Zdravi zobeni keksi

Zob, kao vrsta žitarica, je prikladna namirnica kod pripreme jela za prvu žetvu - Lammas, a da ne spominjem koliko ima ljekovitih svojstava! Odnedavno sam je počela redovito jesti za doručak ili večeru, i oduševljena sam! Zob pozitivno djeluje na metabolizam, ubrzava probavu, sprječava rak crijeva, potiče rad štitnjače, smanjuje kolesterol i općenito ima izvrstan učinak na kardiovaskularni sustav (pomaže kod povišenog krvnog tlaka, proširenih vena itd.). Uz to uravnotežuje razinu šećera u krvi te smanjuje zadržavanje tekućine u tijelu (super za dijabetičare!). Ovo su samo neka od njezinih ljekovitih svojstava. Svakako, čudesna namirnica!

Ovi zdravi keksi koriste njezin puni potencijal jer su skoro u cijelosti napravljeni od zobi. S minimalnom količinom brašna (kojeg mijenja zob) i šećera (kojeg mijenja banana), pa i maslaca, zaista zaslužuju titulu zdravih keksi.

Potrebno je:

• 4 šalice (kao za kavu) zobenih pahuljica
• 1 1/2 šalica brašna
• 1/2 šalice šećera
• 1 vanilin šećer
• 150 g omekšalog maslaca
• 1 paket praška za pecivo
• pola čajne žličice sode bikarbone
• 1 jaje
• malo arome vanilije
• malo arome ruže (po želji)
• 1 mala banana (zgnječena)
• 2 žlice čvrstog jogurta
• 150 g čokolade za kuhanje

Napomena: aroma ruže zaista nije potrebna, ali sam je dodala s obzirom da je ruža jedan od tradicionalnih mirisa Lammasa

Priprema:

1. Nasjeckajte čokoladu na komadiće (veličina po želji) i zgnječite bananu.
2. U zdjeli izmiješajte sve suhe sastojke kuhačom (zobene pahuljice, brašno, šećer, vanilin šećer, prašak za pecivo, sodu bikarbonu).
3. Električnim mikserom (po mogućnosti s ručkama za tijesto) umiješajte vlažne sastojke: smekšali maslac, jaje, arome, bananu, jogurt.
4. Kada ste dobili kompaktnu smjesu, dodajte nasjeckanu čokoladu i umiješajte je.
5. Obložite lim za pečenje papirom za pečenje.
6. Oblikujte kekse (bez brige, tijesto će biti nešto ljepljivije nego inače, iako po potrebi možete dodati još malo brašna) i posložite ih na lim.
7. Pecite na 175°C 15 minuta.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal, as a type of cereal grain, is a fitting ingredient for meals of the first harvest - Lammas. And not to mention all of its medicinal properties! I have recently started eating for breakfast or dinner and am amazed by it! Oatmeal has a positive impact on your metabolism, it speeds up your digestion, prevents bowel cancer, stimulates the thyroid gland, lowers cholesterol and generally has a great effect on the cardiovascular system (helps with high blood pressure, varicose veins and so on). In addition to this, it balances out your blood sugar levels and reduces the retention of water in the organism (great for diabetics!). These are just a few of its medicinal properties. All in all, it's a wonderful food!

These healthy cookies use the full potential of oats since they are almost entirely made from them. Made up of a minimal quantity of flour (which is replaced by oatmeal), sugar (which is replaced by a banana) and even butter, they truly do deserve the title of healthy cookies.

You Will Need:

• 4 cups oatmeal (I used small coffee cups)
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 150 g softened butter
• 1 packet baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• a bit of vanilla aroma
• a bit of rose aroma (optional)
• 1 small banana (squashed)
• 2 tbsp solid yogurt 
• 150 g cooking chocolate

Note: the rose aroma isn't necessary, but I added a bit of it because rose is one of the traditional scents of Lammas

How To Prepare:

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces (aim for chocolate chips) and squash the banana.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl using a wooden spoon (oatmeal, flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder, baking soda).
3. Using an electric mixer (preferably with the dough hook endings), mix in the wet ingredients: softened butter, egg, aromas, banana, yogurt.
4. Once you have made a compact mixture, add the chocolate chips and mix them in well.
5. Cover a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Shape the cookies (don't worry, the dough should be a bit more sticky than usual, although you can add a bit more flour if need be) and place them on the baking tray.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at 175°C.

U susret Lammasu

Justin Ashton - Super Moon AZ

Pišući ritual za Lammas, zapitala sam se: "Što ovaj sabat znači za mene?". Naposljetku, trebala sam od nekud krenuti i pronaći osnovnu ideju koju bih provukla kroz ritual. Smatram da je jasno određivanje cilja i osnovne ideje izuzetno važno za kvalitetnu koncepciju bilo kojeg rituala. U potrazi za novim spoznajama i inspiracijama sam se prisjetila misterija koji se kriju iza ovog sabata, pa evo plodova mog razmišljanja (prikladna metafora s obzirom da se radi o blagdanu prve žetve, odnosno prvih plodova).

Ove godine je Lughnasadh/Lammas poseban jer je 31. srpnja ujedno i puni Mjesec! I to ne bilo koji puni Mjesec već plavi Mjesec. Stvarno posebna prilika za magijske radove. Puni Mjesec se općenito povezuje s vodom s obzirom na njegov utjecaj na plime i oseke na Zemlji (zbog svoje gravitacije "povlači" vodu prema sebi u određeno doba dana pa nastaju plime), a voda se opet povezuje s pročišćenjem i emocijama (zbog njihove fluidnosti). Tako je s vremenom nastalo vjerovanje da puni Mjesec ima purgativna svojstva te da je dobro iskoristiti njegovu energiju za pročišćavanje sebe, odbacivanje negativnih emocija i utjecaja, a time i za meditaciju na istome kako bi se uopće spoznalo što se treba odbaciti. Puni Mjesec ujedno predstavlja nove početke i krajeve cjelina (kad jedna cjelina završi, druga počinje), a ova karakteristika dodatno dolazi do izražaja sada s obzirom na to da su u ovom razdoblju tri planete retrogradne (Venera, Uran i Saturn). Stoga se njihova uobičajena djelovanja preokreću. U ovo ne bih u detalje ulazila, ali predlažem da pročitate ovaj članak ako vas više zanimaju recentna astrološka zbivanja. Svakako, ovo spominjem jer su i Lammas i puni Mjesec prikladni dani za introspekciju, refleksiju na prošlost, odgovorno promišljanje odluka, suočavanje sa strahovima, shvaćanje vlastitih emocija i savladavanje prepreka. Sve u svemu, radi se o razdoblju velikih promjena. Zbog ovoga sam u ritual odlučila uklopiti pomalo od svega navedenog - meditaciju na prošlost i njezin utjecaj na sadašnjost, na dosadašnje postupke i uzroke tih postupaka, ishode odnosno plodove uloženog truda i tako dalje.

Proučavajući dublje misterije Lammasa (nevezano toliko uz puni Mjesec), zaključila sam da mi do izražaja ove godine dolaze požrtvovnost, kauzalnost i recipročnost. Da pojasnim, požrtvovnost je centralni aspekt ovog sabata jer se slavi prva žetva. Pagani shvaćaju žetvu kao samopožrtvovni čin uroda koji se predaje kako bi ljudi imali na čemu živjeti tijekom nadolazećih hladnijih mjeseci. Utjelovljen u plodovima, Bog se također žrtvuje pa on za ovaj blagdan postaje Starješina, odnosno Mudrac, a Božica prelazi u aspekt Starice.

Ne postoji bolje vrijeme za osvijestiti svoje postupke i izvući iz dubine svog instinkta i prošlog iskustva potrebne mudrosti. Tome nas uče Mudrac i Starica koji su i sami mudri i prepuni životnog iskustva. Jedno od ovih mudrosti jest da će svatko dobiti onoliko koliko uloži. Odnosno, koliko se posije, toliko će se požeti (doslovno u slučaju uroda, ili metaforički). Potrebno je mnogo truda, vremena, ljubavi, upornosti, snage, pažnje i naposljetku odgovornosti da bi naša djela urodila plodom. Lammas je odlično vrijeme za meditiranje nad ovim jer se sada već mogu vidjeti rezultati višemjesečnog truda. Za Imbolc se pripremalo teritorij i čistilo kako bi se napravilo mjesta za mlade sjemenke, za Ostaru se te sjemenke sijalo (misli provodilo u djela) i do današnjeg dana pratilo kako rastu u snažne plodove koje je konačno došlo vrijeme ubrati.

Sve navedene ideje su usko povezane s drugim dvama misterijima Lammasa na koje stavljam danas naglasak - kauzalnošću i recipročnošću. Recipročnost označava međusobno djelovanje različitih čimbenika. Čovjek je ovo zaboravio i redovito djeluje jako egoistično, ne razmišljajući o tome da sve dijeli s drugima i da se sva njegova djela reflektiraju na tuđe živote. Ništa nije jednostrano. Tako i tuđa djela djeluju na nas. Kada bi svaka osoba imala na umu da nije sama na svijetu i da sve sile djeluju recipročno, život bi bio puno lakši i ugodniji. Poljoprivredni aspekt Lammasa odražava misterij recipročnosti jer ističe da čovjek mora posijati sjeme i hraniti ga kako bi dobio plod. A plod se zauzvrat žrtvuje kada za to dođe vrijeme i hrani čovjeka.

Kauzalnost je sličan koncept recipročnosti po tome što također označava međusobne veze između više čimbenika, samo sada nije naglasak na uzajamnom djelovanju, već lančanom. Odnosno, svaki uzrok ima posljedicu. Kauzalnost time uči i odgovornosti jer čovjeku neće uroditi plodovi ako ih ne posije i ako se ne brine o njima. Za to je, između ostalog, potrebna odgovornost.

Ako izdvojimo malo vremena u svojim ubrzanim životima i stanemo misliti o svojim postupcima, možemo shvatiti da nismo toliko pasivni koliko mislimo da jesmo. Ljudski potencijal je ogroman jer svako naše djelo uzrokuje valove reakcija. Potrebno je samo prisvojiti taj potencijal i energiju te krenuti u akciju. Pritom naravno ne smijemo zaboraviti na posljedice naših djela, ali svijest o našem potencijalu, odvažnost da provedemo misli u djela i ponos kojeg osjećamo kada vidimo plodove tog uloženog truda neizmjerno povećavaju kvalitetu naših života.

S ovim zaključnim mislima vam svima želim sretan Lammas! Neka vam bude inspiriran i blagoslovljen!
Vaša Witch's Cat

Welcoming Lammas

Justin Ashton - Super Moon AZ

While writing my Lammas ritual, I started asking myself: "What does this Sabbath mean to me?". After all, I had to start somewhere and find the basic idea which would serve as the groundwork for the ritual itself. I believe that clearly defining the goal and basic idea is extremely important for a quality conception of any ritual. In search of new cognition and inspiration, I recalled the mysteries behind this Sabbath, so here are the fruits of my thoughts (a fitting metaphor given that this is the feast of the first harvest, or feast of the first fruits).

This year, Lughnasadh/Lammas is special because July 31 is also the night of a full moon! And not any full moon at that, but a blue moon. This is truly a great time for magical work. The full moon is usually connected with water because of its effect on the tides (it "attracts" water towards itself  at certain times of the day because of its gravitational field which results in high tides), and water is in turn connected with cleansing and emotions (because of their fluidity). And so, in time, the belief developed that the full moon has purgative qualities and that it is best to use its energy to cleanse oneself, rid oneself of negative emotions and influences and meditate on this in order to become aware of what has to be discarded. The full moon also represents new beginnings and ends of cycles (when one chapter ends, another begins) and this characteristic is currently even more accentuated because of the three planets that are in retrograde (Venus, Uranus and Saturn). Therefore, their usual influences are reversed. I wouldn't like to go into any further detail on this subject, but I recommend you read this article if you are interested in recent astrological events. I mention this because both Lammas and the full moon are appropriate times for introspection, reflection on the past, responsible thinking about one's actions, facing fears, comprehending one's emotions and overcoming obstacles. All in all, this is a time of big changes. This is why I decided to incorporate a bit of everything in this sequence in my ritual - meditation on the past and its effects on the present, former actions and their causes, outcomes or perhaps the fruits of invested labor and so on.

Deeper research of Lammas mysteries (unrelated to the full moon) led to me conclude that, this year, at least for me, the most prominent aspects of this Sabbath are sacrifice, causality and reciprocity. To elaborate, sacrifice is a central theme of this Sabbath because this is the time of celebration of the first harvest. Pagans understand harvesting as the self-sacrifice of the crops which surrender themselves so that people may have something to live on in the oncoming colder months. Embodied in the crops, the God also sacrifices himself and so enters seniority at this Sabbath; he becomes the Wise Man and the Goddess matures into the her Crone aspect.

There is no better time to bring to consciousness our actions and draw out from the depths of our instinct and  past experience the necessary wisdom. This is what the Wise Man and Crone, who are themselves filled with wisdom and life experiences, teach us at Lammas. One of these pieces of wisdom is that everyone gets as much as they invest. That is to say, you reap what you sow (literally in the case of the crops, or metaphorically). A lot of labor, time, love, persistence, strength, energy, care and finally responsibility are needed for our actions to bear fruit. Lammas is a great time to meditate on this because the results of our several-month-old labor are finally becoming visible. For Imbolc we prepared the ground and cleansed it to make room for new seedlings, at Ostara we planted our seeds (turned ideas into actions) and to this day followed their growth into strong fruits which are finally ripe for the picking.

All of the listed ideas are closely connected to the other two mysteries of Lammas which I am putting emphasis on today - reciprocity and causality. Reciprocity signifies a mutual influence of different factors. Man has forgotten this and often acts very egoistically, forgetting that he shares everything with everyone else and that all his actions are reflected in the lives of others. Nothing is one-sided. In this sense, others' actions also affect us. If every person would keep in mind that they are not alone in the world and that all forces act reciprocally, life would be much easier and much more pleasant. The agricultural aspect of Lammas mirrors the mystery of reciprocity in that it emphasizes that man has to plant and feed a seed in order to get fruit. This fruit in turn sacrifices itself when the time comes and feeds man.

Causality is a similar concept to reciprocity in that it also signifies an influence between different factors, except this time, this influence isn't reciprocal but rather causal. Essentially, every cause has an effect. Causality thus teaches us to be responsible because man will not get a yield if he doesn't plant any crops in the first place and doesn't take care of them. For them to grow, responsibility is needed, among other things.

If we take some time out of our busy, fast lives and stop to think about our actions, we can understand that we are not as passive as we may think. Human potential is vast because each of our actions causes ripples, even waves of reactions. All we need to do is make this potential and energy our own and take action. Although, in the process, we must not forget about the repercussions of our actions, but the mere consciousness of our potential, boldness to turn our thoughts into actions and the pride we feel after seeing the fruits of our labor immensely enhance the quality of our lives.

It is with these last thoughts that I wish you all a blessed Lammas! May it be merry and inspired!
Yours,

Witch's Cat

"Izlaženje iz vještičjeg ormara"

Mislim da je svima bjelodano jasno da paganizam (a uz njega i wicca) nije velika svjetska religija i da je mnogo ljudi jako neupućeno u vezi njega. Ova neupućenost nerijetko vodi do zabluda. Naravno, ne krivim ljudi što su neupućeni, ili ako su zbog dezinformacija dobili krivi dojam o nečemu jer ne mora svakoga sve zanimati. Ipak, za nas koji prakticiramo ovu duhovnost, to može predstavljati problem.

Neki od vas su se možda našli u situaciji da žele svojim bližnjima, ili čak široj zajednici obznaniti svoju vjeroispovijest i stavove iz raznih razloga - naprosto da znaju, da možete prakticirati svoja vjerovanja na miru i više ne tajiti nešto, kako biste sebi olakšali  malo život, približili svoju vjeru drugima (i time razbili neke predrasude) i tako dalje. Ali pritom se redovito pojavi problem straha od reakcije drugih ljudi.

U engleskom postoji izraz koji označava obznanjivanje ovako osjetljive informacije nekome - coming out of the closet (izlaženje iz ormara). Takav se izraz najviše koristi za obznanjivanje seksualne orijentacije, iako je u zadnje vrijeme modificiran kako bi se prilagodio vještičjem/paganskom kontekstu pa je nastao izraz "coming out of the broom closet" (izlaženje iz vještičjeg ormara). Stoga ovaj post (pa čak i cijeli blog pošto je dobio po ovom izrazu naziv) posvećujem svima onima koji su ikada izašli iz vještičjeg ormara i onima koji to žele, ili planiraju napraviti.

Moj izlazak iz ormara

Započela bih post s pričom iz vlastitog života samo kako biste imali primjer pred sobom. Moj izlazak iz "vještičjeg ormara" je bio u potpunosti neplaniran, ali je sve ispalo na kraju u redu.

Počela sam proučavati wiccu još u ranoj dobi od 12 godina. Sve je krenulo kroz rasprave preko foruma gdje sam imala sreću pričati s dosta iskusnih ljudi i dobiti brojne dobre preporuke za knjige. Neke od njih sam kriomice printala i pomalo nabavljala neke dijelove obrednog pribora kako sam stizala. Među njima se našla Knjiga sjenki, athame, figure Boga i Božice i tako dalje. Sve sam to držala u jednoj ladici u svojoj sobi, a imala sam (i još imam) tu sreću da mi ukućani drže do privatnosti pa nisu imali naviku kopati po sobi.

Jednog dana, kad sam imala 14 godina, majka je tražila nešto u mojoj sobi, otvorila ladicu i ostala iznenađena kad je ugledala čudne knjige i athame. Kako reagirati? Pozvala me u sobu i suznih očiju pitala što radi bodež u mojoj ladici. Kao što vidite, situacija je bila jako nezgodna i nisam znala kako objasniti samo tu jednu stvar bez da objasnim sve. I tako sam joj krenula nekoliko sati pričati o svim svojim vjerovanjima i praksama.

Moji roditelji su katolici i pomislila sam da je najbolji način da im objasnim svoja vjerovanja taj da ih približim njihovima. Stoga sam krenula povlačiti paralele...sve koje sam mogla smisliti. Usporedbe rituala s misom i molitvom, usporedba magije s molitvom, prvoblagoslova s krštenjem, inicijacije s pričesti/krizmom, združenja s vjenčanjem i tako dalje. Objasnila sam joj temeljne doktrine wicce i odgovarala na sva pitanja koja je imala. Naravno, pitala me koristim li onaj bodež za ikakve loše stvari pa sam je smirila i objasnila da u wicci nema rezanja, krvnih žrtvi i sličnog. Imala je i brojne druge brige koje se zapravo vrlo lako moglo anticipirati s obzirom na stereotipe i predrasude o wiccanima i paganima. Ali, strpljivo sam joj odgovarala na sva pitanja i razbila predrasude koje je imala.

Sličan sam razgovor ponovila s ocem sljedeći dan. On je nešto konzervativniji od majke, ali sam uspjela i njemu približiti temu kroz mirnu raspravu. Njegova reakcija na kraju je bila samo to da nema ništa protiv mojih vjerovanja i praksi "dok god meni ne štete". 

Savjeti

Izlaženje iz vještičjeg ormara nije mala stvar i ne bi se smjela olako shvatiti. Zapravo može imati velike posljedice, kako pozitivne tako i negativne, na život pojedinca. Osnovna dilema je u tome što se ne možete ponovno "vratiti u ormar" nakon što izađete iz njega. Već sam rekla da pravljenje ovog jednog koraka može imati i jako lijepe posljedice, ali osjećam potrebu upozoriti vas i na neke moguće loše konzekvence. Predlažem zato da, ako planirate izaći iz vještičjeg ormara, postavite sebi sljedeća pitanja:

• Jesam li ja spreman/spremna?
  Potrebna je određena doza zrelosti da bi osoba izašla iz ormara. Ne mislim pritom samo na fizičku i psihičku zrelost (sposobnost da se podnose stresne situacije, sposobnost mirnog rješavanja konflikata i slično) već i na duhovnu zrelost i ispraksiranost. Naime, teško je objasniti nekome osnove svoje vjere i temeljne svjetonazore ako ih i sami niste dobro definirali i proučili dovoljno toga da izdvojite ključne stvari, ili baš ono što je potrebno za približiti temu sugovorniku. 
• Jesu li mi bližnji spremni?
  Ako objasnite sve svojim bližnjima, a oni nisu spremni čuti to, ili nisu u stanju to prihvatiti iz raznoraznih razloga (ovo se kosi s njihovim svjetonazorima, konzervativniji su pa to jednostavno percipiraju kao nešto loše uslijed utjecaja medija, dotadašnjeg odgoja, stereotipa, predrasuda itd.) onda se može dogoditi upravo suprotno od onog što želite. Umjesto da vas zbliži i da vam donese slobodu, može vam donijeti brojne restrikcije i udaljiti vas od osobe/a (npr. prijateljska/ljubavna veza može oslabiti, roditelji mogu zabraniti određene stvari i tako dalje).
• Postoji li uopće potreba za izlaženjem iz ormara?
  Ponekad jednostavno još nije pravi trenutak i nema potrebe za tim jer se stvari neće promijeniti time što javno iskažete svoje mišljenje. Uostalom paganizam, wicca, vještičarstvo i njima srodne prakse su prilično privatne te ionako nisu namijenjene za velike krugove ljudi. Stoga nema potrebe šetati okolo s natpisom oko vrata na kojem piše "ja sam pagan/wiccan/vještica".
• Hoću li se nametati ako poduzmem prvi korak?
  Savjetujem da se pitate biste li se vi nametali sugovorniku kada biste mu/joj išli pričati o svojim stavovima. Ovo nije tema koja se može "usput" spomenuti tijekom kave, a može uzrokovati i nesuglasice. Zato se obične pusti drugu osobu na pokrene dijalog o tome. Tuđa vjeroispovijest ne zanima svakoga. Dapače, za dosta ljudi to uopće nije važan faktor u prijateljstvu/vezi, ili bilo kakvom drugom odnosu. Uz to, nepisano pravilo u paganizmu jest da nema prozelitizma, a upravo time što prvi spominjete ovu temu i branite svoju vjeru i stavove (što će neki shvatiti kao promoviranje), ovo se može shvatiti kao pokušaj obraćenja, ili nametanja.
• Kako želim izaći iz vještičjeg ormara?
  Uvijek je dobro imati razrađen sistem i pristup, znati što želite reći i na koji način te znati što bi bilo bolje izbjegavati s obzirom na sugovornika. Ovo se blisko veže uz prvo pitanje jer ako vam je u planu samo početi kričati na drugu osobu ako ona krene kritizirati vaše stavove i objašnjavati kako je to što radite "loše za vas", onda radije nemojte uopće napraviti ovaj korak. Agresivne reakcije poput mahanja ruku, povisivanja tona, vrijeđanje tuđih svjetonazora kao metoda obrane vlastitih i slično su osuđene na propast. Ako niste u stanju mirno prodiskutirati o ovome s nekom osobom i odgovarati na njihova pitanja, onda možda nije pravo vrijeme za vas.

Pozitivne strane

Nakon što sam roditeljima objasnila sve, imala sam osjećaj kao da mi je kamen pao sa srca. Više se nisam morala skrivati s knjigama, ili čekati da izađu iz kuće da mogu napraviti ritual. Mogla sam biti ja. Mislim da je svima onima koji izađu iz vještičjeg ormara lakše jer ne moraju živjeti dvojni život i konačno mogu slobodno prakticirati svoju vjeru (iako ne mogu dovoljno naglasiti da slobodno prakticiranje i nametanje nisu jedna te ista stvar).

Druga dobra strana ovoga jest to što vam se počnu otvarati nova vrata. Ako nesputano razgovarate s ljudima o svojoj vjeri, postoji mogućnost da ćete upoznati istomišljenike. To se meni dogodilo, a vjerujem i većini onih koji su ovo učinili. Stvari se jednostavno poslože. Sve krene tako da se kroz priču i poznanstva upozna ona jedna osoba koja vas upozna dalje s još dvoje-troje ljudi i od tu sve krene svojim prirodnim tokom. Tako sam sada blagoslovljena priličnim krugom ljudi (prijatelja) s kojima mogu slaviti sabate i na druge načine prakticirati paganizam.

Doduše, dosta ljudi uspije naći krug istomišljenika i bez da u užoj ili široj javnosti izađe iz ormara. Ali tada je problem to što se ne skriva samo osobna praksa, već praksa više ljudi, što je mnogo teže.

Negativne strane

Moram priznati da osobno nisam imala negativnih iskustava nakon svog izlaska iz ormara jer sam odlučila reći samo svojim bližnjima - obitelji, najbližim prijateljima, partneru. Imam sreće da su oni svi vrlo tolerantni i da su bili voljni me saslušati do kraja. Izbjegavala sam ovu temu s ljudima iz akademskih/poslovnih krugova i s onima s kojima nisam toliko bliska iz više razloga koje ću navesti u ovom podnaslovu.

Ako vas osoba kojoj govorite voli, veće su šanse da će vas voljeti bez obzira na vašu vjeroispovijest, ili će u najmanju ruku naučiti to tolerirati/poštivati/živjeti s tim. Zato ja nisam govorila ljudima s kojima nisam jako bliska.

Primjerice, ako ovo objavite cijelom svijetu na nekoj društvenoj mreži, ili krenete o tome pričati na poslu/fakultetu/u školi, krene se "pričati o vama". Te priče mogu donijeti mnogo neugodnih situacija, komentara i redovito osuda. U ekstremnim situacijama su ljudi znali izgubiti posao, dobiti "lošu reputaciju" zbog izmišljenih gluparija, gubiti prijateljstva, poslovne/akademske prilike i kontakte i biti namjerno/nenamjerno "kažnjeni" od strane zajednice za to što su drukčiji.

Zbog svega ovog neki odlučuju "ostati u ormaru" jer je to (1) linija manjeg otpora i (2) jer im moguće negativne posljedice prevažu nad pozitivnima.

Nekima je drago potajice prakticirati svoju vjeru jer im omogućuje kvalitetnu praksu (ne gube vrijeme jer znaju da trebaju kvalitetno iskoristiti ono malo vremena što imaju za to, koncentriraju se na ono najvažnije, ne moraju se baviti eksternim problemima koji bi im ometali praksu i nemaju neke prepreke koje bi inače imali). Drugima je važnija sigurnost i privatnost pa su i s te strane mirni jer, naposljetku, kako će vas netko napadati, ili kršiti privatnost ako ne zna odakle krenuti (niste ništa odali po ovom pitanju o sebi pa vas se nema na temelju čega napadati).

Istina je da izlaženje iz ormara može imati negativne posljedice, ali je zato potrebno prosuditi situaciju odnosno vlastitu spremnost, toleranciju okruženja te moguće ishode. Konačna odluka i odgovornost su na vama.

Moje mišljenje je da je uvijek bolje izaći iz ormara ako je to ikako moguće, mada razumijem da se mnogi ne nalaze u poziciji da tako mogu postupiti. Takvima savjetujem da izvuku najbolje iz vlastite situacije. Smatram da je izlaženje uvijek bolja opcija jer oslobađa pojedinca, zbližava ljude, proširuje vidike i stvara brojne nove mogućnosti.

Žao mi je jedino što ne mogu dati konkretnije savjete na ovu temu jer znam koliko je ona važna i aktualna za velik broj ljudi danas (dobivala sam više e-mailova s ovim upitom). Svaka osoba ima specifičnu situaciju pa prema tome ne postoje generičke upute koje vrijede za svih. No, dobre misli vodilje za svakoga su, barem po mom skromnom mišljenju:

• dobro procijenite situaciju prije nego se upustite u išta
• pustite sugovornika da načne temu (bilo u razgovoru, ili u prikladnoj situaciji kao što je bila moja)
• ne lažite osim ako ne morate kako biste spasili nešto (ljudi redovito lažu poslodavcima, kolegama, ili ljudima s kojima nisu previše bliski kako bi izbjegli konflikte i negativne posljedice koje će imati većeg odjeka u njihovim životima poput gubljenja posla) iako je čak i tada laganje diskutabilno (npr. koliko je opravdano lagati partneru o ovome samo kako biste spasili vezu/brak jer time zapravo gubite svoj integritet, povjerenje partnera i skrivate dio svoje osobnosti)
• ne reagirajte agresivno i burno tj. uvijek budite smireni

Želim vam puno sreće i mudrosti na daljnjem putu! Nadam se da će vam moji savjeti i osobno iskustvo koristiti. :)

Do sljedećeg posta,

vaša Witch's Cat

Coming out of the Broom Closet

It is completely clear that Paganism (and Wicca with it) isn't one of the main world religions and that a lot of people are quite uninformed with regard to it. This unawareness often leads to fallacy. Of course, I do not blame people for being uninformed, or if they have developed a wrongful belief due to receiving misinformation because not everyone has to be interested in everything. Still, for those of us that practice this faith, this can be a problem.

Some of you have possibly found yourself in the situation that you want to tell your loved ones, or maybe even a wider community about your beliefs and attitudes for various reasons - simply so they can know about them, so you can practice your beliefs in peace and not keep things a secret anymore, so you can make your life a bit easier, make people more familiar with your faith (and therefore break certain prejudices) and so on. But in the process, one problem often arises, and that is the fear of other peoples' reactions.

In the English language, the phrase "come out of the closet" signifies announcing delicate information to someone and it is most commonly used to refer to revealing one's sexual orientation. Although, as of late, it has been modified and adapted to the witchy/Pagan context and developed into the phrase "come out of the broom closet". Therefore, I dedicate this post (and even the whole blog since it got its name from this precise phrase) to all of you who have ever come out of the broom closet or plan/wish to do so.

How I Came out of the Broom Closet

I would like to start this post with a story from my own life simply so you can have a real example before you. My coming out of the "broom closet" was completely unplanned, but everything turned out ok in the end.

I began researching Wicca at the young age of 12 through discussions on a few forums where I had the honor of talking with a lot of quite experienced people and receiving many good book recommendations from them. I printed out some of these books secretly and gathered basic ritual tools in time. Among them, I got my Book of Shadows, an athame, figures of the God and Goddess and so on. I kept all this in a drawer in my room but was (and still am) lucky enough to have family members who value privacy and therefore never had the habit of snooping around my room.

One day, at the age of 14, my mother was looking for something in my room, opened the drawer and was surprised to find strange books and a dagger. How does one react to this? She called me into my room and asked me with watery eyes why I have a dagger in my room. As you can see, the whole situation was very awkward and I did not know how to explain this one thing without explaining everything. And that's how we started a several-hour-long talk concerning my beliefs and practices.

My parents are Catholics so I thought the best way to explain my beliefs to them was by bringing them closer to their own. So I started drawing parallels... any and all that I could think of: comparisons of the Christian mass and prayer with Pagan rituals, prayers with magic, Christenings with Wiccanings, initiation with holy communions, handfasting with weddings and so on. I explained to her the fundamental doctrines of Wicca and answered all her questions. Of course, she asked me if I used the dagger (my athame) for anything bad so I calmed her and explained that Wiccan practices do not involve bloodshed or any kind. She had numerous other concerns which could have very easily been anticipated given the stereotypes and prejudices regarding Wiccans and Pagans. But I patiently answered all of her questions and broke my prejudices she had. 

I repeated this conversation with my father the next day. He is somewhat more conservative than my mother, but I managed to relate the topic to him through a calm discussion. His reaction in the end was simply that he had nothing against my beliefs or practices as long as they "did not harm me".

Useful Tips

Coming out of the broom closet is a big deal and shouldn't be taken lightly. It can actually have resounding consequences, both positive and negative, on one's life. The basic dilemma is that one cannot get back in the closet once they come out. I have already mentioned that coming out of the closet can have very wonderful results, but I feel the need to warm you of the possible bad ones as well. This is why I suggest that you ask yourselves the following questions before coming out:

• Am I ready? 
  A certain level of maturity is needed for a person to come out of the broom closet. By "maturity", I don't mean simply physical or mental readiness (the ability to handle stressful situations well, the ability of resolving conflicts in a peaceful manner and so on) but I also imply spiritual maturity and ample practical experience. To elaborate, it is difficult to explain the basics of your own faith and your fundamental worldviews to someone if you yourself haven't yet defined them and haven't yet researched things enough to extract the most important pieces of information, or precisely that which will bring the topic closer to your interlocutor.
• Are my loved ones ready?
  If you explain everything to your loved ones, but they aren't ready to take it all in, or are not yet ready to accept this for various reasons (it is contradictory to their own beliefs, they are more conservative and simply perceive it all as something bad due to the influence of media, former upbringing, stereotypes, prejudiced etc.), then the exact opposite of what you want might happen. Instead of this information bringing you closer together and bringing you the freedom you so desire, it can cause numerous restrictions and increase the gap between you and them (e.g. a friendly/romantic relationship may weaken, parents can forbid certain things and so on).
• Is there really a need to come out of the broom closet?Sometimes, it just isn't the right time yet, or there isn't a real need for it because, under the circumstances, nothing would change if you gave voice to your opinions. Besides, Paganism, Wicca, witchcraft and similar practices are mainly private in nature and are not typically intended for large groups of people. Therefore, there is no need to go walking around with a sign around your neck that says: "I am a Pagan/Wiccan/witch".
• Will I be imposing anything if I make the first move?I urge you to ask yourself if you would be imposing yourself or your beliefs on your interlocutor if you decided to talk to them about your beliefs. This is not one of those topics that you can just throw into the conversation, or casually bring up during a coffee; it may even cause misunderstandings and heated debates. This is why we usually leave it up to the other person to make the first move. Other peoples' faiths don't have to interest everyone. In fact, this isn't of the least interest or import to a large number of people when it comes to both friendly, romantic or any other type of relationship really. In addition to this, there is an unwritten rule in Paganism that forbids proselytizing and by bringing up this topic first and defending your faith and beliefs (which some people can take to be a form of promotion), some people can get the idea that you are trying to convert them, or are just trying to force your beliefs on them.
• How do I want to come out of the broom closet?
  It is always a good idea to have a worked-out system and approach, to know what you want to say and how you want to say it as well as to know what is best avoided (depending on the interlocutor of course). This is all closely related to the first question because if your whole plan is based on your yelling at the other person when they start criticizing your beliefs or perhaps try to prove that what you are doing is "bad for you", then it's best if you just don't take this step at all. Aggressive reactions such as waving your hands about, raising your tone of voice, insulting the other person's beliefs as a method of defending your own and similar tactics are doomed to fail from the very beginning. If you are not able to calmly discuss this topic with another person and answer their questions, then now may not be the right time to take this step.

The Good Sides

After I explained everything to my parents, I felt as though a large weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I didn't have to hide my books anymore or wait for them to get out of the house to perform a ritual. I could simply be myself. I think that it is much easier for everyone who comes out of the broom closet because they don't have to live a double life and longer and can freely practice their faith (although I cannot emphasize enough that freedom of practice and imposition of practices/beliefs is not the same things).

Another good side to this is that many new doors start opening. If you are uninhibited during conversations about your beliefs, there is a chance that you will meet people that share these beliefs. This happened to me, and I believe to most others that took this step. Things just seem to fall into place. It all starts by meeting (through conversation and acquaintances) that one person who introduces you to another two-three people and from then on, things take their natural course. So now, I am blessed with a considerable circle of people (friends) with whom I celebrate the Sabbats and practice Paganism in other ways as well.

However, some manage to find a circle of people with whom they can practice even without "coming out" publicly (either to a narrower group or a wider public). But the problem with this is that these people are left hiding not only their own practices, but also the practices of their co-practitioners, which is much more difficult.

The Bad Sides

I have to admit that I personally did not have any negative experiences post coming out of the closet because I decided to tell only the people I am closest to - my family, closest friends and partner. I am lucky and grateful that they are all tolerant and that were willing to listen to my story until the end. I avoided the topic of faith/religion with people from my academic/work circles and those that I wasn't that close with for several reasons which I will mention in this heading.

If the person you are talking to loves you, there's a greater chance they will still love you no matter your religion/faith, or they will at the very least learn to tolerate/respect/live with it. This is why I didn't tell people I am not close to.

For example, if you declare this to the whole world on a social network, or start talking about it at work/college/school, people start to gossip. This can lead to many unpleasant situations, comments and often enough disapproval. In extreme situations, people lose their jobs, get a "bad reputation" because of made-up silliness, lose friends, miss out on academic/business opportunities and contacts and are either intentionally or unintentionally punished by their community because they are different.

Due to all this, some people decide to stay in the broom closet because this is (a) the line of least resistance or (b) because the negative consequences outweigh the positive.

Then there are always those that prefer to practice their faith secretly because this enables a quality practice for them (they don't waste any time knowing that they have to use the little time they have the best they can, they concentrate on what is most important, don't have to deal with external problems which would otherwise interfere with their practice and don't have some obstacles which they might otherwise have). Others just value their security and privacy and are at peace when they decide on this option because, after all, how can someone attack a person or invade their privacy if they don't even know where to begin (this person hasn't revealed anything about themselves with regard to this so people don't have any basis for offensive actions).


It is true that coming out of the broom closet can have negative repercussions, but this is why it's necessary to estimate the situation and one's own preparedness, the tolerance of one's surroundings and the possible outcomes. The final decision and the responsibility are on you.

It's my opinion that it is always better to come out of the broom closet if possible, although I understand that many aren't in the position to take this course of action. To these I can only suggest that they make the best out of their situation. I believe that coming out is always a better option because it generally frees a person, brings people closer together, widens horizons and creates many new possibilities.

I am only sorry that I cannot give any more concrete suggestions on this topic because I know how important and current it is for many people today (I have received several e-mails with questions on coming out of the closet). Every person's situation is specific, so general instructions cannot exist. But I would like to single out a few good guidelines which I believe can be useful for anyone in any situation of this type:

• Evaluate the situation as best you can before taking any action
• Let your interlocutor introduce this topic (be it through discussion, or in an appropriate situation as was my case)
• Do not lie unless you absolutely have to in order to save something (people often lie to their employers, colleagues or people they are not that familiar with to avoid conflicts or negative consequences which would have a large impact on their lives such as losing their job), although lying is arguable even then (e.g. is it justified to lie to your partner about this in order to save your relationship/marriage because, in the process, you lost your integrity, your partner's trust and also hide a large part of your persona)
• Do not react aggressively or rashly i.e. try to always stay calm

I wish that you have a lot of luck and wisdom on the journey that follows! And I hope that my advice and personal experience will be of some use to you. :)

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat