Young Pagan Page for Pagans 13

A Small Circle of Friends: F2F or WebBoard Young Pagans can be a new WebBoard for Pagans aged 13-20. If there is enough interest, we can set up a Board just for you! To inquire, just send an email to the Webmaster Meet other Pagan teens and learn more about Paganism F2F twice a month in a safe and friendly environment -- at First Unitarian Society in Minneapolis (near the Walker). (Directions at www.unitarian.org/fus) Since meeting on a school night can be a problem, we're looking at Sunday afternoons. If you're interested, write to Christa.
Two Teen Wiccans Explain Their Beliefs : Girls say they're not evil or out for blood; they celebrate positive energy Indystar.com By Keisha Mitchell, 15, and Peter DePaolo, 14 Y-Press August 22, 2004 ...Allison wishes more people would check the dictionary before making assumptions about her faith. "The definition is accurate, and I'm surprised people don't look it up more often, so they don't associate it with other things such as Satanism," she said. Because of these misconceptions, and because her parents are Christians, Allison chooses to be in the "broom closet," she says, referring to the Wiccan expression for a secretive witch. Allison says she had a Wiccan friend chased out of a Christian church. "He got invited and somebody in the middle called him out, saying he was a witch and believed in reincarnation. He had to run for his life from that church as they tried to beat him," she said. ... 24 Aug 2004 06:17:59 -0700 (PDT) Read the whole story at http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/172057-1078-047.html Excerpt used with permission.
Wild Girls: By Patricia Monaghan Llewellyn publications, 2001 Book review by Gina Guion. "Wild Girls" is a book aimed at girls in the age's 9-13 bracket who are interested in learning about the Goddess, and following a goddess oriented path. It is a collection of stories featuring different Goddesses from different lands in their maiden years; much like the readers of the book. Each story has something to offer the reader about being young and female, and working hard to be a follower of The Mother. Following each tale there are small discussions of the lesson of the story, and how it relates to modern day girls; followed by activities and crafts ideas. I'll be honest; I haven't read much in the way of books on Paganism aimed at young adults, so I haven't much to compare this book to. I guess to be really honest, I found some of the activities to be repetitive, and didn't see the point in some. Some I found to be downright hokey. But I'll try not being negative; I am not a teenager, maybe to a younger age group these are great ideas. I have, however read a great deal of Christian books aimed at teens; they teach Christian values and they're aimed at Christian girls and they do their job very effectively. So to look at this book in that way, I would say this book teaches Goddess honoring values and does it well. Some of the words the author used I cringe at: "Wild, reckless, and free, the maiden goddess is the Wild Girl who lives by her own laws..." (Back cover) maybe I am a prude, but those are strong words; granted not every girl who picks this book up is going to take that statement literally and live by it. The author might have chosen something a little more...subtle. I am however, pleased to see this isn't a book filled with buzz words like "Power, Love Spells, curses, charms, Love Potions etc..." There was one short section dedicated to charms and spells, and she did a sufficient job warning the reader about the "no-no" aspect of cursing, The Threefold Law, and the proper thought process involved in writing a spell. I am very happy to see she didn't encourage spells geared toward manipulation of others. The spells she suggested were, of course aimed toward what young adults would be concerned with; this book is certainly good for young adults, I would suggest having a young girl look at it and tell us what they think of it as well. I would hope to see something of the equivalent aimed toward teenaged boys about the young God.
UUA Youth Organization and Programming President Sinkford recently met with representatives of our youth groups across the country, and asked them to consider joining with him in taking a fresh look at how we organize our youth programming. The youth representatives asked for a year to explore possible ways of doing this before they commit to a plan. Sinkford thinks of this as "Common Ground #3". You can read some of the history of these efforts at: http://www.uua.org/YRUU/resources/15yr/progress.htm
Young Pagans at paganinstitute.org This new listserv is operated by Pagan Institute, which means that there's no spam, no ads, no trolls. It's for the Young Pagan F2F community at CUUPS-TwinCities, and moderated for your safety by Rev. Christa Landon, a Unitarian Universalist minister. Right now there are only a couple folks on it, but we expect that to change soon. To join, click HERE. Pagan Institute listservs insist that no porn or hatespeech or related sites be linked to our server. Also, for everyone's protection, you cannot upload files directly. They must be sent to the Webmaster for testing against the latest security updates. Please don't violate copyright through our service by sending us pirated files.
The BIG QUESTIONS Being a teen in the XXI century is confusing enough. NOW imagine what it's like when you're a members of a minority religion, one which is misunderstood by so many. Most Pagans -- of any age -- have some issues about revealing their religion to their families, or to some members of their families. I asked a teen Pagan, who was raised in the Old Religion, "What it's been like for you being a 17 year old Pagan with supportive parents? What's exciting? What's worrysome? Sean wrote, "Well it's no big deal; my parents have always been supportive of my religion. My step mom is a high priests of her own coven. My father is agnostic. Both my parents get a long great. I consider my self agnostic but I like pagan rituals. I also like the freedom of diverse spiritual paths that Paganism offers. I like living in a pagan house hold because I am free to believe what I feel." Chances are, One of the big Questions before teen Pagans is how to come out of the broom closet at home. What was it like for YOU to "come out" of the broomcloset, and who have you shared it with? Send me a paragraph or two or three about YOUR experience, and it will appear here. We will sign you off ONLY with your first name. Send YOUR BIG QUESTION to the Editor.
Forum: What most appeals to you about Paganism? Send your reply -- 50-500 words -- signed as you would like to see it here.
Coming Out of the Broomcloset at School? Baby, think it over! It's a big and (unless you change schools) irreversible decision. Before you make it, be informed. We're collecting information about developments in the law which may impact you, along with reports from people who have come out or been outed. Please visit our Pagan News section for most recent news, Religious Liberties Report, and Law & the School-Age Pagan for resources and information about recent developments in the law which may affect your children in public schools.
CUUPS-TwinCities is an intergenerational community. Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans has been an independent affiliate of the Unitarian Universalist Association since 1987. Rev. Christa Landon welcomes the opportunity to answer any questions you or your parents might have. Click here to make an appointment
Acolyte Program is open for youths and maidens interested in participating in the ritual team which produces our evening festivals. Readiness for such a role is not just a matter of age, and roles can be created to meet the abilities of the youth. Speaking and non-speaking roles are available. We are especially interested in people who would like to learn simple folk dances for rituals. Acolytes should attend a rehearsal, but need not attend other ritual team meetings, unless they'd like to. To talk about being an acolyte, contact Christa..	Don't forget to check out the Chapter News and the Empowerment Dept. Writers! Send your articles, essays, & stories to the Editor
Ask the Doc: Rev. Christa Landon, D. Min., answers your questions, and those of your parents, about CUUPS, Paganism, and Unitarian Universalism.* Dear Doc, My parents are cool, they trust ME, but I can tell they're worried about Paganism. They know Pagans don't worship the Devil, but they're worried about drinking, drugs, and being sexually exploited. They took me to a bookstore in the cities but some of the customers looked pretty scary. How can I get them to relax so I can attend festivals? Signed, Ritual Readi in Ramsey Dear RRR, Your parents trust you because you have shown them, many times, what mature and responsible choices you make. But they haven't met the people you might meet at festivals, and they want to know that you'll be with other folks who make mature and responsible choices. Unfortunately, ANYONE can call what they do Paganism, and there are some who think it's all about learning spells so they can have power over other people. (Actually, people seeking power over others can be found everywhere, and they're best avoided, whether or not they think they're magicians.) Christian clergy aren't the ONLY ones who have taken advantage of young people. There are others who think that Paganism is all about "getting high, getting laid, and getting stupid." Groups which meet in private homes sometimes DO worship in the nude. Some use drugs. Any serious Pagan can alter their consciousness without smoking or swallowing anything. But there are some -- usually younger "Pagans" -- who don't understand that magick doesn't mix well with large quantities of alcohol. Just a few crazies are enough to keep alive the stereotypes Pagans have been burdened with for 1700 years. But most Pagans I've known are responsible people who care about their environment, their community, and the young people among us. Most folks who call themselves Pagan practice moderation in their pleasures and get "high" on knowing their connectedness with Nature, with the Holy Mystery that supports and unites all living things. [See What is Paganism?] Why not ask your parents to come with you to CUUPS events? We have several families who come, including folks your parents age who bring kids your age. CUUPS events have no nudity, no drugs, and no drunks. (We do offer 1 oz of wine in our ritual as a communion; that's not enough for drug effect. Fruit juice is always offered too.) As they get to know us, I think they'll see that CUUPS is a safe place for folks of all ages who share a love of the Divine as manifested in Nature, celebrated by myths and traditions of many cultures. And I'm always available to talk with parents as well. They can write me.. ***************** * D.Min. is the abbreviation for Doctor of Ministry, which is a post-master's degree program, requiring advanced coursework and a doctoral dissertation. It's a professional degree like M.D. and J.D. The D.D. degree -- Doctor of Divinity -- is an honorary degree, usually given for service to a denomination.
On the WWWeb: Witchvox.com is a wonderful service for our community with a wealth of information. Witchvox is also set up to help you meet other teen Pagans. PLEASE REMEMBER that "perfect love and perfect trust" is not enough. If you do choose to meet a stranger, invite them to meet you at a CUUPS event. We're in a public place in a safe neighborhood with good bus service. And you'll be among friends.