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- Samhain
2002, Cauldrons and broomsticks ezine, Southern Hemisphere
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http://www.cauldrons-broomsticks.net/2002samhainsouth4.htm
Teen-Wicca
by AWDU
We have all heard of the Teen-Witch
phenomenon, arguably the most public face of Wicca at this
time. Many of us were once Teen-Witches (although the term
wasn't around back then!), many of us were raised Wiccan,
many others of us have children we are rearing in a Wiccan
lifestyle and many of the readers of this Ezine are in all
likelihood teenagers. So, I believe I can justifiably comment
that within Wicca there is a place for teenage witches. The
topic of Teen-Wicca is a controversial one however. This was
no more evident than in a recent edition of Australia's most
popular magazine about Wicca. A subscriber to the magazine,
I was dismayed when I read a letter sent in about Teen-Wicca
by a coven of mature age witches. The letter showed complete
intolerance and a scathing attitude towards Teen-Witches.
Quoting just a small part of the letter by the coven 'One
thing that we have been getting increasingly concerned with
has been the age of some of the so-called "Witches"
that write in [to the magazine]. One in particular is...[a]
17y.o. guy who states that he has been a "Witch"
for four years, which means he was 13! How can you become
a Witch at such a young age? We find it really insulting that
children are calling themselves a Witch...Do they watch Charmed
and other such tongue-in-cheek movies that Hollywood portray
and decide it looks like fun and automatically call themselves
Witches? Can they get into the meditative state for Circle
work, or to decide if this is the way of life they want to
lead?'
Like most Wiccans I am concerned
about the issue of discrimination and so was utterly incredulous
that a coven of witches claiming to have years of knowledge
behind them could be so utterly discriminating about the age
of some of the younger of today's witches. I feel that there
is enough to worry about from unenlightened individuals who
still believe witchcraft is evil and involves human sacrifice,
without having to watch my back from members of my own movement!
I myself was a Teen-Witch (I am now 24). I began my journey
into Wicca at the age of 15. Those of you versed in the 'tongue-in-cheek'
movies and television series around today will be aware that
this pre-dates shows and movies such as 'The Craft,' 'Charmed,'
'Practical Magic' and 'Buffy' (of which I am now a great fan!)
by quite some years. This goes to show that "children"
(and I really believe that by the teenage years we are definitely
beginning to hit young adulthood) are quite capable of becoming
interested in Wicca without being under the influence of movies
and T.V shows. As for these Hollywood images all I can say
is that if they introduce a young person to a belief system
that may make their journey through adolescence a little lees
traumatic then good for them!
Teenagers are just as likely
to be intelligent and sincere as those of mature-age. If I
remember correctly the emotional intensity of my teenage years,
I can honestly say that I have never thought about things
in so much detail and at such length as I did back then! I
honestly believe that Wicca is beautiful because of its eclectic
nature. This is the single greatest thing that appeals to
me about Wicca. It is what separates it from all other religions
and movements that I have been exposed to. Wicca is tolerance.
It is acceptance. It is diversity. To be Wiccan is to embrace
this. If there are Teen-Witches out there who are into Wicca
simply for love spells....fine. There are mature age individuals
into it for just the same reason! If there are mature age
individuals into it for its deeper spirituality and philosophy...great.
There are teenagers into it for just the same reasons. I know,
I was one. We each have a journey and a way of knowing. It
is unique to all of us and is our right to follow our own
path.
Despite my sadness at that
letter, I have to admit that I was completely heartened by
the responses given by members of the Australian Wiccan community.
The following issue published four letters in response and
all of them criticized the letter for its discriminating attitude.
One was particularly poignant with the following message 'This
coven of supposed matureness and knowledge obviously have
a long way to go when it comes to true compassion, constructive
intent and selflessness. All the book, study and degrees in
the world mean nothing when your character or soul does not
inherit this...In my eyes, age is no barrier when it comes
to the belonging of life, and even death, for in it we are
both teacher and student.' Following from this there was such
a hearty response by readers of the magazine in support of
Teen-Witches that the editor was forced to devote a section
in the next issue to these letters and to then formally close
the debate (understandable when your mail bag is over-flowing!).
A big 'Good on ya' to all those who wrote in!
After this debate was closed
I began to think about why people can be so scathing of Teen-Witchcraft.
I came to the conclusion that this attitude may come from
ignorance about what Teen-Witchcraft is. So, I thought I'd
write a little bit about my understanding of it below. Beware;
this is only a general sketchy description! I also thought
that there might be many Teen-Wiccans out there who are feeling
the full-force of discrimination, not only for their choice
of belief-system but also for their age. So I thought I'd
create a spell that teenagers can conduct to help lift their
spirits after they've come under attack from those who have
demeaned them for their age and/or beliefs.
You're a Teen-What?
Teen-Witch. Teen-Wiccan. They
pretty much mean the same thing. Both refer to a person of
teenage years who is involved in the practice of Wicca to
some degree or another. This involvement can range from conducting
spells to help with such things as homework, love interests,
family arguments, to celebrating the seasonal festivals, to
living life according to deeper Wiccan philosophies. Teen-Witches
may be avid readers on the subject and possess a great variety
of knowledge. They may just do their own thing. They may have
family members who are Wiccan and they may have been raised
Wiccan or they may just be following their own path. Teen-Witches
can be dabblers who are experimenting with a new way of doing
things or they are just as likely to be committed and sincere
about their religious choice. They may view Wicca as a religion
and a way of life or they may see it as a hobby or a practical
solution to some of their problems.
Teen-Witches should be following
the 'an it harm none do what ye will' rule and should be remembering
to not interfere with anyone's free will. In my experience
most teenagers know this and are happy to work within its
boundaries. Wicca maybe providing its teenage adherents with
empowerment, a sense of direction, control and belonging.
These are good things and allow teenagers to transverse the
turbulent waters of adolescence in a much less traumatic manner!
Teen-Witches often organize themselves into covens. This isn't
something to be afraid of. For many Teen-Witches, their coven
is a group of their closest friends and they get together
much like any other teenagers to discuss their love-life,
school, their parents and find ways of dealing with issues
that arise in these areas. The difference being that Teen-covens
may decide upon spells to help solve their problems. These
spells involve herbs, gemstones, colored fabric, sometimes
candles, incense and essential oils. Teen-Witches may also
be solitaries (i.e. following their own path without being
involved in a coven), they may be secretive about their involvement
with Wicca or they may be open about it. In Australia, a group
of teenage Wiccans organized and conducted the first public
gathering of Teen-Witches. It was a huge success with large
numbers of teens attending! I have to be honest and say, I
don't know many mature age individuals who would be capable
of organizing and running a large public gathering and so
there really is no call whatsoever to brand Teen-Witches as
silly and ineffective. Good for you, Teen-Wiccans!
The Downside for Teen-Witches
One of the biggest downsides
of Teen-Witches has got to be the stereotypes about it. It
is hard enough for mature age witches to come out of the broom
closet about their beliefs, without having to do it as a teenager!
I can only imagine what it must be like to tell your Mum or
Dad that you are a Teen-Witch when all they have to go on
are either stereotypes labeling witchcraft as evil and dangerous
or stereotypes labeling Teen-Witches as frivolous dwellers
in the realm of fantasy. It must be so hard to see your parents'
faces either contort in horror and fear or to crumple in amusement
that just about humiliates you completely! The solution to
this problem has got to be a two-fold one. The first solution
is to decide who should be told about your involvement in
witchcraft and who is likely to be open-minded if they are
handled correctly! It isn't necessary to tell everyone but
it may be a good idea to let your parents know in advance
so that they don't walk in on you conducting a spell and wonder
what is going on! The second solution is to explain what your
beliefs are without using the term witchcraft or Wicca until
the end. In this way you avoid eliciting stereotypes of witchcraft
before you've had time to explain yourself.
The other negative of Teen-Witchcraft
is the question of exploitation. Not just by the media and
by commercialism but by people out there whose intentions
are less than positive. Teen-Witchcraft provides the perfect
environment for individuals who prey upon children, adolescents
and young adults. The best advice is to be incredibly wary,
particularly if you use the Internet to converse with Wiccans
you haven't met. Avoid people you don't know who make claims
about teaching you secret occult knowledge or about initiating
you and making you a high priest/priestess. Don't go to groups
that you do not know unless you go with an adult you trust.
If you are uncomfortable with any practices then don't do
them. People who try to manipulate you or force you are not
Wiccan and not possessors of great knowledge at all. Trust
your intuition. This can't be stressed enough and if you are
a teenager and you're thinking "I know, I've heard all
of this before" then listen to it again! I'm only saying
this because I care and not because I think you are stupid
or have no common sense. Just for the record, I think this
is good advice for all Wiccans and not just teenagers. I'm
24 and I still hear it from the people who love and care about
me. Also, it's good to bring this topic up with your parents
or family members before they do because then they know that
you are aware of the dangers and are taking precautions!
There was a brilliant episode
in Australia's favorite drama "Blue Heelers" (and
this is a mainstream conservative drama I might add!) sometime
last year that very cleverly looked at the question of Teen-Wicca.
One of the recurring small roles in the show is that of a
female Wiccan who has a teenage daughter. In the show, the
woman is portrayed as an intelligent and law-abiding citizen.
Her beliefs as a Wiccan are shown within context and she is
really a very good advertisement for Wicca. This is not surprising
given that one of the scriptwriters for the show is Wiccan
herself! (Yep, we Wiccans are everywhere!) In this particular
episode the daughter wants to know about witchcraft and the
mother says that she is too young. The mother is under the
impression that she doesn't want to force her own views upon
her daughter. The daughter then goes elsewhere to learn and
falls in with a man who is using the guise of Wicca to cover
a pedophile ring. He preys upon young girls by promising to
make them important members in his coven and to share secret
knowledge about witchcraft with them. In the end the ring
is exposed and the girl escapes without harm. The mother then
reassesses the situation and realizes that her daughter obviously
is old enough to know what she wants and is therefore old
enough to know about Wicca.
The show was particularly good
because it raised questions about pagan parenting, about what
age young people are old enough to be involved in Wicca, about
the dangers of adults forcing their children to practice Wicca
behind their backs by forbidding them access to it and also
about stereotypes of Wiccans. The show quite simply showed
that Wiccans are good and that those individuals who indulge
in negative behaviors are not Wiccan at all and have no place
in the movement.
The final negative has got
to be the feeling of humiliation, anger and frustration you
get when you have tried to explain your beliefs to someone
and they just are too close-minded to want to listen. You
may have been ridiculed (particularly at school) and made
to feel small and worthless. If you have had your freedom
limited by those in authority over you then you may be feeling
helpless as well. Below is a spell that is aimed at making
you feel better about yourself
The 'It Isn't Fair - Why can't
they understand' Spell
What you need
Just Yourself!
If you are able to burn a candle,
then light a white one for protection and for its calming
properties. If you are able to use essential oils or perfumes
then infuse the air with something calming like lavender or
your favorite perfume/deodorant/aftershave. If you can listen
to some music then choose something calming for the final
part of the spell. If you can't do any of this then it's fine
not to.
Before you begin
If you are able to go for a
walk or a run then do so. It is amazing how this can calm
you down and relax you. If you can't, you may be able to sit
by an open window and take some deep breaths. Or have a relaxing
bath.
The Spell
This spell relies simply upon
affirmations and visualizations. Sit calmly in a place where
you hopefully won't be disturbed. Your bedroom is probably
the best place but you can sit in the bathroom or even in
the toilet if you wish (not too many people will walk in on
you in there!)!!!! Close your eyes and breathe deeply. In
through your nose and out through you mouth. . Breathe slowly
and calmly. Try and clear your mind of thoughts, your body
of tension and your emotions of turbulence. The purpose of
this is for you to begin your spell in a place of calm. Any
emotion or thought that rises after this is what you choose
to put into your spell working.
When you are feeling ready,
open your eyes and look at your hands. You are now ready to
conjure up all of the horrible feelings you have been feeling.
Keep looking at your hands (open palmed to begin with) and
focus all of the hateful things people have said to you into
your hands. Let your muscles tense up. As they do, your hands
will begin to clench into fists. Your breathing will probably
begin to speed up. This is what you want. Keep boiling up
your hurt, humiliation and anger within you and focusing it
upon your fists. You may begin to shake. That is good because
it shows that your body is ready to let your pain go. When
you feel that all of your hurt is ready to burst out of you,
hold on to it for one moment longer. Just a moment! Then suddenly
let it go. Throw your arm wide, hands and fingers outstretched
and really feel and see all that hurt being flung away from
you. As you do this you should be feeling a release inside
of you. You may burst into tears. Perfect. You may need to
pound your fists on the ground or get up and run to really
let it all go. That's fine. Do what you need to. Remember
the physical feeling of release is important but so is the
visualization of it leaving you and dissipating to neutralize
into the air around you.
When you are ready, sit once
more, close your eyes and take some deep, slow breaths. Feel
yourself relaxing, your muscles un-tensing and your mind calming.
When you feel relaxed, open your eyes and say firmly and positively
to yourself (aloud or in your head) "I am my own person.
What I feel is valid. What I believe is valuable. The bad
times will pass. One day soon I will be recognised as an adult.
I can be patient" Repeat this as many times as necessary.
If you begin to feel some residual anger then let it build
up and release it as you did previously. Keep doing this until
you can speak the words calmly. You can then repeat these
words whenever you need to say them. Let them help you feel
calm and empowered and patient.
Remember, only you own your
own mind. You may not be recognised legally as an adult yet
but this will change in a few short years. It may not seem
to be the case at the moment but the bad times will pass.
They always do.
Good luck Teen-Witches! Your
enthusiasm is indeed a bright light indeed for Wicca!
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