Generation Hex: Teen Witches

By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Senior Producer

CBN.com – Schools that offer lessons in witchcraft and wizardry, like those in the popular Harry Potter series, may seem like the stuff of fiction, but they are quickly becoming a reality. These days, teens can find a wealth of information and how-to books on Wicca, and they are being drawn to “the Craft” in record numbers.

Perhaps one of the most popular is a book called Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation by Silver RavenWolf. The back cover of the book boasts: From vital background information on the Craft to spells for homework and dating, this book contains everything you need to become a pentacle-wearing, spell-casting, completely authentic Witch!

With so many similar books geared toward teens and television shows like Charmed that glamorize witches, should parents be concerned that their children could be drawn to Wicca? Absolutely, says author Marla Alupoaicei. Along with co-author Dillon Burroughs, she has written Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca.

The religion has become so prevalent in our culture, she says, that kids will inevitably be exposed to it, something that parents should prepare them for ahead of time.

“Today it’s something that kids are growing up with,” Alupoaicei says. “They grow up with Harry Potter. They are growing up with kids who are doing spells, kids who are pagan, and who are not being raised with any kind of spiritual values that are in line with ours, so that’s a great issue of concern.”

In the book, she explains the basic beliefs of Wicca as well as what many people find to be attractive about the religion. There are several reasons, she says, that teens are often drawn to Wicca.

“It’s fun to try to get out from under their parents’ thumbs and to try something new,” she says. “They’re adventurous. If they have friends who are involved with Wicca, they want to try it.”

Another lure for teens is the idea that the religion will give them power.

“When you are growing up going through that adolescent stage you just want to be able to have more control and power over your own life,” the author says. “Wicca offers that in a sense. It makes you believe that. Some of these books like, Teen Witch for instance, list spells that you can do to try to control your parents. Or there’s one called the crabby teacher spell where if you have a mean teacher, you can try to put a spell on her to make her be nicer to you. So it makes them believe that they can have power over the people who are actually in power over them.”

Wicca also tends to be very accepting of alternative lifestyles such as homosexuality.

“Even many of the teens I interviewed are already involved in homosexual or bisexual relationships, which surprised me a bit because I know their parents don’t know that they are getting involved with that,” Alupoaicei says.

Some people involved in Wicca also promote a version they call “Christian Wicca” where they choose certain Christian beliefs and combine them with Wiccan beliefs. In doing so, they believe that there is no need to choose between Christianity and Wicca. They feel that people can practice both simultaneously, an idea that is dangerous for teens to buy into.

It’s important that parents take an active role in educating their children about spiritual beliefs, Alupoaicei says. They must remember, she says, that regardless of how old their teen is, they still have the say-so in what goes on in their homes.

“You can say we are not having these books in our home,” she says. “You can limit the internet if you see that they are starting to get involved with that. If they are hanging out with friends who are involved in witchcraft, you can say they can’t hang out with those friends.”

It’s also important to explain to them what your family believes.

“I think that rather than constantly being negative and saying, ‘You can’t do this,’ or ‘You can’t do that,’ you need to offer positive alternatives as well as really clearly teach what the Bible says, this is what our family believes and so forth. Also, set consequences for them if they choose not to follow that.”

To learn more about Wicca, check out Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca.

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