Pagan Village News

This can be a touchy subject to handle. As a mother of 2 sons and a practicing witch, I know well some of the ramifications involved in raising your child pagan. Here are some things we must take into consideration when teaching our path to the next generation.

First consideration one must make is the age of the child. You don’t want to talk to a 3 year old about a complex ritual, and gods forbid I really don’t think they need to play around with athame and lighting candles. LOL…but really. We have to make sure that we provide age appropriate material and explanations to questions that they may ask about Mommy and/or Daddy’s ritual practices.

I have found that the Unitarian Universalist churches have come along with some super authors that have written books especially aimed at the young pagan child. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see more information that can be used in rearing your child pagan. (See my short list below).

Next we have the fact that unless we are home schooling or keeping our children away from everyone else, then you have to worry about them going to school and telling everyone their mom and dad are witches, pagans, or whatever. I even have a friend who’s young daughter went to school and told another child that they would put a spell on them because the other child had been teasing them. Also, what happens when they are older and wear their pentagrams to school and get chastised for that? We all want to protect our children from this type of discrimination and sometimes will just not allow them to show these things openly. We tell them to hide their beliefs from others…but then aren’t we making them ashamed of something that is a part of their lives? There are those of us who will fight for their right to show and openly practice their faith. This is again a personal decision.

The sad and true facts are that it can and most likely cause problems with them in their social lives in public. There will be teachers and other students who will make ugly statements from devil worshipers to even allegations of abuse or perversions. Face it we’ve all seen the stories in the news.

I, as a pagan activist, have had to change my last name back to my maiden name….it took so long to do that I doubt it will help shield my boys, but I had to keep them from suffering from the ramifications of having a open pagan mom. Their father who was not pagan also requested that I do this as my son wishes to go to the Navel Academy and someone with a mom who is not only a pagan activist, but also against the war in Iraq, it would not bode well for him. I personally do not think it is fair for my activities to interfere with my son’s dream. A dream he’s had since he was 5…so I did what I needed to do. Is it right…no it’s not, but sadly In this day and age tis a necessary thing.

I am open with my children about my path and I teach them when they ask for the information. I also tell them that it is not something to be discussed freely with others as it could cause them problems. I also allow my children to visit their friend’s churches as I believe strongly that they should find the path that resonates with them. I feel that for them to make an informed decision about which path is for them, then they should be exposed to all paths…and only then can they make an informed decision. Just because I am pagan doesn’t mean they need to follow that path.

So how do you include your child into your path…even young children? There are many ways to incorporate these into your lifestyle if both parents agree. Take a Yule Sabbat for instance. We like to gather round the table, and build a wreath. On that wreath we write out wishes or needs and place them in little cloth bags and attach them to a wreath made out of evergreen sprigs from out doors. We set up an alter with a red candle and incorporate the colors and herbs of the season; using evergreens, herbs, and appropriate colored cloth and candles. Tis a simple ritual but one all can join in on and still not expose them to things they may not be ready for yet. You can still hold your’ own ritual later after the kids have retired for the night or get a babysitter and gather with the coven later. I do not feel (And this is my personal opinion) that any child under the age of 13 has the maturity to deal with a full blown sabbat ritual. But that’s just me. As they mature and still show interest there are many meaningful coming of age rituals and other rites of passage that you can include them in. But only if they really show a sincere interest.

What we do need to teach our children is the rede. Personal responsibility, honesty, honor in all things. I feel these are the most important things we can teach our children. We need to let them explore the different paths and find what is right for them. If they wish to follow our path then fine…but make sure they learn it at an age appropriate time. And make sure that you keep them away from those that would give them the wrong information.

My youngest son will most likely follow my path. My oldest leans towards the Buddhist/Zen teachings…which are a part of what I practice. So as long as they are not coerced into any one path out of guilt or control, then I will watch them grow into self assured healthy young men. And I’ll be just as proud and love them just as much even if they don’t follow my path.

So these are just my opening thoughts on this subject. I’d love to hear from others on this topic…so give me a holler at moonpanther2004@yahoo.com and I’ll be happy to include your thoughts here.

Brightest Blessings

Laura M. Crowe aka Moonpanther

Article Archives

Wicca & Paganism versus Witchcraft

Silver Spiritwolf

Site Critique

Silver Spiritwolf

Moon Phase

Planetary Hour