Pagan Children's Books Yule Newsletter

Check out the Pagan Children's Books Yule Newsletter! You can sign up for the newsletter HERE. Yule is just around the corner! Check out the activities for Yule - tell us how you like it on our FB page! Blessed be! Yule is a time of embracing the comforts of home - hot chocolate, the heat turned on, family running around crashing into things. At Badgerheim (the house of the Badgers), we love the crazy-messy aspects of home life. We cook, we play games, we have fun. It can be frustrating when my inner-50s housewife kicks in, looks around, and sees... what is that on the floor?!?!? Is that a dead mouse?!? But all in all, we are pretty laid back about life and living. We don't have much, but we have each other. We share what we have as much as we can, doing for others when opportunity presents itself. Isn't that all we could ask for? We have a Yule tree. We decorate it each year with Jólnir, the Yule Lord persona of Odin - a one-eyed Santa figure, and Freyja, the winged beauty, motherly goddess and wife of Odin. ABC Book of Goddesses is a great choice for holiday gifts, or bedtime reading! Every time you turn around, during this time of year, someone's got the "perfect craft" for making the "perfect card/place setting/gift/decoration". And they are all lovely. Instead of focusing on what we can do for ourselves at this time, I'd like to make some suggestions for what you can do for someone else. Now, don't get me wrong, these things are great, but they take time and/or money, which not everyone has. It's just as important to talk about why we do things as doing them. Visiting someone elderly, since many elderly don't get visits from family often. Drop off some extra food, clothing or gifts for the family down the street who you know is struggling. Write a letter to soldiers who can't come home for the holiday season (Pagan soldiers serve too). Sign up to support LGBTQ+ youth who struggle with family issues during the holiday season because of their self-identity. Learn about the charities that pop up like mushrooms at this time of year. Talk about them as a family, and make a family decision which to support. Talk to kids about different religious beliefs that have holidays during this time. If you can, reach out to a group that can tell you more about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and more! Talk to the kids about why it is important to respect other people's beliefs as much as they should respect ours. Consider getting Yule gifts through Pagan artists' websites and etsy, rather than chain stores. Talk about the energy of economics and supporting small businesses. Don't forget to spend time with those you love and who support you! Take care of yourself and make that a Yule ritual tradition!

Pagan Children's Books Samhain Newsletter

Check out the Pagan Children's Books Samhain Newsletter! You can sign up for the newsletter HERE. Samhain is just around the corner! Check out the trick-or-treating alternatives - tell us how you like it on our FB page!

Blessed be! Samhain is the beginning of the Dark of the Year, the time when the veil thins. We have settled in for the school year schedule of drop-offs, pick-ups, parent-teacher conferences, concerts, etc. (Shout out to the home-schoolers, where conferences involve muttering to yourself after bedtime...lol !) The weather is noticeably changing now, with chill winds and cooler weather. My kids got pumpkins, and an interesting lesson. The squirrels, looking for bonus calories before winter, ATE the kids' pumpkins! Talk about a teaching moment! Squirrels like pumpkins a lot. Who knew? There are some tricks to keeping the squirrels away from the pumpkins, but it can also be a good way to teach kids about life cycles and the needs of local animals. ABC Book of Goddesses is a great choice for holiday gifts, or bedtime reading! Trick-or-treating is becoming more and more difficult. I've heard parents express fears over everything from cars not watching for kids, to hate crimes targeting minority religions. It is sad to think about, but that's where our world is at. Because the candy-fest can be so tricky (see what I did there!), I've put together some common alternatives: Boo at the Zoo - many zoos will have a special event where the kids can dress up and get candy. Check your local zoo to see if they have something like that. Bonus: your kids won't be the only ones monkeying around! Night at the Museum - museums also are frequent party places for Halloween/Samhain. See if your area has a children's museum and what they've got planned. Community Centers - these often have a more secure trick-or-treating option, or even a full-fledged party! Unitarian Church - the UU Church is often a de facto center for Pagan families. And, regardless, they can be pretty well counted on to have activities that aren't based on pushing any belief systems. Trunk-or-treat - some communities will put together a trunk-or-treat, where the kids go car to car, instead of door-to-door. It generally is less walking, more handicap accessible, and less risky.

Back to School Pagans: Minority Religions

I love the new school district we are in. Both my kid's are attending schools with a pretty huge variety of cultures, religions and ethnicities and races represented.

My son makes friends with kids from Iran. My daughter has friends who wear hijab. I've spoken to women who shared pictures of their daughters' human ceremony (it's a celebration marking a certain coming-of-age for the girls, similar to a bat mitzvah or First Communion). Both kids are sent home with papers in 3-7 different languages.

The interesting part, though, is that as a Pagan mom, I feel like I am more (painfully?)  aware of potentially stepping on religious toes. My son was making plans for his Muslim friend to join us for Pagan Pride in a year. I told him we needed to make sure his parents were okay with that first.

It seems that being a minority religion creates a kind of double-edged sword. Not only do we get to live in a culture that aggressively assumes we are Christian, but then we become so aware of how that hurts us, we go to extra lengths to not do that to others.

While this definitely makes us more empathic, we can find ourselves in some passive aggressive situations. A few that I end up in often:

• Grandparents suggesting that any reluctance on my part for letting the kids do things through their church is an unfair judgment on them or their religion.
• Family arguing that I'm at fault when I refuse to stay in communication with family members who use said communication to tell me I'm condemning my kids to Hell. 
• People telling me that my religious choice means THEY won't get to spend eternity with me in Heaven... then crying about that.
• People using the "what if you're wrong" logic, then giving me a blank look when I ask them the same question.
• People acting like my choosing a religion that is bullied and discriminated against is somehow "easy", just rebellion, or about hurting them.

The point is, Paganism is hard. We are a minority. We are discriminated against. And, in many ways, it's getting both better and worse.

But I love that my kids are exposed to ideas that aren't just Christian or our immediate family. That's something to thank the gods for.

Lammas: The Peak of the Sun (Cross-posting)

This post is also available here.

Each Sabbat brings with it a special meaning as part of the wheel of the year. The journey through the seasons is not just a physical one, but also mental and spiritual.

As we approach each Sabbat, we can grow with the seasons when we know the lessons each one brings us. This series explores the Sabbats' spiritual meaning in the context of modern Pagans.

Lammas is the mid-point of the solar year. As Samhain begins the year, and Yule marks the point of greatest darkness, Lammas is the point of greatest light.

During this time of year, the earth is the most fruitful, growing plants that produce fruits, grains and roots for us to eat, or to feed the animals that we consume later. We are not just carefree because school is out and it's vacation season, we also see the bounty around us, and a primal part of us knows we will not starve to death... this day.

My favorite way to honor Lammas is by celebrating the bounty of the earth, and the fertility of the ground and of our own actions. We make plans in the spring. We make actions in the summer, when the weather is least likely to interfere with our plans for greatness!

How do YOU celebrate Lammas?

Naming Children: Using Names and Zodiac to Balance Kids

When it came time to name my children, I had some thinking to do. There are so many things to consider, ways you can go. It can be overwhelming to try to find the perfect name for each kid.

I considered the "Pagan Name". You know, the pseudo-Native American, misspelled gemstones and nature stuff type of names that only Pagans and celebrities seem to ever consider: Storm Saffyre, Rayne Eagle, Apple Dumpling, Feenix Onyx, etc, etc.

I didn't go with that for many reasons. First, my kids would be going to public school, I knew that. I don't have the patience to home-school, and trying to do so would be detrimental to all of us. Whatever name I gave my child would have to survive 12 years of typical kiddo jerk-ness.

Second, my kids would be raised Pagan, but would they STAY Pagan? I don't know. I hope so, but I don't know. And giving them the equivalent of their magical name as their actual legal name... It felt like robbing them of some choice in the matter.

Third, my kids would be getting jobs around the age of 16 - and employers, for better or worse, judge applicants partially by their names. This is a fact. My act of rebelling against the naming status quo of society would very likely make it harder for my kids to find work and support themselves.

Next, I considered the "traditional" or family names. Typical, North American, Most-Popular-Names-in-History stuff. Names that my ancestors shared. Names like Edgar, Betty and 3.7 million names straight out of Christian myth: Jeremiah, Josiah, Peter, Paul, and Mary, etc.

Those seemed either way too common or way too old-fashioned for my tastes. After all, I was the one who would be screaming that child's full-name every five minutes while they rampaged their way through the grocery store. (No, that doesn't actually happen.)

Then I considered less traditional names. Ones that are relatively "a
cceptable" in mainstream society (aka, won't keep them from being CEOs and taking over the world for its own good), yet are a little edgy.

Perfect. But which ones?

I found a book (I don't recall the name, but I can point it out on a shelf) that talked about the meaning of sounds in your name. I looked up the sounds associated with my top choices in names. It was cool, but not something that really spoke to me.

Finally, I hit upon the kids' due dates. I knew around when they would be born, so I could guess at their likely sun signs.

The boy would be a Gemini, unless he was late... then he'd be a Cancer. Hmm, two signs that could use some serious grounding energy to balance them out. And my top name choice for the boy? A first and middle name that both meant types of land: a bog and a hill, if memory serves.

The girl was going to be a Taurus, no doubt. Because of the nature of the Bull sign, I decided that her weakest aspects would be in regards to finding and fulfilling her destiny. After all, Taurus loves to be comfortable, and destiny tends to push us out of our comfort zone. So she got a name that meant destiny or life path, with a surname of a goddess of grain (abundance, harvest, etc).

Do I regret how I chose my kids' names? EVERY DAY! :P

The boy (a Cancer) is both emotional and practical to an extreme. He is everything his name and sign should be, which means he tries to manipulate things to meet his desires. We call him Loophole Boy. He is so smart and keeps us on our toes. And while his emotions weren't necessarily mitigated by the power of his name, there is an influence there that seems to balance some of that out.

The girl, meanwhile, is domineering, a goddess in training and in her own mind. She knows what she wants from her life and she goes after it like a bull plowing through a brick wall. She's also a pretty, pretty princess and you better agree or she might attack. Keeping that girl in check is a full-time job, but I never have to worry that she will be a fad-follower. She doesn't cave to peer pressure; she IS the peer pressure.

How did you choose your kids' names? What do you like or dislike about my methods and reasons?

The Magic of Moving: Bringing Paganism into a New Home

Moving with kids is tricky. Getting a new home cleansed and inviting your gods and spirits to come is also tricky. Doing both at the same time with a strict time-table?

Challenge accepted!

Ok, I don't have a choice, so that's the attitude I'm taking with this.

Spirit types

That's right, I'm moving with the children, hubby, and a small but mighty collection of spirits. We always have spirits of varying types.

• Land wights and house spirits - These stay where they are, waiting for the next family to come in. Generally, they are more concerned with the physical location than the specific people who live there. However, if you don't take care of the property, or they feel threatened by too many changes, they can cause accidents. Keep them happy and you'll have a healthy, welcoming home.
• Family or personal guides, guardians and spirits - These can be found hanging out with specific people to help them with lessons. They can be around for anywhere from an entire lifetime to only a few days. Generally, they have the person's best interests in mind, so they are pretty easy to keep happy. Some guardians are at least partially the spirits of ancestors, so they may have personality quirks that can cause problems if they aren't given time to adjust.
• Other random, helpful spirits - These are beings that have come around and discovered that they like us. They stick around and are generally more helpful than land/house spirits, but more flexible than many personal spirits. They are usually pretty happy just to be acknowledged and appreciated.
• Gods - These don't usually stick around very much. They are more of the type to pop in from time to time. However, they do enjoy being made a part of any big changes, so it's always a good idea to include them in a housewarming.

Ways to move with spirits

There are many ways to show appreciation for the help and companionship of spirits, as well as to invite them to move with you. This can be done during and after the move, and children will particularly enjoy several of these methods.

• Taking down/setting up the household altar
  
• Whether this is a few statues or a full ceremonial table, the altar acts as the "guest room" for spirits in your home. It is where they are most often drawn to, and where it is easiest to communicate with them. When taking down the altar, take the time to clean each piece of dust and wrap carefully to protect it. Do this with a thankful attitude or a thank you chant, such as "Our thanks to you, for all you do, to bless and give, our home to live."
• In setting up the altar at the new home, take the time to re-anoint and/or re-bless items as you set them up. A simple oil anointing or flame blessing will do fine, though you can make it as detailed as you like. So long as anointing oils are safe, children can help with that part, or they can help place items onto the altar. If you have statues or icons of specific gods or spirits, you can welcome them into your new home with a few words as you place them on the altar, such as "[Name], welcome are you; we settle here now with a place here for you."
• Blots/offerings
  
• Give part of a farewell and/or housewarming feast to the spirits. It doesn't have to be a lot - this is a token gesture. Selecting a bite or two of each item, plus a dram of drink poured into the grass, is usually the best way to do it.
• Leave the gift in an outdoor location for them to enjoy.
• Alternately, you can set up a table with an altar to the god(s)/goddess(es), and leave a plate out for them there.
• "Set a place" for the spirits to enjoy the food during the event.
• You can also burn the offering, just be sure not to include any plastics or styrofoam in the offering.
• NOTE: If there is an issue with feral cats or strays, it is not a good idea to allow the animals to feed off of the offering, particularly if it is processed foods. In this situation, choose a method that does not leave the food away from people and accessible.
• Don't worry if it seems that they don't "take" the offering - they generally imbibe the essences not the physical foods.
• Housewarming Ritual
• A housewarming ritual is great for when a cleansing is also in order. Since few of us will live in a home that has not been previously lived in, cleansing should probably be a given.
  
• Start by setting up your ritual space, including casting of circles, etc. Using sage, sweet grass, or other cleansing item (sprays are handy for smoke sensitivities or allergies), move out of the ritual space and go from room to room letting the smoke (or spray) get into every corner. Pay special attention to portals (doors, windows, etc) to the outside. You can let children use a feather or hands to help move the smoke around (away from the burning part, of course).
• If you feel your new home needs something extra, use black salt, red brick dust, or even regular salt mixed with ashes, and sprinkle the mixture on the door frames and window frames, as well as on sink drains, bath drains and even in the toilet(s). Do this with the intention of creating a protective shield around the home. This mixture can be left until it naturally dissipates, or swept up when the ritual is complete.
• Return to your ritual space and request the presence of whichever gods, goddesses or guardians you wish to include. Ask them to keep your home and those who live there safe from malicious intentions. Ask them to discourage those who would treat you and your family badly from being comfortable in your home. Ask them to protect the home from the extremes of nature.
  
• Suggested blessing:
  "Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, we ask you to join us now, with the blessings of your hearth-fires.
  Bring to us the light of your fires, that none can see to do us harm.
  Bring to us the smoke of your fires, that those who would speak ill to us can breath no harsh words.
  Bring to us the warmth of your fires, that our home be a safe place from the winds and snow and rain."
• Complete your ritual per your beliefs.
• Decorating with intention
• You can put up pictures, window dressings, rugs, bedclothes, etc. with intention. Simply visualize the spirits there and "listen" for their suggestions on where to put things.
• With kids, talk to them about what certain spirits would like and why. Let them get into the spirit of it all, and listen for signs that the spirits are speaking through the children.
• Don't worry too much if this happens, as it is quite common and virtually never malicious. Children are often very open to "hearing" spirits, and may have something to add to the experience.

The Nine Noble Virtues: a Modern Take - Honor (Cross-post)

Cross-posted from Kali-Ma: The Dark Side of Paganism blog.

The Nine Noble Virtues are a modern invention, so it seems my title is redundant. However, little seems to have been done to bring the concepts themselves from the past into the present.

I do not consider the NNV to be a historical reference. I do consider them to be a modern way of understanding cultural and even subconscious values that were stressed, if not perfectly, by those peoples lumped together as Norsemen.

This series will explore my thoughts on these values and, hopefully, start conversations about them in a modern context.

I'm starting with Hospitality because it is my favorite. When I first learned about it, a chord was struck within me and I began to work out my thoughts and feelings on the idea, immediately. The first thing I noticed was that hospitality takes the place of charity.

From a historical context, there are some texts that talk about situations in which hospitality was used or abused, which gives us a strong basis for believing it was important. The "why" is a little trickier. There are just some things that people don't think to write down because, within the culture, it is so obvious that explaining it would be redundant.

We can extrapolate ideas from the way hospitality is talked about. Many of the texts focus on providing food and shelter and, when looking at the weather conditions of that time, that makes sense.

Skadi, Goddess of snow
and blizzards, with Ullr

To me, hospitality is a social exchange. You extend the generosity of your home and resources to save lives. Yes, that's a bit hyperbolic, but when you think about how people would get caught in snowstorms, or lost without food after travelling for weeks, it's not too big of a stretch.

And the sharing of resources means that there is an exchange of obligations. The host is obliged to actually take care of the needs of their guest to the best of their ability. The guest is not only obliged to respect the host's offerings, but to eventually pay that generosity forward.

In this way, a family might host travelers on and off for several generations. Then, the son may go travelling, himself. If he finds himself in a bind, he doesn't have to feel bad about asking for hospitality - his family has paid that obligation off many times over.

Think about what that means. By fostering generosity and hospitality, you are not obligated to feel SHAME if you require hospitality in return.

Imagine how different it is to see the giving and taking of charity and other forms of aide as both sides of a social obligation. Those accepting charity would be just as respected in their role for PROVIDING THE HOST WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEIR SOCIAL OBLIGATION.

On the other hand, serving a guest, because of the importance of the obligation, becomes an HONOR instead of a menial action. The host and server does not give food and drink with head down and a meek expression. She (for it was usually the matron of the household) holds her head high and gives her guests the offerings of her generosity.

By changing the way we look at hospitality, we take something that was often shameful or belittling and transform it into something bigger and better. In many ways, it is a sacred act to contribute to this exchange of obligations.

Odin the Wanderer

Let us not forget the number of gods who walked the world, visiting humans and taking of their hospitality, as well. Each guest could be Odin or Zeus in mortal garb.

Extending the hospitality of your home and resources can and should be a spiritual/holy/sacred act.

Summer Camps for Pagan Children: The Absence of Adventure

You would think that summer camps and Pagan children would go together like ice cream and waffle cones. Unfortunately, there is a serious gap in getting summer camps appropriate to Pagan children, particularly ones that are affordable.

Why? Well, because so many summer camps are sponsored by religious organizations. Pagan organizations tend to be sparse and/or ill-funded. Christians, however, have church groups in spades.

This means that affordable choices are often reduced to A) day camps for art or technology, B) 5-day or week-long camps for one sport or another, or C) 5-day or week-long summer camps that start and end each day with a prayer service.

Don't get me wrong. I don't begrudge other religions their beliefs, but I attended one of these camps with a "prayer service." We went horseback riding, swimming, canoing. We played Capture the Flag, and roasted marshmallows over a campfire. And nearly every single attendee was convinced to "accept Jesus into your heart" through individual prayer and counselling by the camp staff.

The point is, having a traditional camp experience, with a variety of outdoor activities, is incredibly difficult to find without the strings of (often Christian) religion attached. Attempts have been made to create Pagan-centered summer camps for kids but, so far as I can tell, they have all fallen away.

It might be worth it for us, as a community, to consider what the core issue is. Is the community just not family-oriented enough for kids' summer camps to be a priority? Is it that Pagans aren't supporting our spiritual organizations to the degree that such a sponsorship would happen?

Growing as a community means we need to start considering the needs of our future generations. We are seeing more and more Pagans raised in the Craft, and surely we will see even more in the future. Let's give those kids some memories and adventures, too.

Making Introductions: Teaching Our Children About Our Gods

"Who is this?" says the child, picking up the magnet of Kali from the fridge door.

"That's Kali," I respond. "She my favorite goddess."

"She looks scary."

"That's because she protects us from bad things. That's why she's a bit scary."

That was how I introduced my son to Kali, many years ago. He spent over a year entranced with the magnet showing Kali in all her deadly glory. When we moved, he insisted that we bring her along with us. Because she protects us.

Kids want to know about our gods and goddesses. They crave the security of having someone else looking out for them. They want to know that someone is looking out for mom and dad like mom and dad look out for them.

Here are some things to keep in mind when introducing the gods:


1.   Keep pictures and statues in sight and let the kids become curious about the images on their own. And they will. Kids are curious about everything.

2.   Don't be afraid to filter out some of the more complicated stuff - you can get to that later, when the child is older and better able to grasp those nuances.

3.   Keep the language age-appropriate. Just because a $5 word is commonly used doesn't mean that is the best way to describe the god or goddess to your child.

4.   Introducing the gods to our children doesn't have to be a full education. Our minds develop in such a way that we learn very well with small bits of information, stories and pictures. Tell a basic story or simple explanation of the god or goddess. Then, let the child have time to consider that. More questions will come.

5.   Involve the kids in basic rituals once they've been introduced. Our kids were intrigued about the candy we left out for Ganesha. Soon they were excited to help give the offerings (and later steal them - good thing Ganesha likes kids).

6.   Don't just limit the information to a textbook-type of description. Make sure that you explain why you like the god or goddess, and how they influence or help you. Show them the ways we interact with our gods and why we do it.

7.   When they are older, help your kids decide when and how to honor gods and goddesses for their own lives. Perhaps Thoth can help them study, or Apollo will inspire their choice of band instrument. Don't be afraid to make suggestions, but don't push them. Most kids will find the idea intriguing without any pressure.

Toddler Altar by MazerCreations

8.   Eventually, the child will ask about a god or goddess that isn't one of your bent. It may even be Jesus or Jehovah. It is important to remain objective about them. If you aren't critical about any other gods, they will notice if you are critical about that one. Explain who the god or goddess is, why some people choose to worship them, and why you choose not to. It's okay to go into social and historical contexts, as long as it's age-appropriate.

9.   Have fun! Gods and goddesses are for celebrating. Let your child feel your own emotional connection to the gods, and let them get excited to share that.

10.  Don't worry about brainwashing. It's a lot harder to brainwash people than you think. For children, this is a comfort and a family bond. If you don't think they will ever be able to choose for themselves... well, wait 'til they're teens.

Children & Beliefs: Teaching our kids our practices

Illustration from Pooka Pages

Why we should teach our kids our religion while we raise them? Why it is so important to embrace sharing our beliefs with our children? How to do so without forcing them or making them feel trapped by their parents' beliefs?

These are questions that the Pagan community struggles with as we raise our children in the highest numbers since Gardner published Witchcraft Today in 1954.

We are so used to seeing the effects of religious belief being framed in Christian terms. That is the world we live in.

But what does pure religious belief have to offer our kids? There are studies (here, here, here, and here) that indicate that sharing religious beliefs, activities and experiences can strengthen a family's relationships to each other. There is often more connection and communication.

Children standing with The Lady of Cornwall
in a neopagan ceremony in England.

Religious beliefs may help children better deal with the natural stresses of life by providing a sense of belonging to a group and being part of "something bigger". The routine of rituals and holidays can provide a sense of structure to a child's life.

Healthy spiritual beliefs may improve health, both physical and psychological. Religion provides a way to express the innate need to find purpose and reason in the natural world, and a way to express our beliefs in a supernatural world.

Obviously, these benefits are only seen when the religious experience is a positive one. When the religious experience is confining, restrictive or even hostile, the affects of religion can turn very dark.
Some ways that teaching religion does NOT support healthy religious beliefs include:

• punishment for not adhering to religious behaviors
• teaching by rote memorization rather than engaging with stories and games
• negative reactions to questioning the religious teachings – this can include refusal to answer or refusal to consider alternatives
• using fear as a way to reinforce belief – ie, if you don’t believe, you’ll go to hell

Leaving kids the choice is an issue that I hear a lot of. So I ask, how does allowing your children to religiously identify the same way that their mom and dad do, close the door to them asking about other religions? Or prevent them from later changing their mind?

From Raising Pagan Children

If we want our children to feel like a complete part of our families, we need to include them in our religious experiences. We can do this by talking to our kids about our beliefs, about the rituals that we practice, and about the gods and spirits that we interact with in our lives.

I will leave you with a quote from an article from UU World: “Sharing personal religious and spiritual beliefs with children is not indoctrination; it is offering the guidance they eagerly seek until they are developmentally ready to decide for themselves. If children receive vague and confusing answers time and again when they ask about spiritual and theological issues, they’ll eventually stop asking and start looking for answers elsewhere. But many of the other people your children may encounter in life will not be so hesitant to pass on their religious beliefs, opening up the possibility that the vacuum you’ve left will be filled by others who are seeking to indoctrinate them.”

The Verdant Child: a new Norse myth

I had a dream today about this story, so I wrote it as a poem. I hope you like it.

At the dawn of time,
In the chaos and the wild,
The spirit of all nature
Found the Verdant Child.

Twas after Yggdrasil formed

Midgard and eight more worlds,
After all creation;
All life had been unfurled.

And Yggdrasil watched over
All things as they were made.
Ensuring laws of Physics
And Nature were obeyed.

The Mother Tree checked over
All creatures as they birthed,
Counting limbs and organs
To see that they would work.

There, amongst the monsters,
The flora and fauna wild,
She found a wailing creature,
Inconsolable child.

She looked upon the infant
And held it in her hand,
And searched out its potential
As the Norns would understand.

The child’s aura glowed
A healing verdant green,
Meant to grow in Midgard
To create as no other being.

But something there was missing,
A key, important part.
This child could do nothing
Without its missing heart.

Yggdrasil called out
To each wild and noble creature.
She sent all out to seek
The infant’s unknown feature.

Every plant and monster
And animal of the Tree
Searched through all nine worlds,
For what they could not see.

Each being came back at last
With nothing there to show.
The World Tree simply waited,
For what, she did not know.

A great quartet of stags,
With antlers branching high,
Approached the Mother Tree,
And with a bellowed cry

They begged of Her forgiveness
For failure they did find.
But Yggdrasil just smiled
And reached for their antler tines.

Caught in the bony points
Of the stags’ tangled crown
An essence never seen
Was weaving all around.

The Great Tree pulled the wisp
Out from the antlered maze
And, upon the first soul,
Did all creation gaze.

The Tree of Worlds then took it
And placed it in the child.
It filled in what was missing
And Yggdrasil then smiled.

The verdant child grew older
And passed its soul on down
To every human being,
To be our mortal crown.

The soul lets us see as gods do,
To create and live and grow,
And channel through us wisdom,
Troth, and Honor show.

The Tree gave to the stags
A place of honor true.
She placed them on her own head
Their antlers branching through.

The antlers and the branches
Catch souls and spirits all,
Condensing them as raindrops
Into the Well they fall.

Thus Yggdrasil holds lofty
Four stags with branched prongs.
The reason long forgotten,
Their purpose never gone.

Books for Pagan Children: Teens (T-Y)

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists.

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• Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation by Silver RavenWolf (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  What Teen Witch will show you is that how you live, how you deal with others, and how you incorporate Wiccan laws into your life determines whether or not you are a true Witch. This handbook presents everything from the Wiccan principles of belief, traditions, symbols, holidays and rituals, to spells for homework and dating.

• Witch Among Wolves, A by Rebecca Buchanan (Fiction) *PAGAN*
  The Pagans of the contemporary world, in addition to rediscovering the Gods and heroes of old, are also writing for those Gods and heroes. "Alexander's Heart" is a science fiction tale set in a distant future ruled by the descendants of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. "Devourer" finds the Egyptian Goddess Bast in modern-day Louisiana, while "The Flower in the Dark" addresses political oppression and liberty. "Footprints" follows the Olympian Queen of the Gods to contemporary Florida, while "Orion: An EcoFable" explores the nature of environmental responsibility and the consequences of human arrogance. Finally, "A Witch Among Wolves" centers around a Lithuanian ragana, a devotee of the Horned Lord of the Underworld.

• Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  In the pages of Yule, Dorothy Morrison presents a wonderful potpourri of holiday lore from around the world and throughout history, along with fun crafts, delicious recipe seven a calendar of celebrations for every day in December.

Books for Pagan Children: Teens (M-S)

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists.

Previous

• Mabon: Celebrating the Autumn Equinox by Kristin Madden (Non-Fiction)
  This book explores the history, legends, and traditions of the season that is honored from the Far East to the Celtic Lands, and from Scandinavia to South America. Create your own Mabon tradition with the help of the book's many recipes, magical workings, equinox rituals, and crafts for all ages.

• Mi's Search for Beauty by Kyrja (Fantasy) *PAGAN*
  In a time and land when death is regarded as the “Realms Beyond,” where surviving children are expected to offer their prayers and services so their ancestors may reach the “Golden Realm of Light,” spirits are known to cause havoc for their own means. Sooshay and Keylei, both disdainful of the stifling moors of their traditional culture have forgotten this lesson, so are caught painfully unaware when their sixth daughter, Mi, is born. Five daughters were foretold; no more and no less, with no sons. The terrifying changes this sixth daughter unwittingly brings with her touches each member of her family. Ignorant of his own role in the chaos that follows, Sooshay seeks the advice of a mysterious old family friend, placing Mi and all of her sisters in danger.

• Midsummer: Magical Celebrations of the Summer Solstice by Anna Franklin (Non-Fiction)
  Midsummer is one of the most ancient, widespread, and joyful Pagan festivals. The sun rises to the height of its power on the summer solstice, and Midsummer Eve is filled with fairy mischief and magic. Anna Franklin reveals the origins and customs of this enchanting holiday.

• Ostara: Customs, Spells & Rituals for the Rites of Spring by Edain McCoy (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  Embrace Ostara as a point of balance in your life, a moment in time where both dark and light and night and day are in harmony before the light is victorious and carries us on to the bounty of summer pleasures. Ostara is packed with rituals, spells, recipes, crafts, and customs to celebrate the awakening earth.

• Price of Beauty, The by Kyrja (Fantasy) *PAGAN*
  Majo had been the Gatekeeper for more than 700 years, guiding souls into the Realms Beyond and keeping the demons from the land of the living, before tricking the young Mi into taking her place. Eager to earn entry into the Golden Realm of Light, five spirits of Mi’s long-dead ancestors had aided Majo in manipulating each of her sisters in turning her into a freak. Majo’s plan went awry, though, when the sisters used the terrible gifts of their ancestors’ power to transform Mi, but left her with a narrow way in which she might redeem herself.

• Sending of Dragons,A (Pit Dragon Chronicles) by Jane Yolen (Fantasy)
  Jakkin and his girlfriend, Akki, discover a primitive cult that sacrifices dragons.

• Serpent in the Throat, and Other Pagan Tales, The by Rebecca Buchanan (Fiction) *PAGAN*
  This anthology - the second following A Witch Among Wolves, and Other Pagan Tales - continues the tradition of Pagan authors writing Pagan tales for a Pagan audience. "Black Leopard" is a contemporary magical realism tale centering on Dionysus, while "Crossroads" finds a young girl voicing a heartfelt prayer to Hekate. "Hysthaany" follows a small community of Sekhmet devotees into outer space on a mission of mercy, while "Mr. West" finds Osiris paying a visit to a modern-day mortician. "Seeds" is set in a dystopian future of environmental degradation, while the title story, "The Serpent in the Throat," is an adventure-horror tale set in ancient Canaan.

• Sister Light, Sister Dark by Jane Yolen (Fantasy)
  Legend foretold the child named Jenna, who was three-times orphaned before she could crawl, a fate that would leave her in the hands of women who worshipped the benevolent goddess Great Alta. In this world without men, Jenna comes of age, learning quickly the skills of close combat. But her most powerful gift lies elsewhere: a mirror sister who emerges only in the darkness—a twin named Skada—and shares the soul of the young, white-haired warrior who might well be the goddess reborn. But if Jenna is, in truth, the one whose coming is awaited, there is cause for great alarm among those who rule the Dales, for the prophecy speaks of upheaval and change, and a devastating end of all things.

• SpellCraft for Teens: A Magickal Guide to Writing & Casting Spells by Gwinevere Rain (Non-Fiction)
  Empower, bewitch, and enchant. Written by a teen witch with her own popular website, SpellCraft for Teens contains fifty-five chants and incantations. In addition, it provides a twelve-step guide to casting a magick circle, an in-depth look at the moon phases, and the magical properties of colors, herbs, and charms. From finding a craft name to performing the three types of love spells, SpellCraft for Teensaddresses issues specific to young adults, including telling parents about their interest in Wicca and dealing with gossiping classmates.

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