It can be a bit daunting to discover that your teen is into witchcraft. Visions of pagan dances or even, gulp, human sacrifices spring instantly to mind. Or maybe it’s, you know, Harry Potter that witchcraft conjures for you (sacrificial humans? My mind goes to many places!).
Whatever your associations, it can be confronting to find that your teen is into witchcraft. To help us support our magickal teen witchling, we chatted with Fiona Horne, Australia’s best-known expert in modern magick and author of new-release Teen Magick: Witchcraft for a new generation.
Times are a-changing
Fiona was already an adult when she “first came out of the broom closet”, but admits that she showed some “odd behaviours” during her teens and her parents were probably onto her early. She is proud to note that being a witch these days is very different to the perception when she was a teen herself.
“Over the last 30 years of being in the public eye as a Witch I can say I have witnessed extraordinary change in the general communities’ perception of the Witch,” Fiona says. “Twenty years ago Witches were shrouded in myth, suspicion and fear – these days who doesn’t know a proud self-avowed Witch?!”
If you’re reading this, that self-avowed witch may well be your own teen daughter or son. If it is, it helps to know that if your teen is into witchcraft, they are not alone. Fiona notes that millions of people around the world identify as a witch, and the interest is only growing.
Not devil worshipping, repeat NOT
“Once the first question was always ‘Do you worship the Devil?’” Fiona says. “I am never asked this question anymore – thank goodness! The years of addressing the misinformation have finally paid off!
Gulp, so sorry about the human sacrifice comment, Fiona!
“Witchcraft emphasizes inner peace and acceptance as empowered states of being. Young people now are finding their way in an environmentally challenged, social media governed and A.I. dominated world.”
That sounds like the complete opposite of Devil worshipping, if you ask me…
It’s only natural
Being a modern witch means honouring nature as sacred, so if your teen is into witchcraft, it’s probable that they will be vegetarian or vegan, or considering it. They will be conscious of living sustainably, organically and as locally as possible.
All of this is good, right?
This extends to social media and screen time too. As Fiona puts it, “the ability to step away from the smart phone and understand the importance of walking in bare feet on the earth, looking to the moon and the stars and feeling the ancient Magick of Life itself is healthy, nourishing, simple, and a core practice of what it is to be a modern Witch.”
The Book of Shadows
Fiona also talks about the habit of journalling (she calls hers the “Book of Shadows”), to help her plan and reflect on her life. Journalling has long been noted as an excellent way to cultivate gratitude, encourage self-monitoring and achievement and assist with self-reflection. So journalling in something like the Book of Shadows is an excellent practice for any teen to take up.
“I have had many Book of Shadows in my life and I have kept them all,” agrees Fiona. “They are valuable tools of learning and self acceptance.”
The whole spells thing can sometimes get a mother unstuck when her teen is into witchcraft. It all sounds so… dark arts.
It needn’t be, of course. Fiona is nothing but sunshine and light and her spells, rituals and meditations are guided towards using magick to guide and heal.
Rituals and wisdom
For instance, one of the rituals she speaks about is to help her heal a difficult situation. “I will head to the ocean’s edge under a full moon to invoke the Goddess and ask for her guidance,” she explains. “I will leave an offering in the sand… I may trace my initials or lay down in the sand and leave an imprint my body in recognition of my small and humble place in the grand scheme of Life.”
Sounds a lot like being mindful and tapping into the power of nature and the universe, if you ask me. Fiona continues: “I notice and pay attention to serendipity and signs. My friends and clients call me for tarot and oracle readings and advice. I perform spells of gratitude and healing for those in need – sometimes that is as simple of thinking of someone and sending them love when I light a candle, or stirring the pot sunwise (anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere) to charge it with positive energy when I am about to serve soup for dinner.”
Again, in Fiona’s telling, witchcraft seems like the ideal way to help teens learn to pay attention, pause to consider options and express gratitude. We can totally get on board with that!
Help for teen issues like peer-pressure
As an example of the power of witchcraft in a teen’s life, Fiona explains how magick can support a teen who feels overly peer pressured or has even experienced bullying.
“The number one step to defeat bitchiness and criticism from others is to erase it from yourself,” Fiona explains. “In Teen Magick, I offer a spell called ‘The Stop Stalking Spell’ and its actually for the Witch to perform on herself, to defeat her own tendencies towards stalking others online and making herself miserable, or ego inflated, by comparing herself to others and declaring her life not as good, or superior on social media.”
If you’re experiencing negativity and bitchiness, click here for Fiona’s Banishing Spell.
This all sounds like such sound, thoughtful advice, that I’ve decided to name Fiona’s wisdom “witchdom”. Witchdom seems to sum up the positive, self-reflecting, holistic approach of modern witchcraft.
Fiona sums it up the best:” can help a teen to slow down, understand what is really important in their evolving lives and give them peace of mind and confidence, as well as foster healthy personal care for their growing physical bodies.”
Three ways to be supportive when your teen is into witchcraft
If you’re now convinced that it’s not such a big deal if your teen is into witchcraft, you’ll want to support their fledgling beliefs where you can. Fiona’s advice is to:
1. Ask respectful questions and listen carefully to the answers.
2. Recognise that spiritual creativity and self-expression are awakening in your witchling.
3. Read up on witchcraft and magick yourself (Teen Magick seems like a very good place for both you and your teen to start!)
Do you have a witchling teen?
Feature image by Halanna Halila; Fiona Horne – supplied; Tarot by Jen Theodore; Items by Dan Farrell