Witchy Kids: Teaching Magic to Children

[jilola]

I don't see why teaching kids about magic(k) wouldn't result in them skipping the fantasy bit altogether.
What people don't know about they invent, more often and not based on external stimuli and ideas.

2cents & L&L
jouni

[Tisha]

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5341/prayer.jpg


this was hysterical, I should find the post on school prayer and add it to the conversation!

[Tisha]

A letter from a third grade teacher to Wiccan parents:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Thomas,

I write this letter in concern of your daughter, Aradia Moon. Please don't take this the wrong way, however, although she is a straight A student and a very bright child, she has some strange habits that I feel we should address.

Every morning before class, she insists on walking around the room with her pencil in the air. She says she is "drawing down the moon." I told her art class is in an hour and to please refrain until then to do any drawing.

And speaking of art class, whenever she draws a night sky, she insists on drawing little circles around all the stars and people dancing on the ground. And that brings up dancing, I had to stop her twice for taking off her clothes during a game of Ring Around the Rosey! By the way, what does "skyclad" mean?

Aradia has no problem with making friends. I always find her sitting outside during recess with her friends sitting around her in a circle. She likes to share her juice and cookies. It is nice how she wants no one to ever thirst or hunger. However, when I walked over to see what they were doing, she jumped up and told me to stop, pulled out a little plastic knife and started waiving it in front of me. I thought this a bit dangerous, so I took her to the Principal's Office. She explained to the Principal that she was "opening the circle" to let me in. She also said that her Mommy and Daddy always told her not to play or run with an "athame" in her hand, that she could put someone's eye out. I don't know what an "athame" is, but I'm glad she keeps it at home.

As for stories, your daughter tends to make up some whoppers. Just yesterday while I was talking sternly to Tommy Johson and shaking my finger at him, he started screaming and ran from the room. When I finally caught him, he told me Aradia told him and the rest of the class that the last time I shook my finger at someone, they caught the chicken pox. I explained to him that the Sally Jones incident was just a coincidence, and that things like that don't really happen.

One of the strangest things that happened was when I asked the children to bring in Halloween decorations for the classroom. Aradia brought in salt, incense, and her family album. I see she has quite a sense of humour.

One of Aradia's worst habits is that she is very argumentative. We were discussing what the Golden Rule was (Do Unto Others as you would have them Do Unto You), she firmly disagreed with me and stated that it was "Do As you Will, but Harm None" and she will not stop saying "So Mote It Be" after she reads aloud in class. I try to correct her on these matters and she got very angry. She pointed her finger at me and mumbled something under her breath.

In closing, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, I would like to set up a parent/teacher conference with you sometime next week to discuss these matters. I would like to see you sooner, but I have developed an irritating rash that I am quite worried about.

With deep concerns,
Mrs. Livingston

P.S. Blessed Be. I understand this is a greeting or closing from your country that your daughter informs me is polite and correct

[Tisha]

http://www.draknet.com/braglorin/main.html

Here is a very nice website for pagan kids (7+). It was developed by a woman in the UK.  She provides lots of basic info but doesn't "go over the line" by teaching spells or magic.  There are activities (games, paper dolls, coloring books) and stuff like that!

enjoy!

[KoolGZe]

It's impossible to teach magic to your kidsd because Initiates can't have them.

[Tisha]

KoolGZe, I was going to ignore your comment, but feel the need to respond for the sake of other Astralpulse members.  Your idea that magical knowledge is ONLY held by initiates of (presumably secret) societies is archaic, affected, and almost funny nowadays, given modern realities.

First, what used to be esoteric is now exoteric.  Covens are publishing their books of shadows, and hermetic books of so-called "secret wisdom" can be downloaded off the internet.  

I'm not saying the so-called "masses" necessarily UNDERSTAND what they are reading, but the few with eyes to see and ears to hear, the ones that are ready, do understand.  Sometimes knowledge can come from meditation and prayer, without reading any books at all.

(FYI I was initiated - ceremonial magick, secret society -  back in '85.  I was not required to remain childless).

Secret initiate societies still keep their secrets, but these are secrets peculiar to their magical systems.  MAGIC IS UNIVERSAL AND KNOWLEDGE OF IT CANNOT BE HOARDED BY ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE.  Initiates who believe they can hoard this knowledge have ego problems, and probably joined their "secret society" in order to feel special and superior to others.

The most powerful magician I know is a high priest (small secret society) and community elder, and the father of two beautiful children.  Stand not 6 feet away from him and the electricity will make your hair stand on end (if you're sensitive).  He evokes psychic abilities in nonpsychic people just by his presence! He also teaches magic to noninitiates . . . for at least 20+ years.  So, there you have it.

[Avalon]

Thanks for this post Tisha.

My kids are too young yet to discuss some of the stuff on the website with them (6 & 4 yo)but I've been trying to find a way to broach the subject of Magic itself.

One day they were wanting to bring a video to school for Movie Day and my youngest picked out "Rapunzel".  My oldest protested and said "You can't bring that to school it has too much fighting AND MAGIC in it!".  I turned around and asked her who told her that!  I was furious.  One of her teachers apparently has that rule in her classroom.  Ugh.  I told her to keep an open-mind about such things.  And reminded her that although much of what she sees on T.V. and movies is fiction, some people believe that "magical" things can be happen and can be good.  I tried to tell her NOT to liken violence to magic, it doesn't make sense to do so.

[KoolGZe]

Can you give me the name of the Order that initiated you? Just the name.

Anyway if you find ONE book on the net or at a book shop that tells exactly how to perform a High Magic ritual tell me.

Initiates can't have kids because they're required to keep a vow of chastit, which by it's turn, is required for Cerimonial Magic.

Orders don't keep magic to themselves because they are greedy. They do it so inept people don't hurt themselves and others around them.

Initiates don't join orders because they wish to, they do it because they are hand picked. And they certainly can't afford to have a super inflated ego.

[Tisha]

CELIBATE??  (rolls on floor laughing) Man, if you are (honestly and truly) celibate, then you are the first one I've met in my 20+ years of working and playing in the magical community.   I will answer your question re: my order via Private Message.

"High magic" - "ceremonial magic(k),"  are not the only magics in the world. For the record, when Tisha speaks of magic, it is usually the universal, natural, preliterate, shamanic kind kind of magic.  Not the "High-Episcopagan" magick, not Crowley, not names-of-gods, not secret-societies.  I speak of basic hermetics (universal law and its application), otherworldly journeying, communication with the other-than-human realms, symbolism, elementals, shifting realities, etc.  

Secret societies don't have a lock on this knowledge.  Magic has been passed down, mother-to-daughter, man-to-woman, teacher-to-student, for centuries.  All without keys, codes, or secret handshakes.

peace-out,

[KoolGZe]

I don't keep celibate, however Initiates are required to. Initiates with Initiations given by serious orders, that is.

Even when talking about natural magic, I'm not sure of the degree of knowledge someone outside of a SERIOUS coven can obtain. Serious covens are as selective as Initiatic orders and they require celibacy as well.

[Tisha]

KoolGZe, I don't know what you've been reading . . . serious covens are traditionally run by both priest and priestess, and they're usually NOT celibate.  Ever hear of the Great Rite?  HMMMMMMMMM . . . it doesn't seem you've heard of Tantra, either . . . but nevermind . . . I'm getting off-topic.  This thread about kids, not sex.

Anyway, stick around, you might learn a thing or two. Covens and other magical orders are much more than just occult versions of the Catholic Church.  Sex in the occult realms runs rampant . . . even amok. Which can be good or bad, depending on your focus.

[KoolGZe]

I was away for some time. Anyway we're going back and forth, obviously it's useless for me to try to convince you that you have no idea of what a Coven and an Initiation is, and it was foolish of me to think the opposite.

One remark : What kind of secret society is that that allows you to tell it's name around on the internet?

[Ceriel N]

My parents brought me up by answering my question as truthfully they could.

I don't think I'm competely screwed up beacuse of it.
(Oh, and they only now starting to lean towards 'this' side of he perspectives. They used to be mostly atheistic.)

Anyway, I think a child is better off playing with reality than other poeple's biases. At least that way there's less chance of getting tangled up in maya, illusion.

[Ceriel N]

quote: Great Rite

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/g/great_rite.html
[?]

First thing that came up on Google. []

[Tisha]

KookGZe, because it is no longer secret, and I am no longer bound by an oath [].  You have small mind, yes?

[Lilith]

oooh yummy!
A thread unravelling in so many possible directions!
[]

On topic though... I too have an 11 year old daughter.
[]
There are levels and levels of knowledge, and suffice it to say she has a rudimentary grasp of magic.
She's a "natural" in many ways and it seemed the better course to give her the ethics and the basics as she was growing into it anyhow... much safer and healthier than letting it run away with her, was my exasperated thinking at the time.

She will probably grow up to be a Kitchen Witch, she's very good at listening to the Natural world.
Basically, I've taught her as much (and as little) as her self-discipline allows, magic-wise, and we've explored a lot of different avenues on what is and is not magic, and lots and lots of ethics.

I think that the age thing has to be played by ear according to individual tastes, talents and tendancies.


As for the segue into "REAL Magic"... No disrespect is intended although I do realise it is present anyhow; the divisiveness of elitism is a good way to ensure the retardation of humankind.
[]
Quoting myself is the epitome of arrogance, but I'll do it anyhow 'cause it's good Kitchen-witch sense;
[]

quote:There is always more than one way to accomplish any given task.

And that includes magic.
[]

good post(s) Tisha, thanks for the links. []

[n/a]

Children, let's ABRAKADABRAKA today!!

[n/a]

"yes, mammy!!"

[Tisha]

Hi.

I don't believe in teaching magic to very young children; I think it's irresponsible, as children don't have the formal operational thought processes, the moral development, or the maturity to think outside of themselves. I also don't need a silly little DBZ-type twerp running around the house and annoying me!

That said, this website is cute, and contains several relatively harmless suggestions for things you can do with your kids if you want to raise them magically:

http://www.geocities.com/meicko4life/witchy_kids.html

My daughter is 11 now, and the most we've ever done together (besides festivals and high holidays)is talk to plants and rocks.  Oh yeah, and once we made a lightly charged mint tea, but that's about it.  When she's 13, I will assess her maturity, and her interest.  Then I'll decide what to do next.

Others out there might have a different approach, and I'd love to hear from you.  How do you feel about teaching magic to children?