Pagan Coming Out Day 2012

Happy Pagan Coming Out Day! :D

Pagan Coming Out Day

Every year, the day after Beltane, comes a time when you get to come out in all your Pagany glory. I've asked y'all to share your coming-out stories on my Facebook page, and as promised, below is a survey that you can share with everyone as well.

According to PCOD:

Coming out to someone is a decision only you can make and it’s a decision best made when you are ready to do so. IPCOD encourages Pagans who are ready to come on out!

There are benefits, personally and for our religious community as a whole, as more Pagans come out. Some of these benefits include the reduction of anxiety caused by living a double life and creating a climate of greater acceptance for all Pagans.

So, if you're ready, come out and share your own story! I'll share my own thoughts on it later, but I'll admit... I've got things to do, yo. ;)

Have a wonderful PCOD day, and don't forget to share your own story!

 

The Survey

B A S I C S //
Do you have a magical/Pagan name? I did when I was younger, but I prefer not to use it now, actually. I sometimes think of it during my practice, but more as an  “aw cute, wasn’t I an adorable little witchling?” kind of thing. It was Raven, FWIW.
What does it mean? When I actually used it, I liked its trickster qualities; I was very much a secluded, secretive person when I was younger, not really divulging much. As I’ve grown older, I’ve noticed a more intuitive, healing, positive side to me (that might have been there before, but that I didn’t really notice — I was an angsty teen, STFU!) that I learned were qualities of the raven. I associate more with that now than the trickster. (See: Native American mythology surrounding the raven.)
How did you find Paganism? I was referred to Silver RavenWolf’s To Ride a Silver Broomstick when I was 13, and it all fell into place from there. I’ve called myself some sort of Pagan (Wiccan, Witch, eclectic, whatever) since I was 14.
How long have you been practicing? I’m currently 27 and took a year off from practice to explore other faiths, so all that into consideration, 12 years (wow, that sounds like a long time). And I still have a hell of a long way to go!
Solitary or group practitioner? Solitary at first, though I’ve done group activities, and like it both ways. Solitary is more personal to me, while groups offer kinship.
What is your path? Eclectic Pagan.
Are you out of the broom closet? Sure am! I actually came out not long after I converted, but that didn’t go well. After this long and being more mature, my parents are much more accepting of my faith, even if they don’t like it, haha. And generally, I’m out in public if anyone asks. I also wear a pentacle almost daily, so if someone hasn't already confused me for a Jew (seriously, y'all, there's a difference between a pentacle and a Star of David), they're pretty much aware.

D E I T Y //
Who is your patron God? I have none, and likely never will. I’m pretty staunchly panentheistic.
Who is your patron Goddess? See above.
What Gods do you worship? See above!
Do you fear darkly aspected Gods/Goddess, or rather respect them? If I believed them, I wouldn’t fear them, no. They’re part of what makes Deity what it is, and part of what makes me human, so I accept it rather than push it away, and acknowledge it entirely.
Do you worship the Christian God? No.
Do you ever worship animals? Nope.
Or plants? Again, nope. BUT, being panentheistic, I do worship nature as a whole and as Deity.

N A T U R E //
Do you regularly commune with nature? I should more often, but yes.
Ever walked barefoot in the woods? Yes, but not for long. I may be panentheistic, but I’m not stupid. ;)
Taken a camping trip just to talk to nature? No, but I really, REALLY want to. Our house backs up to a wooded area -- not sure if we're allowed to camp there, but Matt and I have talked about it!
Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth? There was one occasion where I was walking through the woods near where I grew up — the area used to be heavily wooded, but has since been replaced with a housing complex. There was a decent-sized clearing where I often sat and just… was. I often brought a book and read there, or played on the swing I hung from a tree. I need a place like that again. ;) I also had a tree in a neighbor’s yard that I climbed often, and that was another sanctuary of mine.
Do you have a familiar? Nope.
Have you ever called upon the powers of an animal in ritual? No.
Or a plant? No.
Do you hug trees? Haha, I do. (Matt teased me about this yesterday, actually.)
Give them gifts? Yes. :)  To trees and the earth.
What is your favourite flower to work with? I haven’t worked with flowers before, TBH.
What is your favourite tree to work with? It didn’t really matter, though I really like oak. (ALLERGIES BE DAMNED.)

W H E E L . O F . T H E . Y E A R //
What is your favourite holiday? Samhain, haha. :) I also love Ostara and Mabon. Y'all probably already know Matt's favorite is Beltane.
What is your least favourite holiday? Midsummer in Florida, holy hell. Though they're not much better in Maryland!
Have you ever held a ritual on a holiday? Absolutely! I really want to host a Dumb Supper one year, actually.
Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a Pagan holiday? If you count our wedding on Samhain, then yes. ;)  Since then and our first wedding anniversary (which was in Salem because we rock), nope, haven't taken off. We will be this year for a Midsummer wedding, though!
Do you celebrate Yule on the 21 rather than the 25? Yes. We do secular/Jewish Christmas on the 25th, haha. I imagine we’ll celebrate Yule on the 21st as well when we have kids.
Have you ever felt the veil thin? ::nods:: It’s a very… powerful experience. Felt it on Samhain 2006.
Ever danced the Maypole? No, but I really, REALLY want to. :)
Know what the Maypole symbolizes? Um yah duh. LOL
How do you usually celebrate the Pagan holidays? Often, something small, and typically in the kitchen (I really orient myself strongly as a kitchen witch, haha). Otherwise, I’ll reflect on the change in the Wheel. Typically not with ritual.

D I V I N A T I O N //
Do you use Tarot? Yup!
Do you use runes? Nope. Never had an affinity towards them.
Do you use a pendulum? No, but then again, I’ve never used one.
Do you use dowsing rods? I did when I was a kid, but not in my adult years.
Do you use astrology? I do, but typically with the guidance of others. I really want to be able to do it myself someday. Oh, and I always pay attention when Mercury is retrograde. You never know.
Any other form of divination? Nope. Not huge into divination.

S P E L L S //
What was the first spell you did? A dedication spell when I was 13. It was before I began my year-and-a-day study.
What was the latest? Hm. It’s been a long time since I’ve done a spell, so I honestly don’t remember.
Ever done a love spell? Kind of. More a “love thyself” spell than towards anything specific. I prefer them that way. :)
A job spell? Yes. Absolutely. And I’m employed. :)
A healing spell? Yes, for my grandfather when I was a late teen. It worked, thankfully, though that was a terribly scary time.
What was the most powerful spell you’ve ever performed? Probably the healing one for my grandfather. I imagine I have an affinity for that, actually.
What deities do you usually call on? I actually don’t call on deities; I tend to call on nature more than anything else. Though honestly, I haven’t done all that many spells (in all my years of practicing, maybe a handful or two), so I haven’t explored different deities. One side effect of  being panentheistic. :)

C R Y P T O Z O O L O G Y //
Do you believe in Vampires? Not in the “fanged people who will suuuuck your blooood,” but I do believe in un/intentional ones.
Werewolves? Haha, no.
Shapeshifters? Nope.
Elves? Mmm… I’m not doubting it, but not actively believing, either.
Faeries? See above.
Dragons? No.
Nymphs? See “elves.”
Sprites? See above.
Mermaids? See above.
Sirens? See above.
Satyrs? See above.
Ever “seen” any of the above? No.
Ever talked to any of the above? Faeries, yes, but more existentially speaking than literally.
Ever used any of the above in magic? Nope.
Do you have one of them as a personal guardian? Well… not actively. When I was 8 or 9, I had a faerie who would visit me at church (lol). I don’t know if I had an overactive imagination or if it was real, though I attribute the possibility of both.

R A N D O M //
Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon? Rabbit.
Own a cat? No, but I WISH.
When you meditate, what does your happy place look like? It tends to be more of a feeling than a place, of total relaxation mixed with drawing up energy from the earth. I guess, if I had to visualize it, it’d be a lot like taking roots and putting them in the earth, both to give energy and to draw up some for myself. Give and take, you know. :)
Do you work with Chakras? Actually, no. I learned about them in pretty intense depth over a year ago, but I don’t work with them. I can see the benefits, though, and probably should. :)
Do you believe in past lives? I’m on the fence.
If so, describe a few briefly: I really can’t, haha.
Do you believe in soul mates? I’m glad this question is in the plural. I don’t believe in a single soul mate that’s meant to “complete” a person, but rather, people who are made to supplement your life. I’m a pretty big believer in creating your own complete life and having anyone else who enters it be a part of it, but never half of it (or even a major part of it). It’s weird that I believe this and I believe Matt to be my better half at times, but I also know that, should anything ever happen and we weren’t together in this life, there would be others who could fill this role as well. (I’m just glad it’s him!)
Do you have a spirit guide? Not that I know of.
Is it always love and light? Psh, no. Nothing in life ever is. But it’s the depression and darkness that makes me appreciate the love and light. :)