Out of the Broom Closet Thread

[RedDog]

 How many of you are out of the broom closet?
I am to a certain extent.  My friends and my girlfriend know that I'm studying Wicca, but I haven't told my family yet.  My mother has borderline personality disorder and she flies off the handle at little things.  I couldn't imagine how she would react to this information.  She would probably say that I've been brainwashed or something, because my girlfriend used to study Wicca.  She doesn't anymore for some reason.  My sisters I don't think would be very supportive of me in this. 
Does anyone have any suggestions for coming out to your family?
I have decided that this is the right path for me and I want to let the people in my life know about it.

I thank you for your time

[Silaria]

I'm not fully "out" of the Broomcloset, but I don't hide either.
I wear my Pagan jewerly quite visibly, but I choose tasteful jewery that looks both professional (I work for a major financial company) and descrete.   If I'm asked, I don't deny it outright but I am cautous about what I say until I have a better understanding of the person's views.

The Witches Voice had an interesting article on "coming out" last week that you may wat to look at. Here's the link: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=words&id=10471

[RedDog]

Thanks for the link. 
That was a pretty good article

[Silvergypsy]

Hello, I'm still wondering about it all.... As I can't find my post I will post this...... this seems the most natural to me......so I am leaning more toward the Craft.

[LadyMeg]

Greetings

No I am not out of the broom closet!!! The small town I live in is mostly Christian and Catholic so I tend to be wary of people... Until I get to know them... If anyone asks I will tell them I am Wicca and explain that its got nothing to do with Satan LOL!!!!!!!

[pitmommy]

Im not out of the broom closet I live in a Mormon State and you can't even drink coffee or smoke cigaretts opening without a label. I really see no need to share with anyone anyway It wouldn't help, besides any spiritual path is very personal at any level or religion.

[MusicinHarmony]

I guess I'm out of the broom closet, I don't flaunt my faith, but I don't hide it.  If someone asks me what religion I am, if I think it's okay to tell them, I will.  For my family, I've only told my mom, but I have a small altar in my room that I don't hide from the rest of my family.  However, when my sister asks, I just tell her it's a collection of cool things I made, because she can turn into an "enemy," if you will, at the blink of the eye, and I don't want to give her information that she could misuse.

[Castlecat]

My family found out accidently from reading my dog tags. Everyone I know knows, but nobodys ever really given my a problem.

[Runa]

I have been out of the broom closet for a few years. My mom had difficulty at first,  but she adjusted. Funny after I came out to my family one sister also declared herself Wiccan and another sister is Buddhist. I guess my Heathenry just isn't so shocking to her.

 Work has never been an issue,  most everyone is curious. Everyone likes Tarrot cards. My neighbors don't care, except the Mormons down the street. Thankfully they have mellowed, they don't stop by for visits but they do wave to me. I guess that's a start.

[MusicinHarmony]

LOL

[Janifet]

Can't keep my broom in the closet or it'll be found. lol. I'm locked away in an altar trunk, in the broom closet, under a pile of bedsheets someone tossed in there years ago, under the regular old house broom. Guess I'm never coming out. I tried talking about it to my mom a few times, but she wouldn't have any of it, which is strange because she sees spirits in trees and hears the ghosts I see. She's strictly Christian though. My sister and I are, shall we say, not friends so I won't be giving her any ammo to fire at me. and my grandparents, though un-religious will never accept this. I'm pretty alone in this as my blood/spirit sister Iris is out in California. Who want's to join me in my trunk, any takers?  Someday I'll try again with mom...but not while I'm living with her. My advice to those of you with families, plan A is at least try to tell them. I hate hiding from my mom, it feels like lying. And Goddess knows you should never lie to your parents. Just keep trying, maybe one day your family will be ready to listen.

[Hagred]

Never been in the broom closet in the first place, quite the opposite!

Got a big kick up the bum when I was been hexed (well over 10 years ago now).  A Mexican shaman cured me and told me what was happening and she put the stopper on the perpetrators with very good results.  She saw clairvoyantly that I had hidden abilities and suggested that I should join the path - I did. Never looked back since.

In fact I was so excited that I began proclaiming my newly found path to the four winds during the first year or so. Some folk just quietly nodded and must have thought "The old boy must be loosing his marbles!"

I must admit that once when Mark, a puritan colleague (from the USA Bible Belt, hat and all) came to visit me with a student of his, my daughter hid all the pictures of pentacles and witchy things and covered up the altar I have in my room, athame and all. 

BUT the stone circle in the garden was somewhat difficult to put away!

  Mark just stood and stared at it, stepped in, and I thought OMG he will guess! - he just commented on how peaceful and serene the garden and house felt, and asked what the circle was for.  While I was um-ing and err-ing my daughter (very quick witted) answered (a blatant lie) that "our landscape architect who designed the garden is fond of curves and circles and gives the garden that organic neolithic look."  Boy did I feel posh - being able to afford a landscape architect!  Again Mark mentioned the peacefulness of the place and liked it very much.

If only these hard-core bible thumping Christians could approach us with an open mind!

[pitmommy]

Hi Hagred would love to hear more about your stone garden, mabey in the Crytal section. Sounds wonderful. How blessed you were to find the shawman. Was she able to tell you the reasoning behind the hex or did you already know.?

[DarkGypsy]

I have not come entirely out of the broom closet, yet.  My door is open, but will shut.  I tried to talk to my sister about it one night, and the next morning I got a call from my mother who asked why I was talking like that- and that I'm being wierd.  She doesn't think it's real or really exists.  So basically I was laughed at, and ridiculed.

My family is Christian for the most part.  They don't practice any specific religion, but they belief in Christianity.

Living far away from them allows me to be me more now....but I haven't really come out and said I am a Witch.  I've noticed that saying, "I'm spiritual"- is accepted and understood.  So, I say that  

[Hagred]

Greetings Pitmommy:

Hexings are usually done out of envy, anger or revenge.  In my case it was envy.  Yes, I did have some idea somthing was going on but did't know quite what.  The shaman confirmed it and put up some "mirrors" to send it back to the source - very effective, and she began to train me into shamanism/witchcraft.

Witches in my part of the world are highly respected, they are consulted and at times even feared.  So there is no reason for bieng "in the broom closet".  In my case, being a witch and having thrown back some of the crap sent me, has earned me some respect.  In other words, I've been let alone.

The fundamentalist christians here are quite a minority and apart from very isolated incidences there's not too much trouble.  Many witches here are practising catholics and the church, though not agreeing to this officially, apparetnly turns a blind eye.  There is occasionally the odd fire-and-brimstone parishoner that openly attacks us (only verbally) but hardly anybody takes notice.