Children's Books About Witches
Halloween | Wicca | Witches
Various essays leading up to Halloween 2022.
My Witch Story | Children’s Books about Witches | Powerful | Ouija Board, Tarot, Séances, Oh, My! | We Attended a Wicca Wedding
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We enjoyed the Harry Potter book series and the movies. My friendship with struggling, single moms helped me connect to J. K. Rowling’s journey as a single mother on public assistance, sitting in public places to draft her stories. As a writer, I marveled at her complicated and delightful storyboards.
When her publisher released the first Harry Potter novel, an outcry came from some Christians. They feared Harry and his friends would lead innocent children into the darkness of witchcraft, and they wanted to ban the book.
Before I meander forward with my own musings, I’ll briefly share with you what the author of “Wicca’s Charm”, Catherine Edwards Sanders, discovered about the Harry Potter series’ influence. (She completed over-a-year of research full time.)
In her chapter, “Harry Potter and Other Common Questions”, Catherine researched the influence of Rowling’s series. The characters don’t worship gods and goddesses. And Rowling’s narrative is clear about the battle between good and evil, with good winning over evil. Yes, you read about magic, but not about Wicca practices. For more insight into the Harry Potter series, she recommends a book by Connie Neal, “What’s a Christian to Do with Harry Potter?” (see Resources below).
The enormous popularity of the Harry Potter series encouraged publishers to hop on the (financial) band wagon and publish more books about witches and neo-Paganism, including books for children.
Children’s books about witches open the doors of curiosity and exploration. That’s what good literature does and why we enjoy reading. The issue, or the problem, is the child’s response to reading about witches casting spells, for it reflects what’s going on within the child. Let me repeat:
The issue, or the problem, is the child’s response to reading about witches casting spells, for it reflects what’s going on within the child.
There is a valid concern about these books from the Christian viewpoint. We not only believe in good versus evil, we also firmly believe there’s an evil entity, Satan. He isn’t just a fable, and he is certainly not equal to almighty God. He’s a disembodied being in the spiritual realm, the prince of evil spirits and our adversary, who actively seeks to destroy humans because he hates us. That’s the valid concern Christians have for the souls of children and teens. One of the enemy’s many tools is to influence those who are hungry for knowledge by feeding them false knowledge and lies. And, he uses young people’s curiosity about witchcraft.
Many young people, especially preteen girls, are drawn to witchcraft as they transition into young adulthood. Life may feel like a hot mess. They may gain a feeling of power and control over life’s circumstances by casting spells or exploring the paranormal. I was one of those preteen girls, inquisitive and somewhat bored.
I was raised in the church. Yet my curiosity about the occult persisted. Our local grocery store displayed a magazine series on witches, witchcraft, and “white magic” (the “good kind”). The prominent display sat up front by the cash registers. I bought the series with my babysitting money and I hid them. I knew I’d catch holy heck if my family found them, even though my family rarely, if ever, told me what I could or couldn’t read.
For example, in our home, we had a huge, floor-to-ceiling bookcase with books for children and adults. From that home library, I read John Steinbeck’s “The Red Pony” when I was 10 years old. I fell so in love with Steinbeck’s storytelling that I rode my bicycle to our local public library and checked out “The Grapes of Wrath”. The ending shocked me, and I probably was too young to process it. However, I also experienced the power, or influence, of literature, and my love of books grew.
I studied literature at school and in college. We had vigorous discussions. I believe we readers need to research what’s in books and discuss the content together so we can learn and grow. I take responsibility and choose what I will read and what I won’t read. As a Christian, I try to guard my mind.
Why? Because I found out through my experience exploring the occult that our evil adversary, Satan, will mess with a reader’s mind through certain books, such as those about witches casting spells. The demonic realm knows when a door opens in a reader’s heart and mind, even if just a crack, and the evil ones will exploit that opening. The enemy led me to a very dark place, where Jesus met me and rescued me. I’m grateful to Him forever.
So, what’s a Christian parent or guardian to do? Please start early with your “littles” and spend a large amount of time teaching the child in your life about the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Satan and his fellow evil spirits are real, but God’s power also is real (His power raised Jesus from the dead), and there are way more angels on God’s side than there are demons. Please take time to teach the child or teen in your life about the Lord and His mighty power.
For me, there’s nothing more thrilling, nothing more exciting, than learning about each piece of God’s armor and how effective the full armor of God is in fighting back against the enemy (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Here are a few questions for you Christians who want to ban children’s books about witches. What are you afraid of? That the child will want to become a witch? That’s a valid concern. However, do you really think that banning these books will keep your child “safe”? If you do, you underestimate the enemy.
For the rest of you Christians, do you discuss with the minor child in your life what they’re reading? Let’s get specific. Are you discussing the books about witches with the child in your life? Have you educated yourself enough on the risks of the demonic to educate your child? If not, why not?
“I don’t have time.”
I’ve heard this reply and it breaks my heart. Please make the time. Why? Because your child’s soul is at stake.
If you won’t, who will?
My last question sends chills up my spine as Halloween approaches this season.
For if you won’t take time this Halloween season to talk with the child in your life, I know who will.
#Wicca #Wiccans #witches #warlocks #witchcraft #halloween
Soli Deo Gloria.
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