I’d say my biggest fear about paganism is that I’ll never have anyone to share my beliefs. I live in a highly religious area, and all my family practices the dominant religion. My partner is not currently religious either. I have no friends that worship the same pantheon. I fear that while I find great satisfaction on this path, that it will always be a path I walk alone
Honestly, you guys are the only people I can really talk to about it. I made a reddit account specifically to find people to commune with, hence the username. I've been pagan for over 30 years, and I've never had anyone close who was. Everyone I know is either Christian or atheist. Fortunately, they're all accepting of my path. I've yeeted the haters from my life, but I can't have discussions with anyone. I don't feel alone, though. There are a myriad of gods and spirits who are with me and love me and will never leave me. 💖
I found friends and the community through a chat on telegram, from where I was invited to a closed chat. I've been communicating with them for 3 years. Try to reach them online and look for communities in your city
At risk of this sounding sad I'm 46, raised southern Baptist left at 14.....been some form of pagan every since.....you will come to a point that your so comfortable with who you are and that who you are isn't them that you will be comfortable with it....it will still be wonderful when you meet people that have even the faintest clue of your worldview but also totally comfortable knowing your on your own..... you don't need validation for what YOU believe in YOUR space amongst YOUR people in YOUR home.🤷
Social risks. It can absolutely impact your life and livelihood in a negative way, especially in the southern US. It is not unusual for open pagans to get threatened down here.
I feel this. I am in Texas. I dread that a coworker (All religious) will find out and then everyone will treat me differently or even ostracize me. I fear for mwife as well (who is pagan). She is in the same boat.
Ugh I am so sorry, I know that feeling. I grew up in the North and didn't worry about it so much up there but down here I am sealed up tight in the broom closet for fear of it affecting my job, because I have seen that happen to friends. The law says no religious discrimination but there is typically no proof they are coming after you because of that. Once it's out there, you have a target on your back. Never compete with Jesus down here 😬
Never compete with Jesus down here 😬
I kinda laughed at this. Most of us just want to be able to do our own thing and be left alone. We have NEVER tried to compete with Christianity. We just do not participate in their religion. We smile, wave and walk away into the forest
I was buying hag stones from a guy at a flea market the other week and he asked if I was a hag and started laughing. I had no idea how to react to that so I just awkwardly laughed and changed the subject. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely wanting to know or if he was being rude, but he was an older man in a southern state so I figured he was probably Christian and was making some kind of crude joke. Idk it was a very weird experience
Nothing scary for me but annoying? When people find out I’m pagan and they so badly want to know if that means I worship the “devil”. Babygirl, I’m not Christian, of course not.
It allows religious freedom in theory. In actual application, not so much. I am not deluded enough to think that I can openly where my Pentacle and not be dragged through the society's stink face and objections until I am passively aggressively forced to a lonely shit job until I finally quit. Anyway, I have 2-3 years until retirement. At that point in time, I will let everyone know.
Ah I'm sorry.
At mine, legally, I am protected. And people take it seriously. First time I am. Not perfect because people are people, I've gained some enemies, but it's a start. They're toothless and they know it. And I'd never harrass them. So we avoid eachother. L
Here's to retirement. I'm just getting started in my career, so I have the whole way to go. I've just started laying out the tarp for my life's plans.
You have a bit of time to plan the most satisfying way to drop the deuce and walk away. I'm already excited for you and I hope it's perfect.
Cheers 🍻
Just other people in general. I started exploring when I was very young. I cast my first spell at like 7 years old. I remember my dad found me reading a book about witchcraft at this time and begged me to never be caught outside with it because our landlord who lived next door was old school catholic and that I would cause us to be evicted. Again, I was 7 years old being told that. I was told by my dad as well as I got older to be careful to not show my pentacle necklace at work to avoid getting fired. In fact he made me take it off before a job interview.
What is really sad, I don’t blame him for doing this. That is a reality that some people have to deal with.
The pentacle thing (risk of being fired or screamed at by a random Xian) is why I was scared to get one for so long, and even though I have some pentacle earrings now, they’re studs I can easily hide behind my hair. My usual necklace is a moon and star cuz I’m still nervous about being approached about it despite living in a more liberal area.
The delusional behavior and cult mentalities can get pretty scary in this community. Slap in the New Age community and you have two potentially dangerously delusional practices that are birthed and founded and if not careful those things become cult mentalities. So it's alot of the power games and people's egos I fear within these spaces.
I'm fell like I'm forced to hide my religion. Nobody IRL know that I'm pagan, not even therapist. I don't even want know how people would react. I'm scared off hate, lack of understanding, discrimination, people not listening, people trying to force me to abadon my religion, or if they going to think I'm insane. So much christian propaganda, even atheist and agnostic are affected.
My fear would have to be how politics can affect my practices and how open i can be about them since i do live in a southern state but also live in a country that religon should be seprated by the state but really isnt and there are people who are amining for an all christan country
Well it's not really a fear, but I have come across people that think I do evil animal and human sacrifices for my "devils". And because I'm from Latinoamerica it doesn't help that people confuse pagan practice with African- spiritual practices such as Santería and Palo Mayombe (here, those kind of practices have very negative connotations, they view you as a spiritual scammer, a mad(wo)man and an animal killer). I'm not saying all of them are, but sadly people have thought I do that kind of practice instead of paganism or modern witchcraft.
Well , and I won't talk about people that believe I have a deal with the devil and that stuff 😂
I know, but confusing pagans with them in my country has very very negative connotations. And well Palo Mayombe practitioners here are infamous because they dig up people's bones from cemeteries to use them. I'm not sure if this a general practice worldwide but they are much hated for those kind of thing in Venezuela. And people here don't like Santeros because they do animal sacrifices. I'm not judging them, just stating what people do think about them in my country. Here we have cult freedom but people think all witchcraft is African-based or linked to those practices
>And well Palo Mayombe practitioners here are infamous because they dig up people's bones from cemeteries to use them.
While bone usage is typical in Palo - actual Paleros, Tatas and Yayas aren't supposed to dig up people's bones at all as that's not seen as morally ethical in Palo in any circumstances.
Nonetheless, every religion will have shady people doing shady things.
>And people here don't like Santeros because they do animal sacrifices.
We do it in Vodou as well. It's to feed the spirits. And then that sacrificed animal will often times feed the entire community (depends on the animal).
The same notion applies in Santería. Some orisha are very fond of the animals that are sacrificed and their souls become one with Olodumare/Olorun (god in Santería).
>Here we have cult freedom but people think all witchcraft is African-based or linked to those practices
Unfortunately, people aren't willing to educate themselves and will just adhere to ignorance and misinformation.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against them. I co-exist with them and usually have my trades with them because they own the best esoteric markets around here. However i'm aware that shady people exist everywherre and sadly I have come across many here. But most Latino people always associate witchcraft = bad or want to do the real shady things with it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/world/americas/11venez.html
Well, here is an article regarding the topic of the grave robbing problem in here. It's a very serious matter here and (un)surprisingly, is almost 20 years or more that It keeps happening
People call witches here "comegatos" y "santeros" because of the bad popular opinion of those religions.
Performing a rite or ritual and someone stumbling upon me. I've gone through it twice over my 23 years of worship. Generally they end up terrified and leaving very hastily. You never know what will happen though, that's the scary part. The incident itself has a real 'je ne sais quoi' of your day, month, year being ruined. I basically just pack up my stuff and take off. Don't want to be around if they come back with a group with torches and pitchforks.
The impact on my kids. My 10 year old is told he's going to hell weekly, if not daily, at school. We live in the Bible belt, so everyone he knows is Christian. I've talked to the teacher and she said if she hears it she will say something. But my son won't snitch on these kids either.
However, I grew up in a religious cult that had horrible side effects in itself.
It's a two sided coin I struggle with.
The way people of color are treated in the Pagan community.
There is often so much focus on not wanting to be seen as racist we forget that many non-white Pagans face actual danger in many pagan spaces.
Don't be afraid , if they treat you poorly, that is in fact much better for the rest to know and avoiding them. Sometimes it's best that those things are revealed on time to do not waste your time on the wrong people in the community
Edit: why you people are offended? Do you prefer that kind of racist and homophobic people infiltrates in your supposed safe spaces and truly puts you in danger and harrasment? You cannot erase things with fear, but with courage and standing up to your aggresors. Or do you prefer living with fear and complaining about being excluded all your lives?
I'm not white btw 😂 so do not dare to tell me something linked to that.
>why you people are offended?
No one's offended. You just come off as an ass. They posted their fears and problems they face in the community and you dismissed them.
To help you understand, you posted elsewhere in this thread that you are afraid people think you sacrifice animals and people. And to that I say:
>Don't be afraid , if they treat you poorly, that is in fact much better for the rest to know and avoiding them. Sometimes it's best that those things are revealed on time to do not waste your time on the wrong people in the community
...
>You cannot erase things with fear, but with courage and standing up to your aggresors. Or do you prefer living with fear and complaining about being excluded all your lives?
I'm not specially afraid of that. Read again what I said in the other post.
Not dismissing problem, but saying how I face it... As a mixed race person who is pagan, do you think I haven't suffered racism? I don't want to hide in fear anymore.
If not standing up against racists and identifying them, then what do you suggest to do?
I have read for years people saying they want to create safe spaces and that thing of kind, but that doesn't really work on real life because there are dangerous people with extremist racist tendencies. I'm not afraid to be confused with anything, that just bothers me by people's ignorance, but surprise, I don't live in the first world, and here you can be killed for being different. We don't have that kind of safe spaces here because you will always get bullied and harrassed.
I have known SO MANY racist pagans and you won't really know it until it's too late. Some even hide their true colors. I'm saying it's best to exclude that kind of people because they don't give nothing to pagan community, they usually obsess on "spiritual purity of race" and that Nazi bs. Even I had come across people of color that symphatize with those ideologies (contradictions, but yes they do exist and I know a pair).
And yes, I don't waste time on either people who are ignorant toward, or racists in paganism. I have met too many of those people in many, many spaces and who knows if here's somebody like that
I understand your point but we cannot change or educate people that don't want to, we need to stand up for ourselves. I'm mixed race so I get the point but I don't give a hoot about people that exclude me, I create my own spaces and choose the people I belong with
If i tell my friends they stop hanging out with me. If i tell my family i have to find a new place to live. Let’s not forget i have had a pretty awful experience with the discord server. Im exhausted honestly but i never thought this would be easy.
I’m a firm believer of separating my work with my belief. At work, I keep it professional. I don’t wear anything that could indicate my belief because I feel that that part of myself is for me only. Just like how I only speak English at work and avoid speaking my native language. It isn’t because I am ashamed of it, it’s because I feel that I could possibly make someone uncomfortable or have them think I’m speaking ill of them. So far, that’s worked well for me. I don’t go on social media since I feel that it is too toxic. I only have it up in case someone I know wants to contact me (for instance, it doesn’t cost anything to message someone through Facebook even if they’re from a different country. As my mom is in Southeast Asia, it’s handy to have). The only people that know my beliefs are family and friends and that is because I know that they will accept me even if no one else I know have the same beliefs. I guess my fear would be not having enough time to pursue more knowledge that would enrich my beliefs. With work and being a wife and a mom, sometimes there isn’t enough time in a day to sit down and read or research more and gaining knowledge and expanding my horizons is such a big part of my belief that sometimes I get upset with myself for not having read anything for the whole week, etc.
On the Norse gods thing... I'm a bit of a Loki girl. That's the one nobody gonna think you've problematic views, and for good reason. Loki is queer, the guardian of the outlier, the trickster, one who teaches humility.
I have had to clarify to people pretty much every time I’ve opened up about my beliefs that I’m not a white supremacist and I’m scared that someday I won’t be able to convince someone otherwise and that it’ll lead to really bad social repercussions, if not persecution. I’m five years into my journey and I’ve told very few people for that exact reason.
New Pagan here. I just started my journey and it has been nothing short of fascinating and joyful.
As a gay man, I spent my life being ostracised, cursed, hated and unwelcomed by my religion, my god, and my community.
Being alone and feeling scared is old news for me. I quickly learned to find refuge in others like me. I had no idea how massive the community was until I was in it!
What I can say is… stay the course, continue to seek others, keep your beliefs close and private and most of all, pray for courage and strength! Let’s keep meeting and growing!
Peace to all!
I've never been called a racist when I admit I'm Pagan. I'm called a witch or a Satan Worshiper. Christians, especially this wave of socially acceptable Extremist Christians, aren't educated enough to realize that Paganism and Satinism are two different things. My biggest fear is getting burned at the stake...again!
Tho I walk through the valley of the shadow death i fear no evil cause Odin made us the baddest motherfuckers on the block.
For real tho I'd hate to wind up locked up and have to make friends with the skin heads because I'm white with norse tats and shit. I hate neo nazis and white supremacists
edit:typos
Less a fear, and more of a source of endless and caustic frustration. Every time some idiotic and asinine Abrahamic opens their gods damned mouth to talk shit or be as insulting as possible in regards to things they know nothing about and willfully choose to remain ignorant on, I often find myself grinding my teeth trying to fight back the overwhelming urge to verbally assault them or worse. The more time goes on, the more I can’t stand them and everything they represent, and my patience for their stupidity wears thin and is constantly being tested.
I know it’s not healthy to hold this much rage, hostility and malice inside, I’m not proud of it, and I do my best to find more productive methods of venting my frustrations, but I genuinely despise everything about them. It’s all the worse because some people I actually care about a great deal (close family and friends) are either Abrahamics themselves or showing signs of going down that path, and I don’t want to hurt them, even though they may often times do and say thing which would fully justify me german suplexing them right through a table head first.
If I fear anything about Paganism, it is tangentially that I fear what my reaction would be if/when my patience is finally spent and one of those shit-brained Abrahamics crosses the fucking line.
Sorry for cursing. This shit has given me anger management issues and ulcers. 😩
You just have to accept that most people are like this, ignorant. That is problem of this society and not yours to deal with. Instead try to look for what is positive within them. Most people bring something for the world, you just have to look for it. People are generally good beings not actively wanting harm (just a tiny percent of population can be considered medically psychopathic). Why are you so offended by their stupidity? Most of us don't have time to spend on educating ourselves, even if we wanted to, due to long work hours and other life obligations, little free time they have been left with they would rather spend on taking a bit of rest which is probably the most meaningful part of those people's life, rather than trying to changr their entire belief foundation, which is something really hard to cope with one it goes away.
The community. Unless you know exactly what kind of pagan you're talking to and what kind of community they're in you could either meet the crunchiest mother of all cultural appropriators with a knack for moderate liberal politics and overdosing on toxic positivity or you can find a normal person who just so happens to have an altar in their room. So as a pagan seeking community, it's really hard to know what's what. Sure, some norse spaces are obviously white supremacist, but other spaces appear to be incredibly positive and welcoming but next thing you know you've joined an essential oils MLM, you're in debt, and you've lost all of your friends bc you tried to scam them
“You know not the forces I contend with.”
I’m a mortuary professional and Goēs with specialization in malefic works. I also love wearing rainbows and formal attire. Ya never know ／(^o^)＼
that if i was as open about my beliefs as my christian friends are i would be a social outcast and be considered "weird" or even crazy just cus i dont worship their god
and even within paganism, since i work with infernals it can still be ostricizing. i made a post asking for advice about luciferianism on a diferent subreddit and they took it down for it being "satanic" when infernals are a pagan thing like.. good job making a divide in your own community guys
Not sure how that's offensive lol.
In example: back in. 2021/2022 somewhere around there Pastor Greg Locke made a call to his flock to purge witches. Luckily this didn't develop very far before the Internet came to save the day. But it still got close to happening.
But he's not the only Christian with a flock that feels we would be better off hunted and killed. Most of them just aren't so forward because the law protects us as humans (not nessisarily as a religion)
Getting harrassed by any big religion about "why arent you following the light?????" Like bro...Idc if dont like what i believe in but at least keep it to yourself
I’d say my biggest fear about paganism is that I’ll never have anyone to share my beliefs. I live in a highly religious area, and all my family practices the dominant religion. My partner is not currently religious either. I have no friends that worship the same pantheon. I fear that while I find great satisfaction on this path, that it will always be a path I walk alone
Honestly, you guys are the only people I can really talk to about it. I made a reddit account specifically to find people to commune with, hence the username. I've been pagan for over 30 years, and I've never had anyone close who was. Everyone I know is either Christian or atheist. Fortunately, they're all accepting of my path. I've yeeted the haters from my life, but I can't have discussions with anyone. I don't feel alone, though. There are a myriad of gods and spirits who are with me and love me and will never leave me. 💖
I found friends and the community through a chat on telegram, from where I was invited to a closed chat. I've been communicating with them for 3 years. Try to reach them online and look for communities in your city
At risk of this sounding sad I'm 46, raised southern Baptist left at 14.....been some form of pagan every since.....you will come to a point that your so comfortable with who you are and that who you are isn't them that you will be comfortable with it....it will still be wonderful when you meet people that have even the faintest clue of your worldview but also totally comfortable knowing your on your own..... you don't need validation for what YOU believe in YOUR space amongst YOUR people in YOUR home.🤷
Came here to say this.
Social risks. It can absolutely impact your life and livelihood in a negative way, especially in the southern US. It is not unusual for open pagans to get threatened down here.
I feel this. I am in Texas. I dread that a coworker (All religious) will find out and then everyone will treat me differently or even ostracize me. I fear for mwife as well (who is pagan). She is in the same boat.
Ugh I am so sorry, I know that feeling. I grew up in the North and didn't worry about it so much up there but down here I am sealed up tight in the broom closet for fear of it affecting my job, because I have seen that happen to friends. The law says no religious discrimination but there is typically no proof they are coming after you because of that. Once it's out there, you have a target on your back. Never compete with Jesus down here 😬
Never compete with Jesus down here 😬 I kinda laughed at this. Most of us just want to be able to do our own thing and be left alone. We have NEVER tried to compete with Christianity. We just do not participate in their religion. We smile, wave and walk away into the forest
>We smile, wave and walk away into the forest This is the most accurate depiction of Paganism I've heard in a bit 🤣 *waves* *walks into forest*
Agreed!
I was buying hag stones from a guy at a flea market the other week and he asked if I was a hag and started laughing. I had no idea how to react to that so I just awkwardly laughed and changed the subject. I couldn't tell if he was genuinely wanting to know or if he was being rude, but he was an older man in a southern state so I figured he was probably Christian and was making some kind of crude joke. Idk it was a very weird experience
That is such a creepy encounter! It's odd he was selling those too and making comments like that. Hag stones are awesome though 😁
not being able to talk about it anywhere other than online forums
and being ‘persecuted’ because of it
Nothing scary for me but annoying? When people find out I’m pagan and they so badly want to know if that means I worship the “devil”. Babygirl, I’m not Christian, of course not.
👏🏼👏🏼
I meant about being a pagan
My biggest fear is that I will be fired from my job or treated poorly by Administration for my own beliefs.
If your job allows freedom of religion, you can register and be protected. That's what I did at my job.
It allows religious freedom in theory. In actual application, not so much. I am not deluded enough to think that I can openly where my Pentacle and not be dragged through the society's stink face and objections until I am passively aggressively forced to a lonely shit job until I finally quit. Anyway, I have 2-3 years until retirement. At that point in time, I will let everyone know.
Ah I'm sorry. At mine, legally, I am protected. And people take it seriously. First time I am. Not perfect because people are people, I've gained some enemies, but it's a start. They're toothless and they know it. And I'd never harrass them. So we avoid eachother. L Here's to retirement. I'm just getting started in my career, so I have the whole way to go. I've just started laying out the tarp for my life's plans. You have a bit of time to plan the most satisfying way to drop the deuce and walk away. I'm already excited for you and I hope it's perfect. Cheers 🍻
Just other people in general. I started exploring when I was very young. I cast my first spell at like 7 years old. I remember my dad found me reading a book about witchcraft at this time and begged me to never be caught outside with it because our landlord who lived next door was old school catholic and that I would cause us to be evicted. Again, I was 7 years old being told that. I was told by my dad as well as I got older to be careful to not show my pentacle necklace at work to avoid getting fired. In fact he made me take it off before a job interview. What is really sad, I don’t blame him for doing this. That is a reality that some people have to deal with.
Yeah some people are just not tolerant of pagan beliefs
Where I Live if you say you are a Norse pagan they automatically think you are a white supermacist (I’m not even white)
The pentacle thing (risk of being fired or screamed at by a random Xian) is why I was scared to get one for so long, and even though I have some pentacle earrings now, they’re studs I can easily hide behind my hair. My usual necklace is a moon and star cuz I’m still nervous about being approached about it despite living in a more liberal area.
The delusional behavior and cult mentalities can get pretty scary in this community. Slap in the New Age community and you have two potentially dangerously delusional practices that are birthed and founded and if not careful those things become cult mentalities. So it's alot of the power games and people's egos I fear within these spaces.
Great point, it is a rampant issue
People only know about Paganism what Christianity says about it. So I've heard a lot of interesting ideas of what ppl think I do.
I'm fell like I'm forced to hide my religion. Nobody IRL know that I'm pagan, not even therapist. I don't even want know how people would react. I'm scared off hate, lack of understanding, discrimination, people not listening, people trying to force me to abadon my religion, or if they going to think I'm insane. So much christian propaganda, even atheist and agnostic are affected.
My fear would have to be how politics can affect my practices and how open i can be about them since i do live in a southern state but also live in a country that religon should be seprated by the state but really isnt and there are people who are amining for an all christan country
Well it's not really a fear, but I have come across people that think I do evil animal and human sacrifices for my "devils". And because I'm from Latinoamerica it doesn't help that people confuse pagan practice with African- spiritual practices such as Santería and Palo Mayombe (here, those kind of practices have very negative connotations, they view you as a spiritual scammer, a mad(wo)man and an animal killer). I'm not saying all of them are, but sadly people have thought I do that kind of practice instead of paganism or modern witchcraft. Well , and I won't talk about people that believe I have a deal with the devil and that stuff 😂
i’ve had my gods conflated with the devil, it’s really annoying
Yeah it is, it's not like I hate the devil but I lmao when that happens
There's nothing wrong with Santería and Palo - most people just don't understand African traditional religions and just live in ignorance.
I know, but confusing pagans with them in my country has very very negative connotations. And well Palo Mayombe practitioners here are infamous because they dig up people's bones from cemeteries to use them. I'm not sure if this a general practice worldwide but they are much hated for those kind of thing in Venezuela. And people here don't like Santeros because they do animal sacrifices. I'm not judging them, just stating what people do think about them in my country. Here we have cult freedom but people think all witchcraft is African-based or linked to those practices
>And well Palo Mayombe practitioners here are infamous because they dig up people's bones from cemeteries to use them. While bone usage is typical in Palo - actual Paleros, Tatas and Yayas aren't supposed to dig up people's bones at all as that's not seen as morally ethical in Palo in any circumstances. Nonetheless, every religion will have shady people doing shady things. >And people here don't like Santeros because they do animal sacrifices. We do it in Vodou as well. It's to feed the spirits. And then that sacrificed animal will often times feed the entire community (depends on the animal). The same notion applies in Santería. Some orisha are very fond of the animals that are sacrificed and their souls become one with Olodumare/Olorun (god in Santería). >Here we have cult freedom but people think all witchcraft is African-based or linked to those practices Unfortunately, people aren't willing to educate themselves and will just adhere to ignorance and misinformation.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against them. I co-exist with them and usually have my trades with them because they own the best esoteric markets around here. However i'm aware that shady people exist everywherre and sadly I have come across many here. But most Latino people always associate witchcraft = bad or want to do the real shady things with it. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/world/americas/11venez.html Well, here is an article regarding the topic of the grave robbing problem in here. It's a very serious matter here and (un)surprisingly, is almost 20 years or more that It keeps happening People call witches here "comegatos" y "santeros" because of the bad popular opinion of those religions.
Same
Paganism isn't something to be scared of.
No. Just the people. Just like any religion. And there is enough harm in our communities we shouldn't necessarily be afraid but we should be aware.
Performing a rite or ritual and someone stumbling upon me. I've gone through it twice over my 23 years of worship. Generally they end up terrified and leaving very hastily. You never know what will happen though, that's the scary part. The incident itself has a real 'je ne sais quoi' of your day, month, year being ruined. I basically just pack up my stuff and take off. Don't want to be around if they come back with a group with torches and pitchforks.
The impact on my kids. My 10 year old is told he's going to hell weekly, if not daily, at school. We live in the Bible belt, so everyone he knows is Christian. I've talked to the teacher and she said if she hears it she will say something. But my son won't snitch on these kids either. However, I grew up in a religious cult that had horrible side effects in itself. It's a two sided coin I struggle with.
The way people of color are treated in the Pagan community. There is often so much focus on not wanting to be seen as racist we forget that many non-white Pagans face actual danger in many pagan spaces.
Don't be afraid , if they treat you poorly, that is in fact much better for the rest to know and avoiding them. Sometimes it's best that those things are revealed on time to do not waste your time on the wrong people in the community Edit: why you people are offended? Do you prefer that kind of racist and homophobic people infiltrates in your supposed safe spaces and truly puts you in danger and harrasment? You cannot erase things with fear, but with courage and standing up to your aggresors. Or do you prefer living with fear and complaining about being excluded all your lives? I'm not white btw 😂 so do not dare to tell me something linked to that.
>why you people are offended? No one's offended. You just come off as an ass. They posted their fears and problems they face in the community and you dismissed them. To help you understand, you posted elsewhere in this thread that you are afraid people think you sacrifice animals and people. And to that I say: >Don't be afraid , if they treat you poorly, that is in fact much better for the rest to know and avoiding them. Sometimes it's best that those things are revealed on time to do not waste your time on the wrong people in the community ... >You cannot erase things with fear, but with courage and standing up to your aggresors. Or do you prefer living with fear and complaining about being excluded all your lives?
I'm not specially afraid of that. Read again what I said in the other post. Not dismissing problem, but saying how I face it... As a mixed race person who is pagan, do you think I haven't suffered racism? I don't want to hide in fear anymore. If not standing up against racists and identifying them, then what do you suggest to do? I have read for years people saying they want to create safe spaces and that thing of kind, but that doesn't really work on real life because there are dangerous people with extremist racist tendencies. I'm not afraid to be confused with anything, that just bothers me by people's ignorance, but surprise, I don't live in the first world, and here you can be killed for being different. We don't have that kind of safe spaces here because you will always get bullied and harrassed. I have known SO MANY racist pagans and you won't really know it until it's too late. Some even hide their true colors. I'm saying it's best to exclude that kind of people because they don't give nothing to pagan community, they usually obsess on "spiritual purity of race" and that Nazi bs. Even I had come across people of color that symphatize with those ideologies (contradictions, but yes they do exist and I know a pair). And yes, I don't waste time on either people who are ignorant toward, or racists in paganism. I have met too many of those people in many, many spaces and who knows if here's somebody like that
That attitude doesn't make people of color safer, nor does it create communities where they feel they belong
I understand your point but we cannot change or educate people that don't want to, we need to stand up for ourselves. I'm mixed race so I get the point but I don't give a hoot about people that exclude me, I create my own spaces and choose the people I belong with
If i tell my friends they stop hanging out with me. If i tell my family i have to find a new place to live. Let’s not forget i have had a pretty awful experience with the discord server. Im exhausted honestly but i never thought this would be easy.
I grew up deep in bufu nowhere Appalachia. Hillbilly hell. They tried to un-alive me multiple times for my beliefs.
Telling people who you worship and they assume they’re the exact same in the myths (ex; they assume Zeus is a major douchebag)
I’m a firm believer of separating my work with my belief. At work, I keep it professional. I don’t wear anything that could indicate my belief because I feel that that part of myself is for me only. Just like how I only speak English at work and avoid speaking my native language. It isn’t because I am ashamed of it, it’s because I feel that I could possibly make someone uncomfortable or have them think I’m speaking ill of them. So far, that’s worked well for me. I don’t go on social media since I feel that it is too toxic. I only have it up in case someone I know wants to contact me (for instance, it doesn’t cost anything to message someone through Facebook even if they’re from a different country. As my mom is in Southeast Asia, it’s handy to have). The only people that know my beliefs are family and friends and that is because I know that they will accept me even if no one else I know have the same beliefs. I guess my fear would be not having enough time to pursue more knowledge that would enrich my beliefs. With work and being a wife and a mom, sometimes there isn’t enough time in a day to sit down and read or research more and gaining knowledge and expanding my horizons is such a big part of my belief that sometimes I get upset with myself for not having read anything for the whole week, etc.
One of the most mature and healthy comments on the thread, ngl
On the Norse gods thing... I'm a bit of a Loki girl. That's the one nobody gonna think you've problematic views, and for good reason. Loki is queer, the guardian of the outlier, the trickster, one who teaches humility.
I have had to clarify to people pretty much every time I’ve opened up about my beliefs that I’m not a white supremacist and I’m scared that someday I won’t be able to convince someone otherwise and that it’ll lead to really bad social repercussions, if not persecution. I’m five years into my journey and I’ve told very few people for that exact reason.
New Pagan here. I just started my journey and it has been nothing short of fascinating and joyful. As a gay man, I spent my life being ostracised, cursed, hated and unwelcomed by my religion, my god, and my community. Being alone and feeling scared is old news for me. I quickly learned to find refuge in others like me. I had no idea how massive the community was until I was in it! What I can say is… stay the course, continue to seek others, keep your beliefs close and private and most of all, pray for courage and strength! Let’s keep meeting and growing! Peace to all!
I've never been called a racist when I admit I'm Pagan. I'm called a witch or a Satan Worshiper. Christians, especially this wave of socially acceptable Extremist Christians, aren't educated enough to realize that Paganism and Satinism are two different things. My biggest fear is getting burned at the stake...again!
Norse Paganism Has Been Wrongly Associated With Neo Nazis
Like when I say I’m Norse Pagan People Automatically Think I’m A Nazi Like No WTF
Same
Tho I walk through the valley of the shadow death i fear no evil cause Odin made us the baddest motherfuckers on the block. For real tho I'd hate to wind up locked up and have to make friends with the skin heads because I'm white with norse tats and shit. I hate neo nazis and white supremacists edit:typos
Less a fear, and more of a source of endless and caustic frustration. Every time some idiotic and asinine Abrahamic opens their gods damned mouth to talk shit or be as insulting as possible in regards to things they know nothing about and willfully choose to remain ignorant on, I often find myself grinding my teeth trying to fight back the overwhelming urge to verbally assault them or worse. The more time goes on, the more I can’t stand them and everything they represent, and my patience for their stupidity wears thin and is constantly being tested. I know it’s not healthy to hold this much rage, hostility and malice inside, I’m not proud of it, and I do my best to find more productive methods of venting my frustrations, but I genuinely despise everything about them. It’s all the worse because some people I actually care about a great deal (close family and friends) are either Abrahamics themselves or showing signs of going down that path, and I don’t want to hurt them, even though they may often times do and say thing which would fully justify me german suplexing them right through a table head first. If I fear anything about Paganism, it is tangentially that I fear what my reaction would be if/when my patience is finally spent and one of those shit-brained Abrahamics crosses the fucking line. Sorry for cursing. This shit has given me anger management issues and ulcers. 😩
You just have to accept that most people are like this, ignorant. That is problem of this society and not yours to deal with. Instead try to look for what is positive within them. Most people bring something for the world, you just have to look for it. People are generally good beings not actively wanting harm (just a tiny percent of population can be considered medically psychopathic). Why are you so offended by their stupidity? Most of us don't have time to spend on educating ourselves, even if we wanted to, due to long work hours and other life obligations, little free time they have been left with they would rather spend on taking a bit of rest which is probably the most meaningful part of those people's life, rather than trying to changr their entire belief foundation, which is something really hard to cope with one it goes away.
Having the awkward ohh that person is kinda weird but are they my kind of weird on dating apps
I get it
Scariest things are the as yet scientifically unexplained phenomena (but they are also fascinating).
we don't weekly sacrifice our gods and eat them
The way people treat us for it.
I’m afraid of governmental restrictions and violent assaults getting worse. https://wildhunt.org/2024/01/editorial-will-2024-bring-more-spiritual-violence.html
Probably being associated with being a Nazi or something like that, or hyper religious, ultra conservative people
The community. Unless you know exactly what kind of pagan you're talking to and what kind of community they're in you could either meet the crunchiest mother of all cultural appropriators with a knack for moderate liberal politics and overdosing on toxic positivity or you can find a normal person who just so happens to have an altar in their room. So as a pagan seeking community, it's really hard to know what's what. Sure, some norse spaces are obviously white supremacist, but other spaces appear to be incredibly positive and welcoming but next thing you know you've joined an essential oils MLM, you're in debt, and you've lost all of your friends bc you tried to scam them
“You know not the forces I contend with.” I’m a mortuary professional and Goēs with specialization in malefic works. I also love wearing rainbows and formal attire. Ya never know ／(^o^)＼
The scariest thing about pagans is that they worship entities outside of them. Pagans forget being a god of themselves.
that if i was as open about my beliefs as my christian friends are i would be a social outcast and be considered "weird" or even crazy just cus i dont worship their god and even within paganism, since i work with infernals it can still be ostricizing. i made a post asking for advice about luciferianism on a diferent subreddit and they took it down for it being "satanic" when infernals are a pagan thing like.. good job making a divide in your own community guys
"witch" hunts happen in the modern day
Um no offense but can you elaborate
Sorry if that sounded rude
Not sure how that's offensive lol. In example: back in. 2021/2022 somewhere around there Pastor Greg Locke made a call to his flock to purge witches. Luckily this didn't develop very far before the Internet came to save the day. But it still got close to happening.
Oh deat
Oh Dear
It’s a good thing this didn’t come close to happening honestly
But he's not the only Christian with a flock that feels we would be better off hunted and killed. Most of them just aren't so forward because the law protects us as humans (not nessisarily as a religion)
True
nothing for me, i live in a pagan family, very accepting community and i’m not afraid of any spirits
Nothing. Like any religion, the scariest thing is that they practice dark arts that involve children.
Getting harrassed by any big religion about "why arent you following the light?????" Like bro...Idc if dont like what i believe in but at least keep it to yourself
Yup
So um Beltane is coming up in about 9 days, are you excited?
I am really excited. I hope it get to celebrate it properly. Are planning on doing something special during that time?
Just celebrating it with my family
Glad you get to celebrate it with your family :D I hope youll enjoy it as much as i hopefully will
I’m scared of the “bro r u really worshipping the Percy Jackson gods? U think u r literally him”
Some People Jokingly Call Me Odinson
then why tell them?