Hmmm, a week to go to the full moon and there are two, count them--*two* threads about paganism! Hmmmm......
Agreed about some pagans being a little too in-your-face and/or commercialized. Some seem to be 'in' in for the sensationalism only, which makes it very difficult for the rest of us regular folks.
While I do not typically recommend Silver RavenWolf or any of her multitude of Wiccan fluff-bunny books (they *do* have value, tho) primarilly because of her over-commercialism, I had an opportunity to meet her last May at a camp out. I braced myself for some New Age twit (unfair of me to make that assumption!) but was fortunate to share a dinner of burritos and tacos with a very down-to-earth, exhausted woman who had just been told her travel agent had failed to confirm her return tickets and she didn't know if she had a way home or to her next engagement. And Dorothy Morrison is the same....salt-of-the-earth. I suppose it's all the media glare and the band wagon effect that blinds us at times.
My daughter recently asked if she could have a skate party for her birthday in June. (like I'm planning that far ahead!) She also asked if I'd take off my pentacle (which is in celtic knotwork and very small, hardly noticeable) and not wear my hat with the "Witch" or "Naughty Witch
" pin. Her friends don't know she's pagan (her best does and has no prob) and she doesn't want them to 'hate' her. Needless to say, we had a little talk!
In the end, I asked her if she would consider it proper or fair for me to ask the other mothers to not wear their crosses/crucifixes and other religious pins/medals/icons because they were not a part of my religion. Of course, she said no, it would not be right! So, then, why should I hide?