NMR ISSUE 27

An Urban Wicca
Astrological Forecast 27
Cat
Crimson and Gold
Editorial 27
Elf-Calling
For Scott
Great Universal Mystery
Letters 27
New Abundance
Overcoming Inertia
Samhaintide Ritual
Shark
The Crystal Tree System
The Elves are Returning
The Life Flower Formula
The Secret of Magickal Power
Two References
Water Spirits

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Pagan Parenting: Two References

Amanda Cummings

I am on occasion asked to recommend books that deal with parenting from a Pagan/Wiccan perspective. It has been very hard to do so, because there are very few books around with that focus. However, I'm happy to say there are now a few worth checking out.

Some parents are very pro-active when it comes to teaching their children a Pagan lifestyle. Wiccans look at this as a responsibility of parenting. This is quite understandable. Those of us raised to be Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, etc., realize that our parents saw our spiritual welfare as their responsibility as much as our physical, social, mental and emotional well-being. There are also Pagans who feel this way toward their own children.

Those of you very actively committed to teaching your children Wicca might want to trot on down to your local occult shop and see if you can find a copy of Family Wicca by Ashleen O'Gaea. She speaks very personably from her own experience and devotes time to answer some of the more difficult questions like, Is magic safe for children? (We all know it is, right?) And how do other families handle the holidays? She spends time talking about answers she has offered to her child about death, sex, and things like Why do some people think Wiccans are Satanists?

Her book has a lot of fun, witchy projects to do as a family. There are ideas for Wiccan Advent calendars, community service projects, and a very nice (and brief) commentary on the Charge of the Goddess. In addition, you will find some interesting teaching ideas for one on one interaction, such as simple magick and spells for children, using the common objects of a child's daily life (just as we use many common items to work magick), and some wonderful guided meditations (you know? stories!).

She is a strong advocate for children learning to practice magick at a very early age (some of her examples are for pre-schoolers), and relates stories of her son's active participation in Circles, and in leading Circles as he got older (he is now twelve). Her book also includes rituals for an entire solar cycle and some rites of passage. In addition, she touches briefly on the lunar celebrations. If this is your family's focus you will find this book very helpful and a welcome reference.

For those parents who prefer teaching a particular mind-set, or ethic, instead of a particular religion to their children, there is a very useful book you can find more geared to your parenting experience: Meditation for Children, Pathways to Happiness, Harmony, Creativity and Fun for the Family, by Deborah Rozman, Ph.D. Originally published in 1976, the new edition was released in 1989. This is a much more esoteric handbook more focused on centering and balance of the adult and child as a whole, and the family as an interrelating unit. The discussion begins with what is meditation? And moves on to such topics as how we can be better parents by exercising mental control of ourselves, how meditation can help improve self-esteem and communication, both in internal and external levels for child and adults in a family. It touches on such ideas as levels of perception and awareness, solving family problems, and exploring life together. This book also discusses basic philosophies of energy, concentration, and the inter-relationship of all things.

The chapter Meditating with Children gives ideas for different age groups from the very young (prenatal to five years old), to six- to ten-year-olds, to eleven- to fifteen-year-olds, and of course helpful hints on integrating these different levels into a family meditation. There are different meditations that we may be familiar with such as the You are Light meditation, or the We are One meditation. There is another whole section of the book that has terrific basic Yoga for children with step by step how-to's (so necessary for us adults).

The guided meditations from both these books have become mainstays in my family. When my second child had a sore arm, it was the general consensus that what needed to be done was for me to tell a story to make her better. So I told a story about a magical cave where all the magical colors live and after experiencing all the magical colors, we all chose the green light (for healing) and filled the cave with all the shades of green, and then concentrated them into the sore spot on the hurt arm. Needless to say, all the children were quite pleased that the pain had gone (and hasn't been back yet, either!). That is a story from Ashleen O'Gaea's book. In Meditation for Children there is a terrific story for scared children, focused on protection (from within), and how to feel you own power and force of will.

I know that raising our children to a particular consciousness or practice is still a controversial subject. So many of us have very negative connotations associated with being raised into a specific religion. But that doesn't mean we necessarily have to avoid teaching our children anything about our religious, philosophical, or practical experiences. On the contrary, we will teach them, whether we intend to or not. I hope readers will see these two books as tools for communicating our values, philosophies and practices to our children in a thoughtful, loving way.

I hope to compile a list of Pagan/Wiccan childrens' books. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations, and any description, anecdotes, etc. that go along with it. When I seem to have enough to make a decent list, I'll be putting it in this feature for your reference and enjoyment. You can write to me care of New Moon Rising. Thank you!

Blessed Be!