You Live Where?

[Pandoras]

I believe that where I live plays a big role in how I practice my religion daily. For instance, I live in Miami, FL. It's a big, diverse city that celebrates the hot summer all year long. It affects the way I dress and how openly and freely I can practice my religion (very openly and freely, by the way).

So, I was wondering? Where do you live? And how does it affect your religion?

[teishabee]

I live in a small town and I dont tend to be too open because of the christian populas

[Terestai]

I live in Denver, and with the exception of not being able to find work and badly wanting to move, it doesn't affect me. :wtf: I don't hide my religion, but I don't proclaim it from the rooftops either.

[~Anamorata~]

i live in Delaware, Ohio...north of Columbus. Delaware--Christian to the core...Columbus--I go there, and have had no problem expressing what I am...Delaware, it's not easy, but I am open about it, as well as my bi-sexuality(works the same in both cases)... :hahugh:

[Flaire-FireStar]

I live at the edge of no-where (west coast of Canada) and it affects me in no way what-so-ever.

[Bainidhe Dub]

Near Chicago. And though I'm told there's a fairly large pagan community, I've yet to find any of them over the age of 16 that aren't really full of baloney. Though there are several members of MW within a few hours of me, we never seem to get a chance to hook up yet lol.

But *shrugs* the area doesn't have much affect on my religion. I get what I need from stores in NY when I visit family lol or shop online.

[Aine of the Fae]

I'm a Christian in a Christian town :lol: It doesn't affect my religion at all..... yeah right...... I'm a freaky Liberal Christian in a Conservative Christian town, where you're only Christian if you speak in tongues.... It's not quite that bad, but with some of the pastors it feels like it.

[Pandoras]

Forgive me folks, I'm having some trouble with my pc due to the storm. I need to fix these threads somehow. Delete those others.

[Silver_FireStar]

small place by the name of deepcar. It doesn't effect me anymore as I'm rarely home. Damn I love college. Barnsleys like 12 miles away, at least an hour away on bus. So when term starts I'm rarely at home and during the holidays...except summer, i'm either traveling the UK or at a friends house. It used to sort of effect me, because of the closed minded arrogant morons around me it almost got me killed and I never walk the streets on my own ater dark despite knowing most of the population.

[*Rain*]

Up North in the UK. Small town surrounded by farms. I move back and forth between 2 locations and the other is out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by even more farms. The local farmer built a Strawhenge for the solstice, two thirds the size of the real thing. It was awesome. I love being out in the country but I lived in the city while I was at university and that was quite good too, because there was a river flowing through it. I find it easier to practice in the countryside, it's so much easier to see and feel the seasons happening around you. It's a lot quieter too.

[Black RiverWolf]

I live in Leaf River IL where my across the street people keep a Jesus says sign in the front yard well with a house full of two pagans, one is lesbian the other Bi-sex, one guy and an it kinds girl who would blame them

[blithespirit]

I live in a medium-to-large city in Western Kentucky. To use an over-used analogy, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a fundamentalist/conservative church. I don't go out much, so I don't worry too much about offending anyone. Except at work. ;) (at a Christian church that is neither fundamentalist nor conservative. Go figure.)

There are other pagans around here, too, but most of them are so far in the closet you'd have to smoke them out.

[Sylvan]

Rhode Island here. No problems wearing my pent outside of my shirt. Have been asked if it's a star of David, though. ;)

And when visiting family in Oklahoma, had no problems either. Even my sister's pastor who came to dinner didn't even bat an eye... *shrug*

[Smiley Girl]

Calgary's a very large city. Takes the rest of your life to get from one side to the other.... okay, 45 minutes :hehehehe: Unless you take Deerfoot (highway)

[The High Queen of Faerie]

i live in denver colorado :)

[Moonstoned]

Up North in the UK. Small town surrounded by farms. I move back and forth between 2 locations and the other is out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by even more farms. The local farmer built a Strawhenge for the solstice, two thirds the size of the real thing. It was awesome. I love being out in the country but I lived in the city while I was at university and that was quite good too, because there was a river flowing through it. I find it easier to practice in the countryside, it's so much easier to see and feel the seasons happening around you. It's a lot quieter too.
Rain, I envy you. Essex towns that are almost London suburbs are the pits. AND my neighbours are evangelistic Christians.

[Haruka2077]

I think living in a small city makes for a more tightly-knit Pagan community, which is nice. Plus, it's easier to find someplace nature-y to go.

[Linx]

I live in a quite rural town in NC, Population 536 :) ... No, I did not leave any numbers off.

[Celtique]

Good old Montana here. I don't think I need to mention the town was small. *L*

[SilverNightShade]

atlanta....and it certainly sucks

[LadyPhineas]

I live in a small village in SE Wisconsin which only has 2,000 people...I think. They are probably counting pets too...lol. I used to live in Chicago...I was born there.

[Silver_FireStar]

theres about 200 in deepcar, another 300 in stocksbridge. Now why can't my rural place between the moors and penines be as nice as the other person in the middle of nowhere?

[SylverStar]

Wow, I don't think I could live in a place that small. I live in Tri-cities, Wa (which no one has probably heard of), but there are over 200k people here and we're still growing fast. The place is mostly conservative because we have a huge amount of government employees (due to the Hanford Nuclear Facility). However, most people don't really care what everyone else is doing and they pretty much keep their veiws to themselves. Kind of a closed community. Not much (if any) culture either.

[Silver_FireStar]

BIG place. I equally can't imagine living in a place so big.

[Empress Stillnight]

I've been lucky enough to live in many places, due to having a parent in the military. I've lived in Europe and the Philipines (many years ago). I lived in Europe when I was beginning to form my sense of "place" and even though I was born in the US, I actually experienced culture shock when we moved back, lol. I plan to go back to the country I lived in for a visit in about eight years, and also some countries I didn't get to visit, including those of my family origins.

Other than military bases, I've always lived either in very small towns or in rural areas. The place I lived the longest was forty miles from everywhere, but there was a small town nearby that was very cliquish. I was an outcast for ten years, due to a family feud:(

Now I live in a small town, but after the country, it seems as busy and noisy as a large city to me :floating:

I will soon be moving to the outskirts of an even smaller town, and I look forward to not having the lights of a gas station shining in my bedroom window, and ambulances blaring through at all hours of the night. But one thing I will miss is the lovely oak grove that is behind our place now. We are buying a place with acerage, but it's mostly field and smack dab between two other places. The neighbors can see everything we do, lol.

I live near a university town, but the areas I have been and will be living in are very Christian. In fact, not far from here a whole brouhaha arose over some girls who committed suicide. There is literally a witch hunt going on by some Christian groups who want to demonize Wicca, and they are using the girls' deaths as an excuse to create fear by misinformation.

So needless to say, I'm far back in the closet, behind the coats and all the clothes :shhhh:

[Aes Sidhe]

I am a novocastrian. If you don't know what that means, then you've never been or heard of where I live. Nuff said ;)

[~Anamorata~]

Born in Cairo, Egypt...moved to the US, when I was 12, and lived in Haverhill, Mass...ended up here(see other post!)in Ohio...blah! :blech:

[*Rain*]

Rain, I envy you. Essex towns that are almost London suburbs are the pits. AND my neighbours are evangelistic Christians.
Moonstoned, trust me the countryside can drive you crazy too. If you want to do anything slightly more interesting that go to the local pub then it's a pain to try and get there. Shops shut on a whim and the nearest big place to shop is 30-40 minutes away. There are times when I really miss city life. I'd swap wellies for white stilletoes anyday :bigblue:

[midnightreflections]

I live in outskirts of Tintagel Cornwall, in England - so pretty much in the middle of nowhere but people have heard of it

The only effect living here has had on my paganism is making me more active within the pagan community - and it has also allowed me to meet the sort of pagans you don't meet on interent message boardds (the sort who are still trying to figure out how to switch the computer on - if they have one!) which has been good and has taught me plenty



I've heard of Deepcar though!!! I went there once :)

[magick_faerie]

i live in the north of england are people can be very small minded here, i tend to practise inside my home as people here choose not too understand us, choosing to believe that we worship the devil or that we are following some silly belief to try and look cool. For those who are willing to listen i try and educate them to the ways of the craft in the hope they can at least understand and accept but not many are willing to listen, people tend to listen to me and then do that little smile that says "yeah ok, im sure your not weird" but i dont really care, I am happy in my faith just wish it wasnt so cold here, then maybe i could do more ritual skyclad but alas i would freeze to death **grins**

brightest blessings everyone

fae

[goDez]

I live in a town called Roosendaal in Holland, it's near the Belgium border.

[misty]

I live in southcentral Michigan, in Charlotte, a town of about 10,000. It is a fairly conservative Christian town.

[misschief]

i live in delaware ohio. the richest part of the state.. so people do get their panties in a bunch sometimes

[blugirrl1]

teeny tiny small town in Ohio called Van Wert, but only 10 more months until i move back home to New Orleans. :)

[misschief]

teeny tiny small town in Ohio called Van Wert, but only 10 more months until i move back home to New Orleans. :)AGGHHH! isn't that an amish town or something??!?

[Radocs]

I live in a town you've never heard of in PA.

[misschief]

lol.. aren't most of the towns in PA ones we've never heard of?

[Radocs]

lol.. aren't most of the towns in PA ones we've never heard of?

Probably. :D

[Cev'aq]

I live in a college town... not as large as a "small city/large town" but not that small either. The majority of the population is decidedly Christian, and there's at least ten different Christian groups "attached" to the college. It doesn't bother me much, really.

[Silver_FireStar]

I've heard of Deepcar though!!! I went there once :)
WOW you have? *really surprised* Ace, mostr people who know the area remember stocksbridge cuz of the whole stocksbridge bypass being named death road. Hardly anyone remembers deepcar *hands you sweets*

[misschief]

you know.. i know of at least one other MWer who lives in my town. i've yet to meet her(:|i think it's 'her') yet tho. this place is absolutely tiny compared to where i used to live, but i like it... even though it seems to be mostly christian, it's a college town so there is some variety here.

[Pesha]

Washington Terrace UT. A small town that sits up against Ogden which is a small cirty.

BB
DS.

[ADSFuse]

I'm here in Boca Raton FL, there seems to be many more open-minded people here than in other places I've been...or maybe I'm just finding them now.

Aaron

[ap Dafydd]

I live close to the northern edge of my city, on part of what's been designated a wildlife corridor by the local authority, so there's quite a bit of green around, trees in front and behind and, though there's quite a bit of development around, it doesn't seem to be threatening this are as yet. There's a farm just across the way and a couple of railway lines but not as obtrusive as you might think (one of the railways actually goes under the house which was slightly scary when we first moved in but we don't notice it now!)

There's also a big garden which means it's been easy to create and find spots for workings and the like, I've put lots of trees in and a pond for the frogs.

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

[DebLipp]

I live in the suburbs of a big city. I don't think that's included on your poll. It's a small town no one's heard of, but then again, it's 20 miles from NYC.

[blugirrl1]

AGGHHH! isn't that an amish town or something??!?

lol, or something...

[LadyMoreta]

i live in an itty bitty town in Kentucky. no one around here knows what religion i am and i'm gonna keep it that way. i value my life too much to do otherwise, not a whole lot of tolerance here for anyone that's the slightest bit different. :(

[Desdemona]

I think living in a small city makes for a more tightly-knit Pagan community, which is nice. Plus, it's easier to find someplace nature-y to go.
Same here. :) Royal Oak has a diverse pagan popluation, as well as the surrounding metro Detroit areas. It's a town and it is close to nature too.

By diverse, I mean, you don't see throngs of people walking up and down the street sporting pentacles and ankhs and what have you, lol! Just that the ones you do meet (if you are looking) are all ages, all types, etc. :D

[Xander67]

I travel alot, but for now, home for me is in southern New Jersey...

[Katya]

i live near San Francisco, and it's a pretty open city. i'm open enough with my religion. :)

[TWILIGHTSKY]

I live in a small town in western new york, and I went to school with Miss USA 1999, in Franklinville. La-dee-da. It was kind of neat to see someone I knew on TV,though, but it didn't seem real.

Franklinville was a small town, too, but when I was a kid we lived on a back road off a back road off a back road off a back road. I truly miss the tranquility, even though we live on a dead end dirt road IN town, now...

[Élistariel]

due to college, I have two homes right now. In North Carolina

Hometown: (broom closet)
Population - 4,178
Last year's High School Population - 1,574

College town: (open, but not shouting on roof tops)
Population - 223,891
College Pop - don't know
college website - www.gtcc.edu

[Keroberos]

I currently live in downtown San Francisco, and I love it, the city just breaths like it's alive all the time. Plus it's so open minded that a person dressed in a robot suit walking down the street is hardly blinked at. I've only lived here a year and a half, but I truly see CA as my home. When I go visit my folks in Ohio I feel as if I've fallen off the edge of civilization. True nature is more easily accessed from a rural town. And I plan to move to a suburb, or at least the outskirts once I graduate. And that's cause I really really want a garden. And Katya we should totally meet up sometime, Oaklands totally not far.

[phoenixblayze]

well, i live in radcliff KY, its not as big as louisville, and not as small as hazard...im kinda in the middle

[WitchJezebel]

I live outside of NYC, and it hasn't affected my faith at all. I'm pretty open with it and no one really cares here or if they do, they don't say.

[jinx1_2]

Washington Terrace UT. A small town that sits up against Ogden which is a small cirty.

BB
DS.

I live in Utah too! Only on the opposite side of the state. And I think, here in Utah at least, the smaller the town, the smaller the minds. In St. George, which is fairly large for a town, (and growing so fast!), it is almost small enough to know everyone, so I try to lay low, :whistle: but when asked I won't lie. My friends, coworkers, and family, do know that I am pagan, but it is almost impossible to find other pagans here where almost every other house has a copy of the 10 commandments on their front lawn.

[StormTortoise]

FINALLY moved my butt back to Charleston SC where it belongs. Been away a year, in Hendersonville NC. Hated it. More Baptist churches than bars -- now that's a town that is asking for it!! Lived in Charleston off and on for about 7 years, and I'm still wondering what possessed me to leave. (malevolent forces?)

[Pandoras]

I live outside of NYC, and it hasn't affected my faith at all. I'm pretty open with it and no one really cares here or if they do, they don't say.

I disagree with this statement somewhat. I also live in a big city where people don't care how I look or what religion I am and while it doens't affect my faith, it affects the practice.

If I lived in a small, conservative town, I might not be able to be open about my religion. I might not be able to find resources - supplies, books, ritual tools, other pagans - as easily. I might even be afraid. I've read posts on MW from people who say they are in the broom closet due to fear. I know a woman, married with a small child, who lives in a small, Alabama town who's been threatened by her neighbors. So, where we live does affect how we live.

[Sleet]

Out in the country in Pennsylvania.

[Aleannah]

I live in a small to medium sized town, and while I don't hide it, I don't advertise it, either - due to people who feel their religion is "the" religion here. However, we do have one metaphysical shop here that seems to do a pretty good business. :farmerjoe

[Katya]

I currently live in downtown San Francisco, and I love it, the city just breaths like it's alive all the time. Plus it's so open minded that a person dressed in a robot suit walking down the street is hardly blinked at. I've only lived here a year and a half, but I truly see CA as my home. When I go visit my folks in Ohio I feel as if I've fallen off the edge of civilization. True nature is more easily accessed from a rural town. And I plan to move to a suburb, or at least the outskirts once I graduate. And that's cause I really really want a garden. And Katya we should totally meet up sometime, Oaklands totally not far.

hell yeah! i love san francisco. actually living in fremont for the moment in a hotel.. but hey! maybe we can have a bay area meetup. :)

[Aelfoak]

I live in Birmingham, England

[~ Monk ~]

I live a western suburb of Chicago and am literally minutes from the city limits.

I don't actively seek out others when it comes to spiritual stuff, although there are quite a few Zen temples/centers close by (one is offering a Chanoyu class I'd love to attend before I leave). The only effect living where I do has on me is that it's impossible to find a peaceful time to try and meditate outside. There is never, ever a quiet moment here - ever.

[TaysatWesir]

I live in the big Apple New york City! :moped:

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

I live in a small town in Vermont...ppl have a hard enough time figuring out where the state is, let alone knowing where my town is -.-;;

[Earth Song]

I live in Albany New York. And from the looks of things, this city is a very big mix of diversity. I was walking down the street the other day and just happened to really look at where I was. There is a mosque, a Catholic church, a Lutheran church and two gay clubs in a row; well within a four block radius. How diverse can you get? Oh wait, and a Reiki Center not far from there. I love living in the city!!

[Starbaby]

I live in Marion, Ohio. It's a pretty Christian town, but I have found a few Pagans (actually on this site!) that live in my area, I don't socialize much here except for work, so it doesn't affect me much.

[Magicfox]

I live near Avebury in England, in a small village that even our post man hasn't heard of. :viking:

[kiara]

I got to say other... I lived or lived in Memphis (Bible Belt here) and now I go to college in DC, which has to be one of the best experiences of my short life so far. :D

[Sith]

I live in Bowling Green, KY. As far as I can tell, there are very few pagans here. I know of 3 including myself. If anyone is in or near BG, let me know.

[Grey]

I live an hour south of missoula montana in a tiny rural place that goes on for miles. Theres maybe a dozen pagans in town, and many more in the valley, but its a small percent. Thankfully with the exception of some fanatical churches and a few harry potter book burnings things around here are pretty open to pagans of all sorts.
Im still considered to be the local witch though, and it gets weird sometimes when older folks start asking me question, especially ones that are pagan themselves.

[ValiantKnight]

I live in a very small town, It really sucks. I wish I wound not have moved away from Orando Fl, Here they play church bells every three hours and there out of tune or something. I live about a block and a half away from them. OH NO they are about go off now!!!!!!! :collapse:

[Lai]

I live in Hampton Township, which is located in North Pittsburgh... so I'm not sure what that counts as. Technically we're not IN Pittsburgh city, but more of the suburb outskirts.

[IvyWitch]

I live in an apartment building in a suburban area, but very close to NYC. The city I'm in is a very Jeiwsh area, but it doesn't effect my practice very much. Being that close to my neighbors is really what effects it (in the spring and summer I can't practice outside)

[Sleet]

I live an hour south of missoula montana in a tiny rural place that goes on for miles.

I am absolutely green with envy.

[Immrama]

I live in GR, MI but right now I'm in east lansing at school ^_^

[GryphonGirl]

Seattle is the quintessential city of diversity.......find any path, group, cult, church - or not.

[Karma Chameleon]

I believe that where I live plays a big role in how I practice my religion daily. For instance, I live in Miami, FL. It's a big, diverse city that celebrates the hot summer all year long. It affects the way I dress and how openly and freely I can practice my religion (very openly and freely, by the way).

So, I was wondering? Where do you live? And how does it affect your religion?


According to the poll "remote rural". _happydanc

The only religion that affects me is when the JW's coming knocking on my door. But I've chased them off enough, I hope they stop coming by. :crazylaug

[SoulHealer]

I live somwhere remote and rural but people have heard of it (although I have known people think I live in a fictional area....yes it has been featured in novels etc)

[EponaCapaill]

Small City/Large Town. I live in the Capital of Maryland. The only effect that it has on my religion is that I don't like the two Catholic chuches that are here. When I do go to church, I go to one that is about 20 minutes away.

[Pagan Mantis]

I live around Detroit, the metro area, and it's huge. We have cities like Royal Oak, where Scott Cunningham was from, and Ferndale where anything and everything may be seen walking the streets religious or just style. I only express my beliefs with really close friends and my mother though, until I have made the proper steps, good research etc., in order to call myself anything other than Pagan.

[WynterWynd]

I'm in a small rural obscure town of 350 people. Where I live doesn't or wouldn't make any difference to my religion anyway. I'm very solitary.