Stereo Typing and Assumptions- My Encounter with a Witch

By Lisa - Unschooling Mom

Had something a bit funny happen over the weekend but it did make me think about the way my mind works and how I can leap to conclusions even though I THINK I am pretty open.

I was somewhere where a festival was going on. I was not a part if it put but by chance found myself plonked in the middle. The festival was a witches get together- they were not wicca but witches and in fact a lovely group of people.
I do in fact come across many wicca, witched and pagans so not that crazy that I would come upon a group of witches over the weekend and my kids ar enot phased at all by it. I believe EVERY one has a right to examine and follow their own spiritual path - it is a fundamental right of every human being.

Anyway, I noticed wuite a few of the witched had Home Depot brown paper bags stapled over their clothes. Normally I would just keep my head down and my mouth shut ( NOT!) but couldn’t let it go by- I HAD to know why.
So I asked one of the women sitting near by. She said Oh- the idea was to have very simple adornment, no flashy jewelry or clothing… Ah…. Got it.
I thought of elaborate ceremonies where they were stripped of worldly times, one with nauire and the great goddess…

Do not ask my why I thought it was okay to blurt the next thing out… I have moments of total insanity at times. An idea popped into my head and guess I thought I would sound very “with it” and “accepting” so I said- Mmm.. wouldn’t the ultimate simple adornment be to have no clothes at all.
( FWIW I embarrass my husband constantly) .
She gave me a quizzical look.. and said I guess so.. the sort of moved away from me. So apparently I was too scary even for a witch.
A couple of minutes later she looked at me and laughed adn said- Oh I get it!!!
She said that the paper bags had no religious meaning but was part of a theme.. The theme of the day was the very innocuous ” Paper Bag Princess” story from Robert Munsch children’s bookThe Paper Bag Princess (Classic Munsch). Gulp.

So here I was interpretation all this significance into the paper bag having some mystical meaning and there was a very simple UN- magical explanation.
A good lesson for me to a) keep my mouth b) not to make assumptions and stereotype!

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