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.