I guess for me, I consider 'practicing witchcraft' and playing with a ouija board or reading a story, watching a show that involves witchcraft as totally opposite things. *shrug*

I'm assuming that you're referring to the Buffy comment that I made.

We had to pull Buffy episodes because one of the boys that I was talking about became VERY obsessive over it. I love Buffy, I think it is funny and one of the best written shows that I have ever seen. And in fact, we are the ones that actually introduced the show not realizing what an affect it would have on a kid with obsessive tendencies in this area. For most people it was fine ... but for that extreme individual (like anything) it was too much.

I wasn't actually...I was just making a general statement.

I suspect the boy is so interested in Buffy, not because of the witchcraft aspect, but because ... well ... he's a boy with normal hormones.

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"Poor people work for their money. Rich people make their money work for them."

I totally agree. I was much older when I started to study up on Wicca, I was around 30. It was a very slow and 'natural' progression, as I had a serious illness in my late twenties, and after I was well started getting really interested in natural remedies. Herbs, etc. I came across Wicca books in the same section as the natural remedy section (or around it anyway) in bookstores.

I was going through a really really rough period in my life, and this was a way that I could feel that I had real control of my life. I probably had about at least 20 books on the subject at one time. But then, life started getting better for me (not because of my interest in Wicca!), then I met dh and life really started getting better for me. By the time I had ds, I had given all my books away, except two that I still have: Moon Majic, and Ancient Ways. I kept them because I am fascinated about how phases of the moon affects my moods. I am very sensitive to the phases of the moon, especially the 'dark' moon once a month leaves me down, exhausted and in a bad mood. Sometimes I won't even know when the 'dark moon' is supposed to be, and I'll have that awful feeling and when I look on the calendar, guess what, it's a dark moon that night, or was the night previous.

So I still have an interest in the moon, but not for doing spells or anything like that. And I treat my Ancient Ways book as a history book, because I find the ancient religions fascinating, but not that I follow them at all.

I think just treat their interest as learning about history and let it wane out on it's own, because 9 times out of 10 I believe it will, especially when they feel they have more control of their lives.

For the record, though, I honestly believe that Wicca is not a dark religion, it is an ancient religion before Christianity. Many Christian holidays borrow customs from the ancient holidays to this day. It was a way that the founders of the Christian religion were able to incorporate something that the people already knew about in this 'new' religion they were teaching them.

I think it's generally a phase, and "witchcraft" which most associate with some sort of dark magic, is different from Wicca, the religion, which is based on ancient pagan religions.

I was very interested in witchcraft in middle school because I was the teased/picked on/hated kid from 1st-8th grade. (If any of you have read Jodi Picoult's "19 minutes" - I can totally relate to that boy in the story). I got some witchcraft and spellbooks out of my public library when I was 11 or 12. I was so disappointed as most spells involved digging up graves or obtaining the wooden nails from coffins you dug up, etc. I tried one spell using ordinary nails, as I couldn't very well dig up nails from a coffin, but it did not work. (I still remember it - "My name it is sam hall, it is sam hall. My name it is sam hall, and I hate you one and all. I hate you one and all, god d-mn your eyes.") And then you were supposed to hammer the nails into something, but I don't recall. Nothing puts a kid off of witchcraft faster than trying out a deathcurse on your enemy only to find out it doesn't work!

In my 20's, I knew many pagans and some Wiccans (sort of lost contact over the years). They were the nicest people - except for the one my ex husband married. Man, she was a piece of work. Anyway, I did get a book on practical Wicca, beliefs, etc. Again, it was as boring as any other tenets of a religion might be, so that's a really good way to turn a kid off to it as well.

We had a Ouija board when I was a kid. I remember playing with my sister but it usually just ended in finger-pointing as to who was pushing it. I think, like many things, if you make a big deal and ban something, it will just seem more alluring to a kid. If you tell them to research it and write a book report, it quickly becomes boring.

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Enough said.

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In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.Mother Teresa

Here are my two cents....
When I was in Jr high and a little in high school I had "witchcraft" books. Just spells my mom knew about it. But if there was anything about Satan she would rip the pages out. I tried it and once I figured out it didnt work I lost interest. I thought it was kinda interesting. Not that I ever did anything "black magic" wise. Just mostly love spells and good ones. I held on to the books until after I was married and threw them in a dumpster one day. Not that I was still reading them but packed away in a tote. I also had Tarot cards which I ended up trashing too. I think its more about the fascination with it all then the actual act. I don't think I would approve of noah doing those things because I think its silly no offense to anyone who does it. But as for shows like buffy the vampire slayer and charmed (Which I have only seen a few times but Buffy the vampire slayer the old movie is great) and movies like harry potter (which I am watching at this very moment) where does one draw the line.... In Disney movies there are witches and they often do magic so as long as they know its make believe and you use your own judgement and discretion about it. It should be fine. I am 95% sure it was other things the boy was obsessing about. Lol.

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Mom of one kangaroo!

Trust me, he wasn't interested in the girls. Actually I'm not even sure he was interested in the boys -- he was a confirmed narcissist.

I never thought of my children trying this. I guess when they are old enough to make their own decisions I wouldn't have a problem with it. Otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to do it especially in my house.