My daughter is a Wiccan

[Nonicknamesleft]

Just spent some upsetting minutes looking on a few AIBU chats about religion. My shoulders should be broader but I still hate the way Christianity is talked about: it's blasphemous and rude imo. Anyway, so glad to have found this area. Now to the subject of this post:

My eldest of 3 is a girl, almost 12, just going into Y8 at (a CofE) sec school. She is a bright Asperger, prone to the customary obsessive passions typical of the condition.

About a year ago, we wandered into our local park to find Pagan Pride in full swing. I was with other members of my family besides the children, and not wanting to spoil the outing, allowed them all to wander around and look at the crystals, hippie clothes and expensive witchy acoutrements. So natch, dd is now a declared pagan, wearing pentagram necklaces, spending birthday money on runes etc etc. As we walked to this year's PP event yesterday, she told me that she'd never really believed in God but kept quiet to avoid upsetting me. Tbh I don't fully believe her about that but not much point arguing - what do I know?

My current position is generally to be accommodating and as respectful as poss, try to moderate my inclination to argue that it's at best silly and at worst a tiny bit evil. I know I'm being very prejudiced against it because of all the crusty trappings, and I wouldn't dream of being so sniffy about another 'proper' non-Abrahamic faith eg Buddhism.

I'd welcome advice about how to feel and how to play this. I want to just trust that God is on it and will get to the girl in his own sweet time, knowing that she's the sort of person who, if she gets God at all will get him big-time..... but I'm also more than a bit anxious that the current thing will stick.

In theory I'm a great believer in religious autonomy (eg I was raised RC but left it for the CofE) for the young, but am finding it harder to honour in practice. Fwiw she's ace at RE at school, and extremely respectful of other faiths. She deals politely with the rather hard-line Christian peers she has at school who aren't very nice to her about her beliefs. Being autistic, it wouldn't occur to her to be anything other than completely honest about her views, however unpolitic.

So, dear hive, please share your wisdom xx

Also archeological evidence from Britain of various ancient Britannic tribal people suggest ritual human and other blood sacrifice was practised.

Miss you can be a witch without being a Wiccan. Essentially Wiccan is a very peaceful religion which is deeply misunderstood. You must understand that notion considering a lot of Muslims have to defend Islam as a peaceful religion to those branding it full of terrorists. Wiccan or witchcraft or both aren't just full of people practicing evil spells over cauldrons just like Islam isn't just full of extremists threatening to kill non Muslims.

Saying "You can’t go all hellfire and brimstone, but just channel, redirect, dial it down... etc." Is like saying they will definitely become an "evil witch" and the equivalent to saying to someone showing an interest in Islam would be to redirect, dial it down etc because they will join Isis otherwise....

It's ridiculous.

But Like, Gigg, also mentioned further down the thread OP's daughter is too young to be initiated as Wiccan. So it is relevant to mention other various practices of Pagans, (including current and historical) and those involved in witchcraft. If the daughter is doing her research it could lead down a multitude of paths.

She is too young to practice witchcraft and join a coven yes but she's not to young to learn and appreciate nature, the moon cycles, the universe, all of which are Wiccan attributes.

Not just Wiccan attributes, though, Like. Plenty of non Wiccans do all those things.

Then that's lovely 😊

Certainly is.

On the whole, Wiccan/witchcraft/pagan isn't just full of people in pointy hats casting nasty spells. We could all look into past practices of religion and find awful practices somewhere and we could also look into more modern aspects of it and find wrong doings there too. But luckily not everyone thinks all catholic men molest boys or all Muslims support Isis. If we all looked at the extreme parts of religion and believed that is what it's all about then no one would practice anything.

There are extremists in every religion and there are also peaceful, lovely people who are just going about their lives practicing their beliefs without harming anyone.

Missfatty- I totally agree ethical monotheism has staved off a lot of pagan practice.
In countries like Africa as you said and also places like Mexico where drug cartels use paganism for protection against other gangsters and have been know to do ritual sacrifices...
I think we’re going full circle people have discarded the ethics of monotheism, instead coming back full circle back to occultism and paganism which is being glamourised by the media. See where we end up with this 🤔

Far from ritualised blood sacrifices etc likeido, is that the minimum when people believe in witchcraft, correct me if I’m wrong, is that they then start to believe in karma, curses, a poster earlier said the power of 3. So that, when something befalls them then this is either someone put a curse on them, they offended someone spiritually powerful, or that they ‘deserved’ it.
But When you believe God is the cause and you believe God is good (Christianity) and/or God is Wise (Islam), then whether it’s something you like or dislike you believe it’s something of God’s will. not from your own deeds beyond what you can control of cause and effect. That a chronic disease, a disability, a child born with a deformity, then is not called a curse or bad karma, Payback for sins from an earlier reincarnated life. but it’s just part of the ebbs and flows of life. That’s something people who follow monotheism preferred over their earlier pagan beliefs.

I also urge people who don't understand it to read the threads suggested (with links) in this thread. There you find a whole host of people talking about their beliefs/experiences and practices and will find no one is plotting any evil

The power of 3 is to deter evil being cast. So if you wish evil on someone that evil will come back on yourself times 3.

Wish for good never evil!

Karma is something widely used amongst lots of people, including non religious people. A boyfriend was abusive? He'll get his karma. Someone conned you? They'll get their karma. It's a very common saying!

I have read the thread, Like. Thing is, I don't think you have to be actively or consciously plotting evil for the (perceived) outcome of a spell to be regretted. Because as ordinary people we cannot extrapolate the knock on effects of our own intents coming to pass. We also can not necessarily control our focus enough not to be preoccupied with our own intents. If we believe our very thoughts can effect occurrences then it puts an awful lot of responsibly onto the individual to be extremely disciplined in controlling them.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/human-sacrifices-still-taking-place-5999139.amp

Here an article about child sacrifice alive and well today and occultic practice.

Obviously this is extreme, but what’s to stop it taking hold over here once witchcraft is popularised?

I'm probably the wrong person to talk to about that because I'm not a witch but I do see your reasoning on being careful with your intentions.

People practice it in all different ways because there is no right or wrong way in terms of following "rules" as such. So one could believe one aspect and another could be completely different.

People practice it in all different ways because there is no right or wrong way in terms of following "rules" as such. So one could believe one aspect and another could be completely different

So, effectively, an inexperienced 'dabbler' could be effectively rudderless.

Missy moo you could say that about anything. In some countries they torture Christians. You could say "but what if that happened here as Islam becomes more popular."

You can't take the extremists of one religion or witchcraft and not apply it to every other religion too because they all have extremists.

Hi it's kind of like saying "well my child wants to practice Islam but I'm a Christian what should I do" and someone saying "well an inexperienced dabber could be influenced to join Isis.."

Like I say, there are extremes in everything but it doesn't mean just because they are showing an interest that will reach that extreme..

Its not extreme though it’s a reality of occultism and it’s a reality in those countries

When occultism dominates a society things like human sacrifice happen

“Across the continent in Uganda it’s not just albino children at risk. The charity KidsRights believes hundreds of children have been murdered in recent years by a network of witch doctors who have turned human sacrifice into a lucrative business.

Children are chosen because their purity and innocence is supposed to make the sacrifice all the more potent. The government has formed a task-force to tackle the epidemic, but campaigners say the new body has underestimated the scale of the problem and is not bringing enough killers to justice”

So it’s obviously not rare in certain countries, so I ask you to consider what makes people in the West think that paganism over here cannot reach the same levels?

Missymoo there are realities in different countries where people are still tortured across most religions, not just pagans. Are you worried about those practices coming to the West too?

Yes missy I agree that it’s come full circle. likeido I do not know enough about Wicca the religion. I had not known it was a distinct faith, only hearing the word used interchangeably with witchcraft and paganism.
what Iv seen is people who believe in witchcraft start to fear malice from anyone and everyone, a broken home, a redundancy, even a stubbed toe, the result of someone’s cursing them. ‘Who have I offended?’ is human and seemingly more logical and ‘just’ than thinking it could happen outside of ones control because of the vagaries of fate, an indifferent universe or an inscrutable God. An arms race begins not for ‘good’ spells and magic but ‘protection’ spells and magic, people then start looking for the most ‘powerful’ practitioners- those can be black magic practitioners. And from powerful, then they start seeking spells for ‘power’ and that’s where ritualised sacrifice comes along. But Certainly this is not Wicca from everything Iv read so far.

Let’s not dodge the question with another question...

Occult practice is common in certain countries and has lead to epidemics of human sacrifice.... so tell me why this won’t develop from pagan practice in the uk? What’s different about paganism here- different branding is all I can see? It’s packaged up to be more palatable

Like I say, there are extremes in everything but it doesn't mean just because they are showing an interest that will reach that extreme..

What I am talking about concerning intents does not require 'extremism', in terms of witchcraft, though. If, as a practitioner of the craft, you believe your thoughts can effect occurrences in life then you are setting yourself for a situation whereby if you are ever angry and are preoccupied with thinking negatively about someone or something then you might feel terrible guilt/extreme regret if something bad happens. Which without very stringent self discipline you are likely to at least once. Even without vowing you would never wish ill on anybody.

It's not dodging the question. Christians are tortured and killed in some Muslim countries, are you worried about these practices coming over here too? Muslim culture towards Christians in those countries is different to how it is here. Or is that rebranding too?

Thinking negatively about someone within your general thoughts isn't the same as practicing spells to induce bad on someone.

Perhaps an experienced witch who casts spells could come on to explain this?