It often happens that my Significant Other will attend family and friend gatherings without me when I am away celebrating a Sabbat with my community or when I am busy ministering to my Coven as High Priestess. This used to be a topic for heated arguments, but that is a story for another time. Now it is tolerated, if not accepted as, “The-Way-It-Is.” We plan around such times and share the news and happenings from the events afterward.
This year my Wiccan tradition’s Samhain Ritual and celebrations fell on Halloween itself so I was unable to be the Wicked Witch handing out the candy to all the Trick-or-Treaters as is our custom. My SO’s youngest son and wife DO HALLOWEEN BIG and win prizes for the most decorated and scary yard. There is always a ton of kids that visit and the older son brings his family and friends from across town for the occasion. It is a BIG Family affair and my three *gift* grandchildren look forward to everyone being there. So it hurts when I must miss it, but as High Priestess to a coven of students and Initiates that I expect to attend Sabbat events, I cannot miss because it is inconvenient for me.
(*I call them gift grandchildren because they ‘let’ me be their Grandma even though we are not family. They are wonderful gifts to me!*)
In the past, he would make excuses for my absence. (I would often respond to whoever had invited me/us, but he would still be asked when he arrived without me.) I don’t know what he would say.
This year, he surprised me when he told me that he just tells people the truth now. I asked him what the “Truth” was, and he said he told them that I was Wiccan and off attending a Sabbat with a bunch of Witches. He said he was amazed that so many people did not know what Wicca was and didn’t know there were real Witches. When they pressed him for more information, he said he told them that we celebrated the Seasons and a bunch of Gods and Goddesses and “stuff like that” and would finish with, “This is way more deep than I want to go!”
I suggested he could add that I am part of an Earth-based religion that sees the divine in all, worships many Gods and Goddesses, and celebrates the new and Full Moons each month and the 8 Seasonal changes of the Solstices, Equinoxes, and the Mid-way points in between them each year.
I’ve thought a lot about this conversation ever since with admiration and amazement. I realize that he walks this path with me, whether he wants to or not, just by being part of my life. The fact that he knew enough about my religion to know anything to tell them is wonderful and it is amazing that he is now comfortable enough with it and me that he is willing to talk about it.
This makes me so incredibly happy and full of gratitude. Once again, I am reminded that my life is full of riches.
One of them is my funny, strong, intelligent, kind, incredibly handsome, and wonderful-beyond-words SO who shares my life. He is definitely a story for another time.
Tree of Knowledge Coven 