Wicca for Life

Witchcraft in School

For most of us, the years spent in school are the most impressionable ones. These years can be the happiest of times, but for some they bring nothing but misery. Yet, for the Wiccan child, there is no reason why this should not be a truly wonderful period of life.

A Wiccan child does not automatically have all things going for him or her. In fact, quite the reverse . . . if there is any hint of interest in the metaphysical, they may well be immediately labeled “weird” by their peers. Television and movies are beginning to change this, however, making the previous object of ridicule and scorn now an object of envy and admiration. The times are changing slowly, however, so let’s see how we can speed up the process.

Ever remember, you are the “Hidden Children of the Goddess.” If tempted to admit or boast of belonging to the Craft, you be endangering your brothers and sisters. For though now the fires of persecution have died down, who knows when they may be revived? Many priests have knowledge of our secrets and they full well know that much religious bigotry has died down or calmed down, that many people would wish to join our Craft if the truth were known of its joys and the churches would lose power.... So ever keep the secrets.

—Book of Shadows

In or Out of the Closet?

To what extent, if any, should a child show connection to the Craft? Legally, there should be no problem in this area. Just as some children are permitted to wear and display crucifixes or Stars of David, so should a Wiccan child be able to wear a pentagram or similar symbol. But what should be is not the same as what is! Much depends upon the part of the country in which you live, and the open- or closed-mindedness of your community. Wherever you are, it is possible to initiate a lawsuit to obtain your religious rights if you have to (and the ACLU has been wonderfully helpful on this score in numerous cases across the country involving Wicca), but ideally confrontation should be avoided. It is one thing to be granted your rights; it is another to have to live with your fellow students in an atmosphere of tension and antagonism, after having won them.

Start by not overstating your position. In other words, a small, discreet pentagram or pentagram ring is fine. But to overload yourself with rings, pendants, tattoos, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces that shriek “Witchcraft!” is foolish so far as the true Craft is concerned, and more so for your unobtrusiveness at school. It is the student who dresses all in black, with ghoulish makeup, black fingernail polish, and occult jewelry who is not the true Witch. Similarly, one who infers that he or she will curse you or cause dire things to happen is definitely not a Witch.

There is no connection between Witches and vampires, Witches and Satanists, Witches and warlocks. (Warlock is from the old Scottish word warloga, meaning “traitor” or “deceiver.” It was a term applied during the burning times to one who turned in his fellow Witches to the authorities. It is never used among Witches themselves today.)

Remember, Witchcraft is a positive religion with love for all life.

A nasty thing happens to teens when they talk to their friends about the Craft—they lose a lot of them. Here’s where you separate the true friends from those who have no clue. This happens to adults too. Once you start moving to a higher level of consciousness, it is natural that those people who aren’t on your wavelength will drift away. Some will go quietly and others will raise a big stink in the process.... You may cultivate a new set of friends rather quickly, or you may be a loner for a while. That’s a chance you’re going to have to take if you speak out.

—Silver RavenWolf, Teen Witch

Handling Verbal Attacks

The first thing to learn is not to fight back. When someone accuses you of being a Witch or dabbling in Witchcraft, simply ask, “What do you mean by Witch?” or “What do you mean by Witchcraft?” Make them explain themselves. Invariably, the answer will be one connecting Witchcraft to Satanism and black magic. Here is the opening to begin correcting the misconceptions. Quietly and level-headedly explain how these erroneous ideas came about. Stress the antiquity and the positivity of Witchcraft, the Craft of the wise. Take the “friends sharing information” approach to prevent an immediate rejection of your ideas. To do this well, you need a good understanding of the background of the Craft.18 But then, as a Witch, you should have that.

Some will claim that you do not believe in or worship God. The response, of course, is that you do believe in and worship God. But more than that, you also honor a Goddess. It is obvious that everywhere in nature there is both male and female. Why, then, would this not be so with the deities? You can point out that in Christianity, Mary has, in many ways, taken over the role of the Goddess. So you most decidedly do worship a god, who is a good and loving god, just as they claim to do.

Try not to be drawn into arguments over passages in the Bible. You can counter by asking if the person is aware of what the Koran, or the Talmud, the Veda, or the Bhagavad-Gita has to say on things. Almost certainly they will admit they don’t. Agree and say, “Of course we don’t, because these holy books are not of our religion. In the same way, your Bible is not of my religion, so I’m not familiar with its contents.” You can go on to explain that they must obviously follow the teachings in which they believe, but they cannot expect followers of all other religions to follow those same teachings. “Yet,” you might add, “it’s said that all roads lead to the same center. There are many similarities among all such holy books, including yours and mine.” In this way, it’s difficult for them to insist that something is “right” simply because it is written in the Christian Bible.