Trying to keep my sanity in a house full of manly ball-scratching, burping, farting, and raised toilet seats.
Trying to keep my sanity in a house full of manly ball-scratching, burping, farting, and raised toilet seats. 
“My daughter is afraid of your son.” My friend said to me as she poured us each a glass of wine.
“Whyyyy?” I was taken aback by the statement. What had my son done to make her daughter afraid of him?
“She thinks he’s a warlock.”
“Ohhhhh.” Now I understood. “Well, maybe she should ask him herself.” I told her.
“She won’t, she’s too scared to.”
What do you think of when you hear the word “warlock”? A magician in black robes with a staff? Or Maybe a half man, half creature who has horns coming out his head and wings? Like something out of World of Warcraft?
Well, you guessed right!! My teenage son is all of those things. He walks around with a black robe and a staff, has horns coming out of his head and gigantic wings that he has to keep tucked in so he doesn’t hit people with them while walking through the halls at school.
This is just one in several incidents that has occurred over the past few months in relation to my son and his spiritual beliefs.
“My friend “P” just told me his mom won’t let him sleep over cuz of my pentacle.”
My son had just sat down on the beach towel next to me, his father and younger brother. I looked at his face to see how he had been affected by this news, but he seemed unmoved.
“You know that if you’re going to wear that, then you’re going to have to deal with ignorant and righteous people.” I said.
“Yeah, I know. I don’t care.” He shrugged his shoulders.
It never fails to astound me how my teenage son can have more understanding and more tolerance for intolerant individuals than most adults do.
The issue revolves around the fact that my 15 year old son wears a Wiccan pentacle around his neck and since he never takes it off, it is likely to be seen by most of the people he encounters. On this particular day, we had gone to the beach with a group of his friends and a few parents had shown up to help drive the kids back and forth, and of course, supervise. When my son approached one of the moms with his chest exposed and his pendant shining bright in the suns rays to say hello, she took notice of his star. Once my son walked away, she informed her own son, who was supposed to return with us after the beach event, that he would not be going over to our house. She explained to him that she didn’t want her son to be influenced by any kind of negativity.
Are you serious? Negativity?
The irony of her comment is that if she knew anything about Wicca, she would have known that the concept of negativity is a Christian concept, not a pagan one. In the pagan belief of Wicca, there does not even exist negativity, instead it is a religion of love and joy. There is no such thing as good or evil, only neutrality. Let’s not forget the fact that it was the Christian propaganda smear campaign that discredited any religious groups that were not Christian or did not want to convert to Christianity, thus all the “negative” stereotypes, myths, and lies about Wiccans was generated and written from the Church’s perspective; because anything not Christian is evil.
The five-pointed star within a circle is the most common Pagan symbol used to identify oneself as a Pagan or Wiccan. The five points represent the 4 elements plus the spirit, and the circle, symbolizing the Earth element, connects them all.
“Your uncle says that my grandson is wearing the star of satan around his neck.” I looked at mother in disbelief. This was just a few weeks after the previous incident and so the frustration began to boil up from the pit of my stomach, up my esophagus and out of my mouth. “People shouldn’t talk out of ignorance. If they don’t know something, then they should ask rather than assume things.” Naturally she got upset with me for calling her brother ignorant, but the reality is, that’s what you are when you speak from assumption. As the saying goes: “when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.”
The inverted (or upside down) pentacle is typically associated with Satanism, though it is not a completely accurate description either. The true emblem of the Church of Satan is the sigil of Baphomet, which is the symbol of a goat's head in an inverted pentacle.
My uncle walked into the family room at that moment and I confronted him on his assumption explaining to him that the pendant my son was wearing was that of the Wiccan symbol. I then continued to explain to him the difference between the Wiccan symbol and the satanic star. When my son walked in I explained to him the confusion and asked him if he could clarify things a bit for them and so he began with, of course, a historical account of Paganism.
As for the mother who won’t allow her son to come over out of fear that her son is going to be possessed or some shit like that, frankly it’s too bad, because my son is an incredible being and probably one of the best influences any teenager could have in their life (besides, if he was a negative influence the time they spend together hanging out at school and at social gatherings is plenty of time to screw up her kid). But above all that, he’s patient and tolerant of ignorant people, and honestly, I don’t think I can take credit for that one.
Oh, by the way; the main tenet of Witchcraft, or the Wiccan Rede, is: “An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt” or in other words: Do what you will…but do not do anything that will harm another. Easy as that. I guess anything that believes in all joy and love, harmony with the earth and respect of all things and people, is a pretty bad thing, huh?
Peace Out!
-Natasha Olivera
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My journey into motherhood began when I was 17 years old. Today, I am the mother of two teen boys, 15 and 13, and I am one of the only moms "blogging" about raising teen boys. On this blog, which I like to call a "blogory", I share my candid, poignant, sometimes humorous, but always real, short stories about my stumbles through parenthood as a young mother raising two teen boys while coping with living in a house full of testosterone. My parenting philosophy revolves around honest, no holds barred communication, where no topic is off limits, mixed with an enormous sense of humor. Peace Out! -Natasha Olivera
© 2010-2013 2010 Me, My Guys, & My Stumbles Through Parenthood All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright
First and foremost, Let me commend you on being so supportive on your sons
choice and having patience with others ignorance about other peoples beliefs. In
time I have realized, and sad to say it took me so long to understand, that most
peoples reaction to other beliefs are due to years of being told one way and any other way is bad. Having so many resources to educate ones mind I find that yet we still can be extremely ignorant in educating our selves. Ignorance will often manifest itself as hate and fear. I’m sure you know this already and for those who might stroll in to read your post I’m hoping some of these words may help educate them. No matter what we may practice as our belief, we shouldn’t speak negative about others. Especially, when not fully educated on that belief.
Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult. Wiccans do not proclaim ourselves to be
spokespersons for the divine or try to get others to follow us as their leaders.
Wiccans do not worship Satan nor even believe that Satan exists. Satan
represents total evil to most Christians who follow the Christian faith. Wicca
doesn’t “believe in good or evil”. There is absolutely NO relation between Wicca
and the Church of Satan, which was created by the late Anton LeVey in the 1960s.
Wiccans do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of “Harm None.” Anyone who does and claims to be a Wiccan or a Witch is lying. Wiccans have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature. Wiccans do not use the forces
of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, “Harm None” is
the whole of the law. As for the pentagram, in Christian times the five
points of the pentagram have been interpreted as representing the five wounds of Christ (2 wrist, 2 ankle and 1 side). It was used to symbolize the star which allegedly led three Zoroastrian astrologers (a.k.a. the three wise men) to the baby Jesus; it was called the Three Kings’ star. It has been widely used by past Christians as a protective amulet. During the times of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the pentacle was the first and most important of the Seven Seals – an amulet whose seals represented the seven secret names of God. It was inscribed on King Solomon’s ring. The Medal of Honor is also a pentacle.It is the nation’s highest medal for valor in combat that can be awarded to members of the armed forces. It sometimes is referred to as the “Congressional Medal of
Honor” because the president awards it on behalf of the Congress.
As as follower of Wicca I have gone through the same. Most people have asked me about it and to explain this was a pleasure. Most had a respectable opinion and nothing more of it and others have not been so great.They have lashed out with what seems to me some sort of “tick” or possession Tourette syndrome. At this point all I can do is just smile and let it go. Sadly to say it isn’t a nice feeling to know that most of these people are just projecting words of hate in the name of a loving god or faith and yet here I am
appreciating and admiring all others religion that their main point is to love and teach peace. Hmmmm, the irony in the year 2011.
Just a small correction. Wiccans do not use the term Warlock. It means Oathbreaker. All wiccans are witches.
Blessed be.
Yes, it’s an unstated assumption that once the reader gets through the post they would understand that there is no such thing as a warlock in Wicca. Hope to see you back to read more stories!