Family Ritual

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on May 10, 2009 at 10:37pm

I have a three year old son who I am just now starting to try and explain the basics of wiccan beliefs to such as how there is both a god and goddess and how important the cycles of nature are. He absolutely loves the moon and has ever since he was a baby, long before I even talked to him about anything related to religion, but ever since he has asked to go out and see the moon every night before he will get ready for bed and even if I tell him the moon isn't visible on a certain night he insists on seeing for himself before he gets his pajamas on, lol I am very interested in hearing how others have brought up their young ones into the craft and any fun ways of getting them involved they have found. I think that's absolutely wonderful that you and your son will be studying together at WS as I am sure it will make you closer in so many ways.

Permalink Reply by Leona on May 11, 2009 at 10:30am

My son when he was 9 made a wand for ritual. It was really cute. I can now tell that he is growing up because he looks at the wand now and thinks it is too cute. he has a plastic star on the one end and it fell out. i asked if he wanted us to fix it and he said: "Well if a wand is supposed to direct energy then maybe I shouldn't put it back on becasue the star would split the energy into several different beams." My boy! he is learning. I aske if she would rather we attach a crysta point to the end instead and he really liked that idea. Now e have to find the perfect crystal point.

Permalink Reply by Leona on July 2, 2009 at 8:06am

I am very saddened to hear of this situation. It is very difficult to follow your own heart when you are surrounded by negative but to have a young child experience this as well is just cruel. I do believe that there are many ways to teach children without being obvious. I write articles for teens on how to be pagan without looking pagan and I beleive that this is what you are looking for.

At this age i do not think that they need to learn about ritual in the full blown ritual sense. There are small rituals that can be done such as saying a morning prayer to the Goddess and asking for her to bless the day. Having a special stuffed animal to sleep with to bring good dreams and going through a bedtime ritual for this. For instance my daughter has had many bad dreams and wants me to sleep with her all the time. Her bed is too hard for me and I cannot sleep with her all the time and my husband does not like being kicked out of his own bed so she sleeps alone. What I have done is I take her special stuffed animal for sleeping and I fill it with "mommy power". I tell her that when she sleeps and holds the wolf that it will be just as though she was sleeping with me and hugging me. She has not had any bad dreams since.

With young children simple and unobtrusive ideas might be what you need.

Permalink Reply by aukxsona on July 22, 2009 at 4:20am

Our rituals are centered around the kids participating. For example, on Ostara we plant, or rather the kids plant, the first seeds of the season. While they are holding the seeds, getting ready to place them in the ground, I tell them. "Now think of that little seed, it's just a baby plant in there, and how it will grow into a big plant." I add, "You have to love it and encourage it to grow."

Some kids close their eyes and imagine, but my daughter Lucy likes to tell the seeds as she places them in the ground, "Okay I know you're a baby. I'm going to put you in the dirt to be nice and warm. I promise to water you when you're thirsty, but you have to grow big and strong okay?" She will pat the dirt as she waits for a response. Then she says, "Okay." It is sooooo cute!

Another major ritual involves the first eggs. You see we collect our own eggs and around Ostara the chickens start laying. So we literally have a good old fashioned egg hunt most years around this time. My daughter Danilla will get up early every morning to check for eggs ...because to her fresh laid eggs means spring is finally here. She is very dutiful in her quest, because if she brings in the first of the eggs...she gets to do the eggs dance and eat the egg. Oh it is silly of course, but it is such fun to her. She will sneak out to the chicken shed before all of her sisters in the cold spring morning. If she finds an egg you will wake to shouts of joy, and a running Nilla into the house. All the kids wake up and marvel at the egg. Is it big? Is it a funny shape? What color is it? Which chicken laid it? Then Nilla boils it and eats if for lunch. They all enjoy trying to get out the door before the other siblings, and of course it's always to "feed the chickens". However, no other time of year do these same children fight for the right to do this chore.

This isn't a ritual we created, us adults that is, it is a ritual the children created and look forward to as it is a sign Ostara will be here soon and they will be planting. After planting they get CANDY.... which is the real reason this is their favourite holiday... :)

Permalink Reply by Leona on August 4, 2009 at 7:22am

This is sooooo cute. It is really nice when the children are able to make their own rituals and the parents are pulled into the magic of their world. This is how we all get to see where the magic comes from and in a way we too are renewed in how we feel and how we see things.

Permalink Reply by aukxsona on August 5, 2009 at 3:44pm

They really renew my love of life. We live a simple life and depend on nature to tell us when things are coming up. Most of the time I don't know what day it is or what day of the week. My kids are the same. I have to admit the first eggs ritual is such a natural part of life, I really had to look at it from a different angle to see it for what it really was. They do it every year without fail too! Even my 13 year old still does it. Last year she won, but most years Nilla does. Danilla is already talking about next years first eggs. :) See how important it is?

Permalink Reply by Leona on August 5, 2009 at 8:53pm

Those are the memories that you will charrish and that they will talk about when theya re older.