Anyone who has any experience with Paganism, knows that speaking for Paganism as a whole is a remarkably difficult thing to do. There are so many paths, so many ways to practice, so many different beliefs. Me, I'm sort of a Unitarian Universalist of a Pagan, believing that everyone understands the Great Truths and experiences Divinity in a way that works for them, and all paths are equally valid.
I don't want being a Pagan to be everything about me. I want people to see me as a mom, who has the same concerns and joys that they do. I want them to see me as a member of the community, helping out at the school, grocery shopping, and taking my kids to the park. I want to be Pagan enough that people feel a little more comfortable with the idea because they know me. Not that I'm recruiting or anything. I just find that so many people know so little about Paganism, that to them we're a bunch of tie-dye wearing, tree hugging weirdos hanging out in the forest.
We only do that on very special occasions, by the way.
That's a joke. I promise. I don't actually own any tie-dye, and the one tie-dye tee-shirt my husband owned was ruthlessly destroyed lost by some sad tragedy to the gods of the laundry.
So, I want to be relatable to people. But sometimes I think that ends up being me not really talking about what I believe at all. Which is so easy. My faith now is more personal and private. It's something that is special to me, but not something I feel the need to shove in everyone's face.
What I'm looking for, is a balance. I'm happy. I'm not searching aimlessly anymore for something that was within me and all around me all the time. I feel connected to the forces of the Universe. And I want people not to be afraid of their local tree-hugging hippie Pagans. Because, sure, there are some...interesting practitioners out there. But they don't represent the whole movement anymore than the crazy people of any religion represent the whole.
Source: religion-events.blogspot.com
