Fair Weather Witches
Fair Weather Witches
by Deanna Dawn
Email: Wikade@hotmail.com
The sun was setting to our right, the full moon rising slowly to our left, and there we stood! Myself, my 8 year old son, and a fellow Priestess on the beach, celebrating the full moon in all it’s glory! And as we cast circle and called the quarters, I noticed that my son had chosen to participate! There he was saluting the elements along with us, and when we called out to the Lady and Lord, he stood in the God position, arms folded across his chest in reverence! The intensity of that very moment hit me like a ton of bricks! My son is following in my footsteps!
All the next day I walked around the office with a glow from that spontaneous ritual of the night before. Thoughts of pride and joy regarding my blossoming child flashed before me. And as I sat and pondered thoughts of his participation, worries for his future began to steal across my brow. Will he continue to flourish if I continue on such a public path? Will he suffer any consequences? And then it dawned on me, I have to be public, I have to be aware and know what is going on! For his sake, I CAN NO LONGER BE A FAIR WEATHER WITCH!!!
A "Fair Weather Witch"! Just what exactly is that? Well, I for one can honestly say "I know" since until very recently, I was one.
The Fair Weather Witch is one of the more common varieties of Witch found everywhere in the Pagan Community. You know those people who are "Conveniently Pagan" when it suits them to be so. Or are “Conservative Witches”. The ones that support and participate in the community, but only when it is absolutely safe for them to do so! And I don’t mean to sound so harsh, but remember, I was one of those people and so if you think I’m being tough on them, I include myself along with them.
And even though I had made the great leap of faith and have boldly come out of the "broom closet", I still basically kept my nose in my OWN BOOK OF SHADOWS and did not take the time to look much beyond it, or maybe I really didn’t care to. The only resources I was really interested in were the ones that had information I could use for "witch-ever" task or project I was working on at the time. And I never gave a thought to contributing to those resources or maybe giving of myself to the community. I never read up on current Pagan events, or just what was going on in the Pagan World. I never bothered to become more involved with my community, and I never bothered to think Nationally or, Goddess forbid, Globally.
But since I have become a member of The Black Forest Clan and I’ve been using and working with web sites like The Witches Voice, I have become far more aware of the Witchy World that exist all around me. And add to that the fact I am raising a child who will be dealing with tomorrow, the world that we "allow" to take form today. And suddenly I find that what goes on in that Witchy World concerns me very much!
It seems that I can no longer just sit in my little room, in my little home, writing my private little rituals and making notes in my Book of Shadows. The only worries I have what sign the moon is in at that time or what color altar cloth I will need! Okay, okay so I still do that too, just as we all do, but there is coming on to me a pressing need to do more.
No it is not easy to be out there in the public, especially a public filled with great misconceptions and preconceived notions of just who and what we Witches are. And it is all too true that some of us have professions that will insist on curbing, if not outright eliminating our public involvement in events or even profession of our religion. But sitting in silence, and not bothering to know what is going on for me is no longer acceptable! I am a Pagan Parent, and proudly so! And I want to help defend my religious rights! I do not want to live in fear of following my beliefs! And while I have no desire to stop anyone else from practicing their religion, I will not stand for them stopping me from practicing mine because it conflicts with their dogma or doctrine. And I definitely do not want my son to be afraid to follow his beliefs, either from fear of persecution or of being ostracized because what he believes doesn’t fit some one’s ‘norm’ either!
I am not exactly ready to organize a mass Pagan Protest or take on the government or church or any other bureaucracy that may try to curb our religious freedom all by myself! But I’m taking the time now to learn about current events and issues, and how these things impact my life! I now am networking and reaching out to the community to let them know that I’m a part of them, I am here and I care!
And I am sorry for something’s also. Sorry that I have not bothered involving myself long before now. Sorry that I have stayed hidden safely in my little broom closet for so long. It’s not always easy to integrate our Pagan beliefs and lifestyles with the public. True we’ve come a long, long way toward acceptance, but still have so much further to go. I still have the fears of rejection and persecution, and I do worry about my son being tormented or picked on in school. These are not shadows but very real issues that I and every openly Pagan parent wrestle with. But above this I do have hope, hope that further education of the general public will bring about some kind of understanding and mutual respect. And if not hope for that at least hope that it will bring about tolerance and acceptance.
I do care! And little by little I will continue to reach out, to teach others, to volunteer in my community in any way that I can and strive to try and make this a better place to live in not just for us Witchy folk but everyone!
BECAUSE YOU SEE I AM NO LONGER A "FAIR WEATHER WITCH"!!!
In Her Service,
Deanna Dawn
For those “Fair Weather Witches” who wish to become more aware, I have added the following links:
www.Aren.org
www.seekerjournal.org
http://newwitch.com/
http://sagewoman.com/
Bio: A true Lioness, Deanna Dawn is a 2nd degree High Priestess of Black Forest. Originally from Baltimore, she now resides in Elkton, MD with her son. Deanna was an eclectic solitaire for over 12 years and has been a practicing Wiccan for over 5. She has studied various topics such as: working with crystals, spirit guides (a special thanks to all the little “helpers”) and animal totems, several forms of divination, is a level II Reiki practioner, and adept in healing magicks. Currently, Deanna is in the process of scheduling several public classes with a shop in Dover, DE.
