I have this huge rant about religion. If it's going to piss you off, leave now.

Okay, so at work this morning, I was on frontline taking orders and crap. Some old dude sees my pentagram wristband while I'm taking his money and asks "Is that Satan worship?" I've actually been getting this a lot from customers, so I just smile and say no, it's a symbol of Wicca, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Satan. I don't think this guy even registers what I said, because when I give him his change, he snatches it from me and stands waaaaay away from the register. When I have his order, he grabs it quickly and gives my wristband a disgusted look before making a hasty getaway.

Frankly, I am so sick of this. I would bet you anything if that wristband was a cross or a Budda or whatever, no one would've said anything about it. Even when people ask, they don't want to hear me explain to them that a pentagram is nothing bad. They just believe what they want to believe.

I call myself Wiccan. That does not mean I worship Satan, use magick to make me win the lottery, or am going to turn you all into toads. People have such this misconception about Wicca, and I'm sick of all the negativity. I starting practicing Wicca because it's supposed to help you gain a positive outlook on things. That's what it's about--doing good things for others, because everything comes back to you times three. Appreciating everything the earth has to give us. Learning to live in the skin you're in and be proud of it.

Another misconception is that I worship the devil. Honestly, I've never believed in the devil/Satan. Whenever we went to church, even when I was a little kid, I could never really understand the logic behind that. I don't believe all good people go to Heaven and all bad people go to Hell. What you do in this life counts towards the next one you live, that's for sure, but Heaven and Hell? I just don't believe in it. I know other people do, people that are very important to me do, and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with believing in it. I just don't like people putting down the way I see things because they think it's wrong.

I remember as a child, I would pray to the Christian God, and I would just feel all wrong. I've just never truely believed that there was one higher being, and that they were even listening to me. I didn't stop believeing in God because my prayers were never answered; I just stopped believing in my prayers and if that they were any use at all. I find much more comfort in speaking to a Goddess through creating things, meditating, or talking to her through my altar. That's right, a Goddess. I do believe there's more than one, because frankly, what could possibly see everything? It's so mind-boggling for us humans to even begin to imagine.

I am Wiccan. I don't believe in Satan, therefore, I don't worship him. I find beauty in the earth and the things that live here (or try to; I can't find much beauty in cockroaches). I try to do good because whatever you do comes back to you times three. I am trying to find peace with myself. I cannot turn you into a toad, make myself win the lottery, or shoot fire from my fingers (although that would be cool...). I'm not going to put a curse on you by pointing a stick at you and saying nonsense words. I don't fly around on a broomstick, have warts on my crooked nose, or use eyes of newts in my spells. There's nothing to be afraid of, because I am just like you--I just see the world with a big more magick.

And despite all of this, I think Bruce Almighty is one of the greatest movies ever.