I totally agree with needing to drop the "Witch" label. It was puerile and purposefully-transgressive from the getgo and those attitudes have only gotten more obnoxious with time. Not only that but "Wicca" and "witchcraft" as something to identify one's organization as needs to go as well. Neopaganism in general has always been caught up in the transgressive aesthetic and in function (POSWID) has been way more about being anti-Christian than it's been about promoting and practicing a positive spirituality of its own (there's been exceptions of course, but the general pattern holds strong). It won't be too long until most ordinary people associate "Witch" with "Satanist." Self-identified "Witches" have done no shortage of stupid things to make this conceptual association plausible.
On what to wear, I know that the more serious of Heathen groups have embraced the "Sunday best" type attire for lay participants. For Druids or any other sort of polytheist cleric, the simple white alb robe works just find and doesn't stand out as anything remotely weird or nefarious. I agree that wearing a toga or bear pelt or whatever is totally stupid and and immediate sign that one's religion/spirituality is unserious. The cosplay nonsense has to go.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2025-09-30 06:17 pm (UTC)On what to wear, I know that the more serious of Heathen groups have embraced the "Sunday best" type attire for lay participants. For Druids or any other sort of polytheist cleric, the simple white alb robe works just find and doesn't stand out as anything remotely weird or nefarious. I agree that wearing a toga or bear pelt or whatever is totally stupid and and immediate sign that one's religion/spirituality is unserious. The cosplay nonsense has to go.