Raising Witches: Teaching the Wiccan Faith to Children (Paperback)

by Ashleen O'Gaea (Author) "In this book, we introduce you to a new (well, newly articulated in a Wiccan context) approach to raising children..." (more)
Key Phrases: Book of Shadows, Threefold Law, Moon School (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
More and more Wiccan families are looking for specific advice about raising their children in the faith. Here is the first book to give parents the means to teach Wicca in a more formal fashion than just "chatting with the kids" around the kitchen table. Featuring a Wiccan curriculum for each of the five age groups, Raising Witches offers a variety of sample lessons and both a structure and a prototype for readers who want to develop "Sun Day School" or "Moon School" classes. There's also the material you would expect-This book includes charms, spells, songs, and guided meditations in addition to practical ideas for educational activities. It includes a glossary and a recommended reading list as well. Featuring detailed discussions of how children grow and learn so that Wiccan parents can teach their Tradition effectively, Raising Witches finally gives parents the means to communicate the rudiments of their faith to their children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: New Page Books; illustrated edition edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564146316
• ISBN-13: 978-1564146311
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #345,226 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raising Witches is Easy to Read and Informative, January 20, 2003

By	T. Myers (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was hesitant to buy this book, as I own and am not fully satisfied with her first book on pagan parenting. This one seems to be written with more skill. It is easy to read and understand without being condescending, yet it presents a good deal of information as well.

O'Gaea goes into each stage of development and discusses what lessons in lore and magick are appropriate to teach at each level. The science behind her prescriptive view to teaching Wicca is soundly grounded in the modern theory of child development.

There are ideas given here for as young as infancy and as old as adolescence. She also has a chapter relating to formal theology instruction for children of Wiccan Parents- Sunday or MoonDay school. This chapter contains a skeleton for an early childhood as well as an older childhood curriculum which could be adapted and used by pagan homeschoolers or other groups seeking to create a circle of learners. My only disappointment was that I waited so long to order it.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Parenting Resource, October 28, 2003

By	linuxchic "linuxchic" (Blue Springs, MO USA) - See all my reviews

I was more satisfied with "Raising Witches" than with Ashleen O'Gaea's other parenting book, "The Family Wicca Book". It is well written and more specific. "Raising Witches" contains guidlines to help parents understand the development of their children. We purchased this book for help with answering questions our young children had about Wicca and our spirituality. We had our answers already, but they werent compatible with what our 4 year old or 7 year old could understand. Being raised in the Christian church, I knew how to relate that faith to a child from all those years of sunday school, but I had no idea how to relate my Wiccan faith to them, as I only knew it in an adult voice. This book gave us guidelines and examples that we are finding very useful for raising our children in our faith.

Another thing I found rather neat about this book is that you could use it for building cirriculum for circle/coven classes for children or even homeschooling if you wanted to include religion as a subject. I recommend this book to first generation Pagans, Pagan parents, and mixed religion households as well as and coven group who participate in family activities.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful parenting advice, November 10, 2002

By A Customer

This book was informative, yet light and easy to read. It is a great basic parenting book, even without the Pagan references. I will look to this book over and over again, I am sure, as I raise my two girls in the ways of Wicca. Thank you Ashleen, and Blessed be.