Little Black Book

There’s been so much I’ve been learning lately - new and wonderful traditions, seasonal celebrations, songs, rhymes, facts and myths - aside from this blog, how am I supposed to keep track of it all? Many Wiccan traditions call for a Book of Shadows for either personal or group use. A BOS is much like a journal, but instead of just writing down thoughts and feelings, you record important dreams, rituals, spells and other relevant information. You can put down things like recipes for celebration meals, different teas you drink and how you react to them, botanical information, and astrological charts. Whatever you might deem as important to your path gets recorded. It’s a very personal book, though when shared among a group or coven, it incorporates input from everyone. Wiccans aren’t the only ones that do this - having a book for keeping track of your spiritual growth is a habit encouraged in many paths.

Assumptions make an awkward situation for you and me

We didn't have as many crosses as this, but you get the idea.

A few years ago - maybe as few as two - had I walked into a home and realized that I was in a pagan household, I would have expressed mild interest. Much further back and I might have felt a certain degree of discomfort.

My mother‘s enthusiastic discovery of Jesus Christ around 2003 meant I lived in a very Christian flavored home. Bible verses on banners and in frames, a cross in every room, a small ceramic bust of Jesus above the TV, etc. Christian pop and choir sung hymnals played all through the lit hours of the day, and some hours of the night. There was a time when I would get yelled at for wearing ’boy’ shirts or basketball shorts - after all, women aren’t supposed to wear men’s clothing, according to scripture. Living in such an environment (and having grown up attending my grandmother‘s church), it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that I just accepted Christianity as a belief and a part of my life.

Though I had friends in high school who talked about being witches or Wiccans, I don’t know how serious they were about it then and didn’t really take it seriously. Kids in black nail polish and bondage pants came off as less youth-seeking-spirituality and more teens-rebelling-against-the-norm.

Sorry guys, but this look just doesn't scream 'seeking a deeper spiritual truth' to me.

Though I might have worried vaguely about their immortal souls at the time, I didn’t (and still don’t) believe in forcing my own beliefs on any else.

These days, now that I’m exploring a pagan path, however, I recently found myself in a very awkward feeling situation.

A year and a day

I’ve met people belonging to all sorts of cultures and following all sorts religions. Conversations on religion typically lead to a declaration of some sort:

“Oh, yeah, I’m a Christian”
“My mom is wiccan”
“I’m agnostic.”
“I’m Muslim, actually.”
“Eh, I’m Jewish but I don’t really, ‘practice.’”
“My parents are Catholics, but I don’t know if I believe-”
“I study Buddhism.”


 Having declared themselves, there's almost always the follow up-

“So what are you?”

Jesus Camp

Jesus Camp (2006), a documentary following the lives of some fundamentalist families and their children while attending an evangelical camp, caused a something of a stir when it came out, and I wanted to see it then - but being that it wasn’t a movie theater release and wasn’t available in rental stores in the area I lived in then, I didn’t get the chance. Having finally gotten a hold of it recently, I had to wait until after the hustle of the Holiday and settling in back at home to watch it, and I have to admit, I felt weird watching it.

 During the opening, following footage of a Christian political radio show, children in darkly colored face paint dance to thumping music, waving rods during a choreographed number. I could see how some might see the scene as a bit ominous - but having grown up attending musical events at my own church, I could see the other side of the situation as well. I was fine up until the point they showed a couple hundred kids, hands in the air as they reached for God, being cried to to open their mouths and start speaking in tongues. It was creepy to say the least.

    Now, I don’t have an issue with people who speak in tongues - a Christian who speaks in tongues is told in the scriptures that the gift of tongues is a blessing and a sign of true faith. Tongues and convulsions as a result of spiritual ’God’ possession are phenomena that appear across cultural borders, both in some forms of Christianity and many instances of Voodoo or tribal witchcraft. What I have a problem with is Children - kids, immature human beings who have no perspective regarding spirituality - being pressured to accept radical ideologies without being given a choice or perspective.