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Children and Ritual: The Great Debate

© Mary Ballzigler

Ritual is an integral part of following any spiritual path. Ritual brings a symbolic and emotional meaning in the form of a conscience act with the purpose of obtaining a closeness to the energy around us. There are countless rituals to connect with this energy. Some rituals are more appropriate for minors than others. When should a child be permitted to participate in a public ritual? There is no better way to fire up a group of normally civil adults than to pose such a question.

Opinion varies pretty widely when it comes to allowing children to participate in a public ritual. The results from the poll that was posted over the past couple weeks on Pagan Parenting proves my case. And the results are (drum roll please):

When they are old enough to ask- 2 votes 25.00%

At an age predetermined by the group- 0 votes 0.00%

When the parent(s) decide the child is mature enough-2 votes 25.00%

Minors should never be allowed to participate in public ritual-1 vote 12.50%

Children of all ages should participate in public ritual-3 votes 37.50%

This diversity reflects the diversity among parents throughout the world.

There are several factors that must be taken into consideration when deciding to allow or not allow children to attend a ritual. First, the clothing that is worn or not worn by members of the group during the rite can be a major issue. Generally robes and loose fitting clothing made of natural fibers are worn, however during some rituals members may choose to perform in the nude, also known as performing skyclad. There are legal ramifications that must be taken into consideration if you are considering taking your child to a skyclad ritual. Many children have been taught that there is nothing wrong with being nude, but if they mention that "Uncle Dave was dancing naked around the fire" to a teacher, the parents could reasonably expect a visit from Child Protective Services.

Secondly, you must consider the type of ritual that will be performed. Some rituals are joyous and full of playful energy. These are the types of rituals that children would most likely enjoy themselves and learn the most. A child's free natural energy can really benefit a ritual. However, some rituals could be too intense for a child and actually be detrimental. If a ritual has been declared childfree there is probably a good reason, and not a judgment on the child. Yasmine Galenorn wrote in her book Dancing with the Sun, "In my opinion, for example, taking a child into a Kali Ritual would not only be foolhardy but potentially psychic child-abuse."

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