From a MySpace pagan parenting forum:

Pagan parents have a unique task - that of teaching pagan values to their children in a world hostile to alternative religions.

My response:

First task - get over this victim mentality. You are always going to run into people who are hostile towards you for something. But teaching children right off the bat that their religion is going to be persecuted is doing them no favors. Right from the start, act as if you are an equal with everyone else, and be that role model.

Second task, drop the "alternative religion" label. It's a religion or it's not. Period. There's no "alternative" about it. This sends a message that the mainstream faiths are top of the heap, and we're "other."

If we're truly going to teach them values - not "pagan values," but human values - we must teach them to stand firm and not go out into the world expecting to encounter a negative reaction to their faith, and thereby treating people as if they were already hostile to it.

crossposted to nfp_parents

Tags: children, pagan, persecution

Picked up my little one from school yesterday, and as I was bringing her to the car, a passing mother noticed the bumper sticker (http://www.lycianwicca.org in large black letters across our white back bumper). “What is that?” We got into a brief discussion of what Wicca was. “Do you believe in witches?” Yes, and most of us practice witchcraft. “Oh…. Umm…. Well, thank you. God bless you!”

I simply said, “same to you!” and got in the car. I watched her the entire time, her facial expressions registering her confusion at what I was telling her vs the likely image she had of people interested in witchcraft. I don’t believe she quite reconciled that with my very ordinary self, talking about this like it was an everyday thing. Poor lady. ;)

Alexandria has advised us yet again that her altar is just a small table, while Mommy & Daddy each have a wall with stuff on it. I guess this means we better get on the ball finding wall space. The Queen has spoken.

She’s sleeping like a log in her new bed, which was my mother’s as a child and handed down the generations. It’s relatively plain, but solid wood (maple). And thus ends the era of Japanese-style futons for her.

Tags: children, wicca, witchcraft

Alexandria (age 9) has asked for more information on how to remember one's past lives. She's intrigued by the idea that Daddy remembers so many of his.

Last night, she said the bridge of her nose hurt, like a bruise. "Mommy, can you do anything about it?" So, I told her to close her eyes as I touched her forehead, and imagine a colorful flow going through the area, any color she wanted that was calm and soothing to her. The flow goes over the pain like running water; as it did, the pain was washed away, goes into the ground and away.

After a couple of minutes, I stopped and said, "how does it feel now?" She touched her nose, got the biggest grin on her face and exclaimed, "it doesn't hurt anymore!" She then proceeded to launch herself on me with "Mommy, you're the best! It was magic!" I told her she could try this out herself if she ever had a headache or small pain.

A delighted child then snuggled with her Mommy, holding hands, and went to sleep.

Tags: children, magick