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OUT OF THE BROOM CLOSET, THE TIME IS RIGHT
Wicca is, according to many researchers, the fastest growing religion in the world today. And that very growth may be something that is forcing us more and more into the light of public scrutiny, whether we like it or not. The recent media attention regarding the Department of Defense condoning of witchcraft practices on military installations, and the subsequent uproar from conservative politicians, is a prime example of this publicity. Additionally, movie and television productions such as The Craft, Blair Witch Project, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed have also served to bring witchcraft to public attention, regardless of the degree of "craft correctness" of those productions.
So then, since witchcraft is coming more and more into popular view I believe it is only logical to ask ourselves if we as individual practitioners are either ready, or even able, to step out of the shadows and proclaim our practice of the Craft of the Wise to others. Is this the right time? That question forms the gist of this discussion.
Over the past fifteen or twenty years our religion has experienced a phenomenal growth, primarily in the numbers of practitioners from the late teen to the mid-thirty age groups. I think those people have found in Wicca something that was lacking in the mainstream religions they may have been brought up with. Maybe it is the lack of hypocrisy, maybe it is the ethics of the Craft extolling the concept of self-responsibility, or maybe it is the connection with nature; but whatever the reason may be Wicca is growing and it is growing by leaps and bounds.
Today we are a legally recognized religion under the protection of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States with an un-official membership in the hundreds of thousands, possibly in the millions. We are in the arts, the sciences and the humanities. We are law enforcement officers, performers, teachers and engineers; we are builders, office workers, doctors and farmers. We are practitioners of a kind, gentle and peace loving religion of nature worship, not the bloodthirsty or depraved orgiastic fanatics as claimed by the religious conservatives. The general public has been misled about witchcraft for over a thousand years and now is the time to set that record straight.
The time is now to face those extremists and fundamentalists that would bury us in the name of their narrow-minded hypocritical bigotry. To face the conservative congressmen and the so-called Christian ministers who would burn us in the name of their personal savior. To face them and say, "No, it ends right here and right now. We are here to stay and we will no longer tolerate your attempts at interference and control of our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. No more hiding in the shadows, no more afraid to worship in public, no more witch hysteria in the press. No more and never again!"
Unfortunately, in most areas of the country we are greatly outnumbered and each of us must realize that a decision to become open about our witchcraft beliefs and practices should be approached with caution. Put quite simply, is it worth it to you as an individual to openly admit to the practice of our religion, to put yourself and your loved ones on the firing line? In some cases the answer will probably be no and that is a sad thing because it strikes at the very core of our religious freedoms.
However, in all honesty there may be circumstances that dictate such revelations are best not made. It must be up to each one of you as an individual to analyze the possible risks and ramifications of publicly acknowledging your practice of the Wiccan religion. No one can make that choice for you and I urge you to be honest with yourself as you evaluate taking that largely irrevocable step. Carefully examine the attitudes of your community and of those with whom you wish to share your beliefs. Carefully evaluate your own personal situation and do not begin to make this announcement until you are sure that it is reasonably safe to do so. Remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with working the rituals in private if it is absolutely necessary, we've been doing that for over a thousand years.
The choice each one of us will make when it comes to bringing our religion into the open is a personal one. It absolutely must be based on your own individual needs, desires, and existing personal relationships. Each one of us must make this decision on his or her own and it must be
based on a firm understanding of both the positive and potentially negative reactions you may encounter. If there is any doubt in your mind about your emotional or physical safety after admitting your practice of the Old Religion, then prudence dictates that silence may unfortunately be the only option.
So, is this the time for you to step up and step out? In my case the answer is, to a large extent, yes. I have written two books on witchcraft under my own name and have been the featured guest on a Los Angeles-area television talk show where the host and I discussed Wicca at some length. However, even in my own life there are limits as to who I will discuss the Craft with. After all, absolutely nothing will be gained from a volatile confrontation so pick your battles carefully. Take the step up and out but take it with a reasonable amount of caution. Take that step carefully, but if at all possible take it because today really is the right time!