I'm into Wicca, like totally into it and I need some advice.
Right now I'm practicing WitchCraft. My Grandmother was like me. My mother hated it, so she raised me as a Christian. But the thing is my Grandmother was teaching me everything she knew. Recently she passed on, and I want to carry the tradition to my future children.
Anybody have any advice or websites I could use so that I guide my children through this easily.
I wont force them to go down this path. But it would be nice to introduce this to them.
Teach your children what you know - whatever part of your tradition that you know; don't try to turn it into a lesson - teach by example, and by teaching what you believe is right. Find other PEOPLE who believe as you do - books and websites are OK, but real, live, human experience is what matters.
Introduce them to many religions and without bias explain to them what each of the religions believes in and practices, then when they're older left them choose for themselves.
It's better than forcing your opinions on a child.
there is no reliable evidence of any kind to prove the certainty or even the nature of any supernatural rewards and punishments. And this places a dependence on the afterlife on very poor footing indeed. Moreland himself admits that if one lives ones life in a self-induced delusion...then satisfaction comes from living a lie.Thus, if I do not honestly see adequate empirical evidence to justify believing in Christian theism, then I cannot use its claims about the afterlife as a reason to be moral..while re-affirming superstitious beliefs of disturbing stories of hell and damnation and devils and eternal suffering and ramming them down the throats of unsuspecting children.
If you want to spend a lot of your time and money fake believing in something, then go ahead. While you're at it, start believing in other crazy 5-year old ideas like Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, and Stepping on a crack will break your mother's back.
It is natural human behavior to be ethical and empathetic, we have evolved these traits as they are essential to survival in a species that lives as a society.
Look at ants, I am fairly certain ants do not believe in the Christian God or follow the Christian code of conduct; yet ants show an amazingly high level of selfless co-operation. Traits like empathy, co-operation and the golden rule are naturally occurring phenomena - had we not evolved these traits it is likely that we would not have survived as long as we have.
If you feel like the only thing that is holding you to a moral code is a fictional book written 2000 years ago perhaps you should seek psychiatric help, seriously; the lack of a natural code of ethics is a classic sign of someone who is psychopathic.
Madam, the bible was written by mad men, it is not evidence. The fact that there is no evidence to prove the existence of you sky daddy, is sufficient for me.
Witchcraft is a practice that can be combined with any (or no) religion.
Wicca is a Noe-Pagan religion that is traditionally (but not always) combined with the practice of Witchcraft.
As such, again (as I mention in your other question), I don't know if you are interested in teaching your kids the Wiccan religion.... or just training them in magical arts.
Becoming Wiccan traditionally involves initiation-- or in less traditional tr ads, dedication-- which requires the person to fully understand what they are getting into... which is why a lot of kids don't get raised Wiccan. (Pagan, sure, but you don't see a lot of Wiccan kids because kids are too make the kind of commitment Wicca begs).
And Just-- for the record-- the phrase "into Wicca" is considered insulting (cringe-worthy) to a lot of Wiccans-- we dedicate our lives to our faith, and it has been just been disrespected by too many people turning into some kind of teeny-bop per fad. The phrase "into Wicca" makes it sound like someone is playing "Charmed." I can't imagine anyone saying they are "into" Christianity or "into" Judaism...
Not to mention, practicing Witchcraft does not make you Wiccan, no more than eating matzoh makes you Jewish.... so I'm not really sure what it is you are interested in...
As far as teaching your kids magic, it depends on the type. Magic can of course get quite complex. I personally teach my kids to meditate, I teach them some simple folk magic and how to be aware of and use the energy within and around them, how to pay attention to instincts, etc... but I have not done any formal training with them as of yet.
Just keep it light, help make them open and aware and to learn self-control and practice mental discipline... leave the rest for them as they decide to pick it up.
I think you need to learn a lot more about Wicca before you consider being a Wiccan mentor to your children. Or perhaps you all want to study it and learn together, with that understanding that you are learning too?
I'm sorry but I tend to cringe when someone says "I'm into Wicca". Wicca isn't a hobby, or a fashion statement. It is a religion and a way of life that deserves respect.
For example, would you say, "my neighbor is into Christianity."? Or would you say, "my neighbor is a Christian."?
Wicca is a religion, witchcraft is a set of skills, quite literally, a craft. Wicca is not an "easy" path - but there are several good books out there that may help you, see the link below to a list:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dus-stripbooks-tree&field-keywords=raising+witches&x=13&y=18
Falmaata - Wicca isn't about "supernatural rewards and punishments", nor does it focus on any afterlife, though there is a belief the soul does not die - Wicca is about honoring the divine, the sacred, and being the best person one can be in this life....not for whatever may or may not happen upon death, but because it is good and right and joyful while alive.
I have a son that is 4 and a half months old, and I plan on teaching him about Wicca. Not forcing it upon him, but teaching him by example. If he seems interested later on when he's older, then I'll ask him what he wants to learn and whatnot.
Teaching by example is far more valuable than teaching by books because then they actually get to see for themselves what is what. I'm sort of having a hard time trying to explain this. Lol Coffee...=]
Yes - Fortunately, Paganism/ Wicca is a wonderful religion for families and children, and there are some excellent resources for Pagan kids:
Books:
_The Pagan Family_ by Ceisiwr Serith
_The FAmily Wicca Book_ by Ashleen O'Gaea
The following are not just for kids, but kids will certainly enjoy them along with adults:
_PLayful Magic_ by Janina Renee
_Spell Crafts: Creating Magickal Objects by Cunningham & Harrington
_The Magical HOusehold_ by Scott Cunningham
_Ancient Ways_ by Pauline Campanelli
>
**Circle Round: Raising Children in the Goddess Tradition - Starhawk, Anne Hill, Diane Baker
(there is a Circle Round 2 coming out soon)
**The Winter Solstice - Ellen Jackson - 30 pages - ages 3 and up
**The Summer Solstice - Ellen Jackson - 30 pages - ages 3 and up
**Celebrating the Great Mother: A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children - Cait Johnson & Maura D. Shaw
**Rituals for Our Times: Celebrating Healing and Changing our Lives and Relationships - Evan Imber Black & Janin Roberts - 331 pages - all ages
**The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas - John Matthews and Caitlin Matthews - Hardcover, 256 pages - all ages.
** Pagan Kids Activity Book by Amber K
**WiccaCraft for Families by Margie McArthur
The Blessed Bee
www.BlessedBee.com (pagan parenting site & magazine)
The Pagan Parenting Page
http://www.paganparenting.net
Mamawitch's Parenting Page
http://www.musicforthegoddess.com/parent/
Crystal Forest Parenting Page
http://www.crystalforest1.homestead.com/Paganparenting.html
Brigid's Hearth - Pagan Parenting
http://members.cruzio.com/~thezoo/paganparenting.html
Fellowship of the Earth - Pagan Parenting
http://www.fote.org/parents.html
PaganParenting
http://www.paganparenting.com
Pagan Parenting resources
http://www3.sympatico.ca/morgaine/parent.html
A Pagan Family Page
http://www.paganfamily.com
Covenant of the Goddess Teen Resources
http://www.cog.org/nextgen/welcome.html
DragonMoon
http://dragonmoon.org.uk
I want to raise my children on Wicca?
