Outed!

[beetiger]

I'm not sure how much of my natural lack of subtlety is genetic versus environmental, but it's definitely a family trait.

In general, I tend to be very much "don't ask, don't tell" in regards to the interaction of my personal life with my family. When my baby shower ended up happening for logistics reasons right on the tail end of a Mabon ritual at my home, I fudged a bit on the details of what was going on, calling it "a harvest party for the fall equinox". No scary words. (And no one would have actually noticed the ending-of-previous-event except for the big chunk of folks who decided not to stay for the shower obviously traipsing out at the beginning of a party. Thanks guys :P)

So yesterday afternoon, we're at a late Hannukkah party at my stepmom's when my little-little sister (who is in high school) runs in and yells, "Hey Vicki! You know about Wiccan, right?" I answer, "Yeah, some. Why?" "You need to come see this website." "Um, okay." Walking into the kitchen, I don't find a computer, but there's a printout of a few pages with some damn nice wands on it. My stepmom and big-little sister come in. My stepmom sees me looking and says "Yeah, that's Cousin Robert's website. Thought you might be interested."

Then, a flurry of talking:

L-LS "Yeah, 'cause you're a Wicca or do Wiccan or whatever right?"
Me: "Well, yes."
(Although I'll work pretty hard to avoid being in people's face, I usually will answer direct questions directly.)
L-L S: "So you're a witch, right?"
Me: "That's a word a lot of people use for that, yes."
L-L S (running out into living room with pile of guests, and to a confused Bard): "Hey, is Vicki really a witch?"
Bard: *blank stare*
L-L S:"Well, are *you* a witch?
Bard: "Well,yes."
L-L S (running around room):"Hey everybody~! Bard and Vicki are witches!"
(still in kitchen, concurrently)
B-L S: "Really? You're a witch? Is that good to do? Maybe I should do that..."
Stepmom: "I can't believe I've known you all these years and you never told me that.."
(I walk out of kitchen, and into living room.)
Bard (talking to kindergarten-age cousin, seriously): You know how you are Jewish, and sometimes people call Jewish people Jews? Well, some people have a religion called Wicca, and people sometimes call them witches..."
Little Cousin : *confused look*
Me: "I know, you're wondering where our pointy hats are."
LC: *nods*
Me: "We're not that kind of witches."
(LC wanders off, satisfied.)
L-L S:"Hey, wait a minute, aren't you Unitarian?"

Then we ate little hot dogs in pastry, and I ate a lot because I missed them at New Year's and I thought I deserved them. No one stopped me.

And my stepcousin Robert apparently makes some damn fine wands.

Comments

[cloverr.livejournal.com]

interesting....

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you did a great job.

Which website does Cousin Robert have?

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

http://www.avalonmoononline.com/ruevane.htm

I need to figure out if I can find his number without asking my stepmom for it...

[tygermoonfoxx.livejournal.com]

ROFL It reminds me of that song by Dar Williams, "The Pagans and the Christians". I had a similar conversation with my grandmother about what I do with not nearly as much success. She kept trying to make it something Christian so that she'd be okay with it.

And would you mind passing on the URL? I'm always looking for good wands and I don't have any.

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

That chunk of family is pretty much a "talk about you when you leave" group. That's one part I don't share -- I tend to be more direct with people, and don't realy like gossip. I wish I could have left a bug there to hear the rest of the conversation after we went home.

I guess Wicca's a topic in which high school girls are somewhat conversant these ays, though.:P

[jenett]

That sounds like a really well handled conversation, given the start of it. Go you! (And Bard)

(And yeah, I would also be curious as to the website...)

*grin*

[shancara.livejournal.com]

congratulations and good luck!

... and I have always found that the following comment always seems to put people at ease... "Wicca is mostly about worshipping the natural world around us. But don't worry... do you really think if I could twitch my nose and turn someone in to a frog that I'd be working HERE? (or be at this weight, or some other appropriate comment regarding reality)

Don't worry...

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

"...we only sacrifice people metaphorically these days."
"...we don't worship the devil nearly as often as those D+D players."
"...I won't invite you to any of the ceremonies where we dance naked in the woods. Unless you ask nicely."

[schitzie.livejournal.com]

*giggle-fest* gotta love little minds that speak only because they don't know what a taboo is in the first place.

[koogrr.livejournal.com]

I like the "Hey, wait a minute, aren't you Unitarian?"