Raine Hill

AM – This week we have the pleasure of speaking with author Raine Hill. Raine is the author of “Growing Up Pagan: A Workbook for Wiccan Families.” Thank you for joining us today!

RH – Hi! Thank you for having me.

AM – Please tell us a little more about yourself.

RH – My husband, Cal and I live in beautiful Florida with our rescued animals: Hekate, a Colombian red tail boa; Dagon, a beautiful cornsnake; and Vidar, a geriatric chihuahua. We enjoy spending time in the outdoors, camping and biking and were once avid boulderers (rock climbing).

I love writing and working on various creative projects and Cal’s passion is music. We are both of the sign of Pisces, so we have a creative desire that we have to entertain.

AM – Did you or your husband grow up in the Pagan faith?

RH – Not at all. I grew up in the deep South with a mother who is a devout Baptist, although I never really considered myself a part of the religion. Growing up, I considered myself Christian, mostly because that’s all I was ever exposed to, but I never really felt a place where I fit in or felt comfortable. From a very early age, I was always a seeker. I would always bring home books on UFOs, mysterious happenings and various occult subjects. I was careful to keep them away from my mother’s eyes, because she would not have approved, lol. I tend to be more like my father, who also enjoyed such books and was once a Freemason. I remember that he was continuously asked by my mother if he believed in God, and his answer was always “Yes, I believe in a Higher Power.” This seemed to satisfy her, even though she never realized that he didn’t mean what I know that she wanted him to mean, lol.

AM – Can you tell us more about “Growing Up Pagan”?

RH – “Growing Up Pagan: A Workbook for Wiccan Families” is designed as a tool for children being raised in the Wiccan tradition. It is filled with the retelling of stories of various Pagan mythology with explanations of the meaning of the stories. There are also beautiful full-color illustrations by Gillian Pearce, an extremely talented lady. The word seeks and crosswords as well as activities such as pages for drawing symbols of the Pagan faiths will help to reinforce what the child is learning. At the end, there is a Final Test followed by a Certificate of Achievement with a space for the child’s name which they can put in a frame or a scrapbook. I feel that this helps instill a sense of pride and achievement that can go so far to keep a child motivated.

AM – What was your inspiration for writing this book?

RH – After spending much time with the people in the Pagan community of the Tampa Bay area (we are a part of a large family-oriented Grove). I found that there are many children being raised in the traditions of Paganism. Mainstream religions have books for their children, but there is a severe lack of material for our Pagan children. I feel that the children of these traditions deserve books to teach and entertain them just as children of other religions have enjoyed for generations.

AM – I noticed that this book is not just intended for children. Why do you feel it is important to get the entire family involved in spirituality?

RH – It has been my experience that Pagans are very family-oriented and like to spend time teaching and playing with their children. “Growing Up Pagan” is the perfect family-time event to bring the parents and children together. I intentionally did not give this book an age recommendation, because I feel that it can be enjoyed by children of varying skill levels and ages. Toddlers will enjoy being read the exciting stories and memorizing the simple Morning Blessing and Nighttime Blessing. Elementary school children might enjoy the activities such as building a My First Altar and going on a nature walk with the parent(s) to find items to put on it. Still others might find that the crosswords and word seeks are their favorite. The book truly is a something-for everyone experience in which the whole family can get involved.

AM – Is this your first book release. Were you nervous?

RH – I was excited! It is my first published book and finding a publisher who is as passionate about your project as you are is an uplifting experience.

When I did my first workshop to teach children, I was a bit nervous. Luckily, I got a wonderful, intelligent group of children and we all had a great time.

AM – What can we expect to see next from you?

RH – I have an exciting project with the publisher as we speak! I am still awaiting details, so we’ll have to hold off on speaking about it for now, but I am anxious to see how it goes. I believe that the Pagan public will be excited when they see the next avenue of the teaching series!

AM – What do you think is the most important piece of advice that you would give an unpublished Pagan writer?

RH – Never give up! Research your publisher to ensure that they are accepting material from your genre and submit your very best work.

AM – Where can we go to purchase “Growing Up Pagan”?

RH – “Growing Up Pagan: A Workbook for Wiccan Families” by Raine Hill is being sold at major bookstores such as Borders, Books a Million, Barnes & Noble, (as well as their online sites), Amazon.com and from the publisher at Schifferbooks.com. Bookstores who want to carry it can also contact Schifferbooks.com for the various distributor’s info.

AM – Thank you for your time Raine! We wish you the best of luck with “Growing Up Pagan” and your other future writing endeavors.

RH – Thank you for having me. Blessed Be.