Yeah I can't say how lucky I felt that I was all concerned and my therapist was just digging to understand my discomfort rather than judging. They don't try to put Christians who believe in a man on the sky and heaven and hell on Prozac, I wonder why 🤔
@@activistwitch it doesnt go against the engrained teachings so they assume somethings wrong i find that to be crazy not my difference from social norms
Hi Ysha! Wow, this was such a great chat. Thank you for sharing. I resonate with so much of what you said. “I’ve been put in a position to have to bring more rationale, more receipts than the people around me who are white, cis, neurotypical, etc.” Yes. This is so true. No one questions the authenticity of the white passport bro presenting himself as an expert in Asian culture and history because he spent two weeks in Tokyo, but with anything I say about my own culture and history, there’s a dozen comments from non-natives asking me to show my citations. So much yes to everything in this discussion.
Gosh I can't tell you how much it means to me to know you even watch my stuff Benebell!!! Honestly the silver lining is: the research shows! Your videos and your book holistic tarot (haven't had the chance to read the others yet) are the best most reliable research in the esoterica i've ever come across!
Thank you for describing your experiences this way. It helped me but a finer point on one of the reasons I keep my personal faith so separate from my academic pursuits. Obviously, being a religious Christian harms my credibility with other scientists (because spirituality is so important to my understanding and practice of my faith), and since I'm a woman and a psychologist, I don't have a lot to begin with (granted, I'm also middle class and any number of intersecting identities that bolster it as well). Really the issue is that as a feminist and queer person, I don't really have a lot of credibility in most religious communities either. To add the "life style choice" of shaping my faith around an empirical understanding of the world is NOT helpful. 😂 This realization has helped me process the degree to which, even though I'm a Christian in the United States (and sometimes the United Kingdom), I don't actually experience the protection of that identity equally to others who share it. At all. Being twice rejected is its own particular type of threat, and while I knew that I felt twice rejected, I didn't really think I was justified in that feeling the way I do now.
@@kateexplains that sound interesting because not only in countries like the US (and Italy which is my personal example and knowledge) being Christian (catholic) is what is required to conform to the system, but also I remember the inventor lf the MRI machine was a devojt christian as wrll weren't they? As you can imagine being born and raised in the country that hosts the Vatican I have a bit of religious trauma around Christianity so I can't comment on that or the value you put on it but I find it really surprising so thank you for this comment, I learnt something new today!
I don’t like this wheel of privilege and power. It’s very.. biased .. and doesn’t help anyone. I think this wheel only breeds more hate. Growing up as one of the only white kids in a black and Hispanic area, it’s very easy to be bullied against and discriminated against by people of color. Add my religion(Christianity) to it now as an adult, along with my friends and family, despite the love and time and effort we put into the community, we are continually called nasty names in public by strangers. In our Christian community, property is destroyed and stolen constantly by people who hate us when we’ve done nothing but show love. The worst part is, our family on all sides started out very poor and our mothers and grandmothers who were all women of color, all married white or Christian males who fall under a lot of these categories. We grew up as poor minority kids but with white skin. My father in law and his son followed our Christian teachings and God blessed us in more than one way. Our dad was a white Christian man who put in a lot of time and sacrifice to save up the resources and wealth we have now. Our family has given up most of our addictions and unhealthy lifestyles. My in laws are not totally poor now but have enough money for their retirement and for us(their kids) to get a footing in a bad economy. In a few years it will be gone. And we will be one step above where our grandparents were financially but years ahead of them when it comes to our character, education, values, and skills. These are things that were possible because we embraced our suffering and chose love over other things. It’s not fair the way so many in your group treat us. It’s very mean and hateful. This wheel being spread around is just another form of attack and hate.
@@PlagueNurseOpal because we're not equals, you don't have a system working against you and this idea if appropriating victimhood when you don't understand what the wheel if privilege and YOUR privilege is, is not a position to be coddles when it's probably wrong.
@@activistwitch I get that I have privilege in this system. I’m not saying it’s okay. I empathize with your situation. Most of my family and friends are minorities growing up the way I did. I just happened to come out white. I’ve experienced 100% of what you’ve gone through as a person of “power and privilege” in an environment where things are reversed. I’ve been the minority, I’ve been poor, I’ve been well off, I’ve been uneducated, and educated. I’ve been discriminated against and in a place of no hope and loneliness when even the teachers at school don’t give you the benefit of the doubt and give you a fair trial. I’ve been spit at just for smiling and saying hello to someone and called a gringo. I’m saying the wheel makes things worse. It turns the oppressed into the oppressors in this specific system. It’s not okay. Consider instead of this wheel, loving your neighbor as yourself and how it’s different. Consider even, loving your enemies. Stop the cycle.
As always, the oppressor doesn't get to say "stop the cycle" to the oppressed who try to defend themselves. Or better, they do and try and that's why you want a piece of educational content like the wheel of privilege to not exist, so that your position is safer and more secured without caring about those lower than you in the ladder. There's always one of you, the reviews of books such as Bringing Race to the Table or "why I'm no longer talking to white people about race" are full of people like you who get offended when their privilege is called out because they cannot fathom their struggles to be individual rather than systematic. The despicable false equivalence of the idea that by merely looking at the wheel of privilege the oppressed become the oppressor show that you know nothing of systemic oppression. You just want silence.
I've been so looking forward to this video, you've perfectly put into words so many anxieties that flitter around my head. I don't have any answers, I only have a perspective based on my life, privileges and experiences. Like your spouse said, I really believe that people are always going to try and find ways to discredit us, assimilating and trying to make ourselves more palatable only really works so far, and they'll always find something. Like, they're always going to think I'm mad, so I might as well lean into it I guess? You're building a wonderful community here to back you up and remind you of your incredible power and credibility and that you are such a gem in the larger witchcraft community. You have my absolutely unwavering support, and I'm here to cheerlead for you every step of the way.
Thank you so much for your continued support Imogen 🙏🏽❤️ it really means the world. I guess it got to me consciously just now that in a way it felt like it could hurt others, but the example of Pride and Mark Ashton did come to mind as well and the indeed, pride he had for his community to be vocal in supporting the miners even if they were just considered the misfits of society, especially at the height of the aids epidemic, is truly an example that I hope we can all follow
@@activistwitch Yeh I can absolutely see the worry about it impacting other people. We have to work so hard, it can feel scary to do/be anything that can distract from the work or the cause. But you are brilliant, in everything that you are, and anyone with any sense can see that ✨
I'm about a quarter of the way through the video rn but I just wanted to add my own thoughts... I think a lot of the need to be "credible" is because the atheistic/scientific community tends to say that anything spiritual is automatically invalid and well.... stupid? Childish? Something to be done behind closed doors away from the public and away from our politics. And because many witches respect these "rational" people and tend to agree with them on many points, we feel like we need to bow to their ideas lest we be cast away by them and placed into the "other" group of "those crazy religious people who aren't credible"... I think many witches are afraid to speak with their whole heart, or come out about their otherworldly experiences or beliefs because we fear being further marginalized by people we oftentimes respect or semi-identify with. I've had these thoughts in my head for a long time and I think I've personally come to the conclusion that any "rational" person who would automatically no longer respect me just because I am a witch is not a person I respect enough to care what they think; and therefore, I will not censor myself for them. (Ps: love your shirt. There is a reason I chose the name Eddie for myself, you know 😉)
Great name choice again then 😉 More than the scientific community I find it interesting that no one bats an eye at Christianity. In the wheel of privilege indeed, the standard is white and Christian, that spirituality Is considered default (because being patriarchal helps justify a lot of s*it the system does) which means lookong down on anyone else. There are plenty of scientists that have no trouble calling themselves Christians but I have yet to hear of one that can call themselves pagan if not openly a witch, and it boils my blood and at the same time I have to be aware of all the ways I might need to defend myself instead
@@activistwitch I understand what you mean, but I think with doing actions like #witchesforpalestine you are helping to pave the way to normalize the pagan/witch identity and solidify it as a group with moral principles and logic. It is scary to be the change you want to see, but it is always worth it. You are doing great things, Ysha. 🐺💗🌿
You are so wonderfully articulate. I wish I could explain all my fears and shame as you have in this video. As a POC, also fat, also ND, also queer, also witch, (should I keep going...lol) There's a lot of fear in confronting others about your being because of past trauma of hate when you were a child, or at any age. Thank you, Ysha, for another wonderful video.
I’m still in touch with a few colleagues from work, and just a few weeks ago a chat about the history of the phrase bread and roses led to be introducing her to the film Pride - which she then got her daughters and hubby to watch :)
I cry every every time I hear that song. It's what made it click for me that even if I had always accepted the minimum because I was told "beggars can't be choosers" there is a view of the world that understands the importance of dignity along with basic needs ❤️
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insight. Yes, calling myself a pagan and a witch brings an attitude from those around me and not taken seriously, the only thing they can comprehend is that I'm not a christian and not going to church.
It is an invisible marginalisation if we decide to stay silent, but uncomfortable as it is I will do my best to try and change things by being vocal about.my identity and let my work hopefully speak for itself
Thank you so much for sharing this! It's put into words what I've been feeling more and more of recently. To answer your questions about whether or not I share my practice - my closest friends know (two or three of them that were my flatmates) and I think they believe me to be a bit 'woo-hoo', but I've accepted that. At home, only my nan knows and after she got over her aversion to me doing this [her mother was a village healer and my nan believes that in healing others, she took their illnesses onto herself and that was why she suffered a lot health-wise before she died], she explained it away as me needing some illusion of control in life because I've had to deal with a lot of mental health issues over the years. That's just a compromise we've come to, and I don't really talk about it much with her, or even my friends. This video has come at a really good time, because I don't know where I'll be living in a few months and may need to rent a room, and thinking back, I realise I've been looking more and more into Christian syncretisms of specific deities I've worshipped in the past/feel a connection to, so that I can worship them while still remaining 'normal' (i.e. having statuettes of Saints over images of Gods everyone else believes you to be crazy if you worship them [I haven't even told my friends or nan about my connection with deities, just the occasional spell work]). Thank you again and I hope in sharing this you feel a little less alone :)
Thank you so much for sharing, I completely understand your point of view. I think in my case I "fooled" myself for so long because my partner is kind and supportive but the moment I'm our of the house admittedly I wash down a lot of my practice and identity
This was such an interesting video, thank you for your work! I'm a queer person with certain somewhat stigmatized mental health conditions and I've been really worried about those traits undermining all the activism I'm trying to engage with. Because I am not performing all the aspects of "normalcy" adequately, it seems like I'm handing out sticks for others to beat the climate movement with, for example (especially the ecosocialist aspects of it, since I'm not quite employable by my society's standards). Still looking for answers there - but I am not going to give up looking.
Same! I don't necessarily have the answers yet but I do see detractors come with such confidence and entitlement (especially when white cis het men and women to a degree) that kf we dont do the same for liberation they will keep silenfe anyone else
This is such a wonderful video! ♡. Im am sorry you've had so much experience with people being awful towards you because who you are basically. I love your vibes and your enegry is just lovely. Im am so glad that you still are passionate about your practices despite everything :).
@activistwitch oh absolutely! ♡. While I'm am not a POC, I'm am apart of the LGBT And A plus sized lady myself. With two learning disabilities as well with mental health than on top of being a baby witch, I can relate to the part of being afraid about being public with everything ♡ and everything else ♡. My therapist was actually really cool about it, my family doesn't really care much expect for like one member. But we had a respectful conversation about it. It's all good. I'm am going to tell a stranger in public in my state? No not really 😂. My state flews between democrats and Republicans. Alot of people in my neighborhood are very much pro-trump and can't take my guns and very much blue lives matter too. Also alot of them didn't like masks too. So I'm am not risking it 😂.
Shoot I'm so sorry when I hear of such situations. I am lucky in that the small progressive community where I live is very decent, but as we are all minorities I shiver at the thought of giving our detractors any ammunition against us at all
@activistwitch thankfully I have really cool neighbors it's just everyone else around 😂. It's just not worth it at all 😂. See I would love to live in a progress community, because I'm am so tired of pro trump and don't take my guns or guns are my whole personality. Blue lives matter too and the whole anti-mask thing 😂. I'm am just blessed with cool neighbors thankfully :). Yeah seriously /: it's like that new horror movie about tarot cards which is just giving everyone who is against tarot and witchcraft a giant advantage to go against us /:
Pride is a big celebratory factor in our city here lots of people show up i remember when it wasnt like that here im glad to see my community come together
I've also had to be careful about who I was open to about being Pagan because my former day job was so conservative that not voting for conservative parties was enough to brand me as weird, and because many LGBTQIASB+ people had received abuse from some religions that they were anti all religions/spirituality. Racism here in Australia has become worse over the last quarter century (and is extremely over the last couple of years), but I am white passing so that doesn't affect me as much as it does others. What I have found is that people in the diversity, equity and inclusion field of work are probably the most open, welcoming and inclusive of all areas of my life: apart from my family (including family of choice - my friends), those people are the only ones I feel safe being open with. One of the points from your video resonated particularly strongly with me, and, as a result I am now considering whether to openly identify as Witch (as my very activist partner [who was introduced to me by an activist folk musician who later became a lawyer for the environment movement] does), rather than Pagan ... 🤔 Thank you again for another great video
Just came across a quote (that I had forgotten about) which I think applies to some of this, if labels can be considered a form of definition, perhaps? "Definitions anchor us in principles." Dr Ibram X. Kendi, “How to be an Antiracist” (I like that book, by the way)
I think I am relatively lucky because I interact very little with the "real, corporate world" and within my circles i wouldn't be vilified for it, maybe looked at with curiosity but nothing more. when I do things that for better or for worse push past the contexts I am familiar with I realise how beaten black and blue I would still get. the simple fact I am not employable by neurodivergent standards reminds me how cut off from society I am at the end of the day :(
Thank you 🙏🏽❤️ I don't know where the inspiration can go but I will try to be definitely more open and less preemptively bashful about my witchcraft practice
Therapist tried to get me on meds when i spoke of my spiritual practice its tough in some departments
Yeah I can't say how lucky I felt that I was all concerned and my therapist was just digging to understand my discomfort rather than judging. They don't try to put Christians who believe in a man on the sky and heaven and hell on Prozac, I wonder why 🤔
@@activistwitch it doesnt go against the engrained teachings so they assume somethings wrong i find that to be crazy not my difference from social norms
Hi Ysha! Wow, this was such a great chat. Thank you for sharing. I resonate with so much of what you said. “I’ve been put in a position to have to bring more rationale, more receipts than the people around me who are white, cis, neurotypical, etc.” Yes. This is so true. No one questions the authenticity of the white passport bro presenting himself as an expert in Asian culture and history because he spent two weeks in Tokyo, but with anything I say about my own culture and history, there’s a dozen comments from non-natives asking me to show my citations. So much yes to everything in this discussion.
Gosh I can't tell you how much it means to me to know you even watch my stuff Benebell!!! Honestly the silver lining is: the research shows! Your videos and your book holistic tarot (haven't had the chance to read the others yet) are the best most reliable research in the esoterica i've ever come across!
Thank you for describing your experiences this way. It helped me but a finer point on one of the reasons I keep my personal faith so separate from my academic pursuits. Obviously, being a religious Christian harms my credibility with other scientists (because spirituality is so important to my understanding and practice of my faith), and since I'm a woman and a psychologist, I don't have a lot to begin with (granted, I'm also middle class and any number of intersecting identities that bolster it as well).
Really the issue is that as a feminist and queer person, I don't really have a lot of credibility in most religious communities either. To add the "life style choice" of shaping my faith around an empirical understanding of the world is NOT helpful. 😂 This realization has helped me process the degree to which, even though I'm a Christian in the United States (and sometimes the United Kingdom), I don't actually experience the protection of that identity equally to others who share it. At all. Being twice rejected is its own particular type of threat, and while I knew that I felt twice rejected, I didn't really think I was justified in that feeling the way I do now.
@@kateexplains that sound interesting because not only in countries like the US (and Italy which is my personal example and knowledge) being Christian (catholic) is what is required to conform to the system, but also I remember the inventor lf the MRI machine was a devojt christian as wrll weren't they? As you can imagine being born and raised in the country that hosts the Vatican I have a bit of religious trauma around Christianity so I can't comment on that or the value you put on it but I find it really surprising so thank you for this comment, I learnt something new today!
also want to come back to this one when I have adequate spoons, 💜💜💜 for reach x
Thank you 🙏🏽❤️
Thank you for your beautiful video and sharing your experiences and wisdom, Ysha! 💜
Thank you so much for your constant support ❤️🫂
I don’t like this wheel of privilege and power. It’s very.. biased .. and doesn’t help anyone. I think this wheel only breeds more hate.
Growing up as one of the only white kids in a black and Hispanic area, it’s very easy to be bullied against and discriminated against by people of color. Add my religion(Christianity) to it now as an adult, along with my friends and family, despite the love and time and effort we put into the community, we are continually called nasty names in public by strangers.
In our Christian community, property is destroyed and stolen constantly by people who hate us when we’ve done nothing but show love.
The worst part is, our family on all sides started out very poor and our mothers and grandmothers who were all women of color, all married white or Christian males who fall under a lot of these categories. We grew up as poor minority kids but with white skin. My father in law and his son followed our Christian teachings and God blessed us in more than one way. Our dad was a white Christian man who put in a lot of time and sacrifice to save up the resources and wealth we have now. Our family has given up most of our addictions and unhealthy lifestyles. My in laws are not totally poor now but have enough money for their retirement and for us(their kids) to get a footing in a bad economy. In a few years it will be gone. And we will be one step above where our grandparents were financially but years ahead of them when it comes to our character, education, values, and skills. These are things that were possible because we embraced our suffering and chose love over other things.
It’s not fair the way so many in your group treat us. It’s very mean and hateful.
This wheel being spread around is just another form of attack and hate.
Of course you don't like the wheel if you want to claim reverse racism 🤦🏽♀️
@@activistwitch why are you invalidating my experience?
I’m not invalidating yours.
@@PlagueNurseOpal because we're not equals, you don't have a system working against you and this idea if appropriating victimhood when you don't understand what the wheel if privilege and YOUR privilege is, is not a position to be coddles when it's probably wrong.
@@activistwitch I get that I have privilege in this system. I’m not saying it’s okay. I empathize with your situation. Most of my family and friends are minorities growing up the way I did. I just happened to come out white.
I’ve experienced 100% of what you’ve gone through as a person of “power and privilege” in an environment where things are reversed. I’ve been the minority, I’ve been poor, I’ve been well off, I’ve been uneducated, and educated. I’ve been discriminated against and in a place of no hope and loneliness when even the teachers at school don’t give you the benefit of the doubt and give you a fair trial. I’ve been spit at just for smiling and saying hello to someone and called a gringo.
I’m saying the wheel makes things worse.
It turns the oppressed into the oppressors in this specific system. It’s not okay.
Consider instead of this wheel,
loving your neighbor as yourself and how it’s different.
Consider even, loving your enemies.
Stop the cycle.
As always, the oppressor doesn't get to say "stop the cycle" to the oppressed who try to defend themselves. Or better, they do and try and that's why you want a piece of educational content like the wheel of privilege to not exist, so that your position is safer and more secured without caring about those lower than you in the ladder. There's always one of you, the reviews of books such as Bringing Race to the Table or "why I'm no longer talking to white people about race" are full of people like you who get offended when their privilege is called out because they cannot fathom their struggles to be individual rather than systematic.
The despicable false equivalence of the idea that by merely looking at the wheel of privilege the oppressed become the oppressor show that you know nothing of systemic oppression. You just want silence.
I've been so looking forward to this video, you've perfectly put into words so many anxieties that flitter around my head.
I don't have any answers, I only have a perspective based on my life, privileges and experiences. Like your spouse said, I really believe that people are always going to try and find ways to discredit us, assimilating and trying to make ourselves more palatable only really works so far, and they'll always find something. Like, they're always going to think I'm mad, so I might as well lean into it I guess?
You're building a wonderful community here to back you up and remind you of your incredible power and credibility and that you are such a gem in the larger witchcraft community. You have my absolutely unwavering support, and I'm here to cheerlead for you every step of the way.
Thank you so much for your continued support Imogen 🙏🏽❤️ it really means the world. I guess it got to me consciously just now that in a way it felt like it could hurt others, but the example of Pride and Mark Ashton did come to mind as well and the indeed, pride he had for his community to be vocal in supporting the miners even if they were just considered the misfits of society, especially at the height of the aids epidemic, is truly an example that I hope we can all follow
@@activistwitch Yeh I can absolutely see the worry about it impacting other people. We have to work so hard, it can feel scary to do/be anything that can distract from the work or the cause. But you are brilliant, in everything that you are, and anyone with any sense can see that ✨
I'm about a quarter of the way through the video rn but I just wanted to add my own thoughts...
I think a lot of the need to be "credible" is because the atheistic/scientific community tends to say that anything spiritual is automatically invalid and well.... stupid? Childish? Something to be done behind closed doors away from the public and away from our politics. And because many witches respect these "rational" people and tend to agree with them on many points, we feel like we need to bow to their ideas lest we be cast away by them and placed into the "other" group of "those crazy religious people who aren't credible"... I think many witches are afraid to speak with their whole heart, or come out about their otherworldly experiences or beliefs because we fear being further marginalized by people we oftentimes respect or semi-identify with. I've had these thoughts in my head for a long time and I think I've personally come to the conclusion that any "rational" person who would automatically no longer respect me just because I am a witch is not a person I respect enough to care what they think; and therefore, I will not censor myself for them.
(Ps: love your shirt. There is a reason I chose the name Eddie for myself, you know 😉)
Great name choice again then 😉
More than the scientific community I find it interesting that no one bats an eye at Christianity. In the wheel of privilege indeed, the standard is white and Christian, that spirituality Is considered default (because being patriarchal helps justify a lot of s*it the system does) which means lookong down on anyone else. There are plenty of scientists that have no trouble calling themselves Christians but I have yet to hear of one that can call themselves pagan if not openly a witch, and it boils my blood and at the same time I have to be aware of all the ways I might need to defend myself instead
@@activistwitch I understand what you mean, but I think with doing actions like #witchesforpalestine you are helping to pave the way to normalize the pagan/witch identity and solidify it as a group with moral principles and logic. It is scary to be the change you want to see, but it is always worth it. You are doing great things, Ysha. 🐺💗🌿
Thank you Eddie, it's really reassuring to hear this from people I value the principles of like you 🙏🏽🫂
You are so wonderfully articulate. I wish I could explain all my fears and shame as you have in this video. As a POC, also fat, also ND, also queer, also witch, (should I keep going...lol) There's a lot of fear in confronting others about your being because of past trauma of hate when you were a child, or at any age. Thank you, Ysha, for another wonderful video.
You don't know how much it means to hear that from you Vonnie thank you 🙏🏽❤️ I look up so much to your practice
💗💗💗
Thank you for your loveliness and support Joanna 🙏🏽❤️
Pride is a great film
Last month I visited Gay's the Word in London and I almost cried 🥹
I’m still in touch with a few colleagues from work, and just a few weeks ago a chat about the history of the phrase bread and roses led to be introducing her to the film Pride - which she then got her daughters and hubby to watch :)
I cry every every time I hear that song. It's what made it click for me that even if I had always accepted the minimum because I was told "beggars can't be choosers" there is a view of the world that understands the importance of dignity along with basic needs ❤️
That was my friend’s reaction as well
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insight. Yes, calling myself a pagan and a witch brings an attitude from those around me and not taken seriously, the only thing they can comprehend is that I'm not a christian and not going to church.
It is an invisible marginalisation if we decide to stay silent, but uncomfortable as it is I will do my best to try and change things by being vocal about.my identity and let my work hopefully speak for itself
Thank you so much for sharing this! It's put into words what I've been feeling more and more of recently.
To answer your questions about whether or not I share my practice - my closest friends know (two or three of them that were my flatmates) and I think they believe me to be a bit 'woo-hoo', but I've accepted that. At home, only my nan knows and after she got over her aversion to me doing this [her mother was a village healer and my nan believes that in healing others, she took their illnesses onto herself and that was why she suffered a lot health-wise before she died], she explained it away as me needing some illusion of control in life because I've had to deal with a lot of mental health issues over the years. That's just a compromise we've come to, and I don't really talk about it much with her, or even my friends.
This video has come at a really good time, because I don't know where I'll be living in a few months and may need to rent a room, and thinking back, I realise I've been looking more and more into Christian syncretisms of specific deities I've worshipped in the past/feel a connection to, so that I can worship them while still remaining 'normal' (i.e. having statuettes of Saints over images of Gods everyone else believes you to be crazy if you worship them [I haven't even told my friends or nan about my connection with deities, just the occasional spell work]).
Thank you again and I hope in sharing this you feel a little less alone :)
Thank you so much for sharing, I completely understand your point of view. I think in my case I "fooled" myself for so long because my partner is kind and supportive but the moment I'm our of the house admittedly I wash down a lot of my practice and identity
This was such an interesting video, thank you for your work!
I'm a queer person with certain somewhat stigmatized mental health conditions and I've been really worried about those traits undermining all the activism I'm trying to engage with. Because I am not performing all the aspects of "normalcy" adequately, it seems like I'm handing out sticks for others to beat the climate movement with, for example (especially the ecosocialist aspects of it, since I'm not quite employable by my society's standards). Still looking for answers there - but I am not going to give up looking.
Same! I don't necessarily have the answers yet but I do see detractors come with such confidence and entitlement (especially when white cis het men and women to a degree) that kf we dont do the same for liberation they will keep silenfe anyone else
It seems like we have to validate ourselves 10 times over everyone else ❤
It's exhausting and yet I've never known how to do different?.😔
loved this one! so so interesting
Thank you Ella ❤️🙏🏽 hope all is going well with your exams 🤞🏽
@@activistwitch thank you! I hope you’re well 💖
❤
❤ ❤❤
This is such a wonderful video! ♡. Im am sorry you've had so much experience with people being awful towards you because who you are basically. I love your vibes and your enegry is just lovely. Im am so glad that you still are passionate about your practices despite everything :).
Thank you so much!! It's nice to know something resonates ❤️
@activistwitch oh absolutely! ♡. While I'm am not a POC, I'm am apart of the LGBT And A plus sized lady myself. With two learning disabilities as well with mental health than on top of being a baby witch, I can relate to the part of being afraid about being public with everything ♡ and everything else ♡. My therapist was actually really cool about it, my family doesn't really care much expect for like one member. But we had a respectful conversation about it. It's all good. I'm am going to tell a stranger in public in my state? No not really 😂. My state flews between democrats and Republicans. Alot of people in my neighborhood are very much pro-trump and can't take my guns and very much blue lives matter too. Also alot of them didn't like masks too. So I'm am not risking it 😂.
Shoot I'm so sorry when I hear of such situations. I am lucky in that the small progressive community where I live is very decent, but as we are all minorities I shiver at the thought of giving our detractors any ammunition against us at all
@activistwitch thankfully I have really cool neighbors it's just everyone else around 😂. It's just not worth it at all 😂. See I would love to live in a progress community, because I'm am so tired of pro trump and don't take my guns or guns are my whole personality. Blue lives matter too and the whole anti-mask thing 😂. I'm am just blessed with cool neighbors thankfully :). Yeah seriously /: it's like that new horror movie about tarot cards which is just giving everyone who is against tarot and witchcraft a giant advantage to go against us /:
Pride is a big celebratory factor in our city here lots of people show up i remember when it wasnt like that here im glad to see my community come together
Glad to hear it gets better slowly but everywhere 🎉
I've also had to be careful about who I was open to about being Pagan because my former day job was so conservative that not voting for conservative parties was enough to brand me as weird, and because many LGBTQIASB+ people had received abuse from some religions that they were anti all religions/spirituality. Racism here in Australia has become worse over the last quarter century (and is extremely over the last couple of years), but I am white passing so that doesn't affect me as much as it does others. What I have found is that people in the diversity, equity and inclusion field of work are probably the most open, welcoming and inclusive of all areas of my life: apart from my family (including family of choice - my friends), those people are the only ones I feel safe being open with.
One of the points from your video resonated particularly strongly with me, and, as a result I am now considering whether to openly identify as Witch (as my very activist partner [who was introduced to me by an activist folk musician who later became a lawyer for the environment movement] does), rather than Pagan ... 🤔
Thank you again for another great video
Just came across a quote (that I had forgotten about) which I think applies to some of this, if labels can be considered a form of definition, perhaps?
"Definitions anchor us in principles." Dr Ibram X. Kendi, “How to be an Antiracist” (I like that book, by the way)
I think I am relatively lucky because I interact very little with the "real, corporate world" and within my circles i wouldn't be vilified for it, maybe looked at with curiosity but nothing more. when I do things that for better or for worse push past the contexts I am familiar with I realise how beaten black and blue I would still get. the simple fact I am not employable by neurodivergent standards reminds me how cut off from society I am at the end of the day :(
Youre amazing and so brave you inspire others to do the same hugs in spirit
Thank you 🙏🏽❤️ I don't know where the inspiration can go but I will try to be definitely more open and less preemptively bashful about my witchcraft practice
Well said, Ysha! Thank you for the work you're doing 💜
Thank you for taking the time to watch and listen 🙏🏽❤️