508 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
508 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND: Jen-Cat (her choice for a nickname) is an eight year
|
|
old girl being raised in a pagan family. Her mother is a spo-
|
|
radic Wiccan who has been hesitant about getting in to the sub-
|
|
ject too heavily with Jen-Cat. Jen-Cat would like to be involved
|
|
more with paganism after her few experiences with the Circles.
|
|
Her mother is a solitary practitioner. Unfortunately, there is
|
|
not much privacy because our pagan family lives upstairs from the
|
|
in-laws. Jen-Cat's grandmother, in particular, is nosy and likes
|
|
to play 20 questions for the hell of it. (NO ONE EXPECTS THE
|
|
SPANISH INQUISITION!!!) Jen-Cat has been told not to discuss any
|
|
ceremonies with Grandma and to tell other "Inquiring Minds" that
|
|
her religion is a private affair. The following interview with
|
|
Jen-Cat was conducted by her mother. The questions also touch on
|
|
how Jen-Cat interprets what little she knows, just what someone
|
|
her age gets out of it, persecution by nosy relatives, and relat-
|
|
ed beliefs.
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU THINK BEING PAGAN MEANS?
|
|
|
|
I think it means that you believe in Goddesses and all different
|
|
kinds of other Gods.
|
|
|
|
HOW DOES IT COMPARE WITH CHRISTIANITY?
|
|
|
|
Christianity? I think it's better than Christianity.
|
|
|
|
WHY?
|
|
|
|
Because with Paganism I can believe it if I want. But, I'm
|
|
forced to believe in Christianity because Grandma's always forc-
|
|
ing it on me. Besides it's fun to believe in different Gods and
|
|
Goddesses.
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE RITUALS?
|
|
|
|
I think that it's fun. It's kind of neat worshiping the Goddess
|
|
'cause it's like worshiping the planet, because the Goddess is
|
|
Mother Earth.
|
|
|
|
HOW DOES IT COMPARE WITH BEING IN A CHRISTIAN CHURCH? (J was
|
|
recently a flower-girl at a cousin's wedding - R.C. full mass)
|
|
|
|
I feel like I was forced into going into the church, and I felt
|
|
uncomfortable. I had to go to rehearsals for the wedding and the
|
|
entire wedding. Grandma says instead of believing in Egyptian
|
|
Goddesses, I should believe in something beautiful, like God and
|
|
it makes me sick.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR MOTHER IS FORCING YOU TO BE PAGAN?
|
|
|
|
No! No! No! No! (Emphasis, J's) I LIKE being Pagan.
|
|
|
|
BUT ALL THE OTHER KIDS ARE CHRISTIANS . . .
|
|
|
|
Yeah, and I know I can get in trouble if they find out if I am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pagan. But being Pagan is neat.
|
|
|
|
WHAT'S SO NEAT ABOUT IT?
|
|
|
|
It isn't forced on you. Once, some kid asked me if I was Chris-
|
|
tian and I said no and he said "You have no life kid. Get a job."
|
|
I hate it that everyone around me wants to force Christianity on
|
|
me.
|
|
|
|
WOULD YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF YOU WERE CHRISTIAN LIKE EVERY-
|
|
ONE ELSE?
|
|
|
|
No, because Paganism is my choice. At least this one I like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
DOES YOUR GRANDMOTHER PRESSURE YOU A LOT?
|
|
|
|
_YES!!!!_
|
|
|
|
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INVOLVED WITH MORE RITUALS?
|
|
|
|
Yes, I would.
|
|
|
|
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE RITUAL?
|
|
|
|
Being in a Circle and welcoming in new things . . . like tonight,
|
|
welcoming in the New Year.
|
|
|
|
ARE YOU AFRAID OF ANY OF THE RITUALS?
|
|
|
|
No, I like them.
|
|
|
|
HOW DO YOU FEEL DURING A RITUAL?
|
|
|
|
I feel good because I WANT to be there.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU GET TO PARTICIPATE ENOUGH?
|
|
|
|
I'd like to do more.
|
|
|
|
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL ME? HOW DO OUR BELIEFS DIFFER FROM WHAT
|
|
YOU KNOW OF CHRISTIANITY?
|
|
|
|
The big difference is that Christians find people who aren't
|
|
Christian and forced them to be Christian so the rest of their
|
|
lives they're miserable.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU THINK A LOT OF CHRISTIANS ARE HAPPY?
|
|
|
|
Yes. If they start off Christian they learn to like it. I
|
|
started off Pagan, so I like it.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU KNOW WHAT SIN IS?
|
|
|
|
No. (And didn't "grok" the explanation, either)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHAT ABOUT HEAVEN?
|
|
|
|
I don't really believe it. Grandma says it's true but I don't
|
|
have any personal proof.
|
|
|
|
SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DEATH?
|
|
|
|
I think your body goes into the ground and your spirit goes into
|
|
another living animal so you're kinda still alive.
|
|
|
|
WHAT ABOUT HELL?
|
|
|
|
The same thing as Heaven and I don't believe in it.
|
|
|
|
ANGELS?
|
|
|
|
No.
|
|
|
|
DEVILS?
|
|
|
|
No.
|
|
|
|
DOES GRANDMA EVER TRY TO SCARE YOU WITH THE DEVIL?
|
|
|
|
Yeah.
|
|
|
|
WHAT DOES SHE SAY?
|
|
|
|
She said sometimes . . . we get in fights . . . and she says "Go
|
|
to Hell." (J seemed to be hedging, as if she didn't want to get
|
|
Grandma in trouble).
|
|
|
|
ARE YOU AT ALL SUPERSTITIOUS?
|
|
|
|
No. Why should I believe black cats are bad luck? I have a
|
|
black cat at home and he crosses my path every single day. I
|
|
don't have bad luck.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU BELIEVE IN VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES?
|
|
|
|
No. I think it's fun to watch horror movies and draw pictures of
|
|
them. Grandma says I shouldn't believe in them but I should
|
|
believe in something beautiful, like God.
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHRISTIAN GOD IS LIKE?
|
|
|
|
I don't really believe in him.
|
|
|
|
HOW ABOUT JESUS?
|
|
|
|
He could have been a man on earth and crucified, but, I don't
|
|
think he really took his father's place.
|
|
|
|
WAS JESUS NICE IN THE STORIES, THOUGH?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh, Yes!
|
|
|
|
DO YOU KNOW WHAT A JEW IS?
|
|
|
|
Yeah, they are the people who crucified Jesus (Mom turns white
|
|
at this)
|
|
|
|
WHO TOLD YOU THIS?!
|
|
|
|
I saw it in that movie you had . . .JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.
|
|
|
|
DID YOU KNOW JESUS WAS JEWISH?
|
|
|
|
(Laughs) No.
|
|
|
|
DO YOUR GRANDPARENTS EVER SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE JEWS?
|
|
|
|
They never bring them up. (Mom breathes big sigh of relief!)
|
|
|
|
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE JEWISH RELIGION WAS THE BASIS OF CHRISTIAN-
|
|
ITY?
|
|
|
|
Yes, I did. (Mom doubts this.)
|
|
|
|
DID YOU KNOW THE JEWISH GOD IS THE SAME ONE AS THE CHRISTIAN GOD?
|
|
|
|
Yes.
|
|
|
|
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MYTHOLOGY OUT OF THE ONES I'VE READ TO YOU?
|
|
(Christian, Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Native American,
|
|
and Norse)
|
|
|
|
Egyptian.
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT EGYPTIAN?
|
|
|
|
So neat! I like Bast and Isis. Bast is a cat; I like cats and
|
|
Isis represents the Mother in Egypt.
|
|
|
|
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE STORY?
|
|
|
|
Medusa.
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THAT?
|
|
|
|
I like it when her blood turned into that beautiful horse, Pega-
|
|
sus.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU THINK IT'S A TRUE STORY?
|
|
|
|
No. I don't think a god would get nutty enough to turn a girl
|
|
into an ugly thing.
|
|
|
|
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER STORIES YOU LIKE?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grendel, the minotaur, and the time Isis' husband was chopped
|
|
into fish bait.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGICK?
|
|
|
|
Well . . . I think it's kinda magickal when we sit around the
|
|
Circle.
|
|
|
|
IS IT HARD TO KEEP A SECRET?
|
|
|
|
You mean hard not to tell anyone what we do up here? (Mom nods)
|
|
Well, no . . . because I know if someone finds out they might
|
|
call the police because I won't be accepted. (NOTE: nothing
|
|
about the rituals performed are illegal. Stories of the witch-
|
|
craft persecutions obviously made an impression.)
|
|
|
|
DO YOU THINK WE DO ANYTHING WRONG?
|
|
|
|
No.
|
|
|
|
DO WE EVER DO ANYTHING HARMFUL?
|
|
|
|
No.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU KNOW SOME OF THE PAGAN HOLIDAYS?
|
|
|
|
No.
|
|
|
|
WHAT ABOUT YULE? WE JUST CELEBRATED THAT.
|
|
|
|
Oh yeah, I remember that. You have a special recipe for that.
|
|
|
|
BELTANE?
|
|
|
|
Spring? I like that!
|
|
|
|
EASTER?
|
|
|
|
That's neat, I love Easter. You find lots of eggs.
|
|
|
|
DID YOU KNOW EASTER WAS CHRISTIAN?
|
|
|
|
No, I thought they stole it from our religion.
|
|
|
|
JESUS WAS SUPPOSED TO RISE FROM THE DEAD ON EASTER AFTER HE WAS
|
|
CRUCIFIED.
|
|
|
|
To tell the truth, I like all holidays. Like Christmas, I like
|
|
opening presents.
|
|
|
|
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?
|
|
|
|
Halloween.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHY?
|
|
|
|
It's so fun, you get to dress up in neat costumes and remember
|
|
the dead people you liked who died a long time ago and you get to
|
|
get candy.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU THINK OF YOUR MOTHER AS A WITCH?
|
|
|
|
(Shocked) No way!
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HER AS?
|
|
|
|
Just a normal mother who teaches me stuff I like.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU KNOW SOME PAGANS CALL THEMSELVES WITCHES?
|
|
|
|
They do? I get rid of bullies sometimes by telling them I'm a
|
|
goblin. I say "Hey, I'm a goblin and I have magickal powers and
|
|
if you don't watch out I might kick you where it hurts while
|
|
you're in midair."
|
|
|
|
SO YOU THINK THEY SAY THEY'RE WITCHES TO SCARE PEOPLE?
|
|
|
|
Well, I only use the goblin story to scare people.
|
|
|
|
WHAT IS A WITCH?
|
|
|
|
A thing that rides a broom with a black cat screaming in her ear
|
|
and has magickal powers to cast spells.
|
|
|
|
ARE ANY WITCHES GOOD?
|
|
|
|
Well, two in THE WIZARD OF OZ (book). I don't know if any pagan
|
|
witches are good.
|
|
|
|
WHERE DID YOU LEARN ABOUT WITCHES?
|
|
|
|
Horror movies and comics.
|
|
|
|
IS YOUR RELIGION A NATURE RELIGION?
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I like to study all different plants and stuff.
|
|
|
|
HOW DOES YOUR RELIGION TEACH YOU TO TREAT OTHER LIVING THINGS?
|
|
|
|
It teaches you to treat them good and not dis'pectfully. You
|
|
should treat them respectfully.
|
|
|
|
HOW MANY RITUALS HAVE YOU ATTENDED?
|
|
|
|
I remember the spring one when we had a special dinner and wel-
|
|
comed in spring. (Maybe four or five.)
|
|
|
|
RIGHT NOW YOU JOIN IN CIRCLES WITH YOUR PARENTS. DO YOU THINK IT
|
|
WOULD BE BETTER WITH MORE PEOPLE?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, then it shows that more people believe.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU THINK THAT PAGANISM IS GOOD TO TEACH CHILDREN?
|
|
|
|
Yes, but, if they don't want to listen, you shouldn't force
|
|
religion on them.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU EVER THINK OF YOUR OWN RITUALS?
|
|
|
|
Yes. I do. I think we should look at a picture of the Goddess
|
|
we're worshiping while we're worshiping her.
|
|
|
|
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GODS AND GODDESSES?
|
|
|
|
Yes.
|
|
|
|
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT THE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THESE GODDESSES
|
|
WERE JUST DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING OF THE LIFE FORCE?
|
|
|
|
I don't know about that.
|
|
|
|
WELL, IF YOU ARE THINKING OF NATURE, YOU MIGHT APPEAL TO GAEA OR
|
|
DEMETER, AND IF YOU WANTED KNOWLEDGE, ISIS, HECATE OR ATHENA.
|
|
BUT, THEY ARE ALL PART OF THE SAME FORCE . . .OR DO YOU JUST
|
|
THINK OF THEM AS SEPARATE BEINGS?
|
|
|
|
I think they're all separate.
|
|
|
|
DOES YOUR GRANDMOTHER QUESTION YOU A LOT ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS?
|
|
|
|
Yes. And I tell her it's none of her business because I don't
|
|
want her to know.
|
|
|
|
DOES SHE EVER THREATEN YOU?
|
|
|
|
Yes, she says "I'm going to send you upstairs and tell your
|
|
Mother to spank you hard if you don't tell me." But I don't
|
|
listen.
|
|
|
|
THEN WHAT DOES SHE DO?
|
|
|
|
She says, "<Italian expletive deleted>! She won't talk!"
|
|
|
|
DO YOU KNOW THAT YOUR MOTHER WOULDN'T SPANK YOU FOR THAT?
|
|
|
|
Yes, that's why I don't listen. But, she says she'll make up a
|
|
lie so my parents will get mad and spank me.
|
|
|
|
WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME UPSTAIRS WHEN SHE BOTHERS YOU?
|
|
|
|
She blocks the door and wont let me go upstairs.
|
|
|
|
HOW OFTEN DOES SHE DO THIS? (Mom having hard time maintaining
|
|
neutral composure at this point)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Only that time when she heard us and wanted to know what was
|
|
going on and I wouldn't tell her, so she got mad.
|
|
|
|
DOES GRANDMA GO TO CHURCH?
|
|
|
|
No. She gave it up so she could stay with me.
|
|
|
|
IS THAT WHAT SHE TOLD YOU?
|
|
|
|
Yes. But I don't think it's true. She just says that to get me
|
|
to tell. (NOTE: The grandparents haven't been to church in
|
|
years. Taking care of Jen-Cat had NOTHING to do with them not
|
|
going to church, nor, are her grandparents particularly reli-
|
|
gious. They are Roman Catholic by training alone and have only
|
|
the dimmest understanding of their own faith.)
|
|
|
|
MOTHER'S COMMENTS: Jen-Cat doesn't understand too many fine
|
|
points about our practices because I've been hesitant about
|
|
sharing it with her. By her answers, you can see the type of
|
|
pressure she gets from my mother-in-law. The woman isn't a total
|
|
dragon, but she is nosy as hell and is very possessive of Jen-
|
|
Cat. Yet, Jen-Cat loves it whenever I include her in a ritual
|
|
and is very hurt when she's excluded.
|
|
|
|
We stress "Mother Earth" and respect for nature and all living
|
|
things. Jen-Cat loves the idea of "sharing the planet" and finds
|
|
great comfort in knowing her place in the world. As a result,
|
|
she is a very considerate and polite eight-year-old. We never
|
|
pretend to have all the answers. When we don't know something,
|
|
we tell her. She's very hurt that we're so badly outnumbered by
|
|
well meaning - but pushy- Christians. This occurs again and
|
|
again in her answers.
|
|
|
|
All I can tell other pagan parents is that they have to take into
|
|
consideration their child's maturity and discretion on these
|
|
matters. Some of the fundamentalists in our school district
|
|
approach proselytizing their religion with all the zeal and
|
|
subtlety of the Nazi SS. The child can hedge on the "What reli-
|
|
gion are you" question for only so long. Kids don't like other
|
|
kids who are different. I'm reminded of what happens if you dye
|
|
a monkey pink and stick it into a cage full of brown monkeys.
|
|
Just be supportive! We do have the right to our own religious
|
|
beliefs, but our children will be in for a rough time. GOOD
|
|
LUCK!
|
|
|
|
A FINAL QUESTION. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PAGAN PARENTS TO TELL
|
|
THEIR CHILDREN?
|
|
|
|
I tell them if they want to be pagan, be pagan. If they want to
|
|
be Christian, I guess they can be Christian. Don't force them to
|
|
be something they don't like.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE FROM TOASTY----
|
|
|
|
I know that this will create A LOT of reaction from all of you.
|
|
This is NOT offered as proselytizing, only as the reaction of
|
|
one child to being raised Pagan in a Christian society.
|
|
|
|
If you have any comments or questions for Jen-Cat or her mother,
|
|
address them to me and I will forward and return the reply.
|
|
(Negativity and preaching WILL be ignored!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download complete. Turn off Capture File.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download another file (Y/N)?Z |