by Christina Aubi
The simplicity of raising Magical Children is
that all children are magical
when they are born. Babies still remember the Goddess
and the other side when they return to this world,
in a very real way. I have heard speculation over the
years, from a variety of sources, which suggest this is
the reason that infants cannot speak from birth until they
reach 2-3 year age range. We all travel here
through the Pair Dadeni, Caldron of Rebirth,
Cerridwen's Caldron, through the
Dark Goddess into life again, for She receives us and
readies us to reincarnate once more. As illustrated throughout historical literature,this passage renders one unable to speak, as they have seen the other-side and this experience cannot be told to us,
those who can not remember having been through the portal and
back. So infants, it is thought, still retain the memory
of the journey toward
rebirth clearly and this begins to lessen as
they progress into the full
embodiment of their incarnation.
The key factor in raising spirited Goddess children
is helping them maintain
that intrinsic understanding of the Goddess & God.
Those of us, who were not raised in Pagan/Witch households,
experienced the extensive journey needed to
return to the Goddess. The unwinding of all the "programming"
we have received, the re-establishment of our
relationship with the Goddess/God, nature, Her
cycles and the reawakening of our innate wisdom and
knowledge was not easily
attained. It was a long, healing and at many times,
painful process by which we undo that which was done
and re-do that which should have been done. This path
working was essential to our personal knowledge and wisdom,
and serves as a foundation upon which we can
Spiritually nurture our own beautiful children in
the ways of the Goddess and God, that has been tragically
lost by our global society.
As Pagan/Witch parents who have once again found
the joy of living within the Goddess,
we can raise our children in a manner that does not go against their
very essential nature. They will not have to separate fact
from fiction about what it means to be a Witch/Pagan,
as one who lives and loves in the beauty of
the Goddess & God. We are beginning to see the
effects of our efforts in raising children in a Goddess
world today, as there are many delightful children and
adults who were raised Pagan/Witch. These wonderful folks
embody the self-reliance, thoughtfulness, ethically,
and strength offered by this path and
the raising of children within it.
As the number of Pagan/Witch/Goddess parents increase,
so will community skill at guiding these fine little people.
We can meet, discuss and share our journey
as parents and people who love these little bundles
of beautiful potential. Guidance of children through
their Spirit growth is not only a task of parents,
but also of the larger Pagan community.
This includes those wondrous people who choose not
through biology, but through love, to participate in
the lives of our children.
We, personally, are fortunate to have an interweaving
of adults who love our children immensely
and partake in their journey of spirit. They offer a
diversity of role models for my children, each a manifestation
of the Goddess and God, in many forms.
How better for a child to understand their own
potential, than to see that potential in the faces
interwoven in the beautiful tapestry that
is this community & our friends? The very diversity that can
create uproars between individuals and groups in this Pagan
community, is also the very diversity that
illustrates the many colors on the pallet of life.
Magical life is a fortunate life, it is not to say that
there are no downsides to the hills, but the downside
of the hill only leads us on another journey
upward to a new summit. The joy arises out of our
essential knowledge that the journey is not in pieces
but rather the value of the whole. The journey about
the Wheel of Life is one with its ebbs and flows, recesses
and heights, and valleys and mountains.
As I have heard spoken so adeptly, one cannot value the
mountain without valuing the valley.
The gift of a magical life allows us to revel in the
experiences of raising spirited children.
There needs to be no drudgery, no lectures, no drilling, no
fear, no exacting punishment, no stain of sin, no living
life based upon fear of an all-consuming evil.
Our Goddess is not one who sits apart from us in fierce
judgement, but rather she is the many-faced Mother, Crone
and Maiden.
She demands that we find our own way, to live our lives as
our own, to make our decisions and see through to the
consequences, to find the bliss that is in
responsibility and understanding. She gives to us
unconditional love, room to
grow and the genuine magnificence that is life.
She imparts on us the ability to
explore the myriad emotions contained in the many facets of
existence through Her understanding and guidance.
As She teaches us, we teach our children, and we
find ourselves changed forever.
What a joyful experience is to see the Goddess and;
God through the eyes of a child.
These eyes, through which we see that every moment is magical
and every emotion rich, the eyes that can see the potential
in everything and everyone.
The eyes, through which, being is beautiful.
Pint size magical life Magical life is not one lived
in segment upon segment. We are not magical on Sunday from 12 -
1:30, and then forget it for the rest of the week, until confession.
We are Magical moment to moment,
action to action and response to response.
The Goddess permeates the very fiber of our Being,
She is us and we are Her. Every act is a magical act,
and we do Her honor in this.
The carrying on... Life is a magical journey and
no one needs to remind a little 'un of that!
They are fully aware of the Magic, their physical world is
unfolding and who could believe such wonder?
At this stage, it is as if they were teaching us that
elemental magic that exists everywhere and in everything.
The lessons are unspoken, yet they speak so loudly.
At the earliest stages I strive for nurturing their
inherent endearment of the natural world and provoking
a deep appreciation for Her beautiful work. In this
practice we help to keep active the dynamic innate bond
with the Goddess and God.
With my little guy we say hello to the moon every night -
when She is out. We go outside and wave to Her
and say "hello." I say to him, "See the moon?" Now he
automatically looks up and says "hi" and waves.
I am not sure he notices as She
changes, but he always is aware of where She may be,
and this is an important foundational piece.
In the winter we dance in the falling snow, experiencing the
wonder of winter. Sledding and throwing snow,
experiencing the season and the elements. Building snowmen and
ladies, making snow candles, feeding the birds, and shoveling out.
Sometimes we lay on the couch with the shades up high and watch
the snowfall from the sky. In the spring, we play in the dirt, scout out
sprouting plants. Fall in love with the
brightly colored tulips and Irises and
revel in the
smell that only spring brings.
In Early spring we pant seedlings and watch them
sprout. We are down at the park more and more -
walking and enjoying all that is
spring. We check out the birds nesting in
the trees, the duck sheltering on the
shore, the piping plovers making their new homes,
we watch their babies as they
are born, running all over the shore. It is magical to watch
other animal families grow.
We pick the first berries of spring and make gooseberry pie,
candied flowers, and rose water.
Summers are full of gardening, beach walking,
sand digging, crab catching,
scouting around the sea grass and in tidal pools,
watching the busy traffic of
life, hiking, anoeing and swimming. As the harvests
come rolling around, we head
to the local farms and pick our own fruits and vegetables.
We eat freshly pick berries with sweet cream,
we make blueberry grunts, strawberry shortcake,
blackberry jam. We spend time on adventure walks through the
marsh and into the woods, quietly we watch the deer and fox.
We pick flowers, shells, feathers and
more. Enjoying the sweetness that summer has to offer us.
Then the fall, with its vibrant colors and shades in the trees
and plants, comes along We pick our own pumpkins,
squash, apples and pears. We make apple crisp,
ear cobbler, pumpkin pie and squash soup.
My son taste tests each pumpkin in the
field until he finds his "Fred" the pumpkin.
We carve and light the pumpkins
right, we collect leaves, acorns, sticks and vines.
We decorate our yard and
home in the beautiful colors of fall
We scout through the woods, watching
animals ready themselves for winter, pile leaves to dive in,
watch the changing
sunset and enjoy the beauty that is only fall.
At this young age there needs not to be a lot of explanation,
as they are learning through taste, touch and
smell and these are the lessons that ring true
in the soul. Each small act keeps stirring that
intrinsic magical knowledge they hold so dear.
As my daughter has matured, her awareness and
expression of Magic has matured as
well. When she was four, she began to have bad
dreams, so we got her a dream
catcher. We read a story of the dream catcher,
smudged hers, and 7 years later
it still hangs by her bed (getting smudged every few weeks).
We also began a nightly ritual of a magic
"good-dream" bedtime drink - warm milk with honey and
cinnamon. As time went on she did not need this as much,
but I do know to this day when something is
bothering her, I can hear her in the kitchen mixing milk,
honey and cinnamon and I know we need talk over warm milk and honey.
Children still touch so closely the face of Magic; they
understand it in a way grown-ups can forget
and strive to remember. I find that over the years, my
daughter did not need me to give her rituals, as she made her
own up as she went along. This magic is the most
powerful, as it comes from that connection to the
Goddess that they bring with them and that we assist
them in keeping vibrant and alive. In my opinion,
they do not need dogma, training, or even words, for
they know at such a cellular level what we wish to "teach"
them, that it just
needs the proper environment.
One evening a few years back we were having
a sleep over for my daughter and two
other "witchlets" from our temple. The house we
lived in at the time had a very
active Spirit life and there would be bumping all night long.
I peaked in to check on the children
before heading to bed, the three of them were sitting on
the floor on their sleeping bags, casting a circle.
It seems Sable, who was visiting, was a
bit nervous, so the three of them decided that the best way to
handle the situation was to cast a circle to sleep in.
So they did and all
nestled down peacefully for a good nights sleep.
In fostering the natural magic children hold and express
so freely, without restraints and dos and don'ts,
we empower our children with the ability to find
their own solutions, first perhaps to childhood fears,
but then to life in all
its aspects. It allows children to gain a sense of control in
their lives, a control they will not so easily surrender
when they get older.
It was at that point that I realized children already
know so much and what they
need is not instruction but rather observation and
participation. My daughter,
through observation and a lot of intuition,
has created her own magical
practice. (Granted it began by calling circle with 20 stuffed animals!)
this organic practice of hers has empowered her
to confront many childhood fears and
situations with confidence, and it has been exceptionally
helpful as she begins
voyage into her pre-teen and teen years.
As I listen to her I realize that under
the silliness and giddiness of this little girl
there is wisdom and a foundation
planted firmly in the Goddess, and this wisdom
will guide her through the
turbulent waters of the teen age.
As she has gotten older her ability to participate
in the daily magic of life
has expanded. She is able to do more and more hands-on
crafts and doings, she
now is fully involved, and in fact some could say in charge,
of holiday decorating. She bakes, makes candles
, plants and harvests,she makes gifts, and
is a superb crab catcher.
Life is magical down to its very essence.
There need not to be lots formal
ritual, as living life, in of itself, is the most powerful
ritual there is. Most
children do not have the ability to focus long enough to
get through a formalized adult ritual, by
their very nature they are in active mode and need
to keep moving about sometimes at high rates of speed.
It should be recognized that trying to keep
a little one standing, attentive, and not breaking the
circle can be exhausting for their adults and disrupts
the energy of the adult
circle. So in planning rituals, remember the little guys,
and plan for them as
well, perhaps a child's activity or game, get creative.
Children understand the basic principle that magic at a
certain level is play.
Magic stimulates the imagination, the creative energies,
left brain functioning,
and the sheer bliss of being enraptured with life,
perfect in that moment.
Children live magic, at a very natural, fundamental level.
They touch the ancient creative, magical powers
every moment and they understand it in a way that
we lose as we age and strive to regain.
Allow children to live their magic, observe them
carefully, and you will be
amazed at what they know, that which we have forgotten.
Play with your children, not in a formalized
"tiny tot tumblers" type of way, but running through the
fields with them searching out the Faeries in the flowers.
Listening to the sounds of the ocean, and the words
she speaks in the waves, watch the clouds
drift overhead and be amazed at the stories they tell.
Play your life daily with
your kids, they offer us a route over the threshold of magic, in a very special
way.
They will indicate, if you listen, when they are ready for more. This will vary
from child to child, but if you keep the lines of communication freely flowing
then you will know. You can then bring in further activities and explanations,
as they are ready. I will supply a listing of things we have done throughout the
years as a reference
point, but use your imagination and creativity and your children as a guide. We
also implement the school's curriculum to introduce deeper concepts of our path;
you would be amazed at the openings that will be provided by school lesson
plans.
What a beautiful ride this is!
Activity suggestions:
Remember we are striving to spark the imagination and develop an awareness and
appreciation of the natural world and its rhythms, the foundation of Magical
life. Any ages given are only a suggestion, as each child enters a new stage
independently of actual age, they are not on timetables it seems!
Ages - -1 to 3+
Goodnight Sun
Each evening as the sun is setting (this is recommended only
when the sun is setting because the sun can burn the retinas
of the eyes when it is still in the
sky) take your little one out to say goodnight to the Sun.
At first a glance may
be all you get, but then as your little one evolves,
they are quite taken with
the colors of the early
evening sky and with the idea that the sun goes to bed.
As it helps promote natural awareness,
it also can signal that the day is coming to a close and
bedtime is near.
Hello Moon
Go out each night and say - "Where's the moon?"
Then point to the moon and say,
"There She is, hello moon." Simple, yes, but powerful.
It brings Her physical
awareness to the little guy's (or gal's) mind.
This over time can involve into
its nightly ritual.
Hello Tree
Pick a tree in yard or close by.
Make sure to greet it every day. This will
allow your child to have a personal relationship with the tree,
and will also provoke them to watch it change season in
and season out. These changes best
illustrate the Wheel of the Year than any discussion
or book would.
Little explorers
Start in your own yard, you will be amazed at the
amount of wonders there, then work your way through the
neighborhood and other open spaces. Follow the seasons
with observation and exploration. As they get older and older
this will take on different levels and become more and more intense.
Guide them through observing
the seasons and their changes. This gives children
an ability to experience the
seasonal changes through all senses.
Winter into Spring
Find the first signs of winter's loosening grip. You will
find just after Imbolc
the first beginnings of Spring's return. Crocuses, tulips,
Irises are among the
first few who begin to emerge. How magical it is to see on
the winter's snow
beautiful purple crocuses. This is an activity that
can speed up to a daily
activity as spring's
return speeds up. Pick the early flowers - take in their
beautiful colors,
smells and textures. Candy flowers for cakes and desserts.
Play in the dirt,
plant a small garden - with quick blooming flowers (i.e. Cosmos)
or herbs. Check out a local Maple house if you live in a
Maple area, as February/March is maple season.
Spring into Summer
Examine how the two seasons are different.
What makes spring, spring and summer,
summer? Get involved in the summer harvests,
check your local area's pick-your-own. Strawberries
, blueberries, blackberries, freshly picked are so
very sweet! Do not forget the sweet summer corn! Get to
the beach, into the tide
pools - into the mountains to explore. When they are young
keep time manageable
for them, an over- exhausted child does nothing for one's
peaceful enjoyment of the outdoors.
Summer into Fall
The big transition season's (Fall and Spring)
offer much to observe. Watch local
harvest, the big machines going across the fields
and people out picking. Go
apple, pear and peach picking - and bake goodies for the
little guys. Observe
and collect leaves - send a box of leaves to a friend
or loved one.
Fall into Winter
Watch the leaves fall - collect them - notice the difference
from the ones picked in early fall and now. Perhaps read
"the Fall of Freddy the Leaf" by Leo
Buscaglia. Watch how the earth falls into Her winter's rest.
Go sledding, walking, build snowmen and snow ladies.
Make snow lanterns and put a candle in
them. Bring snow indoors and watch what happens -
then bring it back out again
and see what happens overnight?
Reading
Of course, how dull the world would be without glorious
books to take us on adventures. Books help keep the
imagination vivid and lively. A book, is a
keeper for all ages. At this age I tend to go wit
h books with Magical themes
(faery, elves, magical adventures), Mother and Father themes
(unconditional love
-
not only does it reinforce our roles & love but also
the never-ending Love of the Goddess and God), natural themes
(stars, moon, trees, nature and animals),
and those that embody that we are born wonderful,
special and perfect as is. At this age books should
gently remind and guide a child with messages we find
important for them. Continue providing books throughout
their lives, they are
wonderful gifts forever!
3 - 5/6 (beginning of first grade)
Goodnight Sun, Hello Moon, hello tree
Continue this practice after sometime they will continue it without your
prompting. It will continue to promote awareness of the natural cycles.
Little navigators
A continuation of the Little Explorer theme, except now you
can allow them to become the captain of your expedition.
This is the age where they will want to
delve deeper into various adventures. If you allow them
to lead the way, it becomes a grand expedition
.This is the age when my husband and daughter had an
"adventure place" and on their "dates" (when she was little,
Sunday afternoons
were "their" time - now it is a week night) and they
would hike all over a
forest close by, she in the lead.
They would cross troll bridges - fallen trees
over gullies and streams. Find the dragon
rocks - dragons, when people come by,
stop moving and freeze in place and look like rocks -
if you look closely you
can see their eyes, noses and mouths.
The woods are full of them! They found
gnome houses - they look remarkably like dirt mounds
but there are secret entrances, if you can spot them.
There are giants to be found (or at least the
evidence they were there), faery rings, faery mounds,
and entrances into the earth. It is amazing what
they can find. Each season offers a new variation of
the same theme. My daughter knows full well which otherworld
folk are out during
which season and she knows where to find them.
Exploring as the seasons change
brings about all sorts of discoveries.
You will find animal homes, watch them build
or depending on the season, finding
them abandoned. You can watch the baby animals
grow throughout the year through
quiet observation. See how animal coats change
texture and color as season
change. You can even illustrate this with your household pets
and the changes
they go through season to season (i.e. coat changes).
Green Gardeners
The garden offer a glorious sanctuary of life, it is the
Wheel of Life in action. Gardens are not limited to
actual yard space, one can use containers
outdoors or in, create a greenhouse window, indoor forced
bulbs, terrariums,
bottle gardens and like. Each offers a hands-on experience with
nature and
understanding of the Wheel of Life. Gardens ease the mind and relax
the Spirit,
they also give the faery folk wonderful places to play.
If you are not an adept gardener, not to worry, it is a
fun experience to learn along with your kids.
I have enjoyed learning along side my kids in how the
garden works. It is an amazing ecosystem to experience.
Young Chefs:
This is the perfect time to begin baking and cooking with
your little ones, it is a lot of fun and a great
gift to give them. I still to this day become
enraptured in the kitchen, baking is my love it
has been since I was little. As
seasons change, so does the availability of different
foodstuffs. We go to our local farms and pick our
own "insert fruit or vegetable being harvested here"
during the harvests and then create something fantastic
for dinner or dessert. An interesting side note,
my nephew, when he accompanies us on these excursions,
cannot get enough of whatever we pick.
I have seen this boy eat 2 pounds of green beans in a sitting,
because they were the best ever.
Even the youngest little ones can partake in some
aspect of the preparation.
However, I have found that you need to understand
where your kids are at in the attention area
and extract portions of the preparation that they are able to do
and be attentive to. Even adding the eggs in the mixing bowl
gives a sense of "I did it" when the product is complete.
Cooking is not only an enjoyable way to
experience the changing seasonal cycle, but also gives them
a life tool and a creative outlet.
They quickly learn how to prepare food for themselves. My
daughter is a very adept cook and has been for sometime.
It is nice to have her
say -"don't worry I'll make dinner".
Tiny astronomers
"Star light, star bright.
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may I wishI might,
have the wish I wish tonight"
As simple as that, not only are they scouting the sky at
twilight awaiting the appearance of the first star,
they are casting their first spells. Attention
toward the nightly heavens holds a wondrous world to explore.
There is finding the planets, the names of ones are visible.
Finding the stars, the ones that twinkle. Beginning to point
out constellations and telling of the stories the stars hold.
For eons the stars told the stories
of peoples worldwide, they hold the lessons, victories and defeats,
the mythology that is the basis of human experience and learning.
As seasons change so does the sky.
The winter sky is different than the summer sky. It is an
amazing thing to watch as constellations move and change position.
Miniature Artisans
This is a great age to introduce crafts. Allow their creativity to
run wild, creativity is so vital to a Magical life.
All types of crafts can be had at this
age. Remember your artisans and what they are capable
of and the attention spans they have.
Depending on the project, you may have to lay most of the foundation
and allow them a few small steps to claim the production as their own.
Use things you gather outdoors: shells, sand (you can dye it),
leaves, flowers, acorns, branches, etc..
. Create picture frames, grass paintings, leaf presses,
mosaics, and oodles of other things. Craft ideas will
vary and change as the seasons change and your kids' interests are peaked.
Keep activities age appropriate or else you
and they will become frustrated!
Emotional identification
Empathy is an important life skill we can foster in children.
We have a natural affinity to be empathic, however the world
is all too eager to stomp it right out of us,
given the chance. Emotional Identification
is important equipment in determining correct action or non-action.
It is fundamental in striving for the
balance we need
to live life wholly and fully. It does not mean we are
unable to act because we
are too wrapped up in other's emotional viewpoints, but rather we can
consciously determine right course of action.
Foster empathy in children, allow them to imagine,
to feel what a situation must
feel like to one of the parties if we are not participatory,
and one of the
others if we are. I have used this to empathize with other kids,
adults, animals, plants, and a whole host of things.
This widens the factors kids will
take in account as they
determine correct action for themselves as they get older.
Which leads to responsible Magical lives (and hopefully less
of those painful lessons).
Grade School
Goodnight Sun, Hello Moon, hello tree
Variation on a theme. As kids get older,
begin having them keep journals of the
sun, moon and trees. When young, have them
draw these things as the year
progresses, and keep the pictures in order to illustrate the changes.
You can then send them to grandparents or other loved ones as presents.
Some examples: sunsets, moonrise, and a tree when there are nests.
Then later in the year that same tree with colored leaves and then no leaves.
As they get further along in grade school (perhaps 4th grade
) have them keep a moon journal for at least one lunar month.
Moon rise, moon set times, where in the sky She
rises, and what does She look like (draw out the phases).
Be sure they draw the full view, with houses She rises over,
or a tree. As the moon changes her
position of rising, the kids will be able to see that
illustrated in their
journal. Kids will internalize the moon phase and shape,
so they can tell by
looking up where she is in her cycle. D shape is waxing,
O is full, C is waning.
Discuss what phase is used for what type intention.
As the moon gets bigger, She is pulling light toward
Her to make her grow, we use this time to bring thing
toward us. As the moon is full we illuminate the results we desire,
and as She wanes she pushes the light away from he
r and we push things away from ourselves.
Sunrise journal: when they are in the 5th grade or so,
focus on sunrises. In order to get the best impact of this
you need to have them follow it for close
to a year.
Not necessarily daily, but perhaps once a week or month -
depending on your life
and time constraints. The sunrise moves across the sky as
we journey season to season. Winter the sun will have
its lowest arch and summer its highest -
as it travels northward and southward on its yearly journey.
Just as location will change so will times of rising
(and setting). So keep track of where exactly it
Is rising (i.e. over Ms. Jones' house in winter and
Mr. Smith's in summer) and the time it rises and perhaps
a notation of setting time. This will illustrate
the Sun's journey through the Wheel - which helps in
understanding of the cycle of the year.
Great adventurers
Now the real adventure can begin. Hiking up mountains,
skiing down mountains,
tromping (softly) through salt marshes (another activity of my husband and
daughter - to see how far, how wet, an
d how muddy they can get and all the neat
wildlife there is). Their physical stamina is much higher
now and they are able to more things and their fear is
still pretty non-existent so adventure is great
fun! The possibilities are endless. Canoeing, kayaking,
sailing, swimming, white water rafting, campin
g (gets easier and easier as age increases).
Sanctuaries, forests, parks and festival sites can offer limitless
opportunities to experience nature throughout the year.
Identifying wild flowers and birds are
another fun activity to do. You can go on a wild flower hunt or a bird hunt,
keep a log and bring a book. The amount of weeds
that are actually flowers, many used in herbal medicines,
it is amazing. Another avenue of great adventure is visiting
animal rescue facilities. You would be amazed at how many
wonderful folks are out there doing rescue work.
They can get up close to wolves, mountain cats, hawks,
eagles, and bears and like. They can also realize what a
responsibility we have
as people for our four legged kin.
Size and ability bring along with it
responsibility to care for and protect.
This is a great age for them to become
young activists at least in thought.
Zoos offer exposure but not the lesson in
what we, as humans do, directly impacts our animal brothers and sisters.
They can not see the hawk who lost a wing because
of an entanglement with a high
power line, or a mountain lion who was de-clawed
because someone thought it was
a cute kitten and now can not live in the wild - ever.
Refined gardeners
Continue to plant garden with them.
As they get older give them a container or
garden patch of their own to work. Ever bearing strawberries
are a good choice for kid planting. My daughter loves her
strawberry plants and loves to harvest the fruit, that is if she can beat the bunnies to it! Fruit and vegetable bearing plants are great
for kids to tend as they produce a sweet result from
their work. However some kids maybe plant and flower kids,
cosmos are a great flower that blooms profusely for most of the summer,
and they are colorful!
Apprentice Chefs
Now the real quest for the cooking challenge begins.
Their desire and zeal to create and serve are at their highest.
Cooking allows them to take charge of an
arena that is typically "adult" and a necessary component of life
and also allows them to feel they are contributing to the functioning
of the family in creative ways rather than just taking
out the trash.
A child's cookbook is a wonderful asset at this age.
As they progress through grade school,
they can undertake more and more tasks on their own. They can
create dishes with the berries, green beans, squash, pumpkin,
and apples you pick. During apple harvest, we go often
(we love it), so we end up with oodles
of apples. My daughter and I make Apple Crisps and Apple Cakes
and she brings them next door to the neighbor's houses
as a "happy fall" gift. She assists me
in Sabbat dinner menus. We try to create dishes that are seasonal
and if we can,
a traditional dish from ancient tribes.
We discuss and reflect on the holiday,
its meaning, how it must have been in days long gone,
and why we are making what
we are (what would be left in the food stores), etc.
Accomplished Artists
This is an exciting age as they are awakening physical
capability and are
skilled enough to take on more complex activities.
You will find that they begin
to define the type of crafts they enjoy and want to pursue.
In fact, middle grade school is a great time to allow
them to take the lead in planning seasonal
crafts. Interests may lean toward jewelry, hair clips,
and fashionable things.
Or building such things as forts, ships, sandboxes
for younger siblings, actual
furniture and other woodworking areas.
They can be inclined to jewelry making,
stain glass, sculpture, gifts for others.
Interests will vary as wildly as they
kids themselves vary. Let them guide you as you set along this path.
Phenomenal astronomers Astronomy is typically introduced in the school
system in the 4th or 5th grades.
This is a wonderful opportunity to seize. We went out and splurged
on a telescope - and actually saw Saturn and its rings!
We also checked out Jupiter,
Venus and the moon. Although this is still a new toy
and we are discovering more
and more, I an tell it has already made its impression on my daughter.
It has sparked her curiosity and createda new level of wonder of
the universe.
Creating our own star maps is another wonderful way to internalize
the heavens
and the archetypes it holds within.
If they draw the neighborhood view (i.e.
houses rees etc..) as landmarks and then the evening sky,
throughout the season
they can see how thing move in the heavens. Rather phenomenal to witness.
Young Astrologers
This is the age frame where I began discussing astrology with my daughter,
who prompted the entrance into this area.
I am sure she overheard conversations over
the years regarding astrology and began asking questions.
When chatting with an
adult who was into astrology, she mentioned her sun sign,
her rising sign, her
moon placement, and Pluto placement among other things.
She reported that this
person said she had never known a child to know their ascendant,
never mind all
the other planetary placements. I think she was rather taken with herself,
she could actually hold up her end of a conversation on astrology.
Astrology is fun as well as extremely useful. It ties in wonderfully with
exploring the universe and the star constellations. It is full of story
and mythology, of trials and tribulations, triumphs and victories.
It teaches our little ones that they are full of wonderful stuff and that implementation of trait is the key to something being for boon or for ill.
There is nothing "bad" in their makeup, rather it is using the stuff
we are made of for its most beneficial outcome and our success.
Begin with stories and mythology relates to
their sun sign and other family members. Discuss the traits each sign
holds, and they can easily see how Gramps really is a cancer,
as he tends to approach life from a side angle not dead on.
Jr. and Sr. High School
Now this is a more unpredictable age, as our level of influence in
their lives is greatly waning and other influences are gaining.
Young adults will vary how
they enter puberty and the teenage years.
Some it will be a little bumpy, others
will make earth re-entry from space seem like a cakewalk.
Some will delve deeper into the Craft and Paganism and others
will run off to
the local minister. Whatever turns and however they decide
to approach life will
be a part of their karma, their sorting out of whom they are
independent of family. Independence from the nest is their primary goal.
It is at this point we place them in the Goddess' care, believe that
they have the foundation to pilot
their ship, and hope the groundwork we have laid will serve them well.
Wherever
they may wander down whatever road they choose, we have
assisted in protecting and fostering that birth bond
between them and the Goddess and God, nature and
all things.
If they desire to move forward in t he Craft/Paganism,
ach parent (orparenting team) needs to work through
how this is best accomplished. Perhaps a mix of home
training with trusted friend(s)
maybe it is best to do it completely within the family group or on the
flip side perhaps completely through another.
Do you begin with formalized
training? Do you make them ask three (or 30) times?
Do you have them read
various authors? Which ones to read? Do you want them trained
in traditional craft? Or do you want them to being
with a more natural craft? Another aspect to
ponder is age, when is this an appropriate move
for your child, how much and when.
As is the way it seems with kids, it will be dependent
on the individual child. What age for what stage?
These are all questions to prompt your thought
in this area. These decisions can only be made by you and your child,
I would
not even begin to present a "one size fits all" approach, we are just a too
diverse lot to even try to go there! I think the answers on how to approach this
will reveal themselves as our children unfold.
Blessed Be our Young as they are the spark of Our future!
