For me, one of the hardest parts of being a Pagan is that I often feel I have to do it alone. My children learn about the Christian God everywhere they go – friends’ houses, with my husband, school, and homeschool classes (sponsored by a Christian group). I long to teach them what I believe in.

Of course, the easiest way to do that is to make them a part of my traditions and celebrations. We talk about magic, and fairies have always been a part of our lives. Yet at a certain age, day-to-day discussions aren’t enough anymore. So how do I teach them more?

To be perfectly honest, I am approaching this issue the same way I would approach any homeschool topic they want to learn about. The difference is that we wouldn’t meet on a daily basis.  We would make time weekly to get together and do something fun, have a discussion, and do a craft or something related to our topic.

Many family dynamic experts recommend weekly Family Meetings that are static – nothing is allowed to interfere with the Family Meeting time. This is a great opportunity to teach what I call “Funday School” lessons. Unfortunately, for as many years as we have been trying to have Family Meetings, we have never been able to make them “law” in our family.

If I were counseling anyone on this issue, including myself, I would strongly recommend that you choose a time for your family to get together. Use the opportunity to:

• Complement each other,
• Discuss things going on in the family (family rules, appointments, events, vacations, etc.),
• Have a brief spiritual lesson, then do something with that information
  • Make an entry in a spiritual journal (we call it a Book of Light)
  • Make a craft
  • Bake something
  • Write a spell or chant together
  • Then finish with a game or dessert treat (healthy, of course)

At first, meetings would be led by a parent, but over time, as the kids get used to the series of events, kids can take turns leading the discussion and being a part of managing the meeting. Roles that might be rotated could be facilitator, timekeeper, and scribe or secretary.

You might be asking, “What exactly do I teach them in these Funday School lessons?” That will have to wait for another post, but you can certainly start by discussing an upcoming holiday – a moon celebration or esbat celebration is a perfect starting point. You might also like to teach them about animal magick or meditation. My suggestion on this is to keep it tangible and meaningful to their lives.

One of the things I’ve observed as a stay-at-home-homeschooling mom is that balance is so difficult to keep in check. We are constantly surrounded by all of our responsibilities, and it can be difficult to sort through them. So how do we pull it all together and ensure that everyone and everything is getting the attention it needs?

One tool that I like to use is meditation. For me, it is usually quite brief, but it helps. I like to grab my Tarot cards and pull out the twos. The number two is all about balance, and each suit represents the different parts of our lives – Cups for emotions, Pentacles for business and money, Wands for communication, and Swords for our “fight”. I wear each of these hats on a daily basis.

Anyway, I pull out the two card for each of the suits and spend time meditating on each of them. I might look at the Two of Cups and think about the good and bad feelings I have about being a mom, choosing to stay home no matter what, teaching in a loving way, and so on.

Next, I might pick up the Two of Wands and think about the communication in my family. Do we properly convey our feelings for each other? Do we show anger too often, and love too sparingly? Do we hide our anger? Are we truthful with each other and ourselves? Am I clearly expressing their lessons and assignments?

When I get to the Two of Pentacles, money is often the first thing to come to mind. But, as the daughter of a no-nonsense, practical, and logical mother, I typically see the Pentacles as more than just business and money. So when I get to the Pentacles I think about our lifestyle and the influences of practicality on our lives. Are we being wasteful or frugal? Practical or impulsive? Am I doing the most with our time?

Finally, the Two of Swords reminds me of my purpose. To me, Swords stand for purpose – the sense of a mission. It can be something personal or a global interest, but we all believe in something and many times our lives become a testament to it. Am I modeling the life I preach? Am I fighting for what I believe in? Am I involving my children in our fight? Do the people in my life understand my purpose?

Once I’ve considered each of my “roles”, I then meditate on the two itself. Do I feel pulled in one direction over another? Is one suit pulling more than the others? Have I “dropped the ball” in one category, or more?

While I don’t have time to do a formal meditation like this on a regular basis, about once a month, my journal entries show reflections on these topics and questions. Meditation and journaling are just two of the tools we can use to help keep ourselves focused on the many things we all have going on in our lives.

What tools do you use for staying balanced in your busy life?

My husband and I have struggled financially for most of our marriage. We spent a lot of time getting caught up, only to have something happen again that set us back.

Four years ago, after repeated set backs, my husband was offered a full-time position working for my dad and we were approved on a mortgage to buy a house in our new state (from GA to SC).

Things were ok and we barely kept up, continuing to homeschool the whole way. We explored healthy eating on less money ($600 a month for a family of 6). I started baking our own bread, then explored the joys and frustrations of sourdough bread when yeast seemed too expensive. We started making our own laundry detergent and using cloth “napkins” (inexpensive dishcloths from the dollar store).

My husband was laid off from his job with my dad in March 2010, and we just couldn’t keep it together. We lost the house to foreclosure in February. My kids and I are now living with my parents, and my husband is in Florida furthering his education and pursuing his dream. And we are still homeschooling.

I wish that I could say the story is over and we are on our way to recovery, but I don’t feel like it is. I feel a lack of support from family members in starting a freelance business to support myself and my children, and I am constantly pressured to get a full-time job and put the kids in school next year.

While I am often tempted to cave-in to the pressure, I can’t help but feel that my kids will be missing out on more opportunities if they go to school. We went to their possible-future elementary school this morning for a tour, and as we were getting ready to go, my dad rushed in to show us a female turtle digging a nest to lay eggs. We inadvertently scared her off, and she didn’t lay the eggs, but it was very exciting (and fit right in with the baby turtle my son has been caring for since a week ago Sunday).

So, we went on the tour and the kids were unimpressed. When we got home, we started getting back to our lessons and lunch when my brother walked in saying, “Oh, my gosh!” We rushed to look out the window to find a family of geese had walked up from the lake and were grazing in the yard. As we quietly followed them from window to window, we discovered that there were actually four families of geese grazing in the yard, about 2 feet from the house – at least 30 geese in all! It was something I’d never seen before and I was totally amazed.

As I started thinking about my day, I remembered that turtles symbolize love, protection, and creativity. Geese symolize a safe return and love of home. So, while we explored the possibility of my children going to school for the first time, I was reminded by the Loving Goddess that as long as they are loved and protected, all will be well.

It hasn’t helped me in my decision to send them to school, but I am encouraged in my role as their mother.