The Dilemma of Alex Mar or How Long Shall We Be Afraid?

Last updated on: April 13, 2010 at 8:14 am by Star Foster

The Dilemma of Alex Mar or How Long Shall We Be Afraid? 2010-04-13T08:14:52-04:00 Star Foster

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I am on pins and needles waiting for a chance to see Alex Mar’s documentary “American Mystic”. It features Native American, Spiritualist and Pagan mystics searching for the divine. It looks absolutely fabulous and will most certainly be a film I will have to add to my collection. If you haven’t yet heard about it you can find the trailer here.

This morning Jason over at the Wild Hunt (see the link in our news feed below) talked about an interview with filmmaker Alex Mar at Tribeca Film. Alex had difficulties finding a Pagan willing to be featured in the documentary. As a Pagan writer I completely sympathize with her dilemma.

“I met with different covens in different parts of the country, and one of the challenges with the pagan element in the film is I needed to find someone brave enough to say, okay, not only am I a witch, and to say that on camera, but I have this coven, I have this group that I practice with, and everyone associated with her had to be brave enough to say, okay, we’re comfortable with this.

In California and maybe in New York, it doesn’t sound like that big of a deal to say that you’re pagan, but obviously being a witch is a big deal in this country. I met with a woman who I thought was so wonderful in Tennessee, and she would have loved to have shared her story but she was terrified. You know, she had seen people lose their jobs, and actually had a friend whose children were taking away from her through child welfare… It was really, I think, all told, six months of going around the country.”

Here in Atlanta it’s been over 40 years since Lady Sintana opened House of Ravenwood to the public and fought for the religious rights of all Pagans, yet many of us are still afraid. We were a hub of the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s and we’re now known as the “Gay Capital of the South” but Pagans are still afraid.

We have so much work to do. Like the Gay movement of the 70’s we have to come out to protect ourselves. A person’s opinion of a religion will change when they realize they know a practitioner. Your neighbor who thinks Witches are evil doesn’t suspect the nice, friendly lady next door practices the Craft. I take pains to be a decent, kind, friendly, generous, honorable, honest person, not only because I feel it’s the right way to be, but also because I may be the only open Pagan my friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors know.

I was raised to think Mormons, Catholics and Pentecostals were odd people with strange and questionable rituals. Nothing changed my mind as quickly as getting to know practitioners of those faiths. Knowledge eradicates fear.

Whatever your situation, consider that instead of reviling you for your faith the people around you may be impressed that the kind, loving, reasonable person they know is a Pagan.

Pagan

Previous Post

April 12, 2010

Spells Explained

Next Post

April 13, 2010 Thoughts On Sin

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category alexandrian asatru astrology ATW Audio books btw ceremonial magick chaos classics community conversion cosmology dianic discordian druid dvd eclectic equinox ethics family feri festivals film Fully Inclusive Events gardnerian gender issues glbt heathen hellenismos history humor initiation interfaith magick meditation Military movies music mysticism myth networking news Open Thread Pagan Pagan 101 Paganism passings polytheism Polytheistic Religion polytheology praxis Reading List religio romana review ritual sabbats santeria service solstice symbols tools values wicca witchcraft

Select a Month July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘__________________’"

Select your answer to see how you score.

Honor Your Father And Mother Do Not Kill Love Your Neighbor As Yourself Love Others