Underage magicians

[xxravenohayexx]

I do not think younger people (12-15) should be participating in active rituals, such as a Djinn summoning. But, they should learn how to, in theory, to prepare themselves for the day they do these things. The best age for magickal development is around puberty, in my opinion. Ones mind is more open, and the chakras start to develop more.  

[Sincerely John]

i believe that the information should be out there for younger viewers like myself, but as for teaching us, i don't see that working out so well. as for myself, i've decided to study various things before i move out, collect various things, do simple meditations and try to stay in tune with nature and with my higher self.

 

[Taigamma]

Only the wise and trusted must know the occult. Even a preteen can be wise. The information should be there if they pursue it but not there to be taken without reasonable belief in one's own sanity.  

[Zurah]

I'm with Cain here-- numerical age might be misleading as to the student's maturity level.

If I had a younger student, however, I would probably start with relatively simple things, and slowly work up from there. Once their basics are good, everything else will be a whole lot better.

If they're mature enough to meditate productively, work well with energies, and what have you, I'd say they're mature enough to learn more involved and complex things. But, you just need to remember to 'start at the ground floor', so to speak.

 

[Rustig]

Mitsh

EladrinStarmist

I think the biggest problem with teaching someone over the net is trying to lead by example. You just can't. You can talk all you want, but until your student has seen you walk the walk you're just another talking book.

Second that.

I myself probably wouldn't teach anyone full-stop, since I find a lot of magick-related practice and theory to be pretty personal; you can teach basic concepts, but sometimes even those concepts can be skewed once you've been practising a while. When it comes to underage folk, you'd have to gauge their mental maturity beforehand - you can't just say "No underagers" or "All underagers", simply because some just won't be ready to play with fire, so to speak. And then to do it all online... I second what Eladrin says, and append that it'd be a better idea to introduce them to basic concepts, ideas, suggestions, paths, even religions, in order for them to get a broad scope on things before practising, in case they just become a clone of their teacher.

I'd say advising a mentally mature kid online would be okay. Ish. XD

Further to what I said three years ago (christ), when it comes to the occult, the idea that a student can become a belief-clone of their teacher is a little worrisome. You can make a case for particular kids being smarter than average or being quite discerning, but they are still kids, regardless, and thus very impressionable - to the extent that I don't think we should really be enforcing a great deal of our completely-unprovable-opinions onto kids without due cause.

That said, my introduction to magic came through Silver Ravenwolf books, and I ultimately turned out to be super-agnostic, so it's not like teaching teenagers a set of beliefs will force them to keep said beliefs all their lives.  

[Lovely-Avarice]

Mitsh

Mitsh

EladrinStarmist

I think the biggest problem with teaching someone over the net is trying to lead by example. You just can't. You can talk all you want, but until your student has seen you walk the walk you're just another talking book.

Second that.

I myself probably wouldn't teach anyone full-stop, since I find a lot of magick-related practice and theory to be pretty personal; you can teach basic concepts, but sometimes even those concepts can be skewed once you've been practising a while. When it comes to underage folk, you'd have to gauge their mental maturity beforehand - you can't just say "No underagers" or "All underagers", simply because some just won't be ready to play with fire, so to speak. And then to do it all online... I second what Eladrin says, and append that it'd be a better idea to introduce them to basic concepts, ideas, suggestions, paths, even religions, in order for them to get a broad scope on things before practising, in case they just become a clone of their teacher.

I'd say advising a mentally mature kid online would be okay. Ish. XD

Further to what I said three years ago (christ), when it comes to the occult, the idea that a student can become a belief-clone of their teacher is a little worrisome. You can make a case for particular kids being smarter than average or being quite discerning, but they are still kids, regardless, and thus very impressionable - to the extent that I don't think we should really be enforcing a great deal of our completely-unprovable-opinions onto kids without due cause.

That said, my introduction to magic came through Silver Ravenwolf books, and I ultimately turned out to be super-agnostic, so it's not like teaching teenagers a set of beliefs will force them to keep said beliefs all their lives.

I studied most of the occult by myself until recently. I started studying seriously when i was 12 years old and i never asked for anyone to teach me. I am 24 currently. sometimes i feel like kids asking for teachers really want a quick way out or the 30 second class on "how to cast a spell to make a girl stop hitting on your boyfriend ect. "
Those people i mostly ignore.

I answer questions and i ask more questions. That is my method of spreading knowledge. I don't consider myself a teacher and some things about the occult can't be taught or even supervised. Reading is probably the most valuable learning tool for an occultist. Discussion is the best that can be expected in an online environment. I can point the way with books, answer questions about those books or concepts but i don't think that is teaching. Like the axiom goes " you may lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"

---Vittoria  

[PrometheanSet]

I have no problem with teaching people who are "underage" so long as they are old enough to have the mental capacity to understand what they're learning, and the maturity to use it properly.

Over the internet? Well, I can't exactly observe for this maturity and mental capacity with any thoroughness over a single site.  

[Naynram Ukir]

If I hadn't started when I was 15-16, I'd know barely anything now.
Teaching people of any age, who are interested in the subject is good. I compare it to knowledgeable safe sex teachings for protection. Start early BEFORE things go wrong, because kids'll find ways to do it anyway.