Witches Weekly: Mentoring Youths
Mentoring Youths
Witches Weekly for the week of September 11, 2004
This week's questions mostly donated by: Ceri
At what age do you feel it's appropriate for a young person to begin performing witchcraft on their own (I.E., without guidance), and why? What about rituals?
It depends on how you define "performing witchcraft," in my opinion. If you mean doing simple, earth-based magic, there is no age that is too young. I remember removing a wart from my hand with magic before I was 10 or so. (The magic involved rubbing a leaf on the wart, saying a litttle chant, and burying the leaf.) I suspect that a young person working from basic books or her own instincts is unlikely to get in over her own head. She may make mistakes, to be sure, but nothing she couldn't survive and learn something from, if so inclined. Rituals seem the same way to me: anything she can cook up on her own is likely to be reasonably safe.
How would you determine if someone was mature enough to mentor?
I think you really have to talk with someone and spend some time with them to get a good idea of their maturity level. I would talk with her about her beliefs, practices, and goals. I would read the cards. I would sit with the question, and listen.
What qualities in a student would prevent you from mentoring them?
Lack of commitment would be at the top of my list. Also, the personal chemistry would need to be right. I would not formally mentor anyone younger than 18 without their parents' permission, though I might give them some general advice. I don't need trouble with freaked-out or bigoted parents!
Witches Weekly for the week of September 11, 2004
This week's questions mostly donated by: Ceri
At what age do you feel it's appropriate for a young person to begin performing witchcraft on their own (I.E., without guidance), and why? What about rituals?
It depends on how you define "performing witchcraft," in my opinion. If you mean doing simple, earth-based magic, there is no age that is too young. I remember removing a wart from my hand with magic before I was 10 or so. (The magic involved rubbing a leaf on the wart, saying a litttle chant, and burying the leaf.) I suspect that a young person working from basic books or her own instincts is unlikely to get in over her own head. She may make mistakes, to be sure, but nothing she couldn't survive and learn something from, if so inclined. Rituals seem the same way to me: anything she can cook up on her own is likely to be reasonably safe.
How would you determine if someone was mature enough to mentor?
I think you really have to talk with someone and spend some time with them to get a good idea of their maturity level. I would talk with her about her beliefs, practices, and goals. I would read the cards. I would sit with the question, and listen.
What qualities in a student would prevent you from mentoring them?
Lack of commitment would be at the top of my list. Also, the personal chemistry would need to be right. I would not formally mentor anyone younger than 18 without their parents' permission, though I might give them some general advice. I don't need trouble with freaked-out or bigoted parents!
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