A recent discussion thread among the Spells for Democracy group I belong to asked if people knew about wearing a purple ribbon on Mabon/Alban Elued/Autumnal Equinox to show solidarity for all Pagans. This practice actually refers to a campaign created by Fellowship of the Earth:

The Purple Ribbon Campaign was created in 1997 by Fellowship of the Earth to show solidarity of kindred spirits. "Fight the Fear" is the slogan chosen to represent the Purple Ribbons. Like many ribbon campaigns, this is a way for us to outwardly show our support for religious tolerance and the freedom to believe in our own paths. Pagans and those of Goddess or Nature centered spirituality are misunderstood by most people with mainstream religious backgrounds.

We believe that it is fear that fuels the fires of misunderstanding and intolerance. In order to ease the fear people have of others beliefs, we have adapted this ribbon campaign as our way of promoting respect and tolerance of all belief and non-belief systems. We all are on different paths with the same goal. None is more sacred than another. Everyone has their own personal connection to their spirituality, but regardless of what or who we call Goddess or God everyone should be able to worship in their own way without persecution.

The color purple for this particular campaign was chosen because of it's highly spiritual symbolism. Many cultures and religions signify the color purple with a higher spiritual calling. It's the favorite color of many Pagans I know, and it's a color most everyone seems drawn to. It's warm yet cool, a balance of the color energies.

In theory, I stand behind all of the ideals behind the "Fight The Fear" campaign. I like the idea of making a gesture of solidarity with my fellow Pagans and I staunchly support freedom of religion. But today the wearing of a colored ribbon is a universally accepted method of showing support for a cause and a witch wearing a purple ribbon to work would certainly be asked what the ribbon was for. Most people would be entirely well-meaning, simply wishing to express sympathetic support for your cause and wanting to know what it was. Doubtless, this is an intentional part of the campaign's design. When we are called to answer the question of what the purple ribbon stands for, we are then called upon to defend our freedom to practice our religion, whatever that religion may be.

Therein lies the challenge of participating in this campaign - it requires us to make the decision to be open to others about who we are. The desire to ease others' fear, to promote religious tolerance and to express solidarity with other Pagans is noble. Some may feel strongly about taking this opportunity to make a stand, to openly fight the fear people have of those whose faith is different from their own. Others may agree with the campaign in principle but remain reticent about making the step toward being so open. I'm sure it's the same personal dilemma that has faced many who fought for civil rights and other freedoms throughout the history of those struggles. Each of us must choose how much it is possible for us to do.

Beside the obvious issues of some people not being "out" at work or in other public areas of their lives, some people in the Spells for Democracy group expressed concerns that this would make us easy targets for discrimination and attack. We all have heard stories about witches who have been threatened with losing their children, who have literally been driven out of their homes. It would be understandable to chose not to make an outward gesture if you didn't feel safe doing so in your particular situation or environment.

If you want to participate in some way to show your solidarity with other Pagans but don't want to be put in the position of "outing" yourself or lying - neither of which appeals to many - some suggested options are to wear a purple t-shirt, a purple pair of shoes, or a hair ribbon as Fellowship of the Earth suggests. Those who can be more open could wear their purple ribbon, but those who wish to be more discreet could choose one of the other options or wear the ribbon hidden in some way. Whichever choice you make, it seems to me that your intention is more important than the actual action you take. The power of your intention will serve to amplify the energy raised by all others who are participating in the campaign.

To learn more about the campaign, go to the Fellowship of the Earth website. In addition to selling purple ribbons that have been blessed by the light and power of a Full Moon, they also provide banners you can post on your website.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 12:40 PM