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Got reminded of this little story this morning and thought I'd share it...its one of the more shocking incidences I've had at work.
(Before I begin, I have nothing against anyone's religious preferences. I shall mention that I am an agnostic with pagan/wiccan leanings but otherwise not affiliated officially with any movement, and my fiance is a Christian. This is NOT a Christian-bashing topic...I strongly believe assholes and morons infiltrate every walk of life).
I wear a pentagram, pentacle, whatever you want to call it. It's a pewter five-pointed star, not inverted, so one point up and 2 points down. It also has a snake and a rose wound around it. I wear it all the time. It mostly has sentimental reasons for me, as I got it just before my grandfather died, but I also feel it represents the 4 elements and the spirit (the top point being a spirit- pentacles can have numerous meanings). It can also be a protection symbol.
Well, on this day, as normal, I was wearing my pentacle and a pendant with a plastic stripy zombie-bunny on it. I was serving a well-dressed and seemingly well-spoken woman and as I was packing her items, she peered at my chest and said "What is the rabbit about?"
I laughed and said "Oh I'm a bunny-lover. People nickname me Bunny/Rabbit etc, I have a real affinity with rabbits, and I love Watership Down. That sort of thing really."
Turns out this was just her way of breaking the ice.
"And what is the pentacle about then?"
*deep breath* (Can't remember my exact words but something along the lines of...)
"Well I got this just before my grandfather passed away, so its sentimental, but to me it also represents the 4 elements and the spirit."
Christian Lady: "Well, be careful."
Me: *sigh* I understand people don't always understand Wicca/Paganism or even Satanism, so I try my best to be tolerant and just inform them. "Oh its really all right, the Wiccan religion is a very white-light, loving religion. They are very into nature and they don't believe in doing to harm to others, its really quite lovely."
CL: *snippy* "Yes, I know all about it. I've read about it."
Me: If you really do know all about it, then you wouldn't have told me to be careful, you bigot. "Well then, you'll know its not the same thing as Satanism or a cult by far. Wicca is very misunderstood, but there's nothing to be concerned about. My fiance's family are Christian and they used to be scared of it too, but now they know I'm not, like going to hell or anything."
I added that last part in a very light-hearted manner. I said it with a laugh, because I was coming to the end of serving this lady...to be completely honest, although I wanted her to see there was nothing to be afraid of, I also felt that this subject matter was a little heavy to be discussing while working.
What I didn't expect however was a serene expression and a reply of:
CL: "Well, you are, you know. You are going to hell."
Me:
CL: *points* All the time you wear that necklace, you will be going to hell. You have to be careful of these things and you have to stop wearing that necklace.
Me: *wrapping up now, asking for payment, and trying to ignore her*
CL: "That symbol is dangerous and so is Wicca, and you will go to hell."
Me: *doing my job, ignoring her and getting angry. Queue behind the lady is starting to get fidgety and look awkward, hearing her words*
I was tempted to point out at this point that I am not an initiated witch of any kind, and that the pentagram is a symbol that can be interpreted in many ways (in fact, it has been used by Christianity to represent the 5 wounds of Christ and in medieval times, the 5 virtues of a Knight), but being as she was already condemning me to hell just for wearing the gosh-darn necklace, she would no doubt just preach at me more, make me angry and get me in trouble. I decided to just get her out of my queue as quickly as possible.
CL: "If you just get rid of that thing, repent and let Jesus Christ into your heart, you will be saved. Jesus loves you even if you don't realise it.
Me: "Yeah sure." *reciept is printing.
CL: "I will be praying for you."
Me: *handing over the reciept* Thanks, but I wouldn't bother if I were you, I'm not at all interested.
She walks off, with a smug expression on her face. My next customer steps up, looking shocked and sympathetic.
As CL walks off, someone further back in the queue calls out "It none of yer fuckin' business luv!"
(Note: A preacher recently told me God doesn't give a damn what jewellery I wear and only what is in my heart
).
(Before I begin, I have nothing against anyone's religious preferences. I shall mention that I am an agnostic with pagan/wiccan leanings but otherwise not affiliated officially with any movement, and my fiance is a Christian. This is NOT a Christian-bashing topic...I strongly believe assholes and morons infiltrate every walk of life).
I wear a pentagram, pentacle, whatever you want to call it. It's a pewter five-pointed star, not inverted, so one point up and 2 points down. It also has a snake and a rose wound around it. I wear it all the time. It mostly has sentimental reasons for me, as I got it just before my grandfather died, but I also feel it represents the 4 elements and the spirit (the top point being a spirit- pentacles can have numerous meanings). It can also be a protection symbol.
Well, on this day, as normal, I was wearing my pentacle and a pendant with a plastic stripy zombie-bunny on it. I was serving a well-dressed and seemingly well-spoken woman and as I was packing her items, she peered at my chest and said "What is the rabbit about?"
I laughed and said "Oh I'm a bunny-lover. People nickname me Bunny/Rabbit etc, I have a real affinity with rabbits, and I love Watership Down. That sort of thing really."
Turns out this was just her way of breaking the ice.
"And what is the pentacle about then?"
*deep breath* (Can't remember my exact words but something along the lines of...)
"Well I got this just before my grandfather passed away, so its sentimental, but to me it also represents the 4 elements and the spirit."
Christian Lady: "Well, be careful."
Me: *sigh* I understand people don't always understand Wicca/Paganism or even Satanism, so I try my best to be tolerant and just inform them. "Oh its really all right, the Wiccan religion is a very white-light, loving religion. They are very into nature and they don't believe in doing to harm to others, its really quite lovely."
CL: *snippy* "Yes, I know all about it. I've read about it."
Me: If you really do know all about it, then you wouldn't have told me to be careful, you bigot. "Well then, you'll know its not the same thing as Satanism or a cult by far. Wicca is very misunderstood, but there's nothing to be concerned about. My fiance's family are Christian and they used to be scared of it too, but now they know I'm not, like going to hell or anything."
I added that last part in a very light-hearted manner. I said it with a laugh, because I was coming to the end of serving this lady...to be completely honest, although I wanted her to see there was nothing to be afraid of, I also felt that this subject matter was a little heavy to be discussing while working.
What I didn't expect however was a serene expression and a reply of:
CL: "Well, you are, you know. You are going to hell."
Me:
CL: *points* All the time you wear that necklace, you will be going to hell. You have to be careful of these things and you have to stop wearing that necklace.
Me: *wrapping up now, asking for payment, and trying to ignore her*
CL: "That symbol is dangerous and so is Wicca, and you will go to hell."
Me: *doing my job, ignoring her and getting angry. Queue behind the lady is starting to get fidgety and look awkward, hearing her words*
I was tempted to point out at this point that I am not an initiated witch of any kind, and that the pentagram is a symbol that can be interpreted in many ways (in fact, it has been used by Christianity to represent the 5 wounds of Christ and in medieval times, the 5 virtues of a Knight), but being as she was already condemning me to hell just for wearing the gosh-darn necklace, she would no doubt just preach at me more, make me angry and get me in trouble. I decided to just get her out of my queue as quickly as possible.
CL: "If you just get rid of that thing, repent and let Jesus Christ into your heart, you will be saved. Jesus loves you even if you don't realise it.
Me: "Yeah sure." *reciept is printing.
CL: "I will be praying for you."
Me: *handing over the reciept* Thanks, but I wouldn't bother if I were you, I'm not at all interested.
She walks off, with a smug expression on her face. My next customer steps up, looking shocked and sympathetic.
As CL walks off, someone further back in the queue calls out "It none of yer fuckin' business luv!"
(Note: A preacher recently told me God doesn't give a damn what jewellery I wear and only what is in my heart
).
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