Making Peace

                                                                    by Jalyssia Morningstar

I live in a small town in Vermont. It is a unique place to live. I am within minutes of shopping centers and a major hospital, yet my neighbors keep pigs, goats, and chickens in their yard. Every once in a while, the pig gets out and comes to visit. Most of the Vermonters I have met go to church faithfully on Sundays, are pretty well set in their ways, and made of very stubborn stock.

I began exploring the Wiccan path several years ago, in a smaller town than this one. After moving here last year and a few other life changes, I began to think long and hard about all the hiding I was doing.After a great deal of thought, planning, and a couple of phone calls to my attorney, I decided to come out of the Broom Closet, mainly because I was sick of hiding and was afraid of getting "caught". I felt it would be better to just be up front about things. I had thought that this decision would create quite a stir here. I began wearing a pentacle openly, brought my books out of hiding, and prepared to be condemned by my neighbors. Nothing happened. Not a thing! I was shocked. I had planned and expected the absolute worst, and nothing happened. It was almost disappointing.

A couple of weeks later, I got my first question about the pentacle. I was in the checkout lane at the grocery store, and the woman in line before me asked what it was supposed to mean. I was a little scared, but I told her. She smiled, said "That's what I thought!" and went about her business.

After several experiences like this, I decided that my role in these situations needed to be that of an educator. Through my online connection, I knew that other people in the country could not have this kind of freedom, and that the only way to truly combat the fear that most of the public has about Witches is through information.

Between classes at college, some friends and I regularly talk in the hallway. One day, the talk turned to religion and I told them about mine. They were absolutely fascinated, not only that such a beautiful religion existed, but that I would openly use the word "Witchcraft." During this conversation, two students passing by stopped to listen to us. One of them came to me later and asked more. We ended up being half an hour late for class, but I satisfied her curiosity and corrected the many misconceptions she had about the Craft.

In another of these conversations with my friends, I told them that I was bisexual. At first, they were a bit shocked, and the two women were obviously a bit nervous about the subject. In subsequent talks, I found out that they feared me "coming on" to them. I asked them if I ever had before (which I hadn't) and told them that I wouldn't in the future. That taken care of, they were quite comfortable with me, and I was quite comfortably out of both closets.

One of the classes I was taking that semester was Public Speaking. One of the assigned topics was "Injustice." I gave a speech about the fact that although our Constitution guarantees religious freedom, many people were still persecuted because their religious values were different. I told them that mine were different too, and gave them an overview of my beliefs. I also talked about being bisexual. Then I told them in some parts of the country, I could be killed because of these differences.

After the speech, I gave the class the opportunity to ask questions. That ten-minute speech generated an hour of questions! I sat on a desk and answered everything honestly. Some questions were very serious and fact oriented, while others were funny, but bred from society's misconceptions. One of the men told me that if I was really a Witch, I would be able to turn him into a toad. I quoted Starhawk and said, "Why be redundant?" Keeping a sense of humor really broke the tension in the room.

For weeks after that speech, the school talked about it. People who weren't even there came to me with questions. I found out that I have one Wiccan, two bisexual, and three gay classmates.

A few of the people who have come to me have been "concerned" about me. They have spouted many misconceptions, which I gently correct, and offer them information from other sources, such as books and articles available through the library system.

In addition to doing this, I ask questions of the questioner. Always being respectful, I get them talking about their religious beliefs. I have had some wonderful discussions with people based on a comparison of beliefs. It is wonderful to discover similarities and common ground that we both can take with us to other situations.

It hasn't all been a bed of roses. A few people would not listen to me, preferring to keep their fears and misconceptions. I have been called a Satanist once, and a man who was handing out Bible tracts in a parking lot saw my pentacle and ran away (literally). I also had an English teacher who consistently gave me low grades on any essay that had reference to Witchcraft in it. After I threatened to file a complaint with the college, she changed several of my grades.

In spite of the occasional opposition, I continue. I get a deep sense of satisfaction when I can help people overcome their societal prejudices, and when I work on overcoming my own prejudices against Christianity. I have learned that through open discussion, there really is no basis for the hate of others based on difference. I continue to talk to people, both about the Craft and about my sexuality. Everywhere I go, I work towards finding common ground to walk on with those around me. Hand in hand, perhaps we can build a world in which differences are honored as a part of life, and our children can grow up to live in a world where they are truly safe and accepted by all people.

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Last updated: 11-16-95.