I’d like to openly thank the hundreds of people who have sent me positive
e-mails on the upcoming Teen Witch Kit. Although several newsgroups are
indicating I am receiving a great deal of negative e-mail, and I’m told
that a few webpages are trying their best to damage my reputation, to
be honest I’ve only received negative e-mails from twelve people. What
is more surprising and heartening, I’ve also received quite a few
apologies for words hastily said.
Most people are seeing the work in the manner it was meant – uplifting,
positive, of assistance. I have never believed in giving energy to
negative comments, and have never believed in flame wars, which is why
I really haven’t said much. When I wonder about something I’ve seen on
the net, I meditate and ask Spirit. I think this is what most people
are doing.
This morning, through personal spiritual work, I asked Spirit why I had to
deal with these few inflammatory attacks. The message I received was
that this is a time of synthesis in the community. A time for us to
look within ourselves, and to realize that we are merely a generation,
and that there will be many to come after us, just as there are many
who have gone before. These are the new seekers, and my work will
assist them to take their rightful place in the world community as they
grow.
My work is not for everyone, and I have faith in Spirit that the right
hands wil be drawn to the kit, and that the right minds will be given
the information, the window, the door to spirituality through my work.
This is as it has always been. I too, celebrate the freedom of choice.
I also realized that what we are experiencing on the net is also a
lesson in personal responsibility on how we wisely or unwisely use this
vehicle of communication among ourselves. The net is a glass house.
I have always felt that we should work hard to help others in their
spiritual quests, and that causig unrest, being hateful in word or
deed, or attempting to put someone (or their work) on trial for the
sake of personal unhappiness, is not the right thing to do – especially
when that work, to this point, is sight unseen. You can’t box or
package spirituality – you can only offer an opportunity. Information
may be provided in book, newsletter, or internet form, but how the
reader inserts spirituality into his or her life is the overall
important aspect.
Some of us are forgetting that teens are the people that we became. Spirit
walks with teens, just as Spirit watches and cares for adults, perhaps
more so because the adult assistance they need is not always there. I
was thinking yesterday morning before I appeared at Crown books about
what kind of message the naysayers of the community are sending to each
other, the community in general, and to the world at large. that we,
ike other religions, leap before we look? Are we saying that the next
generation has no right to be thinking about spirituality now? Are the
few emails I have rceived pounding the pavement about their own rights,
yet forgetting what it was like to look through the eyes of a teen?
Neither the kit nor the book are currently available for review. No one has seen
it, yet a few have jumped on the internet, souting interesting
assumptions. My goodness, I’ve seen whole dissertaions! What busy
little bees we can be. Some of these lengthly diatribes have even
changed the name of the product. Are we, as the American public, so
ready to think the worst, to slaver at a possible negative, that we
seek to denigrate an entire religious body with our hair trigger
bluster of what is right for whom? I bet the fundamentalists are loving
this one.
It also amazes me that an individual or two believes that I did not
meditate, did not pray, did not search my soul, and did not try to do
the best that I could with the work. How curious that these people feel
justified making such a judgement when only a few of my closest friends
and family know the story of how this book was born BEFORE any
publisher wanted it. It may be that they, themselves, do not live the
spiritual lifestyle that they proclaim to others doesn’t belong to the
next generation? This isn’t accusation on my part. These are true
mussings over morning coffee, and I’m sure you’ve all been there, done
that.
The book contains work that I hope will be excellent to those we love most
– our teens. there are exercises on grounding and centering, on
meditations with the elements, magickal workings for selfesteem, on
courage, how to deal with the death of a friend or a pet, and (smile)
on how to be a good leader. So we put some cool stuff in the box, too.
Truly, the world will never be the same.
On the few adults that have been nasty… what can I say? That this
parallells fundamentalist campaigns in school systems and communities
that we’ve all seen in the past? that we’ve lost some very good Wiccan
teachers because a few in our community refuse to open to the vision of
a more magickal world for children? That persecution is the only thing
you understand, and therefor have no qualms in using this type of hate
related energy? That we are bored with bashing other religions, so now
we’ll take a crack at one of our own? These are very important thoughts
for us to ponder. Not the anger of it, but the birth, the evolution,
and the consequences of this type of behavior.
And to the teen that have written to me, worried that I will turn away
because of the pressure from other adults… don’ you worry. I’m right
behind you and I’m not giving up, and I’m not giving in. I’ve read all
your letters. It’s just another scenario of bullies, which goes to show
you that as you grow into adulthood some other people don’t and never
will.
Take heart, the bullies are a minority. Oh, they yell loud, but gee… isn’t
that what they normally do best? Rather than being angry, take this as
a learning experience. To be fair, some adults are truly concered, they
just haven’t seen what they are truly concerned over, which teaches us
another lesson – never assume. Once the kit comes out, and they still
don’t like it — hey, everyone has a right to their own opinion.
To those that just can’t see the sense of it all, you can be angry when I
start to market bracelets that say: “WWAD” – What Would Aradia Do?” or
“Silver RavenWolf’s Blackheart Vengence Kit”, or “Enochian Speak and
Spell”. In the meantime, think about the message you are sending to the
world with your words, I know I have pondered many long hours about
mine.
I do know this, as I have shared with a few others, I may be the first
Wiccan author to publicly support teens, but I won’t be the last. If I
stepped aside, there would be another who will eagerly fill my place.
In a heartbeat. yes the material is cutting edge. yes, some people
won’t like it. No, it’s not easy being a verbal punching bag, but
hey… nothing good in life is ever easy.
I agree, that some of the information on the net is certainly food for
community though. We must set back and think about what the internet
means to us, and how this tool can be wisely used to focus on our
spirituality. As an author, I stand behind my work. What sort of person
would I be if I did not?
Hmmm. What WOULD Aradia do?
Silver RavenWolf
Hey Silver!
Wish I saw this directly after it was published. I am quite certain that many of the hate mongers and doomsayers have been trying to digest their bad tasting, hard to swallow words ever since they got taken head on for trying to discredit you in public. For what it is worth: I have always admired you, and I own several of your books, including your “BOS for the New Generation Solitary Witch”, which is my favorite. I have been one of your fb friends for quite some time now, and an avid admirer. I enjoy you fb postings tremendously. Glad I followed your advice to “Get off Facebook and get a real life”. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did, lol!
Blessed be,
Antoinette Keyser