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.

Open the Magazine Now

   

Coming Out
By Axiom

...And so many of us keep quiet - it's often easier, not to mention natural. If the topic doesn't come up in conversation, why raise it? After all, is my Pagan spirituality relevant in a discussion as to my children's education?

I agree that it is easier to keep quiet. But I don't agree as to the relevance, or lack thereof. The assumption made by many people is that unless I say otherwise, I am Christian. This immediately creates a bunch of new assumptions about my morals, ethics, values, etc. I know this because I have experienced the conversations where my religious ideology is assumed to be Christian - happens a lot. It doesn't matter whether I'm Jewish, Moslem, or Pagan. The assumption of my religious beliefs is annoying - I don't make that assumption, and it's a refrain I often hear from my Pagan friends. I feel like I am lying by not correcting the assumption, so I tend to offer up the information at some point....
Extract from Myth, Magic and Madness

Sheela na gig
By Nokomis Dream

Strong female symbols have always intrigued me. Mysterious, strong female symbols are even more exciting. And the epitome of a mysterious, strong female is none other than the Sheela na gig. There is some debate (isn't there always?), about what exactly the words Sheela na gig mean, or stand for. I will not go into all of that as I could write an entire article just on the supposition of what the words mean, but you can explore the links that I provide, and come to your own conclusions. I think that in modern times the definition that connects to your inner knowledge and resonates for you is the one that best explains it.

So, what are the Sheela na gigs, you ask? Physically, they can best be described as carvings or statues that are often found in cemetaries, churchyards, abbeys, and many other structures, in and around Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. They are always female, usually with spread legs, as if squatting, and generally the Sheela is using her hands to spread her vulva wide open. Quite a confrontational image....
Extract from Festivals and Holidays

"We are quicksilver, a fleeting shadow, a distant sound.
Our home has no boundaries beyond which we cannot pass
We live in music, in a flash of color.
We live on the wind...and in the sparkle of a star." ~ Bewitched
   

First Kiss

Many of the images in this month's edition (such as First Kiss above) are from the website of Penny Sisto, an incredible artistic quilter. Her image of Frigga is hard to shake. There are a few other pictures scattered through the pages as well - some from Moon Faerie's delightful stained glass pages.

Frigga Blot
By Anne S.

...The Frigga Blot is specifically a festival to celebrate the warmth and wonder of Spring. This is a time to honor and thank the All-Mother for the health and well-being she has gifted the family and Kindred with, remembering that while individuals may be nearing the completion of their time, death is a natural, healthy conclusion to life, and overall the Tribe is flourishing. This should be a joyful celebration, filled with love, laughter, and life.

A Blot (pronounced bloat) is a ritual sacrifice to the gods - traditionally a feast held where an animal is consecrated and sacrificed to the gods and then eaten by the tribe. In modern times, Nordic-path followers use mead, beer, and wine to offer sacrifice instead of the ritual killing of an animal. The Blot is beyond a simple offering to the gods, however. It is also a ritual feast of family - for the gods are a part of the tribe's kith and kin....
Extract from Festivals and Holidays

Whispers in the Dark
By Iphegenia Pallas

Fear lives within us all - that belly-wrenching knowledge that you can do nothing to stop some horror from coming into being. Debilitating and uncontrollable, it surges up to wash over you, icing your muscles into shards that shatter as you try and escape. It may be a minor, momentary scare, or some terrible reality, but the initial sense is the same....
Extract from Editorials

Artwork

Share your art - whether visual or written - with the community - guidelines can be found in the Submissions Guide

Hearing the Divine
By Axiom

...Mantras are words used during meditation that bring into being the sacred power of the divine and of oneself....Once focus is attained it becomes possible to hear the silence and within that the sound that fills and surrounds all things. This sound is what I hear during those moments of great silence. It is what I call the voice of the divine. Sometimes I barely notice it. Other times it roars....
Extract from Crossroads of the Pagans

From the Desk of
Albineus Equinus

This edition we are focusing upon combating religious fear and ignorance - something we all face at different times, especially considering the 'social status' many communities attach to Paganism (or lack of status...). In an ideal world there would be no need - people would naturally be curious about the unknown, seeking knowledge of paths different to their own. But this is not an ideal world. Fear and ignorance often rule, creating a culture of hatred and intolerance.

Combating that is difficult, and at times downright impossible (hard as it is to acknowledge). There are people who will never listen with their hearts, and a part of combating fear is to accept that and allow it to drift by on the waters of life. Do not continue - you will become the stupid shopper yelling at the multicultural clerk who has little English. After all, if you just speak loudly enough, they'll get it... Well, the Indian packer will never understand you no matter how loudly you screech. And possibly neither will the religious bigot blinded by fear and ignorance. Offer your words, and then withdraw. Remember, even if the ignoramus never listens, his companions may - especially because you stopped shouting. A whisper can sometimes induce a screaming child to mimic you. Not always, though...

Aside from withdrawal in the face of blind and deaf opposition, there is always calm, open education. Communication can work wonders - take a look at the Myth, Magic, and Madness column for some pointers. And consider some meditative techniques to keep your blood pressure low and your breathing even.

In light and love,
Albi
Managing Editor
   

Open the Magazine

Back to The Archive Page