Skip to main content

Generation Hex



This blog is all about 2 things I don’t usually do.
1. Blog tours. Despite the fact that my friend Tina runs some of these, and you often get free books ( I love books). I have never done one. Is it like selling out? What if you don’t like the book? That kind of thing.
2. Read books with titles like Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca. Makes me a little scared. It is either going to be over the top conservative or just weird over the top. ( I was pleased to discover it was mostly neither).
So two things out of my comfort zone…..here goes.

Like I said I was a bit reluctant to get into the book, but was surprised to learn that Wicca is actually one of the fastest growing “religions” in the US, especially in teenagers. I teach high school and started to realize maybe there was a little more here for me than I had first thought.
I did have to struggle through the first few chapters about Harry Potter and Halloween, but as soon as I hit the first interview with a 16 year old Wiccan I started to picture some of my students. Wicca, or “the craft” isn’t something usually discussed or thought to be widespread but I now have a suspicion that I have more Wiccans sitting in my desk than Buddhists or Islamic followers combined. Goth doesn’t necessarily equal Wiccan but most people put labels on those kids. 9 years of teaching has made me realize that dark clothes, odd make up and slightly different “outside reading” doesn’t make for a bad scary kid. These students are often quiet, kind and extremely smart. I also can’t help but notice that they are usually hurting and searching which might be what led them to Wicca.
The authors do a fabulous job of pointing out what draws people, and is continuing to draw people to this set of beliefs. As a Christian we should be wise about what is appealing about another religion and what our beliefs say about it. For example, there is a very large draw of women and teen girls into Wicca. Part of what is attractive is the strong role of women and focus on some of those feminine traits. Both Jesus and Paul spoke of women in a more elevated role than they currently had in society. God is traditionally seen as male, but the truth is he is neither male nor female and all of the above. A more balanced perspective might help some of the women seeking that aspect of God, rather than finding it in the Wiccan goddess.
The thing that I like most about this book, wasn’t specific to Wicca but just good tips on how to deal with ANYONE with a different belief systems than you. It stressed
1. Education – a good portion of the book was just devoted to what Wicca is, what it is not and how it compares to Christianity.
2. Kindness and respect – listening, not showing up with an agenda, not taking jabs or making jokes, arguing or pushing. Both authors were very respectful in their interviews and research.
3. That we have something to learn from them. This must be balanced carefully with the truths of the Bible. For example, Wiccans have an amazing respect for creation and the Earth. As Christians many of us could apply some of those practices ( though not the belief systems).

If you would like to learn more about the book, Wicca or the authors ( Dillon Burroughs and Marla Alupoaicei) please check out this website: http://www.blogtourspot.com/genhex-blog-tour/genhex-media-release/.

Comments

Burroughs said…
Thanks for the comments on Generation Hex. I appreciate that you took the time to read it and share with others. Please let me know if I can do anything to help along the way. dillon@dillonburroughs.org
September 4, 2008 at 3:42 AM
mark said…
I'm glad you came out of your comfort zone and read this one. :)
September 6, 2008 at 7:39 PM
Kristin said…
Hey, Michelle! I work with Abunga.com, a family-friendly bookstore, which is hosting an online chat with Dillon Burroughs and Marla Alupoaicei, to discuss "Generation Hex," on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 2-3 p.m. EDT. Please join us if you can at Abunga.com/AuthorsAtAbunga!
September 12, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

multiple choice

As I write I am procturing a test ( yes on a Saturday, and no I am not getting paid for it.) The room is silent. The only noises I hear are pencils scratching on papers and pages turning. If I listen closely enough I swear I can hear their brains turning. I have always been a good test-taker. I would still regularly brag about my SAT scores if it wre socially appropriate to do so(or an actual indicator of anything meaningful). There is something comforting about multiple choice. (well as long as you don't have the crappy all of the above or none of the above choices...just the classic A, B, C, D variety). There are parameters. Multiple choice means you have options. The right answer is right in front of you, and all you have to do is find it. Even if you don't actually know which one the right answer is there are usually clues, it can be narrowed down or worked backwards. Even a blind guess is likely to be right 25% of the time. These aren't bad odds. All you have t...
Post a Comment
Read more

different

Someone recently sent me a meme about tattoos. I reminded them that I have over half a dozen, although none in such obvious places as the picture. I thought about it while I washed my hair, and how once my hair was also purple, and what kind of memes could be found about that. And also, my nose was pierced. Other than the first two tattoos, none of these were things I did in my youth. All were in my thirties. Currently my hair is a plain brown in a sensible cut. My tattoos all easily hidden with most clothing and only my ears are pierced. As this decade closes I have made efforts to dress more professionally, drink less, stay on top of the laundry although I still refuse to make my bed and talk at an appropriate volume level. Yet, I only looked back on my purple-haired days with longing rather than regret. See, I used to do those things to be different.   Sometimes I’d feel just a little trapped by my suburban life although perfect, felt a little too predictable. I fel...
Post a Comment
Read more

Turning the question

My school has been sending me to some inquiry training. The “i” word has been thrown around since my education classes in college. It is one of those things that is really good as a concept but kind of hard to pull off in the classroom well. For lots of reasons. But the big one number is because teachers are reluctant to let go of the control. To let the kids loose with a concept and see where they end up. Let them discover, own it and share out all on their own. Without intervening. Then push them a little bit further and clear up any misconceptions that they are holding onto before they slip out your door. This is supposed to be the most meaningful way for a kid to learn. For them to discover rather than memorize. One of the other problems with inquiry and science is that kids have stopped learning how to ask questions. My son bombards me with whys all day long. Why are owls nocturnal? (which comes out a lot more like “not-turtles”) Why do I have to take a shower? Why ...
Post a Comment
Read more