Family Approval

BEAT

I havnt seen a thread like this in here yet and I assume that I am not the only one with this problem so I am going to post a little about it and hope others will share thier stories.

Does anyone feel they need to keep thier Paganism/Practice of Magik a secret from Family/Friends?

I have spoken to my mother about it a little bit and because she has psychic abilities as I do she understands where I am coming from. I have a couple cousins in the same boat as I that I can talk about it with and share experiences and learn with but we all keep it quiet from our grandmother and aunts/uncles/fathers because of thier disapproval.

Sometimes it feels like I am living a double life when around those that dont approve, Since I study all religions it is easy for me to talk about the practices of thiers and otehr religions but tensions are high when I begin to argue certain practices and if Paganism enters the subject I become a bit defensive and the debate ends with me just becoming quiet and withdrawn taking on the , ok I agree with you so you will shutup. With some people you have to do that or things will get out of hand.

Does anyone else have to keep this life in the shadows of family approval?

NeilJ

Well my parents found out by accident. But they're pretty ok about it. My Dad in the end surprised me by turning out to be pretty cool about it, although my Mam whilst being tolerant and respectful does still have some trouble dealing with it. My sisters knew for quite some time before and they don't care either way. Apart from that none of the rest of my family know though. Some don't because I feel it would cause tension, others because I don't feel it's any of their business. I've been completly open around my friends for years and none of them really care either way as well.

I do feel that to make things simpler with some of my more religious relatives who I happen to be close to that it's easier to keep quiet. But for the most part I do think of things more in terms of whether or not it's any else's business rather than whether or not it will make things easier. But then whilst I do still live at home I am 23 years old and would not be considered a kid by most of my family. Those that do make that mistake are quickly corrected by being shown just how little they actually know what they're talking about.

Neil

PaulinCork

My family have known for twenty years, since I was 17. My Mum is quite a dogmatic Catholic (e.g: opposed to contraception), but at the age when I told her I was Pagan, she was dealing the much bigger shock of my being gay, and it kind of got lost in that storm.

I see her about twice a year, and we always end up talking religion, and each time she acts suprised that I'm Pagan, first she's heard of it. (!)
She is actually quite pleased that I'm religious in any way as my two older sisters and older brother are Marxist and firmly atheist. They are very scornful of my beleifs, but do occasionally get me Pagan- related presents, bless them.

My Dad is interesting. He's a poet, and taught mythology courses to student teachers for thirty years. He has stayed Catholic, liking the community and the archetypal symbolism of the Mass (He goes every week, and for years did some of the bible readings) but has never been uncritical of the hierarchy or dogma, and has been very supportive of my Paganism

Their Parish priest in rural Yorkshire, Daniel Leary, was trained in a seminary run by Mathew Fox, a Creation-positive Theologian who has since been expelled from the Church. Fox employed the Witch called Starhawk, a Voodoo Priestess called Luisha Tesh and Native Ameican Medicine Teachers, to help his student priests understand the sacredness of nature.Daniel Leary asked his Bishop if he could be Pastor to Pagans in the nearest big jail in Leeds.
He was told "No, you're a Catholic priest"

I went to Midnight mass with the family last Christmas, and the sermon was telling people they should visualize themselves as being held by God the Mother, and also to visualise themselves as holding God in the form of a baby,
both as ways of healing themselves of damaging and scary images of God they were brought up with.

Anyway my Dad and Father Daniel run evening classes at in creativity and spirituality together!

Dad told me yesterday on the phone that he's now pantheist (and still Catholic I think)

Rothen

My family dont kno and i feel dont need to know. Some of my friends may know, I am not too sure... :rolleyes:

ancathach

I think I'm quite past the idea of "coming out", i mean how many christians feel the need to say "mammy, daddy, I'm a Christian". This is not to say people dont realise I'm a spiritually alternative person, from my debates on the expulsion of Sophia from the Christian stream to the various multi cultural debates on deity and the ideas of karma, reincarnation and spiritual transmutation.

Honestly most people dont have a clue who I am spiritually and know better to ask about these things (I remember a discussion on religion and the Great Work, and I got into the whole Vitrol thing, so people really rather not ask) but if someone is to ask me i'll gladly get into some of my spiritual ideas, but avoid the tags where possible.

My mother thinks I'm a witch, my father thinks Im mad, and most other people think im some variety of hermeticist or esoteric Christian, and all of them are right.

bri

solas

paulincork wrote:

My family have known for twenty years, since I was 17. My Mum is quite a dogmatic Catholic (e.g: opposed to contraception), but at the age when I told her I was Pagan, she was dealing the much bigger shock of my being gay, and it kind of got lost in that storm.

cracked me up..lol.
My mother bought me my first deck of cards, after I burned them she bought me another and I burned them too..I think there was a third set but eventually I just asked her to buy me angel cards and that I wasn't into the tarot. She also bought me a crystal ball..like I know what to do with it
I think she would like me to be gay too.
Love her.

[my father facilitated healing since I can remember, been doing it since before I was born. We were raised catholic though..or christian I guess, but open minded spiritually)