repost - Teen Witchcraft books and sexuality

[Anonymous]

As to how we can write at all - quite simply I handled the issue by having the first chapter focus on the teenager talking to his or her parents/guardians about being interested in the Craft and state with no hesitation that they should put down the book and walk away if they can't do this honestly.

Perhaps not the best solution - but hopefully one that shows my concern over the parent-child relationship

[Anonymous]

Why couldn't you do the same thing with the topic of sex?  

I'm sorry, I just don't see the difference here.

[Shadow]

One, I didn't take offense.  Since it has become your book we have been talking about and most of us have a problem with the genre of teen books it can seem like you are on the firing line and that could put you on the defensive.  That was never my intent.

I have always found you to be a good person with high moral standards and I agree with most of what you have said in other matters that have come up.

Second, this whole thing started as a rant I posted after yet another fluffy, non-specific, useless teen book was recommended on the other board.  At the time I was completely unaware that you had even written a book aimed at younger newbies.

As I said, I am not dismissing your book out of hand.  I will go through it as thoroughly as possible when it arrives at the local Barnes & Noble or Books-a-million.  If you want a more complete critique from me send me a copy and I will read it faithfully, with an open mind, from cover to cover including the index and bibliography and I will return the book to you as soon as Jennie finishes it because she will wish to critique it also.

Third, I won't bother to repost what Jennie has already said about our experiences in running groups for teens and young adults, but she pretty much hit the nail on the head as to my reasons for not liking the genre.  Perhaps you will be able to change my mind.  More likely, your book will simply be the exception to the rule.

[Anonymous]

What we found over the years was that both of these groups of young people were hungry for real, deep, meaty information about the path and about how it applied to the issues that were important to them.

probably because most the books tell the same stuff. They chew on the religious aspect, the morals, the herbs, but not on how to actually apply a religion, any religion, to a world that is not as idealistic as we'd like it to be...



all the religions would work if all the people around them would strictly follow those religions. but people don't.

[Jennie]

One of the reasons that more books don't go more deeply into how to apply the religion to real life is that each life is different,and learning to apply the religion to at least one particular life is a large part of the work that is up to the person walking that path. You can't substitute reading for first-hand experience and personal application. They complement each other, they reinforce each other, they act as catalysts for one another, but they can't replace each other.

That said, the experience of others who have gone before can be an extremely valuable resource. This is one benefit of learning the Craft in a coven or apprenticeship setting. There are others who have had similar experiences and training and whose wisdom and experience you can seek out  as you struggle with your own questions, and who can often help provide you with direct experiential instruction, something no book or internet forum can hope to provide. However, there are many more people seeking out a Wiccan, Witchcraft, or Earth-based Pagan path than there are qualified teachers who are willing or able to take on new students, even if the students are serious.

Since there are so many people who are getting their religious and magical instruction from books, I think that it is critical that at least some of those books try to provide a reasonable approximation of the sort of guidance and perspective that one might turn to a High Priest/ess or Elder for in a coven situation, to the extent that that is possible.

Right now, the pickings are pretty slim. I would like to see more books like that out there. Maybe Shadow and I should quit carping and write one!  :wink:

Bright blessings,
Jennie

[Anonymous]

Yeah! Write a book!

(well that's easyer said than done... I can imagine Shadow has no time to spend 4 years writing a book or something, lol)

but I'm sure it'd be much appreciated! You've mentioned some stuff that hardly any books mention really, Shadow. Share the wisdom

[Anonymous]

I agree.
I don't know why, but I've always been a very passioante person and there is something about sex in magic that appeals to me. I'm still a virgin and not going to run right out and have sex with a lot of people just for fun, or even use sex magic right away, because I'm not ready for it. I think that sex isn't something that needs to be kept hidden from teens: There's nothing bad about it unless you aren't prepared to deal with the physical and emotional consequences that may come of having sex with someone for any reason. After all, most teens have already started to experiment with sexuality in one way or another, and if they're the type of person who does a lot of studying and practicing magic responsibly, why not just include sexuality as a reference? If they're responsible, they will know whether or not something feels right to them. If sex magic is included in one of my books, I read up on it so I can have that much more knowledge to draw on in the future. People shouldn't get so upset about things like that in books: the authors aren't commanding their precious children to go out and have sex with someone right away! And after all, sex is (no pun intended) a fact of life. I'm not sure I said everything exactly as I was hoping to, it's pretty hard to organize my thoughts right now, but that's my two cents.

Fairest fortune,

Creidwy

[Anonymous]

I agree with you. If people would stop looking at it as something only for adults it could solve a few problems.  My parents never tried to hide things from me and now I have no problem with the subject.  I'm only 15 but I read alot of adult books, I got tired of the books writen for teens.

 :wink: Willow :wink: