Parents and their reaction to your path

[Chatelaine]

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

I am a teenager, and I guess I lucked out in this respect.

I live with my father and stepmother. He's a lapsed Anglican (impressive in faith, but the people who try to turn the church into a social club really get to him), and she was my mentor in my pagan years. Beyond their differences, they both agree on two things: That people need religion, and that religion is not one-size-fits-all. They are happy that I have a connection with the divine, no matter what that is called or how worshipped.

My mother, on the other hand, always leaned towards the 'charismatic' branch of Christianity, and she's not the most mentally stable person out there either. She has no idea I've been pagan for a time. She knows I'm becoming an Orthodox - the chapel is a stone's throw from her place and she meets the priest around the neighbourhood all the time - and finds it 'cute', which irks me to no end, but at least it's better than hysterics.

[Elani Temperance]

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

My parents don't really like religion and although they are vaguely supportive of my choices, they don't repeat it to anyone. They used to click through the magazine, at least my mom did, but I don't think they do anymore because they don't know what to make of it. When I tell my mom a little about my religion or witchcraft, then tends to change the subject.

Now, my parents and I don't have a close bond but they want to see me happy. My mom can see that this makes me happy and so she goes along with it but she doesn't understand and she will not discuss it. It's difficult sometimes but I understand. Perhaps things will change in the future, who knows. I try to give her space to address it every now and again. We'll see what happens.

I think it would be difficult for any parent who is unfamiliar with paganism to fully embrace their children's choice to be involved in it. There are so many false and laughable things said about it, I would be shocked if they just went 'oh well, I heard you work with ghosts and sacrifice small animals to the devil but go right ahead, we love you anyway.'

I think my parents are doing relatively well, considering.

[Charlie Dee]

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

I was born and raised a catholic. When I grew up I grew distant from the religion and lost all faith in it and it's people. I dropped it, proclaimed myself atheist for a few years. I stumbled across paganism and fell in love with it. I kept it from my parents in fear of their reaction. They got suspicious and asked and I figured be honest with them. My mom flat out hates it and assumes I'm a devil worshiper. My dad doesn't like it and says its because he doesn't know anything about it. They asked for me to put all my stuff in a box and forget about it till I moved out because they didn't want it in their house. I flat out refused and told them it makes me happy. I don't go around flashing it so I don't see the problem with it. They ended up dropping their complaints and here and there ask me if I've dropped it uet

[Carnelian]

This SIG looked fairly empty, so I figured I'd liven it up a bit by posting a thread.

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

When I was a teen I asked for a bunch of fluffy "Wiccan" books by authors like Ravenwolf and DJ Conway for Christmas. For some reason I didn't think it would be a big deal, and for the most part it wasn't, but my parents (mostly my father) did mock me a bit. It bothered me a little, and since then I haven't felt the need to be open about my religious views and practices.

Luckily, my father's family is pretty liberal, and though my mother is a bit more conservative, she's really into things like astrology and going to psychics, so they didn't accuse me of devil worship or anything like that.

[randomheathen]

This SIG looked fairly empty, so I figured I'd liven it up a bit by posting a thread.

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

My mother is a Christian, but not very religious, while my father is an atheist. They found out about my religion when they walked in on me doing a full moon ritual. While they thought it was a bit weird, they were content to let me continue, with the proviso that I wasn't allowed candles, incense or ritual knives. So it was overall a good outcome.

Although I've been keeping my rituals smaller and more private since then, and I don't really talk about religion with my parents, so I think they think it was just a phase and I'm not doing it any more.

How about you?

I wasn't raised with any particular religion, even though I was baptized catholic by my grandmother's insistence. My Dad's atheist, and likes to keep religion in general at arms length, so we don't really discuss it. My mom's pantheist, and is also a philosophy, mythology, and history fanatic. Funnily enough, she figured I would end up heathen before I even researched the religion, so no problems on that front. Honestly, I'm probably a lot more conservative than she is anyway, which seems to be opposite from the norm on this board.

[PhantomQueen]

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

How about you?

I'm not sure if they outright know... I haven't been in contact with them for quite awhile due to other reasons. Growing up I was allowed to look into other christian denominations (catholic, sally anne...). That's all I knew at the time. My maternal grandmother and great grandmother were gifted with second sight as is my aunt, so I didn't have to worry about that kind of thing. In my early 20's I went to the spiritualist church with my mum. I think her side of the family would be a bit more tolerant to a small degree. If it sounded like something told from the spiritualist church, they'd be accepting, as it's more mainstream nowadays compared to the early 1900's. If they knew it was a pagan perspective, I think they'd have the tendancy of bricking it (filling their drawers) and not want anything to do with it or me.

[Aine Rayne]

This SIG looked fairly empty, so I figured I'd liven it up a bit by posting a thread.

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

My mother is a Christian, but not very religious, while my father is an atheist. They found out about my religion when they walked in on me doing a full moon ritual. While they thought it was a bit weird, they were content to let me continue, with the proviso that I wasn't allowed candles, incense or ritual knives. So it was overall a good outcome.

Although I've been keeping my rituals smaller and more private since then, and I don't really talk about religion with my parents, so I think they think it was just a phase and I'm not doing it any more.

How about you?

I actually need to update my answer lol my parents are sorta in between right now. My dad says no spells in the house (whatever, that's fine) though he got all upset and worried when he did some rudimentary research on gods-only-know what site on Kemeticism and freaked himself out because the website was going on about chanting and whatnot, basically shit that would sound weird and worrisome to a Christian.

Stepdad hasn't said a thing, though I know for a fact that he has an opinion on it. But honestly I won't open worms if I don't have to.

My mom is trying her hardest to be accepting and understanding, but she honestly does not get why I made the decision. She's still trying to convince me otherwise, but is still trying to understand where I'm coming from as well

[Siannan]

This SIG looked fairly empty, so I figured I'd liven it up a bit by posting a thread.

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

My parents know nothing about my current path and would be completely NOT accepting. I had been interested in Wicca in my teens and my mom used to tell me that I was going to go to hell for it. When I went to college I was not really into any religion or spirituality, but she was happy that I was not still reading those books, even though God was going to send her to hell because I was not going to church. Seriously??? Anyway, they are older now, I don't live with them so I just don't bring it up. They know that I do not go to church, and we basically leave it at that.

[Laveth]

This SIG looked fairly empty, so I figured I'd liven it up a bit by posting a thread.

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?

My mother is a Christian, but not very religious, while my father is an atheist. They found out about my religion when they walked in on me doing a full moon ritual. While they thought it was a bit weird, they were content to let me continue, with the proviso that I wasn't allowed candles, incense or ritual knives. So it was overall a good outcome.

Although I've been keeping my rituals smaller and more private since then, and I don't really talk about religion with my parents, so I think they think it was just a phase and I'm not doing it any more.

How about you?

I'm in my mid 20's, in my own house (sort of, my mother just moved into the basement so we'll see how that goes). I moved out initially at the age of 18, just to paint the picture.

As a teenager, I never told them. I think they probably suspected, but because of my family circumstances at the time I never told them anything that was going on in my life (friends, school, work, etc...), let alone my spiritual studies. It's on a need-to-know basis, they didn't and still don't need to know.

Now, I think they suspect. I don't think they care. I don't really care if they care. I don't hide it, but I don't leave my books or tools out for the world to see anyway so it's not really like it's out for the world to see on a daily basis. If they asked, I'd tell them it's none of their business to be honest.

But then again, I had a pretty warped childhood and my parents can't be trusted with anything sensitive anyway. So I can't really relate to some people's experiences with this. But hey for those that share my background, it really isn't any of their business. If they snoop, get a lock-box and a hiding place or keep it at a friend's house (I know, parents may chastise me, but privacy is so important for some things).

[dragonflydreamer68]

This SIG looked fairly empty, so I figured I'd liven it up a bit by posting a thread.

So, I'd be interested to hear about different people's experiences with their parents. Do they know about your religion? Are they accepting? Do you have Pagan parents?



How about you?

well i'm far past my teen years, lol. i have made comments and such to my family about being pagan, but they dont really hear me, whether from avoidance of the topic or just being in their own lil world, tis hard to say. my mom has never had any religion, but is extremely judgmental of everyone and everything, so its safe to assume if shes not saying anything about it, its because it hasnt entered her narcissistic bubble. my step dad, whom i love dearly, will have an opinion when my mom gets around to giving it to him..my only sibling(sister) just rolls her eyes and pretends its not being discussed, however, i'm sure she feels free to discuss it behind my back, lol.my children are fine with me being whatever i want, they are young and accepting and my husband doesnt care, but does occasionally roll his, so i rarely discuss it with him or anyone else. he did once tell me that i needed to have an explanation for what i believe ready to tell people when they ask, huh, well i dont think so buddy, i told him my beliefs were my own and it was not my responsibility to educate or enlighten people, if they truely want to know or understand then they will do their own research.