Parent throwing books away.

[Siegfried Kiefter]

No need for books. If you have a question post a topic and the rest of us guild members will help you out.  

[Korealia]

let me say, that younger, i had a tough time myself.

however, the roots of our craft were an oral tradition. memorization is the key. most things you can find on the internet, honestly, and although books are nice to have, they are not nessecary. i kept a spiral notebook in my schoolbag and no one ever looked in my book bag, so it was okay. the sprial notebook was basically my book of shadows, and it hid with any other book. i think one of the filled ones actually had 'social studies' written across the top. i always begged to be dropped off at the library, so that's how i got a lot of my information (pre-internet!).

the roots of our 'tools' were things that were everyday tools and hideable, or shielded by the fact that they were normal items. my stepmother was 'okay' with the 'new age' concept of the healing powers of crystals, so i was able to collect rocks. i bought a cheap dagger from the dollar store and kept my 'tools' carefully concealed in the box springs of my bed and a loose vent inside of my room. i would have my 'rituals' in the woods outside near my house, and do my mediations in the quiet of the night, when everyone had gone to bed. i burned incense to cover candle smells and a nightlight to cover candlelight flowing through the gaps in the door.

i do not say these things to encourage secrecy towards your parents, because although sometimes parents can be very stern and narrow-minded, you have to believe they ARE parents and they actually have your best interest at heart, so have a measure of patience. they love you and want to protect you from the evils in the world, and because of their lack of knowledge and their upbringings, they immediately fear the worst. if they have some open-mindedness and balk at the idea of Wicca, you could always ease them into that thinking by finding more new-age type of spiritual literature or taking them to local public celebrations.

Don't limit it to paganism/wicca, how about something happening down at the bhuddist temple? is there an exhibit at the art or science museum which is really educational on the historic culture of a place? take them. talk to them. show them. because if they are willing to spend this kind of time with you, they really are interested in you as a person and what you have to say. sometimes as parents we jump the gun, and as a defense, there's the whole 'i'm older and smarter than you, you're a kid you know virtually nothing'. it's purely defensive in most instances - pride and fear can be two big factors. and sadly, half the time it really is something you can't get them to accept.

but spirituality is a very personal choice and each person has to find their own path. open and honest is how we want to be, but failing that communication, we must resort to keeping our thoughts and activities a little more private.

i wish you luck on all of this.  

[vesta_vesves_star]

If you know they aren't evil just hide them. Not like they're going to go hunting through your room looking for things they believe to be ancient evil, and if they are take them to a friends house. Confront him about it and let him know it's what you care about and what you believe in even though he doesn't and tell him that he needs to respect your personal property especially if you had to buy it yourself that should just not have to happen at all if it was your money to begin with.  

[Talyn178]

I guess I'm okay really with this problem, I had books on all sorts of religions and cultures because I enjoy studying them as a hobby. Plus the fact that my parents don't pay too much attention to what I do anyway. lol

I did however lose all of my pagan books.
I lent them out to people wishing to learn more about wicca but I forgot who I lent them to and lost contact with a few of them. Not too upset though, they went to people who appreciate them and who can learn more smile Plus I still have the internet for information biggrin

Sorry about your books though dude, that's gotta suck.  

[Korealia]

I have bought 7 copies of 'The Witches Bible Compleate'. No kidding.

You should see the curse/spell in the front-very-first-page of Isaac Bonewits' books. twisted  

[violeteyes77]

I wish my parents were accepting of Wicca... I've been studying the religion online all the time because if they knew, I'd be in big trouble!! We don't have a solid religion at the moment, but every time I ask about Wicca, my mom says it's stupid!!! When I was younger I believed her, but when I got a hold of the Sweep series, I decided to look it up and it really is an open-minded religion that has the bases of my beliefs!!! My parents don't understand...

Oh and if my parents threw away my books, they'd have an earfull.... I'm so overprotective over my books; not a single one of them has a crease in it yet!!  

[iRayneMoon]

It's already been stated but again.
1. Get a locked container and tell your parents that it's for your money and other valubles. Sense you are unemployed find a job quick. Save the money and get a safe! Hide the safe and if it has a combination memorize it and destroy any sign of what the combination is! If it has a key also keep the key in your wallet or purse so it is with you all the time!
2. Sense you don't have money start locking your room all the time! When you can save up for a locked container then you don't have to.
3. Then save up money for your new Wicca items and keep it in the container.
4. If your parents ask why your room is locked say they should know. haha just to be a smarty xp  

[[Son of the Sun]]

im doing that once i get a job. If my parents found out i would be kicked out and not allowed to communicate with the family..yet ive been one for 3 years  

[Arc En Licorne]

i never really had a problem with that coz my mom used to be a witch/wiccan before she became protestant when she married her first husband and then she lost her magick coz she stopped using it and my sister never knew she had any so her's is gone to i'm the only one in my family that has magick now. my mom thinks its dangerous for me even though she was one at one point o and i have that book to!!! its actually her's not mine but i read it to.  

[pdguy281267]

I did have my parents taking them and burning them in the front lawn when i was younger like 8, but when i explained my choice to them and all the stereotypes and how they weren't true they grew to accept me and started to replace my lost books  

[Ivy_tsuki]

I don't know if someone already said this but......

If you are under the age of 18 you have to follow what religion your parents dictate you to follow. It doesn't matter if you hate that religion etc. but for those of you living in the USA if you parents have a problem with you learning about paganism/throwing books away/etc. etc. etc. There is truly nothing you can do about it.

My advice is just learning as much as you can with out sneaking around your parents. The internet is a good resource and so are local public libraries. Yes, I did say public libraries. Even my highschool library had some books and did interlibrary loan. They are there you help you out. But don't sneak around. If your parents say no to you reading those books, then put them down, and wait till you are 18. You don't need books to be spiritual, you don't need alters, candles, insence, athames, etc. etc. etc. If these are your beliefs they will be your beliefs regardless.