You can read all about me in my about me section of our website but what you cant read is about my family! My little Pagan family! My husband of almost 4 years is a absolute goddess send! He has truly been the most open person when it comes to my faith! He and I don't share the same beliefs but he has always been supportive of mine which is something that is truly amazing and something that is rare to find. If you are a practicing pagan and have this type of relationship you know where I am coming from. He takes the time to listen to what I have to say about my faith and he is 150% okay with raising our kids this way. He knows that it is something that means the world to me. Accepting me for me is one of the many reason why I fall in love with him more each day!
Together we share 2 soon to be 3 amazing kids! Our oldest will be 3 soon and is a water sign and she is the most sensitive child you will ever meet! She a free thinker and one of the most creative little souls. Our youngest (soon to middle child) will be 2 this summer he is my little air sign like his momma! But boy does his Gemini personality shine through on a daily bases. If you have a Gemini in your life you know what I am talking about! hehe! Our soon to be third child (coming late summer!) will be fire sign! So this little will complete our little family circle at least we think. ;) As I stated before my husband and I have agreed to raise our kids pagan NOW before you jump on me let me just say they are FREE to choose their own path but we will raise them in a pagan home.
I have gotten a lot of crap from some people about raising my kids "exposed" to this faith and what I have to say to them is... They aren't your kids! They're ours! This past fall we finally had our kids "wiccaning" (I am not a practicing Wiccan anymore but thats another entry itself!) and we had some of our family here along with my step kids who have been raised Christian. We thought that it would be a good time to expose them to my religion. Oh let me just say that I was not open about my faith with my step kids for the longest time. Really I came out about the time of the kids Wiccaning. I know that choosing to "raise" my kids Pagan is probably not going to be the easiest way to raise them but I want them to be exposed to it and I do not want to hide who I am from some of the most important people in my life! I would feel like a horrid mother if I did that!
I can remember the first time I though about raising my kids (future kids at that point) Pagan. I was in my teens and wanted to make sure they was exposed to the most in life. I know that choosing to "raise" a child a certain way in this community is either highly frowned against or you are all for it! There is really no in between here. Even though I am choosing to raise my kids in a Pagan home they are free to make their own choices wheather this the right path for them. I will encourage my kids to go to church with friends and when they have questions I am here for the answers they will be looking for. Now when I say "raising my kids Pagan," I mean that they will be living their life in a largely Pagan household. As someone who lives Paganism, I know that my child will see it and wonder about it. There is no hiding my Druidic beliefs at home nor would I want too! My house is the one place I can be myself and not worry about the outside world!
In this house we pray before dinner, before bed and many times before we travel. I have multiple altars in my home, I am planning on setting up an outdoor one this spring and you will often see me leaving offerings. I talk to plants and I talk to trees every once in awhile if I am feeling blue you will see me hug it! My 3yr old has started this as well. She will sit and talk to the trees and its the most precious thing you can ever imagine seeing! My kids will see me burn sage they hear me sing songs about the goddess and lord and they love to dance around to the beat of a drum!
I'm a Druid! Ancient and modern, Druidism was and is a tribal religion. It is based on community and, although there are many solitary practitioners, the bulk of Druids come together to celebrate, even if it's once a year. My kids will be right there by my side! My kids will be living a Pagan life because I am living a Pagan life!
As I said before my kids have the right to choose who they are and I encourage them to attend church with friends. As I also said my husband isn't Pagan he knows about the faith he thought about joining it for awhile but has recently said he doesn't think its for him. Although most of his beliefs fall in line with Native Americans similar to Paganism but depending on who you talk to isn't. I am sure our kids will want to sometime know what dad beliefs are and when that day comes if they choose to follow their father I am okay with that if they choose to follow the Christian faith or some other faith I am okay with that too. Will it break my heart? Yes, it probably will but they are their own little people!
I choice to raise my kids Pagan comes from how my parents raised me! It may or may not be right for them but I am okay with it! I found some really great tips from a pagan parent who may be on the fence with the subject here they are-
"What a Pagan childhood shouldn't be:
Now that I have shared my thoughts on the subject I think that I will go play with my littles! Thanks for taking the time to read my longgggg first blog post and check back for more! Love and Light everyone!
Stacy-
Together we share 2 soon to be 3 amazing kids! Our oldest will be 3 soon and is a water sign and she is the most sensitive child you will ever meet! She a free thinker and one of the most creative little souls. Our youngest (soon to middle child) will be 2 this summer he is my little air sign like his momma! But boy does his Gemini personality shine through on a daily bases. If you have a Gemini in your life you know what I am talking about! hehe! Our soon to be third child (coming late summer!) will be fire sign! So this little will complete our little family circle at least we think. ;) As I stated before my husband and I have agreed to raise our kids pagan NOW before you jump on me let me just say they are FREE to choose their own path but we will raise them in a pagan home.
I have gotten a lot of crap from some people about raising my kids "exposed" to this faith and what I have to say to them is... They aren't your kids! They're ours! This past fall we finally had our kids "wiccaning" (I am not a practicing Wiccan anymore but thats another entry itself!) and we had some of our family here along with my step kids who have been raised Christian. We thought that it would be a good time to expose them to my religion. Oh let me just say that I was not open about my faith with my step kids for the longest time. Really I came out about the time of the kids Wiccaning. I know that choosing to "raise" my kids Pagan is probably not going to be the easiest way to raise them but I want them to be exposed to it and I do not want to hide who I am from some of the most important people in my life! I would feel like a horrid mother if I did that!
I can remember the first time I though about raising my kids (future kids at that point) Pagan. I was in my teens and wanted to make sure they was exposed to the most in life. I know that choosing to "raise" a child a certain way in this community is either highly frowned against or you are all for it! There is really no in between here. Even though I am choosing to raise my kids in a Pagan home they are free to make their own choices wheather this the right path for them. I will encourage my kids to go to church with friends and when they have questions I am here for the answers they will be looking for. Now when I say "raising my kids Pagan," I mean that they will be living their life in a largely Pagan household. As someone who lives Paganism, I know that my child will see it and wonder about it. There is no hiding my Druidic beliefs at home nor would I want too! My house is the one place I can be myself and not worry about the outside world!
In this house we pray before dinner, before bed and many times before we travel. I have multiple altars in my home, I am planning on setting up an outdoor one this spring and you will often see me leaving offerings. I talk to plants and I talk to trees every once in awhile if I am feeling blue you will see me hug it! My 3yr old has started this as well. She will sit and talk to the trees and its the most precious thing you can ever imagine seeing! My kids will see me burn sage they hear me sing songs about the goddess and lord and they love to dance around to the beat of a drum!
I'm a Druid! Ancient and modern, Druidism was and is a tribal religion. It is based on community and, although there are many solitary practitioners, the bulk of Druids come together to celebrate, even if it's once a year. My kids will be right there by my side! My kids will be living a Pagan life because I am living a Pagan life!
As I said before my kids have the right to choose who they are and I encourage them to attend church with friends. As I also said my husband isn't Pagan he knows about the faith he thought about joining it for awhile but has recently said he doesn't think its for him. Although most of his beliefs fall in line with Native Americans similar to Paganism but depending on who you talk to isn't. I am sure our kids will want to sometime know what dad beliefs are and when that day comes if they choose to follow their father I am okay with that if they choose to follow the Christian faith or some other faith I am okay with that too. Will it break my heart? Yes, it probably will but they are their own little people!
I choice to raise my kids Pagan comes from how my parents raised me! It may or may not be right for them but I am okay with it! I found some really great tips from a pagan parent who may be on the fence with the subject here they are-
"What a Pagan childhood shouldn't be:
- Isolation from other spiritual paths
- Threatening should the child show curiosity in other faiths
- Indoctrination towards only one way of thinking
- Boring or without consideration of child development
- Forceful: if a child doesn't show interest in a topic, make sure he or she understands enough to be aware but don't press. Not every person is destined to be a bard, an artisan, a historian, a warrior, a priest, etc.!
- Full of exploration: independent and with parental support
- Inclusive: involve extended family and friends who come from different walks of life. Look at the Koran, light a menorah, visit a Buddhist temple, admire pentacles in jewelry and apples, and explore science museums. Find the connections, marvel at the beauty, and model how a mature, well-adjusted adult behaves with others, even when you don't believe the same things.
- Respectful of elders: this will extend into respect for the ancestors once the child is old enough to really understand who they are.
- Safe feeling: the child should know we will love him or her no matter what spirituality is embraced as a teen or adult
- Full of honest discussion: children should understand your path but also know that not everyone believes the same way. Children should feel safe questioning and disagreeing. Again, model how to do this with respect!
- Celebratory and respectful of nature: regardless of spiritual path, a good Druid will raise a child to be aware of the environment, the interconnections, and the seasonal changes
- Sex-positive in a way that takes into account the child's development, safety, boundaries, and own self-worth
- Fun: learning about life, nature, Druidism, and other religions should be joyful
- Artistic: self-expression is an essential part of Druidism, and carries over into other facets of life and other spiritual paths.
- Based on virtuous behavior: I will teach the child the nine Druidic virtues but, as he or she ages, we'll compare them to other systems (that of Asatru, the ten commandments, the noble truths, etc) in the hopes of finding commonalities. When paired with literature and personal experiences, children will soon develop a sense of empathy towards the world – one that can extend beyond a religious practice.
- Magical: let children revel in the magic of the world. Make wishes on dandelion seeds, plant love into the garden, stir healing into daddy's soup. Read fairy tales, folk tales, and mythology. Talk about your dreams and encourage imagination.
- Balanced: while teaching simple magic, don't ever forget to teach science. Name the plants, name the animals, look at the stars, and give magical and scientific explanations. When you don't know the answer, model how to find it.
Now that I have shared my thoughts on the subject I think that I will go play with my littles! Thanks for taking the time to read my longgggg first blog post and check back for more! Love and Light everyone!
Stacy-