The Pagan Problem of Easter

[@tylerdillon3745]

I'm extremely lucky in that I have "youth group leader" energy and I was always the most spiritual in my family. When I turned atheist for the better part of a decade, my mother and siblings followed suit. Now that I've been Norse heathen for a few years, my family (who is used to me being different), they've humored me and attended a household Yule ritual I held on Dec 21st. My stepdad, who comes from a conservative christian family, even assisted in 'altar boy' duties (passing out the mead, helping with candles). I'm thankful that the bonds of love in my family are stronger than religious strings.

[@UnderfedShmuck]

Wolf, without you, the Pack, and the hold as a whole I would not have had the strength to come out of the broom closet with the intensity that I have, Easter would have been hellish for me yet again, but this community has made me so much stronger in my independence and faith, thank you for everything that you do

[@northp_the_green_pale_pete]

It's sad that so many people have to hide their beliefs. In an ideal world, none of us would need to. I'm glad that the hold exists so that people can bounce their thoughts and beliefs off of each other without fear of ridicule or worse. It's a great place to be, a great community of people

[@damikey18]

Wish I could find a viking village or A village of Norse pagans here in the USA id love to be able to live amongst them and learn more Natural and exciting ways to live

[@WolfTheRed]

Check out my video where I talk about the temple I'm building in Georgia.

[@LearnItLiveItLoveItTheHavamal]

@@WolfTheRedmy grandparents came to Canada from Scandinavia. My grand father as a little boy use to wear mjolnir, the church was still a large part of the public school system back then and they told my family Mjolnir was an upside cross and he had to remove it. They told them they were devil worshippers and this that and the third, as a Dane I want to say thank you for sharing and honouring our faith. Told him he was going to hell a little boy around 10 years old, YOU’RE GOING TO HELL! Yes Hel, one day. Lmao No not good hell is bad, what why? Hel is part of life. Lmao the school didn’t understand, he didn’t understand lol.

[@revbr4v087]

the Irish Pub where i work never closes, lol. We had a really chill and fun day with our hardcore regulars on Easter.

[@axelthegreat9]

This vid is just... cozy. It's like hanging out with a father figure I've never really had. Things are getting stable enough for me to start exploring my beliefs and try to move past the angry atheist phase I've had for years. Thanks for all you do, Wolf.

[@whatfreshhell8701]

Good stuff as always. I think it's really good in particular to put out there that it's OK to not be "out" as pagan if it isn't safe since so many people push the idea that you should be loud and proud and not care what anyone thinks. It's OK to not wear it on your sleeve if you aren't at the point where you can be safely open with your faith and it doesn't make you less than anyone else. ❤

[@thewal1ofsleep]

As someone who was raised with zero religious pressure from my family in a pretty "liberal" area of New England which doesn't seem particularly heavy handed when it comes to expressions of Christianity, Easter really is just another day for me. I imagine for those who were raised in a religious Christian family, especially in the US south or other geographic area where Christianity is so interwoven with the community and local politics, Easter is something else entirely. I've been lucky enough to have a family who have never once raised an eyebrow about my beliefs (or lack of in some cases). I've never had to step foot inside of a church apart from a wedding or funeral, and I don't think my parents have either, at least since childhood anyway. With all that said, I've never felt the need to be in the broom closet. I'm not usually loudly expressing my beliefs to any and all who will listen (whether they want to or not) like a lot of Christians, but I've always felt safe exploring and practicing my spirituality as I see fit. I wish the same for every other pagan out there, and hope that the need for the broom closet will be gone at some point.

[@josephelizawright5095]

I appreciate your attention to detail. It’s taken me a long time to fully be myself. I’m not quite there yet, and this has been helpful for my basic mindset.

[@WolfTheRed]

I'm glad it helped man.

[@kitsunegolem1925]

When people say i,ll pray for you i tell them no thank you

[@missZoey5387]

I tried a church service after becoming a deistic polytheist, just to see what I'd think ya know, but then the pastor blamed mental health problems on sin. Never been back since. I was an atheist for six years before I became a polytheist, so my experience might be a bit different than folks here

[@revbr4v087]

I've been an atheist for 13 some odd years, after leaving independent fundamental baptist Christianity, been exploring polytheism for a year and change, you're not alone.

[@missZoey5387]

@@revbr4v087 thank Athena for that

[@greywolfwalking6359]

Good thought processes went into this piece.. Thank you for being a leader, n , not a sign post along the road!! There are few to many to lead n far too many to give lip service, to these issues!! Thank you! 👍🐺🧙‍♂️🦊👍

[@w0lfsouls]

Thank you for this video, Wolf. Being in the broom closet with the people closest to me like my family is incredibly hard, especially since some of them hold very harmful views about Paganism. It took me 21 years to work up the courage to come out of the rainbow closet as a gay man, but when I had to hide in the broom closet when I discovered my Heathen journey. Having the Hold, the Pack, and your videos has done wonders for me in my Heathen journey and my life as a whole and the feeling of community and support I have in the Hold is invaluable. Knowing that no matter where I am, and what I’m doing, the knowledge that the gods are always with me is so uplifting and comforting. The Hold and especially the Pack has become a sort of second home for me and I don’t take it for granted. AWOOOOO!!! 🐺

[@jt338]

I feel this comment so much. I am back in the closet, the broom closet. It's hard. When I try to be open about it, I get shut down or ignored and it sucks. I'm not trying to convert anyone, I'd never do that, but it's so hard when there is no validation. I'm glad that I found this group of people online.

[@GMSquared]

Good message, happy to be part of the community

[@coleyyy704]

It’s definitely weird being around your whole christian extended family, especially being the only pagan there. Its hard when you look/talk/act/exist differently than them. Even if they’re not rude to you, it still has a way of making you feel outcasted and out of place, which then results in feeling bad about who you are. I struggle with this every major holiday. My heart goes out to those dealing with this type of thing, I feel your pain. ❤️

[@CillianRangarsson-u2h]

I can relate I am a Norse pagan from Ireland I have been a Norse my whole life I was forced to be a catchloic by not one at heart I never felt anything towards Jesus I have always felt a pull towards the Norse gods ever since I was 4 years old now I am 24 years old I have always felt the Norse holy powers of lord Odin and lord Thor around me skal peace have a good day all hail the Norse gods of Valhalla

[@lonnienewton7165]

Also coming from a Christian background and in Arkansas this holiday was rough. I did an offering to Idunn and got criticized for “false gods” and then from others saying I did it wrong. So I was getting it from both sides. My wife is not cristian but not heathen either so I get some looks from her. It’s like I’m always being stared at and judged. I was a Pentecostal Pastor for 12 years (started at age 9 dad was a preacher as well). So I understand their glances but not their words. Thank you for this video Red! Helps some of us get through

[@LightnThunder]

Thank you so much for everything you do wolf. This video, at certain parts, made me very emotional because of how true it was. I’m glad to know someone else understands the struggle. Everything I do is watched and weighed. Sometimes what little amount of altar I do have is taken down out of pure paranoia. I have to watch everything I say and do at all times.

[@stevenhuntley8706]

13:50 this was so powerful for me when I was unable to leave the church while still in the broom closet. Just wanted to signal boost it.

[@lauriemumm3407]

I haven't had to go to church except for weddings and funerals for the last 20 years, so I'm lucky there. To me that isn't really about religion anyway, it's celebrating a new life together or mourning the loss of a friend or family member. I'm a former church worship leader and I do miss the music a lot and miss performing. It's not about the audience (I was always surprised when I got compliments) but just jamming and blending skills with other musicians. I've been studying music more in depth on my own with an eye towards writing Heathen music because I miss it so much and just want to be able to sing and enjoy Heathen songs. I live in the Pacific Northwest and in an area with multiple colleges so being in the broom closet is not a problem for the most part. I don't hide it, but neither do I shout it out. I just live my life. We do have one community nearby that is very conservative Christian and I avoid going there and definitely just smile and nod when they bring Christian stuff up. My family is spread out enough that it has never really been an issue even though I come from a large extended family.

[@danielacedillo3714]

I legit thought we were talking about odin for a minute😂 Sacrifice myself to myself.

[@davidjb20010]

I appreciate your videos Wolf. Especially dispelling the animosity towards Christianity that is so easy for us to fall into. I would like to see something of a pagan survival guide for people having to navigate being what we are in the heavily Christianized US, just practical bits of wisdom and insights on something of a niche struggle you know. Keep up the good work!

[@mbyrd9223]

Great video, so happy to see new content! BTW I'm loving the new fireside chat format! My only critique is that it's a little hard to see you at first but I really don't mind in the long run. You don't want to roast yourself alive lol. Keep up the great work and thank you for all that you do for the hold!

[@sadeejones5091]

Amazing video! I can't wait to spend 'Easter' at our very own temple!!

[@WillowtreesandChickadees]

I am feeling so lucky as a Pagan that I live in Canada. We just don't have this religious stuff up here.Sure we celebrate Easter but it doesn't seem to have to same weirdness that you are describing. Canadians view faith as something very personal and just don't talk about it. I don't advertise my Pagan beliefs but really don't have to hide it either.

[@a_autumn_brown]

Thank you for your video I’m very grateful that I don’t have to hide my paganism although it was funny because I hosted Easter this year. I live in such a bubble that I completely disassociated Jesus from it. I love rabbits and the magic. I love my children waking up to gifts from the white hare. They always hold a place on my altar this time of the year for the divine goddess and as a symbol for the fertile land beneath my feet. As for the activities we garden listen to/ read spring folklore / Land spirit folklore, dance to music with fiddles and flutes And festivities including painting eggs with pictures of our hopes and planting seeds of intention’s into them. Along with the classic egg hunt. We held a feast near the end an first things first I set aside food for our ancestors and the gods an goddesses I am close to (you see I have one altar that I set offerings out to them all) but during this time I also set out offerings of freshly make milk in my garden to the Land spirits that may bless my garden or find refuge there. We celebrate the land all season long but since I didn’t make a proper feast on the spring equinox this year , just a small symbolic dinner, and my mother, hesitantly asked me to host, i thought why not? I didn’t even remember Jesus had any part’s until after the prayer my brother in law said “in Jesus name we pray.” An I realized “oh shit, Easter is something completely different for all my guests at this table.” Which I mean is completely fine and didn’t change the day for me. They all subscribe to black Jesus so he’s cool in my book. He can sip the libations too. I don’t have a personal relationship with him but I’m not in opposition of my siblings worship to him by any means. After we continued on with the festivities and libations until everyone went home shortly after and my honey an I had a good laugh about how I don’t get out much and live in my own little world and forgot Easter was a “ Christain” holiday. We did decide we will not host again as to not make a mockery of any kind to their religion. Instead we will just have the white hare leave gifts in the children’s baskets on the spring equinox next year since that’s the only part of the holiday I truly receive joy from. And invite my family to dinner if they would like to celebrate Mother Earth with me and the coming of the season! I really hope this doesn’t come off as ignorant nor offends anyone! It’s not my intention, I really just don’t get out much and have sort of checked out of society. Anyways, yep that’s how we made it work and the story of the one time the family swamp witch hosted Easter. 😅

[@DarkTravelerProductions]

I feel so childish saying this, but as I'm watching this now and Christmas drawing nearer, my parents are coming down to see me. And even at the age of 35 I have to hide my altar, my offering bowl, and my beliefs for fear of me going to work while they're at my house, finding them, and destroying them all before I return home. Why? Because they did this in the past when I was living with them at the age of 21. That has lived with me for over a decade and still frightens, worries, and even seems to diminish me and my spirituality.

[@thepaganpirate3528]

This was truly an amazing video Wolf! I may share it to a Christian friend who I recently got back into contact with Awooooo

[@mothladdraws1545]

Thank you for making this video sir, I definitely feel this. My father is a deacon in a Greek Orthodox Christian church and I want so badly to get away from him so I can live and worship how I want, but sadly I am disabled and on Social security income. Every plan we have for me involves me being tethered to my parents in some way and it truly feels like there is no escape possible. My parents accept my witchcraft on the basis that "I just like herbs" but my father wholeheartedly believes that all non-Christian entities are demons trying to tempt me or something. I pray to the wise gods that I can be free from him one day. I'd appreciate prayers from others too, if anyone would be so kind as to give them.

[@Davlavi]

Informative as always.

[@JDBriceProductions]

Hey, a Discord! Here I come...

[@Sandppy]

Never pretend! If the way forward, chart an alternative course to the same goal. Teaching people to pretend to be something they are not only brings more shame. We will never be able to move forward if we hide in shadows. To love sometimes brings us into conflict, these are battles worth fighting

[@WolfTheRed]

I hope you aren't saying I am teaching people to be something other than they are. I was very clear that I want people to be themselves SAFELY Sometimes they might need to not tell every one everything about themselves for their own saftey.

[@Sandppy]

@@WolfTheRed do NOT put words in my mouth! There is a difference between just not telling and pretending to be someone else for others pre-determined prejudice.

[@WolfTheRed]

It feels like you're trying to put words in MY mouth mate. Which is why I was clarifying my position I was very clear on in the video. Thanks for your input.

[@ohioheathen1997]

Another great video! Thanks, Wolf!

[@doktordanomite9105]

Hey there Wolfe thanks for looking out for us, ex-catholics can feel pretty odd at these times i imagine others are similar.

[@lonnienewton7165]

Are you and ocean doing anymore of the Omnipotent Beard?

[@42fang]

Excellent words of wisdom! Nice to hear solid advice on how to be a pagan in the real world.

[@poolguyunfiltered2850]

Thank you so much for all that you, Ocean, and the rest of the Hold do for the community. Personally, I don't take much issue with Easter as I came from a pretty secular Christian family (eggs on Easter, Tree and Presents on Christmas, no clue as to what any of the other holidays meant, etc). They have always just been holidays that were spent with family. My path to Heathenry was something like this: "Hey, Jesus. I'm having a hard time believing in all the things that are being taught and the hypocritical behavior of the flock. How do I square this?" >>cricketsWHAM THUNDERCRACK BOLTS ARCING

[@ragingwitch8875]

[@destinytallent2444]

I think tht is partly why i lost my job at Waffle House. Note tht, i had been working with the same ppl for yes and I explained my mjornir necklace to one of them. I forgot how we got on the topic. I had a mild seizure episode which cemented their cause. They def treated me diff after i did tht. I thought we were friends but i overstepped apparently.

[@joshuareynolds7982]

Thank you wolf, thank you. Skål

[@EFJoKeR]

To paraphrase George Carlin a bit... I was a christian (He said catholic.) until i reached the age of reason... The second i developed the ability to think for myself, which was strongly encouraged by my mom, i started to question Christianity. And for the next decade, i looked at all the major religions world wide... None of them really spoke to me... None of them made any real sense... They were as "reasonable" as "Hansel and Gretel". Good bedtime story, with a decent moral story. But otherwise garbage. (And no, not knocking one of the best kids tales ever made.) - Then i started to look at history, which has always been a passion of mine, and i came across the eddas and other such ancient literature from Iceland... All of a sudden, many things "clicked" and i've been a norse pagan since... Well, i am from Denmark, so i guess that made it "natural" for me to gravitate towards that... But i am still trying to wrap my head around the theology of it all... But i find Wolf The Red and Ocean Keltoi to be massively good sources of information and understandings of what it means to be Pagan... So yes, my good sir... Keep up the good work... I'll still be here in a decade...

[@EFJoKeR]

Side note : Ever consider what the world would look like, if Paganism had evolved, and become the religion, that Christianity is today... Interesting thought experiment...

[@marocat4749]

I mean its good, and a very good strategy to not let fundamentalist tak that spot, putting bettr ones out thr and ,like secularism is as much protections from as of religions. Yeah th poly aproach i also way btter against fundamentalists. And yes christians myths are relative boring and watered down.

[@sembry16190]

I would really like to join your discord but I don't know how to use discord lol

[@gretchenfadden3670]

What is really hilarious is Jesus only had one thing he himself preached, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In short, and considering that he was a tradesman and probably hit his thumb often, he really just told everyone to not be assholes and let people live their lives. He just traveled around and if people wanted to listen to him they could or not. He didn't push himself on anyone. The apostles that came after he died were the beginning of the end. Those guys were pushy.

[@MjollnirMox]

I find it odd how you say people are being dragged into Church. I don't condone hiding, but I understand it. But as an adult being dragged to Church if you don't want to be there, I don't understand.

[@WolfTheRed]

Social pressures from family and friends. I agree I'll never be dragged myself but I live a doffernt life than some one who may be getting help from parents or need to hide their paganism really well and by doing so the best camo is going to church. I had a friend lost his job because his boss invited him to church and he declined. His reviews were good. He had great performance scores. Got his raises. But was let go because the boss was mad he didn't go to HIS church. There are many ways to be dragged to church that aren't clear cut as "I'm an adult and you can't make me"

[@MjollnirMox]

@@WolfTheRed Right, makes sense. That's crazy about your friend. I was raised in the NW, moved around a lot and have lived in the UK for quite a while now. Home growing up didn't ever really have the heavy Christian push. I am fortunate in that where I live and who I work for is all very to each their own and lives the inclusivity. I do still find myself putting my hammer beneath my shirt a lot though, more from the standpoint of not having to talk to someone about it.

[@thequestlordsteviequest]

Your the best Red ❤

[@JDBriceProductions]

Honestly, it is the behavior of other Christians that pushed me away from that path. Then I found the Pagan ways. I have had real encounters with spirits and deities. My life is far richer away from Christianity.