A prejudice that affects me that I would like to focus on
is what it means to be Wiccan. Witches and witchcraft are portrayed in
the media as evil, ugly, and devious. Some people even think that witches
worship the devil because of the way they are portrayed in movies and
television. This is an inequity because nothing could be further from the
truth. However, because of prejudice and lack of knowledge, people hear that I
am a witch and immediately conjure up (no pun intended) a vision of me with a
group of women, huddled around a caldron full of entrails, casting a spell to
put a hex on someone.
Although
I completely understand how people use this stereotype to create a vision of
what a witch is in their mind, it also frustrates me. For many years I felt as
if I needed to hide my spiritual beliefs, especially from those in the early
childhood community, because of this prejudice. I was certain that if they
knew, they would not want me to work with their children. I have many great
skills with children and I didn’t want this aspect of my identity to jeopardize
my ability to do what I love. As time went on I felt more secure in educating
others about my beliefs. Wicca is an earth based spirituality that is similar
in many ways to Native American beliefs. We celebrate the changes of the
seasons, and believe that all things in nature are sacred. We do rituals that
use natural elements such as water, fire, earth, and air to focus energy and
send only positive intents into the universe. This ability to be able to calmly
stand in my truth has helped me not only educate others about my beliefs, but
it has also helped me to be more accepting of theirs.
I
believe that knowledge is the best way to bring balance back into any
situation. The very term “inequity” means not equal or out of balance. If
people would recognize that prejudice is often based in the fear of what is
different, and then take the time to learn the facts instead of basing their
feelings upon stereotypes, they would be able to be more accepting and less
judgmental.
Your post was very interesting! I did not know there was such thing called Wiccan. I agree with you that movies portray people and beliefs in a negative way. It seems that there are stereotypes for everything. Great detail!
ReplyDeleteAgain your story has similarities to my thoughts. I often hide my sexuality in my professional life because I do not want my work to be judged based on heterosexism. Once people hear about sexuality they often are unable to focus on anything else.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing about your spiritual beliefs. I have had limited knowledge about being Wiccan. So much of what you shared about the cycles of the earth and positive intent resonates with me.
Hi Carolyn, I found your post to be very interesting and a very good example of how fear and ignorance lead to negative actions and thoughts. People are very quick to react without taking the time to become informed before making judgments that are based upon our perceptions that have been formed by society and filled with bias and prejudice. With an open mind we can learn about many aspects of the world we might otherwise close ourselves off to if our actions are based upon societies views of normal and right. Cindy Ferguson
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
ReplyDeleteI have seen you discuss the Wiccan religion. I do not fully understand Wiccan; however, I can understand how you face discrimination and prejudice because of your beliefs. Thank you for sharing your story.