- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preteenagers today articles
- preteenagers today q&a
- teenagers today articles
- teenagers today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Teen Witch
Wicca Parents Dispel Myths
By Laura Paul
Because Wicca is not a formal mainstream religion, it's difficult to tally the numbers of people who practice witchcraft. But experts estimate 250,000 to 400,000 people in the United States are part of the craft, with a growing number of teens becoming involved. Should parents be worried?
Whether it is casting a spell on a boy to make him ask her to prom or a spell for getting along with a difficult teacher, many teens love the idea of magic. Jamie Wood, author of The Teen Spellbook: Magick for Young Witches (Celestial Arts, 2001), says teens are drawn to Wicca for more reasons than can be counted. Some teens are drawn to the common principle in many Wicca traditions such as equality between the sexes and the fact that Wiccans commune with the Goddess and the God. Wood says another top reasons includes the fact that Wicca is different, and teens love to be different.
"Teens are supposed to push society to wake up, think for themselves and step outside the box," Wood says. "Some may hope to manipulate the environment and the people in it because they do not feel powerful any other way."
Other teens may simply have a deep concern for the natural environment. Every time we walk outside we are in church, she says. Parents need to educate themselves about Wicca to overcome misconceptions.
"Teens are system busters," Wood says. "It is their job to work toward autonomy and independence. Finding their individual path is a journey through the unknown. Mystery is their world. Parents cannot control their children's destiny. This is all at once frightening and exciting. Wicca is an unknown or misunderstood, and therefore often feared."