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It is 400 years since the Pendle witch trials led to 10 people being hanged for witchcraft. But do modern witches still suffer prejudice?
He has carved out a successful career as an employment lawyer.
But the 38-year-old, who is sometimes known as Myrddin, also takes part in activities which he prefers to keep secret.
For Myrddin is the head of a witches' coven in Lancashire.
Ummm.... It seems to me, just from the bit quoted, that the general population thinks that witches hide out all the time... Like what lawyer or doctor would be a witch? Witches are supposed to be wearing black, hovering over their herbs and cauldron.
People would be really surprised at who is a witch at their place of work, local grocery, tavern, etc.
And there is still persecution. While we do not have to worry of being hung, many of those witches who make a living with their herbs are being shut out by government regulations spurned by big pharmcos.
There are those who live in heavy Christian areas who end up with broken windows and other vandalism from the ignorant and intolerant haters.
Anyone meeting me for the first time would never suspect I am a witch. I wear lots of color and bright colors.
I also do not hide the fact, but I also do not voluntarily announce it either.
After my marriage went away, and my husband was in trouble and I didn't have the money to raise my son, there was a question of custody. One reason why I left it at him being with a relative was he needed an example of a good man to grow up with, didn't trust Big Brothers, needed a whole family, and I had no plans to get married again. And financially I was barely making it. But along with that was that while it hadn't been brought up before with social services, I made no secret of my religion. The social worker couldn't do a thing about it but she didn't like it. I knew I'd be judged with that in mind, looking for something else they'd find.
I left things where his life wasn't disrupted and mine got to have a chance to recover, but I often wonder if I might have made a different decision if things had been otherwise.
Where I lived, in the inland area of socal, was heavily evangelical, and as I wore my pent all the time then as I still do, they didn't think anying of cornering you to 'pray' for you. Each area is different, but the groups there didn't advertise. You knew someone trusted to be invited since the fundies liked to 'infiltrate' and then do their thing.
A few years before, there had been an open and legal circle in the part in Long Beach, with permits and everything, and a group of *off duty* cops (couldn't do it on duty) decided to intervien, and demanded permits messed up a circle in progress, harrassed everyone with ID and do forth, then decided it must be legal. None were ever disciplined over it and people just went home.
Interestingly in Oklahoma, where its very Christian, its a private thing. Nobody had made a comment about the pent or acted put off. They take religion very seriously here, but it seems to be a more personal importance. I'm not too fond of some of the politics, but the people and their personal actions mean more to me.
Last edited by nightbird47; 08-18-2012 at 05:09 PM..
Ummm.... It seems to me, just from the bit quoted, that the general population thinks that witches hide out all the time... Like what lawyer or doctor would be a witch? Witches are supposed to be wearing black, hovering over their herbs and cauldron.
People would be really surprised at who is a witch at their place of work, local grocery, tavern, etc.
And there is still persecution. While we do not have to worry of being hung, many of those witches who make a living with their herbs are being shut out by government regulations spurned by big pharmcos.
There are those who live in heavy Christian areas who end up with broken windows and other vandalism from the ignorant and intolerant haters.
Anyone meeting me for the first time would never suspect I am a witch. I wear lots of color and bright colors.
I also do not hide the fact, but I also do not voluntarily announce it either.
I am not aware or ever heard of persecution of witches or pagans in Britain and we don't have the 'problems' (i'll use that as i can't think of a better word) with Christian fanatics here. Some prejudice yes i would imagine as that is sadly the way that the ignorant react to what they don't know. People here tend to keep pretty much everything that doesn't need to be public private as that's what we do as a Nation. People here tend to think of others outside their more regular world as being 'odd' rather than scarey in my experience.
Paganism is recognised by the UK Government as a religion.
Quote:
In the United Kingdom, census figures do not allow an accurate breakdown of traditions within the Pagan heading, as a campaign by the Pagan Federation before the 2001 Census encouraged Wiccans, Heathens, Druids and others all to use the same write-in term 'Pagan' in order to maximise the numbers reported. For the first time, respondents were able to write in an affiliation not covered by the checklist of common religions, and a total of 42,262 people from England, Scotland and Wales declared themselves to be Pagans by this method. These figures were not immediately analysed by the Office of National Statistics, but were released after an application by the Pagan Federation of Scotland.
Ummm.... It seems to me, just from the bit quoted, that the general population thinks that witches hide out all the time... Like what lawyer or doctor would be a witch? Witches are supposed to be wearing black, hovering over their herbs and cauldron.
People would be really surprised at who is a witch at their place of work, local grocery, tavern, etc.
And there is still persecution. While we do not have to worry of being hung, many of those witches who make a living with their herbs are being shut out by government regulations spurned by big pharmcos.
There are those who live in heavy Christian areas who end up with broken windows and other vandalism from the ignorant and intolerant haters.
Anyone meeting me for the first time would never suspect I am a witch. I wear lots of color and bright colors.
I also do not hide the fact, but I also do not voluntarily announce it either.
My best friend's wife is a Pagan, but if you did not know her, you would not know it. She doesn't drink the blood of children, does not have a seance room, does not a large pentogram drawn up in the living room, does not have human or animal bones displayed, or anything else you may have seen in pop culture.
The only thing that she has are druid symbols tattoed on her shoulder
Also she is the least Judgemental of anybody I know, even far less than my Christian friends
I will almost never tell anyone I am a Pagan, save for friends. I feel like that is just inviting trouble. I also seriously doubt anyone could tell I am a Pagan from what I do in terms of school/work.
My best friend's wife is a Pagan, but if you did not know her, you would not know it. She doesn't drink the blood of children, does not have a seance room, does not a large pentogram drawn up in the living room, does not have human or animal bones displayed, or anything else you may have seen in pop culture.
The only thing that she has are druid symbols tattoed on her shoulder
Also she is the least Judgemental of anybody I know, even far less than my Christian friends
Well, I do have animal bits around my home but it has nothing to do with my paganess.
My latest peice was part of an art history project. We had to make something (fresh and new) inspired by the art we saw. This was Native American art, and a lot of their art is functional. We were shown a picture of some Arctic natives and were asked what we thought the parkas were made of. It was a black and white photo, old, so all we had to go on was what we could see texture wise. It looked familiar to me but could not place it.
We were told it was swan pelts. Oh wow! We had just started a flock of chickens so when it came time for dinner, I skinned and cured a rooster pelt.
While not used for anything pagan, I suppose it still could be considered pagan since it comes from a culture that is not Abrahamic. Maybe I will make it more pagan by using it for an alter.
I am not aware or ever heard of persecution of witches or pagans in Britain and we don't have the 'problems' (i'll use that as i can't think of a better word) with Christian fanatics here. Some prejudice yes i would imagine as that is sadly the way that the ignorant react to what they don't know. People here tend to keep pretty much everything that doesn't need to be public private as that's what we do as a Nation. People here tend to think of others outside their more regular world as being 'odd' rather than scarey in my experience.
I think it is absolutely correct that people here, and everywhere don't understand Wicca or Paganism. Wicca is often Equated with Satanism and Paganism (which is a theism of a Pantheist/deist sort, so I foggily understand) with atheism (and not even atheists understand atheism).
I may be wrong, but I get the feeling that a lack of organization (and that's not a criticism, but a factor) has led to a lot of very different followings springing up and it might be difficult for Pagans and Witches and the like to explain what they are and what they are definitely not to the public if they are not agreed amongst themselves.
While it rather offends the free spirit (and this is the case with atheism too) to talk of organization, salaried administrators, PR wanks and accountants for Athe's sake, I suspect that some kind of information centre at least is going to be required to help in clearing up the general incomprehension on the part of the general public...including me, who hasn't even looked to see whether you've actually got a Wiccan and Pagan information bureau...
Ummm.... It seems to me, just from the bit quoted, that the general population thinks that witches hide out all the time... Like what lawyer or doctor would be a witch? Witches are supposed to be wearing black, hovering over their herbs and cauldron.
People would be really surprised at who is a witch at their place of work, local grocery, tavern, etc.
And there is still persecution. While we do not have to worry of being hung, many of those witches who make a living with their herbs are being shut out by government regulations spurned by big pharmcos.
There are those who live in heavy Christian areas who end up with broken windows and other vandalism from the ignorant and intolerant haters.
Anyone meeting me for the first time would never suspect I am a witch. I wear lots of color and bright colors.
I also do not hide the fact, but I also do not voluntarily announce it either.
Same here. Although I wear mostly earth tones, but that's because of my skin coloring! Most people don't know my religion until long after we've met and hung out a few times... then they don't seem to care! "Those that matter won't mind, and those that mind don't matter!"
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by using it for an alter.
"Those that matter won't mind, and those that mind don't matter!"
