Witches Weekly
DISCLAIMER:: Take all this with a grain of salt. Right now, it seems that every time I talk about hypothetical future children in any context, someone's feelings get hurt. I'm just sayin'. My responses are my ideal, not necessarily what will be put into practice because both parents' opinions count blah blah blah you get the point.
How do you (or would you) go about teaching/including your child about your practice/beliefs?
Well, I think letting the child ask about my beliefs is the safest way to go. You can teach about the cycle of the seasons and about the moon and nature without being religious about it. However, if my child asks about my personal beliefs, I will be honest. Depending on age, I'll simplify. More than anything, I want to be supportive of my kid's spiritual choices, and I will expose him/her to many different beliefs and present them as equally valid. As far as teaching goes, because I see a difference between informing and teaching, I don't plan to teach my child my faith unless they ask and are of age to make their own informed choices about religion (probably mid-teens).
What kind of coming of age ritual might you suggest for your child and how would you approach them about it?
This is assuming that my kid wants to be Wiccan/Pagan. I would suggest a personal ritual, I think, to be performed by the kid. Since coming of age is something that must be undertaken personally, I'd help my kid to create their ritual, but when it comes down to it, their input is what counts most. Depending on my future coven situation, this might then be confirmed by an open, all-ages, celebratory circle. If I'm a solitary, a family/friends party would work, too.
What might you tell them about being a Pagan in a Christian-centric community?
I'd tell them than everyone has the right to their beliefs, but no one has the right to claim that their religion has a lock on the truth. Furthermore, I'd be sure to clarify that Christians as a whole are not all closed-minded holy rollers, and that the spirit of God that they worship is still the same spirit of God that we do (which is my personal belief). Other than that, I'd tell them to answer all questions asked honestly, because in any uncomfortable situation, you could get upset or you could actually clarify your beliefs. I prefer the latter. I personally haven't encountered any problems other than keeping my faith under the radar of a select few family members (my most beloved aunt will not allow her 7-year-old to watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch due to her Catholic issues with witchcraft), but that may not be the case for my child. When and if that bridge comes, we'll cross it together and try to think of the most constructive fix.
DISCLAIMER:: Take all this with a grain of salt. Right now, it seems that every time I talk about hypothetical future children in any context, someone's feelings get hurt. I'm just sayin'. My responses are my ideal, not necessarily what will be put into practice because both parents' opinions count blah blah blah you get the point.
How do you (or would you) go about teaching/including your child about your practice/beliefs?
Well, I think letting the child ask about my beliefs is the safest way to go. You can teach about the cycle of the seasons and about the moon and nature without being religious about it. However, if my child asks about my personal beliefs, I will be honest. Depending on age, I'll simplify. More than anything, I want to be supportive of my kid's spiritual choices, and I will expose him/her to many different beliefs and present them as equally valid. As far as teaching goes, because I see a difference between informing and teaching, I don't plan to teach my child my faith unless they ask and are of age to make their own informed choices about religion (probably mid-teens).
What kind of coming of age ritual might you suggest for your child and how would you approach them about it?
This is assuming that my kid wants to be Wiccan/Pagan. I would suggest a personal ritual, I think, to be performed by the kid. Since coming of age is something that must be undertaken personally, I'd help my kid to create their ritual, but when it comes down to it, their input is what counts most. Depending on my future coven situation, this might then be confirmed by an open, all-ages, celebratory circle. If I'm a solitary, a family/friends party would work, too.
What might you tell them about being a Pagan in a Christian-centric community?
I'd tell them than everyone has the right to their beliefs, but no one has the right to claim that their religion has a lock on the truth. Furthermore, I'd be sure to clarify that Christians as a whole are not all closed-minded holy rollers, and that the spirit of God that they worship is still the same spirit of God that we do (which is my personal belief). Other than that, I'd tell them to answer all questions asked honestly, because in any uncomfortable situation, you could get upset or you could actually clarify your beliefs. I prefer the latter. I personally haven't encountered any problems other than keeping my faith under the radar of a select few family members (my most beloved aunt will not allow her 7-year-old to watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch due to her Catholic issues with witchcraft), but that may not be the case for my child. When and if that bridge comes, we'll cross it together and try to think of the most constructive fix.