Life is interesting. No matter how old you are, if you are open to it, there is always more to learn. Let me try to explain.

I’ve mentioned often that I have been following my chosen spiritual path of Wicca for 40 years now. The world has really changed in that time and so have people. I’m not so old that I don’t remember how I looked at things when I first put my foot on this path just before my 26th birthday. The thing is, my perspective as a 26-year-old and that of today’s 26-year-olds are worlds apart it seems. Factors like where the general atmosphere of the world-at-large is and the difference in the home environment, coupled with technology and how it has affected these things creates a totally different atmosphere than the one I knew in 1975.

Does this mean there is no chance for the two to get to know and understand each other? I would certainly hope that there are ways to bridge the generation gap in order to learn and grow from each other. The unique perspectives we both have are a basis for real enlightenment for everyone willing to be involved.

That brings me to a recent conversation that has taken place amongst those of us who gather to celebrate our rites of worship in our Wiccan tradition. The members of my Temple are “Boomers” and we recognize that a new generation, trained in our tradition, is vital to the continuation of this Temple and of the traditions we have practiced for so long. We have always recognized that our is not the only way – not even amongst fellow Wiccans of our age. What we do believe, however, is that there are young Seekers out there that might want to learn the way we practice and who might want to know what we know. So, we’ve put that out to the Goddess and God.

Sunday we will meet with a young 27-year-old female Seeker, who is definitely searching for answers. Whether we are the ones who have those answers and whether she is someone who will benefit from our teachings and practices will have to be decided by both parties. We shall see.

I’ve already had an awareness come to me concerning this meeting. You see, when I was 27, my mother was 66 (my current age). There was a HUGE generation gap between us. She never was able to understand me. She was born in 1908 and I was born in 1948. Her views were Victorian in nature and mine were…well…New Age, hippy-ish. Definite oil and water.

Now the proverbial shoe is on the other foot and I am being presented with a chance to walk across that bridge between this young lady’s generation and mine. I may find the view from the other side of that bridge very enlightening, but without being willing to make that crossing, there will be little or no chance to discover if we can learn and grow from interacting with each other.

The view that “Millennials” have concerning Wicca and Witchcraft both fascinate and baffle me. When I came into the “Craft”, I learned one definition: All Witches are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Witches. What I have learned already from this new generation is that, according to them: Not all Witches are Wiccan and not all Wiccans are Witches. My first reaction is, “Huh?” When you dig a little deeper, if my understanding is correct, they are differentiating between the magick side of what I call the “Craft” and the spiritual side of the “Craft”. Accordingly, you can practice the magick without practicing the spirituality and you can practice the spirituality without practicing the magick OR you can practice both together. (I do apologize if I’m not understanding this clearly, but this is what I have taken away from explanations given.)

It is at this point, that a smile spreads across my face. In no way am I making fun of or pointing a finger of inaccuracy at the purveyors of this, but you have to understand that when I first started on the path I was only interested in the magick. As the years rolled by and the Path unfolded for me, it became evident that the two were inseparably intertwined in ways I could have never imagined. You see, the spirituality of any path should help you to evolve and thus raise your vibrations to a place where “magick” occurs with ease on both a conscious and unconscious level. It’s part of that awakening to the fact you are a spiritual being having a physical experience. Once you understand who you really are, focusing and aligning with that fact, you realize how powerful you are!

Now perhaps I have misunderstood their concept and/or the reasoning behind it. If not, then perhaps my perspectives will provide food for thought and consideration to young Seekers who are willing to open to the experience and learning of the “Older Generation” of Wiccans/Witches. Heaven knows, the willingness to build a bridge across the generations will happen faster if both sides are willing participants. We all have something to contribute. We all deserve to be heard and understood. By doing so, we will all walk our individual walks better informed, more enlightened and with a better understanding of others who walk a similar path. Now, that’s a “magick” I want to be part of!

 In Light and Love,

Blessed Be