Where do you find acceptance?

For your ideas? For the secret notions you have for who you really want to be? Or think you are? Who are the friends, family or co-workers who are most accepting of your true self? And how do they demonstrate their acceptance? What is different about how they treat you than other people?

The only people who I feel truly accepted around, and who I can pretty much be my "true self" around is my wife, and my friends at VWC. They accept me for who I am, however strange that is :)

I tend to be reserved around folks I don't know, even if we have common interest. For instance, we go to a pagan group and UU here, have been for a couple months, and I'm certainly not my open, outgoing self with them yet, though I open up a bit more each time.. The connection just doesn't seem to be there yet. So I proceed with caution.

My side of the family, or at least those who know about us being pagan, accept it, doesn't mean they agree, but they don't hassle us either.

Helen's family on the other hand is another matter. :)

We live smack dab in the middle of the bible belt. It's mostly protestant's and very right leaning conservative republicans. So yea.. not much acceptance here.

I do find that there are more "in the closet" pagans here though. Use to work with about 10 or so. That was a welcome change.

I think most pagans, likely throughout the world, but certainly here, are solitary. It seems like there are a lot of meetup type groups but no covens (that I've found). The pagan group is a good compromise as they do public rituals and we do projects at the meetings.

I find it hard to relate to solitaries because I've really only done much magical work at camp. Helen and I have done some workings but they always seem like "wtf are we doing, we look silly". I prefer working in a group. Though I realize, to build personal power, I need to do my own work as well.

Guess this is the long way around saying that acceptance for me, lies with a small group of friends.

I see many ways I can help the community, without having to disclose my spiritual affiliations, and that works for me. To me the Work is what's important.