The Pagan Community is one filled with diversity and individuality - characteristics we celebrate. Our religious beliefs are often quite disparate. Yet, although we walk different paths, we do so in harmony with one another. We connect - often deeply - on a spiritual level. And it is through our spirituality that we become more than just a community. We become a family.

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Festival of Aset-Isis
By Adishakti Chauturopayini

....Aset is written using the heiroglyph for "throne", which may suggest that she was seen as the One who and from which the Pharoah rose. This indicates the possibility that Aset was the symbolic mother of the king and therefor held a special significance. However, in the days before the Greeks and Romans incorporated Aset into their culture as Isis, she was not viewed as a great mother goddess, but rather, a mortuary deity watching over those that had died and were making passage to the Afterlife....

Rituals and activities are wonderful ways to celebrate, whether independently or with your family or friends. A part of the aim of The Pagan Heart is to share amongst this community what we all do to celebrate. To share the similarities and the differences. This month we focus on the Festival of Aset-Isis, celebrated early March. This festival, Egyptian in origin, has become more universal in nature due to the Romans - Aset was absorbed into the Goddess Isis, their beloved Great Goddess of 10,000 faces. As the Romans spread their culture across the world they took with them their devotion to Her.
Extract from Festivals and Holidays

Images of the Divine

This issue we talk a lot about personal spirituality, something that manifests differently for everyone. As does what we see as divinely inspired.

Awakening Spirituality
By Axiom

Apparently, we live in the era of Kaliyug, or darkness, caught up in a cycle of destruction and regression. However, with the astrological changes brought by the new year, there is hope for our greedly, materialistic, blind selves as the time of Moksha Karak begins to exert itself. Moksha Karak refers to the freeing of humanity from the repeated cycles of life and death - in other words, a step upwards on the reincarnation ladder, and one step closer to Nirvana. Nirvana becomes open to us when we shed our worldly and fleshly desires and attain true spiritual awakening.

Extract from Crossroads of the Pagans

Artwork

Share your art with the community - guidelines can be found on the Submissions page

Witnessing One's Religion
By Axiom

Mention the concept of "witnessing religion" and watch the Pagans boil, flee, or shivel up hoping to find a convenient toadstool beneath which to hide.

And it's likely that every single one of those Pagans will be convinced the religion under discussion is Christianity. After all, we have probably all been victims at some point to either the well-meaning "Let me change your life and save your soul" conversion tactic, or the less salubrious "Hellfire shall char your bones, you filthy maggot-ridden Pagan" battery and assault. One of the great strengths and weaknesses of Christianity is its focus upon witnessing for Christ. Now, I know that any Pagan reading "weakness" knows exactly what I mean by that...and some may also acknowledge understanding of the inherent strengths such a concept may offer. But who among us proudly proclaims their willingness to witness for Ishtar, or Ba'al, or the Green Man, or Isis, or the multitude of deities out there held sacred by us?
Extract from Extract from Myth, Magic and Madness

Valentine's Day
By Nokomis Dream

...Is Valentine's Day, or Saint Valentine's Day, a "holiday"? That is, is there any religious meaning behind it? Is it anything more than a money-making day for the candy producers, florists, and card moguls? Once again, my curiosity got the better of me. Why Valentine's Day? What was it before Hallmark put its "mark" on it? And since I am the absolute lover of historical facts, I dug it up to share with you!...
Extract from Holidays Around the World

Whispers in the Dark
By Axiom

The people about me all looked transfixed - part faith, part the thick stifling heat of summer that beat down upon the small church. What did they hear, I wondered, desperate to feel what they felt, know what they knew. To belong....
Extract from Editorials

From the Desk of
Albineus Equinus

I passed a school today while taking some of my kids out for a drive in the rain. Massive letters carved above the entrance proclaimed "In knowledge lies power. In truth lies strength". While I have often used those words I have rarely seen them displayed in public. Reading them made me think about how accurate they are. So much of the bigotry and prejudice in this world comes from ignorance bolstered by lies. As women, as disabled people, as people of different nationalities, we live that reality - some of us moreso than others. And - as with so many minorities - many of us focus upon who is most discriminated against. When instead we should be gathering together and supporting each other.

We do the same thing with our religion. We may all be Pagans, but sometimes you'd think we were from different planets. The vying to take the honour of most discriminated path, most hated belief system, most despised group - why? So many of us fled other paths rife with such attitudes, only to drag them along with us. What does this say about us on the spiritual level? If our religion is so important that we defy public opinion to follow the Pagan call, why taint that sacred responsibility with such vitriol?

This month's theme is "personal spirituality". For us, the staff, our spirituality is on display. It manifests through our common goal - the development, encouragement and nuturing of community within the Pagan realm. We believe one of the best ways to do this is through communication - of ideas, knowledge, support and inspiration. These things encourage people to interact with each other, to find common ground.

Our magazine is not aimed at any one path. If you feel your faith is neglected, write to us. Share your beliefs so that we can share them with others. There are a number of places within the magazine that you can write for (take a look at the Submissions Guide linked below), or write a letter to the Editor.

Check out our Archive Page too - there are links to other websites we support, our Library (looking for a good book to read?), and past editions. Also links to different pages dedicated to the Paths of Paganism. Currently there is one each for Romuva (featured in January) and Asatru - this month's Diversified Paths column.

Continuing our turning wheel concept from last month, you will notice a few more internal changes. We have settled on a style for the magazine - and we hope you enjoy it. Along with the new look comes further expansion of our divisions as we add more sections and articles.

Light and Love,
Albi
Managing Editor
   

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