By Dainial MacÀdhaimh
This is not an
essay on whether Wicca is "good" or "bad" for teens.
Whether or not any particular religion - Christianity, Islam, Wicca, Hinduism,
etc. - or set of spiritual beliefs is "good" or "bad" for an individual should
be determined by teens and their families.
Let us begin, instead, with the viewpoint that Wicca is an earth-based religion. Like any other religion, it is worthy of tolerance by others, and should be respected by others.
Thus, if a teacher in a public school discusses religion, that discussion should include a discussion of Wicca that is tolerant and respectful. Public high schools that celebrate Christmas (a Christian holiday) should also celebrate Yule, a Wiccan holiday. If Easter is noted, than Imbolc should be as well. To do otherwise would be to show religious preference, which would be undemocratic.
This raises an important point for Wiccan teens; Wiccans are not in competition with other religions. When religions compete with each other, as they have done throughout so much of our history, the end result is always needless bloodshed. We can all agree that there is nothing spiritual or religious about "religious violence." For this reason, Wiccans are respectful of the religious beliefs held by others. This is not always easy, especially when respect seems to be a one-way street. But one does not conquer prejudice by becoming prejudiced. One wins by rising above it.
By the same token, Wiccans do not actively seek to convert others. If someone shows an interest in Wicca, then it is appropriate to give some guidance to that person, perhaps by lending them a book on the subject. But it is not necessary to try to convince others that Wicca is somehow "better" than other belief systems. That must come from within.
So - what should a Wiccan teen be focused on?
Paganism
Teens (as well as others) might wonder where Wicca fits in as a belief system or religion. Generally speaking, Wicca is a form of Paganism, or Earth-based Religion. Paganism is, used in this sense, a non-judgmental term. It's important to recall that many of the historic figures that we admire - Plato, Socrates, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, as well as the ancient Emperors of China and rulers of ancient Egyptian dynasties - were pagan.
When we speak of Zeus, or Thor, or Ra, or Diana, we are speaking of pagan gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses are part of our culture. Planets are named after them, such as Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter. Months are named after them, such as January, which is named after the god Janus. And what of the days of the week? Sunday is obviously Sun Day, Monday is Moon Day. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are all named after Germanic/Nordic gods: Tiw, Woden, and Thor, respectively. Friday is named after the Northern goddess Freya. Saturday is Saturn's day. Many of our holidays, such as Halloween, were originally pagan holidays.
Are there other forms of paganism besides Wicca? Yes, there are. The religious beliefs held by Native Americans can be considered pagan, for example. And there are still people who honor Celtic and Northern gods and goddesses who do not consider themselves to be Wiccan. Remember, paganism existed before any of the three Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). Here's a point to consider - if you are of German descent, or Scandinavian descent, or Italian descent, or Irish descent - the list could go on forever - then it's a pretty certain bet that your ancestors were, at some point in the past, pagans. As you can see, being a pagan is nothing to be ashamed of!
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