A little more than fifty years ago, Gerald Gardner was afraid that Wicca would not make it out of the 1970s. “I think we must say good-bye to the witch,” he wrote in Witchcraft Today.

His fears were the based on misconception that the Craft would die out as it would fail to attract future generations.

Few Pagans still think that anything can really be done to help Paganism grow and enter into mainstream acceptance - in fact many within Paganism actually still deem that this is neither necessary or desirable … but perhaps the future of Paganism has already been taken out of the hands of the older generation, as a younger social group has already created their own and unique contemporary culture.

Wicca is reported to be America’s, Canada’s, Australia’s and Europe’s fastest-growing religion. Some researchers estimate that the number of people practicing some form of Paganism doubles every 18months. Other statistics show that the membership growth in Witchcraft (including Wicca) passed that of Buddhism in 2005, Hinduism in 2007, Islam in 2008 and Judaism in March 2009.

And it is particularly among teenagers that Paganism, especially paths which include magic, has become most appealing, and this is taking place due to the popularisation and commercialisation of Witchcraft and the creation of a new magico-pop culture.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Witchcraft began to become engrained in popular culture: in 1996, the film The Craft was released. The same year the television series Sabrina the Teenage Witch appeared, which was followed the following year by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then, the year after that, the series Charmed and the film Practical Magic. These were followed by the Harry Potter phenomenon, Bewitched, The Coven, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Golden Compass, Race to Witch Mountain, etc. And while these productions have been heavily criticised by many Pagans there can be no denial that these productions did encouraged many teenagers and young adults to investigate Pagan religions.

In turn, several books - such as Silver Ravenwolf’s “To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft”, “Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation” and “Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book Of Shadows For The New Generation”, and Thea Sabin’s “Wicca for Beginners”, etc, were specifically written and published to cater for teenagers and young adults. This helped to bring about the Teen Wicca movement - although such books were immediately slammed as being too “fluffy” by “established” Pagans - some of these books have in fact been slammed as "witchcrap".

The rise of the internet has also had an immense effect on Paganism. Previously, newcomers and solitary practitioners had little way of communicating amongst one another, however, the internet allowed them to do so, on a grand scale.

There have been, and still are, suggestions that these TV- and movie productions, books and magazines, have in fact made witchcraft an object of entertainment, trivialised, rendered superficial, sentimentalised and devalued through the commoditisation (the transformation of goods and services or things that may not normally be regarded as goods or services into a commodity) of tools and practices of true spiritual meaning and worth. In other words Paganism and especially Witchcraft have been commercialised for mass consumption.

For many this “hijacking” of Witchcraft is in fact nothing more than a 20th and 21st century version of earlier trash cultures associated with television, fast-food, mass media, popular music, movies, talk shows, tabloids, comic books, cartoons and other forums of media.

Even if this were the case, it seems now to have become a question of them - who were seduced by media images and popular practices - and those within Paganism who would describe themselves as the “serious, authentic us” - those who for the most distance themselves from most types of commercialisation.

There are understandable tensions between spiritual ideals and pragmatic concerns; between the idea of serious practitioners and dabblers in the Craft; and between those who would want to mainstream the religion and those who feel that Paganism’s strength lies in its sub-cultural uniqueness. But surely we cannot expect seekers to start the Craft (or Paganism in general) already experienced in ritual.

It has been suggested that the reason why so many young adults - aged between 15 and 23 - are attracted to Pagan paths can be attributed to the fact that Paganism tackles issues that teenagers are interested in - in a way that other religions do not. When a child grows up and goes through that adolescent stage they often want to be able to have more control and power over their own life, and for many young adults magical paths offer that in a sense. Paganism also tends to be very accepting of alternative lifestyles, something of utmost importance to young adults.

The great draw of Paganism is also that it taps into the deeply personal and heartfelt longing for a spirituality that fits, and Witchcraft has a powerful and compelling nature that strikes a spiritual chord in many a young spiritual seeker. Even television and movie portrayals can be seen as being inspirational in creating the identity of a Teen Witch as representing triumphs over victimisation and disempowerment - these images often reinforce cultural ideas of femininity and of Witchcraft as an innate female power, and I wonder why it should be seen as a negative development within the established Pagan/Witchcraft communities.

Paganism and Witchcraft are paths to be primarily experienced. While the rational and objective is in no way absent from Pagan belief, it is the involvement of the subjective, sensual side of one’s spirituality that is at its heart. It isn’t a religion where you go somewhere and sit and listen to a sermon and this is also what attracts the young person, because they want to be active, to participate.

Some of the factors in Wicca (and many forms of Paganism), for example, that young adults find attractive are:

• Lack of sexist beliefs and practices:
• Wiccans commune with the Goddess and the God. Many teens reject the male domination seen in many other religions.
• Wiccans view the female and male principle in balance everywhere in the universe.
• Concern for the environment: Wiccans are deeply concerned about the environment. They feel closely tuned to the cycles of nature and to the earth itself.
• Public perception of Wicca: Wicca is becoming more acceptable to teens because the public’s perception of Wicca has improved.
• Many young people view traditional moral beliefs of the dominant religions to be excessively restrictive.
• The Wiccan religion does not have a list of “thou-shalt-nots” - it has a single, universal rule of behaviour: the Wiccan Rede. “An it harm none, do as thou wilt.” - do whatever you want as long as it harms nobody including yourself.
• Personal involvement: Some youth are unhappy with the church of their parents because direct participation is lacking. In Wicca, they have the opportunity to perform rituals either alone as a solitary practitioner, or as a member of a coven. They often create rituals of their own – an activity and function that is inconceivable in most other religions.
• Lack of discrimination: Many teenagers are dismayed by the current level of discrimination within some churches in the areas of gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, marital status, etc.
• Flexibility: A Wiccan can cast a circle and perform other rituals either alone or within a group. They can do this in any location on earth. It can be performed inside or outdoors, at any time. They can concentrate on whichever parts of Wicca that interest them.

A question many a Pagan may ask is whether these teenagers are in fact looking into a religion/spirituality which can empower them, or are they merely looking for a spirituality which gives them power? Paganism is a path of learning, and although it does not seek to convert others it should allow all those showing interest draw their own conclusions and find their own way.

Considering the negative effects that hundreds of years of bad press has had on Pagans in our communities, a positive effect of commercialism is that it can (and indeed has) reduced some of the negative stigma attached to Paganism

Although commercialisation does pose potential difficulties for Paganism it does at the same time present the opportunity for Paganism to flourish. The reality is that the for most teenagers and young adults interested in Paganism, opportunity of joining a deep-rooted group or having a enlightened teacher may never present itself. The only alternative for many to learn is to be found in “Commercial Paganism”.

If the commercialisation of Paganism and Consumer Witchcraft can guide Generation Hex towards grasping the core essence of the spirituality, then Paganism will only grow stronger. It seems that this is how the world’s oldest living pagan faith, Hinduism, has survived for countless years. Hinduism seems to have never lost its core essence. Even though it has went through many changes and faced many threats over thousands of years it did adapt. By never losing sight of its own essence it has managed to remain true to its divinities, its beliefs and its practices.

Commercialisation can act in our benefit by increasing our exposure and counteracting years of anti-Pagan feelings. If Harry Potter, and the likes, counteract the old “witches are evil” propaganda we have had to suffer and often still have to suffer, then I am all for it. And in time Generation Hex will realise that Witchcraft and Paganism bear little resemblance to the witchcraft described in literature and depicted in Hollywood.

Gardner felt that one of his missions was to attract young people to the Old Religion. He felt Witchcraft was primarily being practiced by older people who would let the Craft die with them.

The Craft continues to grow and spread more than Gardner ever could have envisioned, and this was thanks to new generations of Pagans and Witches who made magic and Paganism their own.

The Teen Witch phenomenon cannot so easily be dismissed, and they are not the mere creation of commercial interests as some young people who identify as witches or Pagans are well-informed, critical thinkers articulating their own serious spiritual and theological perspectives. We have to accept the reality of a new generation determined to design a spiritual world in their image. If we do not, we could be left behind, and realise Gardner’s fears.

The Teen Witch is much older than she looks, in fact it has been a cultural development since the 1970s - about the same time than an early wave of paperback “How to be a Witch” books was cresting. In fact going back even further, Witchcraft and adolescent women have had a long association - think of Photis in The Metamorphoses of Apuleius (The Golden Ass), the accused and accusers in various witch trials including The Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Many well-known contemporary Witches came to the Craft when still young - think Vivianne Crowley, Dawn Meadows, Charis and Jim Fox, Margot Adler, Selena Fox, Doreen Valiente, Eleanor “Ray” Bone, etc - and these young Witches ended up helping formulate much of what we now know and accept as Paganism.

From the shelves of bookstores and the pages of teen magazines, to popular films and television series, there can be no denial that contemporary culture has been fascinated with teenage identity and the presence of magic. Alongside this profusion of products and representations, a global network of Teenage Witches has emerged on the margins of adult Pagan and Witchcraft communities, identifying themselves through various spiritual practices, consumption patterns and lifestyle choices.

Many youngsters will continue to be attracted to Witchcraft in the hope that they can cast spells and change their lives. And for many, Witchcraft will just be a passing fad. But those who stick with it are the future. We should in fact pray and hope that the Craft and Paganism continue to be “counter-cultural” enough to appeal to teenagers and young adults for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps we should be thankful rather than reproachful towards the Hex Generation for future growth has to come from the outside of the established community, and this new generation of magical practitioners may just be seedlings Paganism needs.

SOURCES:

- http://www.associatedcontent.com;
- http://www.thorn-magazine.com;
- http://www.spiritwatch.org/pagan.htm;
- http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au;
- http://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1466&context=sass_pu...
- http://paganismwicca.suite101.com;
- http://webspace.webring.com/;
- http://www.teenwitch.com/;
- www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/;
- http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754657842;
- http://www.informaworld.com/;
- http://docs.google.com/;
- http://life.familyeducation.com;
- Wikipedia;
- The Denver Post;
- The Washington Post