An important question ! Deserving of a thorough answer. I'll do my best !

First and foremost, stop for a moment before you react. There are somethings you should take into consideration. If you are in danger of losing control of your emotions in a fit of anger, horror, terror, panic, or anything else, I ask you to PLEASE take a moment, take a deep breath, and if necessary, come back to the situation later when your emotions are more settled. This goes for anything in life of course. From "Mom, I'm a witch" to "Dad, I just totalled the car" to "Roommate, I ruined your favorite sweater". There are going to be things said to all of us that we really would rather not hear. The true question is: are we willing to move beyond the fact that we don't want to hear this ?

I ask you to step back, away from the situation for a moment, so you can think before you speak. Many of us (and, hey, that goes for me as well - I am FAR from perfect !) immediately engage our mouths before using our brains when presented with something we find upsetting, frightening, unsettling, or whatever. And that is normal - it's sort of a defense mechanism. But it can make a potentially harmlessly situation into a disaster. So let's take a second to think before we go ballistic. In the case of someone telling you they are Wiccan, there are many things you need to know before you react.

Consider first, your own opinion of witchcraft. Do you envision pointy hats, green skin, warty noses ? Do you imagine black cats, dark cellars, bubbling cauldrons, "eye of newt" ? A negative image ? Do you think others share this negative image ? Well, I can tell you - many do. It's sad, but true. But remember, we have many false images in our society. Just because something has always been presented to you in a bad light does not mean that is the only way to see it. You just need the will to look deeper, and see the reality.

Next, springing from the above statement ~ think about how the person telling you feels. They are no doubt fearful you hold all those negative images above, and they are afraid you will reject them as a person because of those images. Believe me, they are aware of how "the world at large" views witches, and how much difficulty they may face trying to overcome those stereotypes. However, they clearly feel you are important enough share this with. They feel close enough to you that they are willing to go out on a limb, as it were, and reveal this to you. Your acceptance matters to them. They care about you, and want to be sure you know them, and their beliefs. Try to remember this when you reply to them.

Of course, there is also the matter of a little perspective. Is this truly earth-shattering, relationship-destroying news ? For some, it may be. There will always be people with closed minds, who refuse to accept things. But I believe that many people just do not understand, and that is why they react with anger, hurt, or disappointment. Try to keep this news in perspective. Obviously if your child tells you they are dropping out of school to pursue knowledge of witchcraft, you cannot just accept it. But as long as the person telling you is not harming themselves (and that includes denying themselves opportunities for the sake of Wicca) and is not harming others (no matter what the tabloid shows tell you, real Wiccans don't harm other people in their rituals), this news should not be truly devastating. Your perspective is yours to control - be sure you are looking at the whole picture.

My next recommndation would be to do a little research, unless you are already a Wiccan yourself. If your child told you they wanted to attend University of Podunk, you would probably ask to tour the school with them, read the literature, view their student to teacher ratio, etc. If your daughter said "I am going on a date with John Doe" and you have never heard of this boy, you would probably insist he come in and meet you first. The revelation that someone you know is Wiccan is really no different. Knowledge gives you insight. Hey, even if you are determined that this is the wrong decision for this person, having some information under your belt makes your arguement more convincing. There are lots of internet sites that talk about Wicca, and plenty of reading material available. Just be sure you are reading both sides of the story, to gain balance. If you really don't know where to begin researching, and you have an open mind, ask the person revealing this to you to recommend some reading material. I'm sure they know of some.....or....

Talk to the person ! Whether it's child, sister, brother, mom, dad, girlfriend, boyfriend, co-worker, whatever, they can provide you with the information relating to their tradition. They can tell you about the rituals, whether they will be solitary or in a coven, when their Sabbats and Esbats (holidays, of a sort) are, etc. Don't be afraid to go to the horse's mouth, as it were. Remember, communication is a tool. It can build or burn bridges. Don't be afraid to use it.

Hopefully, this gives you a starting point. The most important thing to do is communicate. Please don't risk damaging this relationship with this person by reacting without thinking things through. Good Luck ! If you have questions, please email me and I will do my level best to help !