Celebrating in Secret?

[LadyDorothy]

So, no one where i come from knows that I'm a pagan and I'd love to be able to celebrate holidays without anyone knowing.

I'm really tired of letting holidays pass by when I know that there is so much out there that others can do.

Any ideas for mini-rituals or something I can do that may have some significance?

Thanks for any ideas!

[Rae'ya]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

Do you live in your own house? If you do then you can do all sorts of things without anyone knowing.

If you share a house with people who you don't want to know your practices there are still things you can do. Many of the standard neo-pagan holidays are seasonal, and so having a little altar with seasonal colours, fruits, flowers or other vegetation shouldn't raise too much suspicion, even if it's just a vase of flowers and leaves on a cloth of a certain colour. The colour correspondences tend to match with the seasons, so if you're brave you could invite family and friends to dinner and say its a 'Winter theme' for fun. They needn't know that there is deeper symbolism than that. Otherwise bake a meal that corresponds with the celebration and just say that you want to practice your cooking skills. Go out by yourself for the day and do some quiet contemplation in the local park. Close the door to your room and meditate or perform a little ritual. Even just mentally acknowledging the date and occasion can mark it and is enough in the short term until you can do something bigger.

[wisp]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

Candles can also be a simple, non-suspect way of celebrating. As can incense. Also some secular or Christian holidays are close to/on the same dates as pagan ones and share similar rituals, so just devote your own acts to your beliefs. (bobbing for apples at halloween/samhain, burning a yule log, eggs and bunnies at easter)

[chris1987]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

People think I'm a little strange anyway so usually they kind of wave me off as just being normal for me so I can usually get away with a small celebration. Depending on what it is my celebrations normally involve a Ritual with candles, incense, and my offerings. If anyone asks I just tell them this is my relaxation time and I go to my room and shut my door (I would do more outdoors type rituals but I live in Apts so it's a bit hard to do that) Sometimes I will take a ritual bath and I will cook or bake something and use some of what I make as an offering. For Beltane on the 30th of April I left a candle burning through the night (It was nice an safe so no worries) And on May 1st I lit new candles and spent most of my time outside and even had lunch under my favorite Willow tree. Then I came in and took a bath with ritual herbs and salt and I had a ritual with the God and Goddess and left and offering for the Faeries on my windowsill. No one know I am Pagan (I basically told my dad even though I didn't get into details but I think he thinks it's a phase but oh well) But most of the things are pretty normal for me even before I was Pagan so I can easily get away with most of it. But if some things aren't normal for you to do and someone catches you, you can always tell them your trying something new or trying to relax. Anyway I wish you luck and I hope everything works out for you. Blessings to you

[Gleb]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

I am Kemetic, and in ancient Egypt grenade-juice was considered as life-prolonging. During every celebration of mine, I drink several glasses of grenade-juice especially in honor of the Gods I believe in.

[LadyDorothy]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

Thats awesome! I never knew that... then again, I know almost nothing about Kemeticism (sp?) so that's not very surprising.

[Chessa]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

I have friends who are Wiccan that I celebrate with, and so far, no one has noticed that we always "hang out" in the park around Pagan holidays.

[PsykhikosAnarchosNautikos]

Re: Celebrating in Secret?

I don't really celebrate the holidays because I've been forgetting since I got into Wicca (almost ten years... not a very good pagan) but I do enjoy going outside and lying in the sun or under the stars toward the moon and being with nature. I listen to the sounds of nature as it lulls me into an meditative state as I do breathing exercises, chants or feeling the magical current of the outside environment, you could do it to get in touch with the holiday spirits and you wouldn't look any different than a sun bather.

I think simple gestures and communication with an honest and loving heart are good enough gifts for the Divine if you live in an unaccepting or cluttered environment. Taking a walk on Lughnassadh and enjoying the sun with a cane (to represent his spear), or ordering/making a specific meal of the said holiday and offering the pleasure and energy of your meal to the Divine, or ask them to be with you. Light some simple table candles (that you could even 'carve' etheric symbols of the holiday/Deity so no one notices). Little things like that. That's what I do when I remember or leave a quick offering in nature to the little Faerie houses I may come by on a stroll through nature.