Don't Try to Save Me

WARNING - This post deals with pagan religion – if you are sensitive about that, you probably ought to skip it.




My best girlfriend has lived in a small town for nearly 40 years but has the same religious and political leanings as she did at age 14. Here is something she sent to me, recently:

"You know the older I get, the more I consider myself an agnostic. (I just don’t have the conviction to be an atheist). I think it is worse in small town Oklahoma but Christianity is synonymous with decency and goodness. It also seems to get mixed up with patriotism. Throw a little homophobia and fear of the unfamiliar in with it and you have small town religion."






















I shared this with Husband and his response was:

"Yeah! Decency, goodness, and patriotism are overrated! Stamp that crap out, hug a homo, and eat Oriental food! There's a prescription for success.

If it weren't for "fear of the unfamiliar," there wouldn't be any religion."

Sigh. (If you knew him, you'd understand this is just his way of amusing himself by yanking my chain)


I wasn’t raised anything in terms of religion but went to Catholic schools and developed a love of the pageantry and ritual. I love the priests; I love the idea of confession (not that I have participated);I love the incense (Husband refers to the “smoking tea ball”). Although I was a practicing Baptist for a number of years in my twenties, I have generally found myself leaning more toward pagan/mystical beliefs. I began reading tarot cards as a very young girl and have several decks. Can’t say I’ve thought about them in years but I still have them and know exactly where they are.


Husband thinks all religion is insane. Girlfriend has always has the good sense and practical nature to not be interested in ancient texts, Atlantis, ghosts, apocalyptic theories or flying saucers. As for me, I SAW a UFO and ghosts still scare me. I devoutly believe in the power of prayer and think life in all living things should be respected. I want absolutely nothing to do with spell casting - Even if they are possible, I don't have the wisdom to assume I know god's plan, or the arrogance to try to control another soul's actions - I'll leave all that to god. I believe there is something bigger than we are and I believe that there is a reason for things that happen. I believe in karma and that good and bad acts/intentions come back on you.



Both Husband and Girlfriend overlook my spiritual leanings, probably because they don’t think I’m too weird about it. Fortunately, paganism isn’t an evangelical religion so there is no pressure to go out and make converts. Oh, you recognize each other if you know what to look for. You’d be surprised to know who practices and who doesn’t. But you let it slide – it is very personal unless you are decidedly odd. Hint – stay away from an evangelical pagan – chances are they are mentally ill (and not in a good way).

Which brings me to today’s court story. Nasty custody case with abuse undertones. One party accused the step parent of teaching a young girl “witchcraft.” The little girl reported that her stepmother read tarot cards and taught her about “good spells” and “bad spells.” Allegedly, the stepmother was a practicing witch attempting to recruit (and corrupt) this little lass. I found myself mentally rolling my eyes.



The father insisted that the little girl simply watched the television “Charmed” and that is where she got her information except that, yes, the step mother really does read tarot cards.

To my surprise, the court asked some very piercing questions and seemed genuinely concerned. Someone asked the father if he believed in witchcraft, which he denied. The emotion in the courtroom was rising and it occurred to me that even though we aren’t in small town Oklahoma, some things remain constant.















When it came my turn, I found myself asking a series of specific, technical questions to try to determine just how genuine the belief was. On about the third one, I realized how bizarre I must sound to the other parties so wrapped it up pretty quickly. I was left with the distinct impression that the father was either lying through his teeth or the step mother was a completely incompetent witch. Or perhaps both.



What was I thinking as we left the courtroom?

“Blessed Be! How irresponsible to not teach this little girl about the rule of three!”

But you keep this to yourself. :)

photos - a smattering of various tarot cards - I find some of them so beautiful!!