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    Teenagers

    Okay, so I remember being a teen and trying to learn magick. I didn't read much so I did not fully understand the concepts behind Wicca, Witchcraft and etc. I was still open minded and tried to learn. However, I recently stumbled across some sites with forums. Most all teens - very few adults. I stayed on the sites because I remembered that when I was a teen, I only dreamed of meeting a legit witch who could help me out. Well, these teens are nuts! It seriously makes me wonder about how any of them could believe the crap they do.

    Examples:

    One site is dedicated to Mermaids and Witchcraft. On it most of the members are trying to do spells for becoming a mermaid while claiming to be Wiccans who have a good understanding of magick. Some of the members are serious about witchcraft and the forum - others have watched way too much of the show H2O.

    Then there is one girl who is 19 years old and claims to be a mermaid, daughter of Neptune, half-demon, seer, Wiccan witch and avatar. Avatar on these sites seems to mean you were reincarnated with a demon piggy backing our soul and being born with you into this life and body. She claims even more than this, but lets move on.

    I've also found most of them have watched way too much of the show Avatar: The Last Air Bender. They actually believe it is possible to learn to control Earth, Air, Fire, and Water like in the show by using martial art types moves that involve using your Qi/Chi. I twitched. I know it is possible to control things a little bit with your mind, but they don't say it is telekinesis or anything like that. It is purely based on the freaking cartoon show and etc.

    Then, I really get a laugh at all the people talking about a War. Most of these fruit loops claim to be demi-gods. They say the veil is thinning and that when it breaks the astral beings will gain physical bodies. This will cause a war involving demi-gods and other supernatural beings fighting these astral beings. What is funny, is I can remember a similar talked about war thing when I was there age - 10 years ago. That never happened and their war won't either. But some truly believe it and fear for their lives.

    Oh and the thing about the demi-god teens is that all the signs they get that allows them claim as a demi are the same signs that are common when a Pagan is trying to figure out a patron deity. This made me laugh so hard. I tried to suggest this and was told no they knew in their hearts that the god was answering their prayers or visiting in dreams because they were the actual child of the god. Think they have watched the movie Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief too much.


    Conclusion: The younger generations are seriously over influenced by TV. I don't remember ever thinking things from movies or shows were 100% accurate even if I thought it had some truth to it. I remember putting common sense to it and then doing some research on what I wasn't understanding. Like I remember thinking the movie The Craft had some truth in it, but that magick worked no where like in the movie. I'm seriously thinking teens aren't being taught who to think correctly and the net is only making it worse for teens who seriously want to learn witchcraft.

    Okay, I'm done with my rant of the decline of teens.

    #2
    Re: Teenagers

    Most movies about witchcraft were considered horror movies back in the late 70s, early 80s - not instruction manuals. What teenager would actually want to give birth to Rosemary's baby at that time? Being an 'avatar' meant your head would spin in circles, you'd power-vomit pea soup & you'd come onto priests. Having amazing telekinetic powers meant you'd get pig blood dumped on you & go berserk during your prom.

    For me, it was music moreso than movies. When I was 13, due to the overwhelming influence of Led Zeppelin's heavy-handed adaptations of old blues songs in my life, I did some serious preparation and spellwork in order to summon the Devil, to make a pact with Him and gain wealth, fame and power. When that didn't work, I turned to ceremonialism (thank you, Jimmy Page & Ozzy Osbourne) & ended up asking spirits of various ilk to make boys like me :eyeroll: The movie Crossroads (with Ralph Macchio) came out not too long after my experiences & I was like, "OMFG, that's BS, you can't make a pact with the Devil, He never shows up!!! /rage".

    Originally posted by GypsySeaWitch View Post
    One site is dedicated to Mermaids and Witchcraft. On it most of the members are trying to do spells for becoming a mermaid while claiming to be Wiccans who have a good understanding of magick. Some of the members are serious about witchcraft and the forum - others have watched way too much of the show H2O.
    There's also an episode of Charmed where one of the women turns herself, or gets turned into, a mermaid.
    The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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      #3

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        #4
        Re: Teenagers

        I've got no problem with teens being naive. I expect it since I remember what it was like being a teen learning witchcraft. It just really amazes me how much they believe in TV shows and movies these days over someone who has been practicing for years and can backup their statements with books and legit sites. It seriously makes me wonder if parents teach their kids how to look at things realistically anymore. *sigh*

        Oh and the newest thing that made me laugh was one guy on a site. He was trying to get people to destroy the veil with energy magick. Said that it was unstable and it needed to be torn down instead of left to fall by itself. Claimed him and about three others could control its failing so that the world didn't get destroyed. After a few minutes of listening to him, I realized he was talking about things from a role playing game called Rifts. I busted up laughing and called him on it. He was banned later for it when the admins found out.

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          #5
          Re: Teenagers

          I blame The Craft as the jump off point.
          Satan is my spirit animal

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            #6
            Re: Teenagers

            I've avoided posting only to spend more time to word my opinion, especially since I'm not sure how much I can say as a person without children. I think it springs from a couple of things: how folks are raising their kids and one I'll address in a minute. Seriously, it seems like I can't even talk to my friends with children these days without hearing how "special" they are. They're special to them, yes, but I'm wondering how much of this attitude influences that stuff as they get older.

            Also, I suspect it's mostly a white people thing. Most of the folks who think they are a "chosen one" as opposed to their ethnicity / religious group / insert collective group here seems to be a white people thing. I've noticed this too with otherkin. Most otherkin I've met are white people. Yes, I know it's ironic that I'm saying this.
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            "...leave me curled up in my ball,
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            ill prepared, but willing,
            to descend."

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              #7
              Re: Teenagers

              I can agree that tv overinfluences things. As a teenager this really bothers me, I mean they're good shows but for the most part they're only loosely based on reality and kids don't always realize that. It's escapism, they think magic is this well magical thing thats amazing and powerful and makes them different. The total disconnection from reality is a side effect. All teenagers, well most people, want to feel they are special hence imagining they are, insert mythic figure here. It makes me cringe but I can honestly say I went through a similar phase
              They moaned and squealed, and pressed their snouts to the earth. We are sorry, we are sorry.
              Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong.
              -Madeline Miller, Circe

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                #8
                Re: Teenagers

                I agree most people want to feel special. However, there's a thick line between feeling special and thinking you're special because you're some moon princess in a past life who has to save Earth from a wicked queen.
                my etsy store
                My blog


                "...leave me curled up in my ball,
                surrounded by plush, downy things,
                ill prepared, but willing,
                to descend."

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                  #9
                  Re: Teenagers

                  I dunno that it's a white people thing. It could be cultural...where I grew up plenty of people from other races thought they were 'special', but Canada is more integrated I think.

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                    #10
                    Re: Teenagers

                    That is interesting, DanieMarie. At least in the US Midwest it's a white people thing.
                    my etsy store
                    My blog


                    "...leave me curled up in my ball,
                    surrounded by plush, downy things,
                    ill prepared, but willing,
                    to descend."

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                      #11
                      Re: Teenagers

                      Yeah I knew a few native kids who thought they had some sort of abilities (often not even ones associated with West Coast mythology lol), and quite a few Asian kids who were raised to believe they were god's gift to everything. It can be anyone lol.

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                        #12
                        Re: Teenagers

                        Teens in general have wild hormones, underdeveloped decision making skills and impulse control issues. I know plenty of times as a teen I asked myself why the hell I did something I did and then went ahead and followed through on it. Regretting it later. And I definitely explored the supernatural to the best of my ability. So long as they really aren't doing anything harmful, I don't view it much different than the playing pretend that most of us did as children. If they're serious about it, they'll come across more information as they grow and truly begin to study.

                        And perhaps if society was a little more accepting and let more mature pagans teach their kids, they'd find fewer teens going to extreme measures. Of course, teens can be creative and hide things from their parents in which case the parents wouldn't even know the teens interest.
                        We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

                        I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
                        It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
                        Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
                        -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

                        Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

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                          #13
                          Re: Teenagers

                          As for the race bit, the main girl who confuses a lot of people on the forum (the 19 year old from the OP) is African American. Or mixed. Something like that. She used to post photos of herself and it appeared that she was black in color. She does seem to be the only non-white on the sites and has the most elaborate stories compared to others. Maybe that is due to feeling less because of race?

                          But I think Corvus is right about the escapism, but I think teens are taking it a bit farther than they used to. At least on these sites. Many of them truly believe what they are saying - having gone to escapism like most teens do but end up completely believing it since so many claim it as real too. Then combine that with all the fact that anyone can make a website...well, not good. I've talked to many in one on one chats. They ask me questions since I have more experience with witchcraft than anyone else on the sites. Some are truly scared about what others say, others hurt because magick worked better for someone else on the sites, believe they are a demi-god due to dreams, and etc. When given logic and historic facts on mythology they claim their information as fact from either made up personal experiences or a website created by teens or fluffies.

                          I think my biggest concern is that since the belief in false truths is so major on these sites, that anyone truly interested in witchcraft and Wicca will either be taught incorrectly or later on having a distrust in people who actually practice it. Most of the people in my town who hate Pagans and people into Witchcraft were at some point in contact with someone like these teens and got the idea that this was all there is to it - crazy people with unrealistic beliefs. Which is part of the whole reason I stay on the sites. To hopefully open their minds a bit to the truths of what it really is. I mean most of them think they are religious Wiccans who are special with powers to control fire or something....and honestly any adult Wiccan would laugh at them...well, maybe not to their faces...but you get the point.

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                            #14
                            Re: Teenagers

                            Originally posted by GypsySeaWitch View Post
                            I think my biggest concern is that since the belief in false truths is so major on these sites, that anyone truly interested in witchcraft and Wicca will either be taught incorrectly or later on having a distrust in people who actually practice it. Most of the people in my town who hate Pagans and people into Witchcraft were at some point in contact with someone like these teens and got the idea that this was all there is to it - crazy people with unrealistic beliefs. Which is part of the whole reason I stay on the sites. To hopefully open their minds a bit to the truths of what it really is. I mean most of them think they are religious Wiccans who are special with powers to control fire or something....and honestly any adult Wiccan would laugh at them...well, maybe not to their faces...but you get the point.
                            I remember being not just disappointed, but hurt and embarrassed when someone told me the Necronomicon was a fictional book written by H. P. Lovecraft. I was maybe 15 or so. I then made it a point to tell anyone I encountered who talked seriously about summoning the Elder Gods that it was fictional. Cthulhu was sort of like my teenaged Santa Claus. I was butt-hurt over it and wanted to make sure I had company in my misery. Of course, it did open up a whole new genre of sci-fi/fantasy roleplaying games, books & inside jokes that I was missing out on.

                            My husband, when I first met him, believed that he was a werewolf. Not a skin-walker or berserker, but a flat-out turned-into-a-wolf werewolf. Eventually, through much gentle and not-so-gentle wake up calls, he grew out of that idea. He can still call on that 'wolfy' energy and persona that he developed, but he doesn't believe that he can willfully wolf out anymore

                            One day, these kids will get called out on something wonky that they believe - and they will be hurt, disappointed, angry, embarrassed, defensive, whatever - and they will get over it. Or they will get older, get into a relationship with someone as wacky as themselves, and go on to have otherkin or indigo children of their own. I can't really fault them for being creative and imaginative - and hopefully some of them will channel that energy into art or writing or something instead of ending up on News of the Weird or being perpetually ridiculed in online forums.
                            The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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