So, I’m researching when is the next upcoming high rite to attend at Cedar Light Grove*, which is on February 1st. In this I am reminded of feeling a bit of being different in rituals of past. I usually attend the high rites (which is pretty much the Pagan equivalent to only going to church on Easter and Christmas if you were Christian) because I thought it would be nice to be a bit more social. Maaaaaaan, I feel like a fly in the milk there. The people at the Grove are very nice but I miss being around people who look like me. It sucks when you scan the crowd at the circles and it’s pretty much nothing but White faces and you’re clearly the only Black person there. That and continually thinking, “Good gods, can we get some Mos Def or Lupe Fiasco up in here when we do the music or rhythm parts? At least some ?uestlove,” while time checking the phone sneakily, wondering when ritual will be over.
I have brought it up, of course, to one of the higher ups of the Grove, Ms. Karen. She mentioned that there were Black members of the Grove at different times in the short history the grove has been there but they never seem to stay for the long haul. One thing I do like about Ms. Karen is that she reminds me of Ms. Donna, who I got my first bearings from in Paganism and is thus, fairly straightforward. However, even she jumped quick to mention that they’re not ousting minorities, the minority members are just leaving for their own reasons. I didn’t think the Grove would do anything major to drive people away but it would be nice if some Black Pagans stuck around longer. (Hence why I put up the place’s name and their next high rite in the first two lines of this piece, hint hint.) She suggested that I talk to one of the further higher ups on having a workshop series there for Black Pagans. Although, I didn’t really get a chance to really talk to the people I needed to because it was super late night and discussing business while super sleepy is generally a bad idea. Updates on that will be in the future if I’m successful or not.
I think when I’m there, it reminds me usually of the feeling I get when I’m in massively White spaces…because it’s a massively White space. Sometimes I’m hesitant, just waiting for someone to say something or do something racist and or classist, usually in the form of a micro-aggression. And usually, it happens. When I was at now-defunct Mystickal Voyage, it was someone trying to tell me that slavery ended in 1865 but women are still oppressed today so somehow, I don’t experience racism (nor sexism since apparently by her logic, Black women don’t exist) and that I’m being a wet blanket about a throwback topic from the 1950s. Riiiiight. And I couldn’t really freely interact because being a Black person (or really, any minority) in a majority White space, you have to watch what you say and do because the last you need is someone thinking you gave them the pass to be as openly bigoted as possible and as strongly as possible. I can’t really joke about the fact I was raised in the inner city because someone is going to make a “ghetto” joke or even say the n-word because “Oh hai, a Black person is here and they’re talking about the hood! Let me show how street I can be, freshly learned from Macklemore, Gwyneth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus!” Dude, no.
Let’s pause for a second. I don’t care what anyone else feels, Black, White or otherwise. But I don’t like nor can really stand the n-word. I don’t say it. I don’t like it when others say it either. Not “I don’t mind when Black folks say it but White people can’t.” It’s “I don’t like anyone saying it, Black or White. It’s a crappy word. The end.” Just don’t say it. Seriously. Especially if you’re White. Reaffirm your Whiteness in other ways. Like, join the Tea Party or Westboro Baptist Church or something.
Moving on – I don’t like the feeling I get because I can’t really be me if I have to be on guard regularly. I don’t have to worry about rape jokes, that’s nice. I don’t have to worry about homophobic jokes, huzzah because I don’t like hearing them. The atmosphere is pretty progressive but the thing is, it always seems like race is the last frontier for people to be actually progressive on. Since folks are so afraid to talk about racism (and racism intersectioned classism) because it involves deconstruction of Whiteness and bringing a lot of fetid cesspool thinking to light and people not always feeling happy about themselves or the cultures they were raised in, they just power straight through blindly with all the hidden bigotry they can muster. You know, having the Isis statue with the ski slope nose but freaking out at the person who mentions that Isis shouldn’t have a ski slope nose…nor be lighter than Beyonce or Nicki Minaj. Being ok with having a Yemeya statue that looks like Brighid but nearly going into convulsions when someone brings up that Yemeya should be waaaaaay darker than that. Like, making her darker than 12:01 AM would be more accurate than having her lighter than 12:01 PM. Basically, it’s hard being comfortable somewhere where you should be comfy because you have to worry about been seen as an object to interact with than a individual person.
Thing is, being in White dominated spaces, it’s hard to have a list of topics to talk about. When I’m around other minorities or simply other Black folks in the same backgrounds I’m in, I can talk more freely about things because in case I make a fleeting reference to race or culture, I’m not going to be most likely greeted with micro-aggressive racism/classism right out the gate because the other folks understand where I’m coming from. There’s no risk of hearing, “Not all White people are like that”, or “Well, that’s just your opinion”, or “Isn’t that racist against White people? If the roles were switched, people would be crying racism,” because if I just want to talk about Whitewashing of deities, how Pagan media is so snowpiled to the point it’s almost phony when people say that the face of Paganism is diverse…but somehow keep showing White person after White person after White person, then I want to talk about it without having to hear people trying to reinforce the status quo. I want to be able to talk seamlessly about things, not pit stop every five minutes to explain cultural differences because the person I’m talking to didn’t understand my reference, or worse, learned about the reference from whatever Seth MacFarlane has made and The Wire.
Hey, I still remember the one time one of the other folks at the Grove touched my hair without my permission. I have OCD. Not “Oh, I’m so ocd about how my pens are lined up”, I mean, I have been officially diagnosed with it at least three times. I have had very poor experiences in regards to the fact folks just seem to think I have zero need for personal space (actually, I need a lot, usually). I also have several years (around a decade or so) in martial arts training. I don’t like it when people grab my hair, plain and simple. I’m not a petting zoo. Though the person apologized fairly profusely, it still bugs me because I’m natural haired and it’s really common in White spaces for some random person to up and go yink! if you happen to have an afro or dreads. While I surprised myself for not hitting anyone (remember, I’m a martial artist and this happened behind my back), I still don’t appreciate anyone just randomly touching my hair/head in any way, shape or form. Plus, it makes me concerned that it could happen again in the future because just like any Black person who has been in mixed crowds, just because you explain you don’t like something done to you doesn’t mean folks are going to respect that and stop doing it. If that were the case, racism probably would have been solved a long time ago, ditto with other forms of oppression and bigotry.
I’m Black, I can’t separate that from my identity. I don’t want to either. It’s nice that some Pagan groups want to put in more effort than others but something is not attracting and keeping Black Pagans to stay with these groups. This doesn’t mean that the groups are pretty much Stormfront in eco-safe clothing, there’s just something in the culture that doesn’t allow minorities to really be themselves or to still feel very alone. That can make many Black Pagans feel like it’s time to move on or, like me, just come only during the high rites instead of being a more dedicated member and part of the group.
So, if you’re in the DMV area and you want to spend Imbolc somewhere new, go to Cedar Light Grove. I am not sure if they have overnight rituals every high rite (they did for Winter Solstice and Samhain), but pack a sleeping bag if they do and you want to stay the night. It would be nice to see more diverse faces.
Next week is The Arts!, here is what is being featured:
– Dee1
– Love! Love!
– Deino3330
*This post is not for the intended purposes of shading, reading, criticizing, slighting or dissing Cedar Light Grove. For the most part, they’re pretty ok.
Black Witch 
Can you start your own group or have a meet up?
Thing is, I’ve tried and so have others but it doesn’t seem to work out. I know for BW meet ups, very few people show or no one at all. It would be smart to start where there’s already an established place dedicated for Pagan worship so people don’t have to worry about being outside or anything. It’s a frustrating issue.
Out of curiosity, does CedarLight seem any whiter than other Pagan groups you’ve gone to, locally or otherwise? Over the last 10 years, there’s been a slow increase in racial diversity at Pagan events in the Twin Cities. Druid stuff I’ve gone to tho, tends to be very white. Personally, I try not take criticism of Anything a White Person does personally. I think some white folks are just not used to be around those of other cultures and they get nervous, I wonder if that is why they forget basic etiquette like don’t touch other people without permission? They seem to have this OMG I must prove how *not* racist I am by making culturally savvy comments and randomly praising MLK/Obama. Frankly I just get more and more embarrassed by them.
They’re about as White, culturally and physically, as all the other Pagan get togethers I’ve been to with the super occasional minority (I think I’ve seen one regularly and the other two are once, all near passing grade so you’d have to really try to notice). Marginally less douchey than the usual groups in regards to race but yep, still White.
If there is a (glacial) growing number of racial diversity, that’s probably because there are some who can suffer the bullsh*t, fairly light/passing (so folks may not notice) and to be honest, I don’t like the slow pace. It’s too slow, which means that there’s a lot of work to be done because as long as Pagan events are mainly coded as White/a thing of Whiteness, it’s not really a Pagan event to me because not everyone can come along and enjoy themselves.
Dude, a White person should be able to control themselves. Yeah, they lack the risk of a cop beating them to hell and back for even breathing wrong or stepping out their house and obtrusive laws that severely limit what they can and can’t do but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn how to act like a civil human being just because the threat of violence is absent. You’re taught in this culture to keep your hands to yourself, live up to it because there’s no excuse. Grabbing people out of curiosity is never a good idea. Ever. It’s one thing to ask first and then proceed with permission but another to go up and grab as if it’s yours.
I don’t really care what White folks are or aren’t used to or how nervous their own privilege and perpetuation of Whiteness on others make them. Any White person who goes “I love Obama/MLK” is just one that’s going “I’m tryin to be a wolf in sheep clothing but can’t figure out how to blend in.” It’s not embarrassing, it’s angering because it’s whole legacies being Whitewashed to keep up a bigoted cultural narrative, which is wildly insulting when someone says “I love MLK” but will say less than a second later “Oh my god, I am so twerkin right now, I’m gangsta! So ghetto!” because they’re still racist, they’re just making phony excuses for it.
Maybe White folks would be less nervous if they just humanized others for once.
“I don’t really care what White folks are or aren’t used to or how nervous their own privilege and perpetuation of Whiteness on others make them. Any White person who goes “I love Obama/MLK…etc”
That is exactly what I mean. Those are all their problems. Mostly ones whites in general need to get over, not just Pagans.
I wonder if the very term “Pagan” (or witch) is a barrier. There’s a certain amount of privilege embedded into “reclaiming” words like that
I’m also UU which is also very white, and while they can be clueless too they at least acknowledge that racial issues exist.
I’m getting too wordy here..will go post on my own blog.
Pagan isn’t a barrier, the modern culture of it is. It’s too White-centered, too Euro-centered and that’s a problem. That’s what I have been saying. It’s not claiming Pagan/witch that’s a problem, it’s the fact that White culture/privilege doesn’t like to leave room for anyone else.
And I agree, being unnecessarily nervous about being racist is a problem for Whites in general, not simply White Pagans, I wasn’t making it strictly for White Pagans because that would be lunatic because even if they are some Eco-friendly nut of a Pagan, they’re still White and thus benefited by that Whiteness to be ignorant as possible with little repercussions as possible but a lot of encouragement.
The UU is really White but acknowledge race problems. Yay, bag of cookies are coming in the mail for being a semi-decent group or would a gold star be more preferable. It’s cute they know about it but uhhhh, it’s still super White, apparently they’re not doing much to change or combat those issues in a way it’ll actually do anything. That’s not easy, sure, but it’s better than going “We know racism is alive and well, we’re just going to do nothing about it or go completely White Savior over it.”
I know I’m coming off super flippant but guess what? Black Witch is not the place for White Pagans (or White anyone) to come and go “Well, maybe I can inject my feelings in an issue that I could fix but naaaaah, fixing invites risk and possible discomfort” on race topics. That’s just displaying White Opinions, which is a bit annoying because you guys know what you have to do, it’s not some secret buried in some random statue in an far, distant place. Just do it instead of bothering the minorities with how everyone can get along (without disrupting Whiteness as the top place holder) because it’s hard but not impossible.
I wonder if ADF’s focus on Indo-European deities means it’s likely to be more white-dominated? Never having a non-IE deity as Being of the Occasion could make it less attractive to POC pagans because of the “no deities who look like me” problem. When I joined, one of the things I liked about ADF was that it seemed like that rule would reduce cultural appropriation (though I do still see some of that), but I guess that does kind of mean I was assuming that the membership would be mainly from IE cultural backgrounds, and if others in ADF were thinking the same way, that could be a self-fulfilling assumption. I have no direct knowledge of who typically attends ADF groves in the US, though – I live in England, and my nearest grove is a four-hour round trip away, so I’ve never actually attended an ADF ritual and have so far only met one fellow ADFer in person (who is also white).
Naaaaah, they barge in on PoC faiths (look at Voodoo, Egyptian Shamanism, Yoga, Buddhism, Santeria, etc) so the “they don’t see anyone that looks like them” excuse is out or else Ted Andrews wouldn’t be writing books on Native American beliefs. We can’t even have a space in the space meant for us so Paganism in general appears White all around. And given Wicca is how a lot of people get into Paganism regardless of race, it’s not really a good excuse for how White it is depicted.
Also, some Black folks and other minority Pagans can and also want to interact with European deities just like everyone else does, not everyone wants to stay in their respective corners but it’s the modern culture that keeps them from mingling (and this ignores the fact that there were Blacks in Europe for the longest time so some may be connecting through that). To say “ADF focuses on Euro deities, that’s probably why they wouldn’t stick around” would imply that “Voodun is Afro-Carribbean, White folks wouldn’t know how to relate so they’re not there” or “Shamanism is mainly noted as Native American, Whites couldn’t relate to a concept of a spirit animal or anything.” Naaaaaah, they just apply White out, try their best to yank it from it’s non-White roots and make sure any minority that wants part is going to be pressured out by putting up with micro-aggressions, usual racism, etc. Believe it or not, not every Black Pagan wants to pray to African deities. Isn’t that wild? And it’s not 1 out of 71687780, it’s actually more common than that. Much more. But unlike their White counterparts, can’t move as fluidly between cultural faiths because one has to deal with nonsense and the other just barges through.
Yeah, an all White/mostly White grove/coven/group is most likely not capable of preventing cultural appropriation in itself (I also don’t know how the hell you thought that rule was going to prevent any, they still interact with modern culture and it’s the UK, imperialism is your history XD). That’s pretty much an impossible idea giving the history. That’s like trusting a klepto not to steal by just telling them, “Stealing is bad, try not to do it anymore, okay? It hurts people feelings.”
And you’re the second White commenter on a Black focused blog in two days, is Pagan Soccer Mom taking a break or something?
Perhaps, but Wiccan and most other Pagan groups are mostly European based. Egyptian is probably the non-IE pantheon I see the most.
I think potentially the IE only restriction can mean less cultural appropriation but there are still problems with Hindu gods. And romanticized views of Celtic cultures.
They still gotta make space tho for minorities. When minorities make a space for themselves, White people usually scream and screech like harpies and toddlers about how the space needs to adjust to include them like clockwork. It doesn’t matter that a lot of Pagan groups are Euro-based (which is problematic by itself), it doesn’t change that minorities need space and a place to feel welcomed. And Celtic cultures are romanticized, it’s not as harshly affected as other PoC cultures due to the spectrum of Whiteness.
This is the same reason I had no contact with local pagans for a long time. I’ve been going to meetups and public rituals for over a year and I’ve been the only black person the entire time. There is an older Italian Woman but I still feel a disconnected. It’s awkward to the point where I feel I can’t laugh as loud as them or anything. I feel like the friend that everyone just puts up with a lot of times. They’ve never asked invasive questions or touched my hair without asking, even after I cut it low, but they also never talk about race. I don’t know any nonwhite pagans in person though so I put up with it.
Dang, that sucks. Talk about hesitant. Are you part of the FB group Afro-American Wiccan Society? You can probably find people through that. Not sure if they’ll be close to you, tho.
I think I’ve heard of that group but I don’t have a Facebook account. Is there another site?
This is their site but I think they have their mailing list a bit dusty since everyone else has gone onto the FB group http://www.aawiccan.org/
Okay, thanks. =D
I’m working on an article about racial diversity (or the lack of it) in modern Paganism for some time in the next few weeks, for my site over at http://paganwiccan.about.com. Not being a person of color, I want to make sure I address this topic with some sensitivity, because I realize that the social construct of white privilege tends to influence the way many of my readers often look at things. I’d like to quote a few lines from your post above, if that’s okay, obviously giving full credit to you and a link to the URL, if you don’t mind?
Which lines do you plan to use in the piece. I gotta greenlight that first before I give the ok. You can talk to me over email about it if you prefer.
Sure thing – what’s the best email address to reach you?
The Black Witch email that’s in the “contact me” section above. (Bots love emailing me in droves everytime I post it so just look there)
Chile, I’ve read your site. I’ve even commented there a few times. Good luck with those folks. They are some of the most White supremacist in their thinking. And they stay at the 6th grade level regarding race. No nuance, one-dimensional, sentimentalists thinking, all kinds of false equivalencies proposed, cliched, nonsensical, meaningless sloganeering (“We all bleed red!” “I’m colorblind!” “I don’t care if you’re black, white, yellow, red, green or purple…” “There is only one race: THE HUMAN RACE”) that has been trotted out a bajillion times even though the utterer believes they’re being astoundingly clever and are blathering this diamond o’ truth the very first time!
I’m not surprised, even I’ve seen it on Ms. Patti’s site. They can be super deranged.
Honestly, of all the topics they cover there, the fact that race isn’t among them (but a pagan testifying in court is) speaks volumes.
I must say I just started reading your blog and I love it. Its exactly how I feel about a lot of things. I don’t know if you’ve been over there, but you may like reading the blogs Black Girls Club, At the Bar, and the Blasian Narrative. They talk about black issues (and poc issues a lot) and they don’t talk about Christianity that I can see. They are also not homophobic, they are featuring an underground openly gay black rapper right now (the sites are run by basically the same people, but different content)
I will definitely check these blogs out, they certainly seem interesting. And I easily guessed the rapper you were referring to was Le1f. (He’s actually going to be a feature for BW next month XD) Thank you for posting them up.
Let me just add to the general frustration with pagan groups. I tried with the meetups with the local pagans. I was treated a lot like darksilvertree was except a lot colder. I was treated like an interloper. No one would talk to me. In fact their body language screamed “GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, DARKIE!” I’ve overheard folks asking one another “What’s SHE doing here?” derisively. Constantly asked if I’d thought about an ATR as if that would have made me ineligible to attend “their” meetups. And simply just treated like I couldn’t be REALLY serious about being pagan (most folks around here are Protestant Christians, and almost all Black folk around here are as well). After a few times of being treated like a plantar wart, I gave up on those folks and embraced my permanent solitary status.
That seems to be way common with Black Pagans, the enforced isolation and feeling like you’re and outsider.