A Guide To Children

A Guide To Children
Interested In A Magikal Path

Tribulations Of Being A Kid
Believe it or not, most adults do remember what it's like being a child. We've been there ourselves. The problem is sometimes many adults forget the trials and tribulations they went through. The hardest thing for many children is expressing their views or beliefs to their parents. When in fact, many parents would welcome the discussion.

I'm not going to tell you how to be the best kid you can be. That would probably be pointless. What I am going to try to provide is some insight, ideas and suggestions in talking to your parents about your beliefs. What you should know about the religion of Witchcraft, and what to look out for as you walk this path.

Mutual Respect
First and foremost, Witchcraft is a religion of respect. You can't claim to practice this belief system if you don't practice that basic concept. If you are disrespecting your parents, you're not practicing the path of the craft.

Just as you want your parents to respect your views, you should respect theirs as well. Most of the decisions your parents make about your life are made out of love and concern for your well being. So try to be a little thankful for that, and give them the respect of swallowing your pride and talking to them openly and honestly.

Another basic concept of many Witchcraft traditions is what you put out, you get back. So if you want respect, give it. It will come back to you.

Starting The Journey
Anyone wanting to learn about a new religion has to begin with some reading and research. There's no way around it. If you're truly interested in this religious path, begin your study in the basic concepts of Metaphysics. When you have an understanding of reincarnation, the soul and spiritual bodies, karma and energy, then you can research the finer details of a Witchcraft tradition.

I strongly suggest you start your research by talking to your parents and asking for help. Now don't roll your eyes. If you approach the situation with the right attitude, you most probably will be surprised with their response.

How To Talk To Your Parents
You will have to decide how open your relationship is to know how to begin. If your a child who goes to church every Sunday, you begin by finding other labels to describe your beliefs before you talk to them. Words like Witch, spells and Witchcraft might set your parents off and close the exchange of ideas.

I'm not talking about being deceitful. I'm talking about using some brain power to be able to speak with your parents intelligently. Being a teacher, I'm often asked to take on new students who are minors. I will not do this, without a parents permission. In my office that means meeting with the child and parent in a conference.

But what I will do, is give you some ideas on how to approach your parents for that permission. So here are some examples. The key to this is..be open. Don't get defensive, don't get an attitude. No matter how much you think you know; you don't know it all.

* It might be best to pick your moment for discussion. And sometimes it's easier for kids to talk to one parent at a time. So while your mom if fixing dinner, or your dad is driving you to a music or karate lesson (or whatever) ask them questions about what they believe. The key is to listen! Their ideas are just as valid as yours.
* You might ask, What do you think God is? Let them answer, and then try to tell them what you believe. Or if you don't know, say that.
* Ask them what they think happens to you when you die. Listen to their answer. Then tell them what you believe. If you don't know, say that. Ask them what they think of reincarnation. And tell them what you think.
* Ask them if they believe in magik. Tell them what you think.
* Hopefully you will have gotten far enough in this conversation where your questions are easier to ask. You might even be able to ask additional questions based on what they say. Some where along they way, they're going to ask you why you're asking these questions. Be honest. Tell them because you've been thinking about it lately. Even though you were raised, Christian or Jewish or whatever, you're interested in other religions and you just wondered.
* The key to all these questions is asking this.. \"Will you help me do some research on the web tonight about religions?\" I'm not saying I'm going to join one, I'm just curious.
* I would suggest you learn about many religious paths. Not just Witchcraft. So try to go with the flow. The more you learn about many beliefs, the more you'll learn about your own.
* Start a notebook with the basics of each religion. For instance:
o It's name
o When it was founded
o Who/ if anyone founded the faith
o Where is it practiced the most
o How many people practice the belief
o What are the basic concepts of the belief
* Eventually, you'll be able to learn a great deal about many faiths and so will your parents. You'll learn about just how similar many faiths are.
* Another suggestion, the first religion you should research, is the one your parents practice. Then ask them what they think the opposite of that religion is. And look it up through a search engine. Then ask about one of the other mainstream religions, Christianity, Judaism, Muslim and Buddhist are the most common. Then ask about Witchcraft. Start with our site if you like. The Covenant of The Goddess at cog.org. or the Witches Voice at witchvox.com are also wonderful places to start. You want a site that is light and up beat.

What Witchcraft Isn't
In order to talk to your parents, you should have an understanding of what witchcraft is and isn't. I'm going to guess you know what it is since you've gotten this far. But let's make sure you know what it isn't.

First and foremost, Witchcraft is not devil worship. Witchcraft is a pre-Christian religion and we do not believe in the existence of the devil. So it's kind of hard to worship something you don't believe in.

Secondly, Witchcraft is not about spells and potions and magik. There is a big difference between spellcraft and Witchcraft.

Now that we've got those out of the way.

* A spell is merely a focused prayer with a specific intent behind it. Not all people on the path of Witchcraft practice spellcraft. Those that do, never cast upon any person without that person's permission.
* A spell is not an easy way out of situations and in our beliefs there are always consequences for casting.
* We do not cast to make someone else do something against their will. That means, we don't approve of love spells, hate spells, or spells that manipulate someone else in anyway. To us, that is interfering with their free will and choice, and thereby affecting the lessons or karma that person is here to learn. In short, it's affecting the advancement of their soul and that is a big no no.

Things To Lookout For
Now that we have some of the basic understanding and misconceptions out of the way. You should also know what to look for when you're beginning your research. Here are a few tips.

* A formal teacher will not take on a minor child as a student without written and often times, verified permission from a parent. If you have a friend who is talking about a teacher who is teaching them, without their parents knowledge, this is a sign of trouble.
* If a teacher can offer you nothing that proves their status of leader or initiation as a teacher, this is a sign of trouble.
* If your getting information from websites that do not provide information about their research material; or the research material is based solely on modern craft books, this could be a sign of trouble.
* If your new to the path (less than a year) then there is no way you have a complete understanding of the religion to be casting spells. That's a sign of trouble; period!
* If you are casting spells to harm someone, or threatening to cast a spell on someone, (good, bad, or indifferent) this is a major sign of trouble and a complete lack of understanding about this religion.
* If you're casting spells to bind or protect someone, this is also a sign of trouble. We do not \"bind\" people. We can only protect our selves, or those who ask for the help on themselves. Never upon someone who doesn't know the spell is being cast upon them.
* If you're only talking about spells, this is a sign of trouble and lack of research. -- do you see a pattern here? --
o Modern media focuses on spellcraft without fully knowing what they're talking about. Consequently, people want to be like what they see on TV. We're nothing like that.
* If you're claiming to be a natural witch or born witch; there's no such thing. There is no witch DNA. Being a witch is a spiritual choice, not a birth right. No one is born a witch and no one is born a religion. Even being raised in a home with a particular religion, does not make one a member of that religion; unless they chose to be so.
* If you're claiming to have psychic gifts and is therefore a witch. Nope wrong again. Being psychic is not specific to one religion over an other. And it certainly doesn't make someone an automatic witch.
* If you're claiming to have \"power\"; Nope, wrong again. Power is an illusion. No one can have more a less power than anyone else. There is emotional \"power\" in having a spiritual path but that is considerably different than being self powerful.
* If you're claiming to be part of a coven, sign of trouble. Either it is really a group of friends who are working as a study group; in which case you should call it that. It's a group of kids who have banded together to practice rituals; in which case it's doubtful any of you have the experience or knowledge to truly do this. Or it's a group of people who are more interested in the size of their group than the ethics of a real coven. All these can be a sign of trouble.

So What Do You Do?
There are many well written books on the subject of witchcraft. The problem most of us in the community have is, many will only read the modern publications and not even do the basic research concerning the concepts of the religion itself.

If you're truly interested in this path, then you should first and foremost, study the basic concepts of metaphysics. Read and research the history of religions and how they each have evolved over the many thousands of years. You should be open to all paths of knowledge and not condemn anyone's beliefs. All positive paths are valid and right for that person who believes in them.

You should study archeology, anthropology; especially if you believe in a tradition that is based on an ancient culture, such as Dianic Wicca or Celtic traditions.

After all this basic research, then you can begin basic study into magik.

Now there are several well researched and documented websites about the craft. Many we have listed on our Frequently Asked Questions page. There are several books, which we have listed on our Books and Resources page. You can also do research at Amazon.com for additional books and resources.

I hope this article has given you some ideas into how to be open with your parents. I hope you can build on these ideas and create a closer relationship with them. I also hope it has given you some suggestions to make talking to your parents a little easier and maybe even a little less frightening.

I'm often asked to speak to parent groups, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Most of us who are teachers of our faith, really do understand the concerns non-pagan parents have. Like your parents, we too want you to be safe and follow a path that is right for them.

Many Blessings -
Spring


http://www.paganspath.com/magik/child.htm