aren't, but they are a vocal and troublesome minority. And more distant relatives, thank the Gods.

I'm not saying that I get the right cards at every holiday or anything, but I'm allowed at family gatherings, no one hastles me about it, and they are supportive of me as a human being. Even my grandmother, Sunday school teacher for 30 years, still hugs me and lets me park (with my pagan bumperstickers at all) where family always park... and since her summer home is a business that's really saying something.

I get hastled about my weight and smoking habit, never my religion.

[Addalaide]

My father-in-law could care less. And my Fionce threw a little fit like a child for about 40 minets and now just dosnt talk about it unless hes jokeing. We will be talking about nothing and he will say thats just what a "pagan" whould say. and thats prety much all thats said.

Parents dont know and wont know. Thay whould drage me to church and have my soul saves from eternal damnednation.

[Sercee]

You need a third option: Both! LOL

This weekend I spent with my parents and had some interesting talks with them. My mother is very supportive. She's Christian, but mostly by habit. In a lot of ways she's very pagan, and she'll happily admit it to me. (I think she should just drop the christian alltogether, the only thing that keeps her there is that she's monotheistic). But my Dad... is less supportive than I thought he was. At least we're going to have coffee together soon and actually exchange beleifs. He does NOT support it as he understands it, but mom and I have gotten it into his head that he doesn't understand it, so he's apologized for what he said the other day and he wants to at least hear me out a bit before he judges me that way again. He had opened the "Spiral Dance", flipped through a few random sections then decided he didn't approve of the whole religion. I was pretty offended, not for myself, but because normally he's smarter than that; I never would have thought he would consider that to be an intelligent way to taste a religion.

[Addalaide]

I think my father whould agree with me way more. I told him i dont belive in the christion religion because i think its curupt. He said he understands. He said he knows he belives in Jesus and God and gose to church but he use to not belive in it for the same reson. I told him i belive in God and thats all that matters to me ( I left out the Goddess =( ). So thats where me and him stand.

My mother on the other hand. She use to practice more than she will admit. She was like my aunt christion god, practiced Wicca. And i only belive she was into as much as i belive she was because when i can get her to go into the pagan store she knows more about the stuff then me sometimes. I think she suspects but whould never ask. I know when i dont know what a stone is i ask her and she can tell me in a secent just by looking at it. Once she slipt up and told me people carry it for luck with money ( it was a little green stone i have cant remeber the name right now ).

But she told me if i ever get into that stuff she will have me commited for insanaty , if the church didnt save me from the evil satanic belifes. So thats the main reson i dont ever wanna talk to my mom about it. She will freak and drag me to church or something, tell everyone. Or she whouldnt tell anyone at all out of embarasment. I donno wich.

[TheFireWithin]

It was bittersweet seeing the pretty even results. I think, granted, people are allowed their own religious beliefs. I also think, however, that they should respect other's believes, not matter whether they agree with them or not.

[[Epothes]]

It was bittersweet seeing the pretty even results. I think, granted, people are allowed their own religious beliefs. I also think, however, that they should respect other's believes, not matter whether they agree with them or not.

I don't think anyone enjoys being told that what they belief in is wrong. Sadly, parents would rather force their beliefs on their children. I told my mom once and she freaked out and called me a devil worshiper. Thankfully, she thinks it was just a "phase" since I've never talked to her about it since then.

[Sercee]

Well I have a follow up to my last post. Dad and I went out for a looooong coffee chat a little while ago so we could discuss our differences in faith. To him, the problem is mainly in the negative images associated with words like 'magic', 'witch', and 'spell'. He's just like the majority, he didn't understand. So I explained things to him in a neutral, calm setting and told him that I love nature, I don't worship the devil (though I don't think I got it through his head that I don't even believe in the existance of the devil) and he and I are doing a lot better now. He'll never follow me path, but then I don't want him to.

Incidentally I learned a little more about his faith as well, and thankfully he isn't actually a fundie Christian. He just came across that way in a moment of 'panic' I guess.

[Adiens]

Only a select few of my friends and my fiancée know and are accepting.

The rest would probably love to burn me at the stake.

My mother has already "blessed" me with holy water a few times, and that was just because she was suspicious of me practicing anything occult related. I dread to think of what would happen if she knew...

[spinneyhex]

Yes im very lucky to have open minded family and friends

[Blazewind]

I consider myself to be quite lucky in that I have, for the most part, a suportive family. My sister who is still in her teens, is also learning some pagan arts, and she and I can discuss it together. When my mother is around while we talk, she will talk with us, and be in agreemant with it all. She had been having bad luck lately, and is surronded by bad energy. I have offered to try doing something about it, and she was happy to let me.
My sister is a stange, but interesting sort of pagan, or more like semi-pagan. She believes in the art of spell casting, and alot of metaphysics, but she once told me that the penagram is a sign of evil.
My brother and I don't talk much about serious things like religion. I don't think he know what I believe at all, nor does he care.

[[Enlightenment]]

I suppose I'm one of the lucky ones. My parents are fine with my religion. In fact they haven't got a clue what Wicca is really about (only the fact it incorporates Witchcraft) which they are cool with.
My Mum was slightly worried at first, asking questions like "Do you do "black Magick" now?" and "What if one of your new Witch friends puts a curse or "bad Spell" on the family?" LOL. I had to reassure her that Wicca wasn't like that, and I briefly explained to her and she was like "Oh, ok then." Though I think she's still slightly wary of my Altar in my bedroom (must be the Athame) but at the end of the day I'm nearly 22 and she knows I'm sensible, now, LOL. She loves the fact that I work closely with Angels as they are more of a Christian concept, even though she's not a practising Christian I think it makes her feel more comfortable, like I haven't lost all of my Christian beliefs (little does she know) No, she's cool, thank the Goddess!
My Dad, well yeah, he's just my typical Dad, finds it highly amusing to go around the house singing "I'll put a Spell on you" and other stupid stuff like that. He's like a big kid and even asked if he could come to Witchfest 2007 with me, I was like "HELL NO!!! What so you can show me up and make a big phat joke of my beliefs and practises?" and he turned around and said "No, so I can be a hippie again and get stoned" I was like "Just save it for Glastonbury" LOL.
As for the rest of the family, well most of them don't know but if they did they would be fine. I just don't feel the need to go around to each and everyone of them and say "Oh yeah, I'm Wiccan" none of them have ever come to me and told me their religion so I don't feel the need to tell them mine, unless they ask of course. We're just not a very religious family, end of. I feel like the only religious, Spiritual one which is fine by me

[Rein]

I guess I'm one of the few lucky ones too, though I will admit I'm more of a semi-pagan. Concerning deities I follow christian religion, but my other beliefs cross more into pagan territory so I tend to call myself just a 'spiritualist'.

My parents both know what I believe, and truthfully, they realize that even if they weren't supportive, there's nothing they could do about it. These kind of issues pop up all the time in our town. There's debates on laws, sexuality, things of that nature. If I ever see some kind of 'deprivation of freedom' so to speak, I'm usually in the front lines ranting and raving about how no one has the right to control another person's beliefs.

After watching their teenage daughter go through that, I think they've learned that trying to stifle me is something completely impossible that if attempted will end badly.

On another note, my dad's really into paranormal stuff himself, she it's not that big of a deal even though he's a really christian man. The only thing that annoys him is that I refuse to read the bible. Other than that, he trusts me to do what's right.

My mom really couldn't care less. She thinks we're all put here by aliens anyways so my religion doesn't effect her. She yells at me about my homework, not my spiritual path.

[[Haley]]

Sorry to get off topic here, but Kayako, I'm curious to know what other situations plague our town. Sexuality? Are they against homosexuals?

To try and keep on topic, I'll throw in my two cents! My mom says she doesn't care, but I know she has a problem with it. Although I think her problem is the she doesn't fully understand witchcraft. The good thing is she is a fan of ghost shows and the like, and she never tries to stop me from buying a book if I want to. However my dad is the enigma. He doesn't even want to talk about anything. Even if he has an opinion on something important, he won't share. He doesn't nessicarially try to stop me outright, but he does it in the little ways. He won't let me burn candles or incense. (But that's a different story!! ) He tries to keep me away from the bookstore, which doesn't make sense because I don't always visit the occult section. Then again, maybe I just have an overactive imagination! At any rate, my parents don't stop me but they don't support me. (By the way, most of my distant relatives- aunts, cousins, uncles- don't really know. Some know.......My cousin actually borrowed one of my books and when she brought it back it had tape around the edges just like libraries do. )

[Shadow]

I have also been one of the lucky ones. My parents have been incredibly supportive and have even bought me books about witchcraft. My dad is religious but doesn't talk about it (he is a Mason so we do talk about religion in that context). He believes that religion is a personal thing between you and your God/s and that no one else has the right to tell you what to believe. My mother is an atheist (and scientist) but is also very open minded and accepts that her way isn't necessarily the right way. As far as I know my older brother has no idea what my believes are and my younger one just thinks he has a slightly eccentric sister

As far as other family members are concerned they don't know what I believe. As I say, my dad raised me to believe religion is a personal and private thing so it just isn't something I discuss. I have discussed religion with a few of my close friends but I don't tend to tell people what I believe unless they ask