Pagan Edge April 2010

plant familiars • being green • connecting with nature • rain barrels • re-using glass jars

“It’s Easy To Be Green” April 2010 Volume 1• Issue 4 ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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™• April 2010 • Volume I

Contents

4 Dream Weaving: Publisher & Editor Speak 6 Keeping the Edge: Dance of Transformation 8 Spotlight : 21Days to Being Green

On the Cover detail from: “Earth Goddess”

by Montserrat Publisher • Eberhardt, Personal Visions Volume 1 • Issue Executive Editor - jess*ca mae 1 January 2010 Proofreading & Copy Editor - Maeve Gregory Our Maiden IssueServices Layout “Cleansing” & Design - Refraction Creative Pagan Edge™ is published Website Management - Personalmonthly Visions by Personal Visions, admin@paganedge.com Consultants - Maeve Gregory, Dawn Sherwood, and Faelin Wolf Our goal at Pagan Edge is to provide readers a high quality, timely magazine with content relevant to modern pagans’ lifestyle and passions.

Our publication is a lifestyle magazine so while we may publish spells, rituals, and some magick how-to; we aim to focus on ways that pagans, wiccans, earth-basedspiritualists, and those of like mind can incorporate their values and beliefs into their everyday living.

Pagan Edge Magazine & paganedge.com exist solely to offer information to our readers. The publisher, editor, and the entire personnel of Pagan Edge., Pagan Edge Magazine, Personal Visions, Refraction Design and paganedge.com cannot be held responsible for misuse of any information provided. The views expressed in the articles and ads are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect these of Pagan Edge Magazine.

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11 Plant Vibes

Let Your Love Rain Down…by the Barrelful!

12 Eclectic Cooking: Mindful Cooking 14 Art & Soul: Visionary Art of Montserrat 16 Urban Shaman:

Plant Familiars & Green Energy

18 Handecraft:

Re-Purposing and Decorating a Glass Jar

20 Wheel of Happenings: Calendar of Events 21 Life’s Wit : Sunbeams & Windmills 22 Our Lady’s Counsel: advice from Lady Fae 23 Note This! Music Review on KIVA 24 The Pagan Edge Book Review 25 Scribes’ Tablet Poetry from our readers 26 Fabulous Familiar 27 PE Classifieds

Volume 1 • Issue 4 April 2010 “It’s Easy To Be Green” Pagan Edge™ is published monthly

by Personal Visions, admin@paganedge.com ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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Dream Weaving

April is one of my two favorite months of the year because here in the Midwest of the USA the weather and the eager rush of life is in the very air. There is nothing like that tangible feeling of being connected to all the new life that springs forth or returns in this month. On the opposite side of the year, my other favorite, September has that eager full of life feeling too as everything rushes to take stock and store as the air cools.

Envisioning Spiritual and Climate Wise Living mypersonalvisions.net 4

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It is this cool air that I thrive on most; it calls back the times after the last ice age when our kind wandered across the lands in family tribes or perhaps larger clans.

They lived with the cool air in their faces and were able to see all the opportunities the land, their mother, had to offer. In that time one can imagine that there was never a separation between us and our life giving earth. So when April comes around, I go outside and sink my fingers into the earth and just worship in the cool newly virginal soil of spring.

This issue marks the successful completion of our first quarter of our magazine’s first year. It has been an insane amount of work from many people to produce what started off as just a mote of an idea in the sea of two people’s minds. Because of the media and the message we have, we are drawing on talent from all over the world and I would so love to be able to bring all the creative people I work with together so that we could all revel in this transition.

This issue is all about being green and I am sure I am not alone in having many different definitions for what has become a buzz word in our society these days. Even in the movies we have recreated whole new worlds to express our desire to experience once again what those ancestors of ours did so long ago: oneness with our Mother Earth.

publisher & editor speak

Wherever you are in the world and which ever Goddess or God is close to you and your land, take time to share the experience of pushing the first seed into the soil or pulling the last carrot from the ground with your children. Connect with them to what is meaningful now so they do not wander around lost in our manufactured world of gray concrete. A seed of understanding, reverence, and hope can be found in each of our hands which must be planted in the soul of a youth.

As you read through these pages let this issue plant again the determination to make a difference one person at a time. It works, and it works very well. After all you’re reading our humble magazine, and it did not exist a year ago. Community, caring, and always staying connected can make anything become manifest. All I ask is that you open your doors and take that step.

Thank you, Eberhardt

Greetings!

Ah! Getting outdoors: working the soil, traveling the landscape, enjoying a bonfire or barbeque. Very few activities rival getting outside and enjoying the smell and sound and feel of the Earth Mother awaking from her long winter slumber. The soil thaws, the sun shines brighter, the wind carries a brisk freshness, and the rain falls to wash away the residues of winter.

As pagans, we cannot help but notice the changes of our surrounding earth, the springing to life of the great outdoors around us. In the city, we may notice the spring rains washing the grime off our streets and backing up the grates. In the country, we may notice those same rains making dirt roads into impassable ruts of mud. New leaves emerge on the tree branch as the birds nest and lay eggs there. Meanwhile in the ground, tree roots begin feeding once more, rabbits hide their kits, and deeper still the worms work their way through the softening and warming earth. All around, bouquets of flowers push up in our gardens and in the woods.

I, too, awake by becoming more active: daring to run outside barefoot, turning over my compost as it warms, and putting new line on my fishing pole. Dreaming of the activities that I can share and experience easier now that I can get out and immerse myself in the outdoors.

I look forward to sharing my outdoor adventures with you, as well, be it an art fair, summer time rituals, or kayaking.

We begin our second quarter here at Pagan Edge and hope you enjoy the features and articles we have in store for you.

Happy reading and blessings, ~jess*ca ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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Keeping the Edge

by Mya Om

A DANCE OF

Transformation

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that when it comes to nature there are two extremes of witches. The first extreme can put Paul Bunyan to shame. They are the ones who could and likely do, live quite comfortably in a shack miles from the nearest electrical outlet. Then there is the second extreme.

These are the true urbanite witches who cannot go a day without a latte. To them the idea of doing without the accouterments of modern life is unimaginable and unnecessary. Of course, most of us fall along the spectrum of the two extremes. Personally, I tend to fall slightly closer to the second extreme than the first. I admire the first extreme, but I just can not see myself living like that.

That does not mean that I do not have a healthy respect for nature.

within an inch of their lives and the occasional patch of grass looked forlorn in the midst of the concrete that surrounded it. The worst was living in an apartment building on the 11th floor. I can absolutely guarantee, after that experience, that I am not an air sign. My connection has always been strongest with earth and water. In fact, my ideal living situation would put me as close to a beach and a latte as I could afford.

“The flavor of nature in the city is not the same as the half wild nature I was used to finding just outside my door...”

Being in nature is transforming.

I see things with a clarity that I cannot match within the confines of a city or even simply when I am indoors. I do not make this statement lightly. Last year, I moved from a relatively rural, small town to the city. To say it was an adjustment is an understatement. I never noticed how connected I was with the nature around me until it was gone. The few lonely trees I saw were groomed 6

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For the first month of living in apartment 1122, when I closed my eyes I felt like I was falling, and I could never quite manage to ground myself. I heartily missed my connection with the earth, and I sought it out at every opportunity. The flavor of nature in the city is not the same as the half wild nature I was used to finding just outside my door. Perhaps it is because a park is not the same as a forest or it might be that I had yet to establish a connection with the nature energies of the new place I was living in. It took months for me to feel the ground beneath my feet while standing in my apartment.

This meditation helped me to establish a connection with the nature around me. It taught me that I very

much appreciated the wild part of the world as much, if not more, than I appreciated ready access to lattes and other conveniences. I am not saying that I am ready to give up the benefits of city life to live in a shack with no electricity, but something in between would be nice.

The Dance of Transformation: Close your eyes and release any and all tension you are holding in your body. Breathe in and out. Allow your physical body to dissolve or fade away until all you are is energy. Feel the energy that is you begin to transform so that you take on the characteristics of earth. You are heavy, dense, and immoveable, and you begin to sink down into the belly of the earth. Take a few moments and focus on what that feels like. Plants draw nourishment from you. Animals burrow into you for safety. You are the earth and without you there would be no life.

Allow yourself to be transformed again. You are getting hot and hotter still until you become liquid, molten, and fiery. You sink down until you connect with the fire core at the center of the earth. You are now a shower of sparks--a flame of scorching heat. You are fire. Focus on what that feels like. You destroy to bring renewal. You flow within

the molten core and follow as it begins to surge upward breaking through the crust of the earth spitting you out of the mouth of a volcano. The fire that is you flows upwards into the air and is transformed again.

You are no longer fire: you are something cooler, weightless, and light. You are the summer breeze or the bitter winter wind. You blow across the face of the earth, you carry the birds and insects. Without you there would be no flight. You are the breath that flows into human lungs. You are air. Focus on what that feels like.

When you are ready, allow yourself to be transformed again. You become heavier but still transparent you are cooler but not cold. You have a light denseness and the energy that is you gathers together becoming a cloud of water. You are a cloud pushed along by the breeze. Take a few moments and focus on what that feels like. You are the water that feeds all life: plant, animal and human.

You are the rain that falls from the sky. You are the river, the lake and the sea. Allow yourself to fall as rain from the sky, each drop of you dances in the air, and as you hit the ground you are transformed again back into energy and then back into your physical self.

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Spotlight

2An1Urban DPagan’s AYS T O G R E E N Guide for making it to Earth Day Taking Stock

The Kermit Syndrome: “It’s not easy being green,” is a tongue-in-cheek term sometimes referring to the burned-out feeling induced from trying to be urban and environmentally friendly. Up until very recently, “sustainable, earth friendly, low impact urban living” has been an oxymoron. Now the effect appears to be completely opposite as everyone tries to create a mashup of urban lifestyle with anything looking remotely “green”. Yes my fellow tree huggers (or whatever term you desire) the “green tsunami” has hit.

Every sector of our early twenty-first century economy is saturated with a new way to save the planet.

Thankfully, that is not the central message of this article or this would be about touring a planet much like the one dreamed of by the creators of “Wall-e”. ®

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The central message: yes we all can make a meaningful difference, however it’s not with the latest fad — it’s with simple skills, and understanding we have to live within our planet’s means.

The Attitude Adjustment “Every luxury must be paid for, and everything is a luxury, starting with being in this world.”

– Cesare Pavese (1908-1950 CE)

Understand: To make a real difference, to manifest a planet that still wants us, you have to give. The recipe is one of your body and soul. It is not hard but it is counter to most everything the culture of the last 60 years has given us as tools for survival. The beautiful thing is you don’t need to earn more money, buy a bigger house or car or have a bigger company in order to give. In phase one, your giving simply means not taking.

Do less: Cut back your workload, your commitments, your schedule, and your to-do list. Focus on the things 8

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that make the highest impact, and drop everything else.

You can do this slowly, over time, but do it mindfully.

The result is more room in your life, more effective time use, and less stress.

Have less: Tempted to BS on this one? Get ready then for some serious meditation in the near future. Chances are symbols have deep meaning for you and here is the biggest secret in plain I can share with you: let go and declutter. The stuff around us represents concepts and ideas, which can quickly get out of hand. Take the 3 second challenge; count the books you have around you. Do you have more than what is waiting to be read?

Then most likely you are collecting symbols and like all other symbolic things, by giving them away you get more back. Just think less buying means more money, less debt or less work so you can live the life you want.

Any of those options are good.

Produce less: Yes. Yes it sounds a bit like black magick, the dark arts and all that, after all, aren’t we all trying to Get Things Done? To Get More Done? Well, that is today’s norm, people thinking that writing prodigious amounts, creating a ton of products (been to a faire lately?) or churning out never ending services is the “Dream”. Life is all about choices; no one will stop your life if you want that dream. However, the price you’re paying is the life of the land around you and a warm full place in your heart. Spend more time with quality; always strive for your best while using the least.

Consume less: This is about how many resources we consume, how much we eat, and how much waste we produce from our consumption. Focus on enjoying what you have, preserving the beauty in what you’ve attained, being content with what’s already around you.

FIVE: Number of planets we would need if everyone lived like the average North American. If everyone lived like the average European, we’d need three. Unfortunately, we only have one.

500 BILLION TO 1 TRILLION: Plastic bags used by shoppers each year. This translates to about 150 bags a year for every person on earth. Remember to bring your own!

Connect in person more: This does shoot our online magazine in the foot but if our lives are spent continuously online it consumes much more than enriches. Cut back, simply being disconnected is not the death blow it feels like and is actually where passion for life starts. Doing personal rituals, playing with your cat, laughing with your child is real and not just something you bitch about not having time for.

Repeat, Repeat, let it form a beat: Simplifying isn’t a one-step process of culling things out of your life. It’s an organic circular process, not only of simplifying but also focusing on the essential …and doing a bit of it every day.

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Life is art: It is the creative force that renews all… guess the artist: you. Make it more beautiful by whittling away the unnecessary. Then come back and do it again, and again, until all you’re left with is what’s most beautiful, what’s most essential. Life can really be better with less, if what’s left is what you love.

Learn to Roll Those R’s “We are not to throw away those things which can benefit our neighbor. Goods are called good because they can be used for good: they are instruments for good, in the hands of those who use them properly. “ - Clement of Alexandria (150-220 BCE)

Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Refocus: Phase one of our Guide hopefully has us all in mind for some action. It should be clear by now that cutting back or reducing is the root of this particular tree of life. Now we actually have to get our hands dirty, or at least get up off the couch and manifest a new dream.

83 PERCENT: Percentage of Americans who now say global warming is a “serious” problem. This is up from 70 percent in 2004.

941 TO 1,023: Pounds of greenhouse gases added each year from one person eating three burgers per week.

2.5 TO 1: The ecological footprint of the average American, compared to that of the average Italian.

Keeping It Simple Stupid (KISS): Rephrases a very useful, if a bit worn, term. Why is it worn? Even though we all hear about the KISS principle it has lost its impact because we fail to grasp a key concept; it is not stupidity but ignorance that keeps us performing complex and wasteful acts. There is no shame in unlearning bad habits and certainly not in learning new ones. Only the fear of change stops most of us from using the 4 R’s.

Let us all a say it out loud, “Things will be different, it will make me uncomfortable in its strangeness, and yes after a month it will just be part of life.”

Energy... Use Much? Turn off your lights! If you still have incandescent bulbs in your home they better be on display and not in use. Cut your power consumption by almost 60% from lighting by going to CFL, cut it by 80% by using LED. It’s the summer of Green rebates; call the electric company, Water Company, Gas Company, or look up the EPA — now is the time to get money back for insulating, replacing outdated water heaters and all the rest. continued on next page

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continued from previous page

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Keeping it all Together We all have 21 days to Earth Day 2010. Use each day to make a small change or a big one but take the time to add it to your schedule! Make it a plan and make it something sacred so it is an offering every time you do it. After all, what better form of worship is there than honoring your home, your Great Mother, and everyone you love?

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Food: Food needs to translate into two words, eat local.

Doing this one thing can help keep our money close to home, save resources, and provide better nutrition.

Next, eat according to what is seasonally available; our bodies do have different needs as the year turns. If it can be found — eat organically. Finally, eat less meat!

There are so many good reasons to follow these three lifestyle changes, it will amaze you how much life improves.

Waste: This was the sole focus of our green movement.

To a large extent it is still the basis for most of our environmental laws in the USA. Every item thrown away has taken energy and resources to manufacture and transport, and it will take even more energy and resources to process and dispose of, whether through landfill or recycling. This brings us back to our reduction focus. However, be smart — start a compost bin, worm farm. or make use of resources like Freecycle or eBay to find a happy home for your unwanted goods.

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Water: Clean, drinkable water is precious and needs to be used efficiently. Every drop of tap water used also requires energy to filter, purify, transport and that means lots of fossil fuel emissions. Turn off the bloody tap; it is the worst bad habit to leave it running. Then while you’re at it fix all your damn leaks! You will be amazed! Still not convinced; run the math for your own water leaks at the US Geological Survey.

LET YOUR LOVE

Plant Vibes

by Dawn Sherwood

RAIN DOWN

by the Barrelful!

Okay, stop stressing about the perfect gift for later this month. You know, for Earth Day?! A rain barrel is the answer. Use of one helps reduce pollution, improve water quality, conserve water, improve plant health and save money. Any and all of which are certain to make Gaia proud!

Watering plants from a rain barrel reduces the environmental pollution produced just in getting water flowing to and then from your garden tap. No need for electricity to pump it from a well or a municipality’s central location. Also, no need for the chemicals and energies typically used in the treating of municipal water, or even the power for the treatment plant itself. Rain barrels, by catching rain, reduce the amount of contamination that is normally caused by its more direct runoff, which washes lawn chemicals and driveway waste into the groundwater. And, when we are pulling water from a rain barrel instead of local aquifers, we greatly reduce the disturbance of valuable ecosystems.

Use of water from a rain barrel saves plants from doses of things they’d prefer to do without. They don’t have to deal with the chlorine or fluoride generally found in municipal water. They are also spared any contaminants or excess minerals that may be present in well water.

This is especially beneficial to the health of plants being grown in containers, indoors or out. A rain barrel also is easy on your budget, because you don’t have to pay extra on a water or electric bill to quench your garden’s thirst.

Rain barrels are just that; barrels for rain, collected for later use. They can be purchased or created as a do-it-yourself project and are most often made of plastic--preferably recycled, or wood. They are often designed to work with roof gutters, but this is not a requirement. A spigot near the bottom is the best means of accessing the precious liquid once collected--dipping from the top with a bucket is a definite challenge when the barrel is less than half full!

A proper cover is a must, to avoid issues with mosquito larvae, leaves and other debris. An overflow valve is also a smart idea.

The barrels generally have a 55 gallon capacity and weigh approximately 400 lbs. when full. Getting to full only takes one quarter to one third of an inch of rainfall when collected from the average size roof. They should not be used to collect rainwater off any roof with asbestos shingles and the collected water should not be used for human or animal consumption. Children should be taught not to play on or around a rain barrel, due to the danger of them tipping it over or tumbling into it.

Put some time and consideration into choosing a location and a foundation for your barrel to assure safety and ease of use. If connecting to a gutter system you may have to move a downspout to a different location if its current one would cause the barrel to be blocking a pathway or to be too distant from the garden. If you are simply catching the deluge directly or guiding it with a rain chain (look these up, dear reader--they’re an ancient tool combining beauty and utility!), location is still critical. Be sure to place your barrel on a sturdy and level foundation. You will likely want to raise it up from ground level for easier access to the spigot. This is simple to do with common cinder blocks, landscape bricks, or a wood frame specifically designed for your barrel - stability being critical in all cases.

For purchased barrels you will also want to check for any specific set-up guidelines given by the manufacturer.

Rain barrels are obviously a tool for, and a large symbol of, commitment to nurturing our resources. They offer a workhorse level contribution to the garden, but they can also bring style and inspire creativity. You can purchase them designed in contemporary, classical or countryrustic looks to match your garden style. Even better, you can jazz up one that’s “just a barrel”, decorating the 55 gallon canvas to blend with or standout from its surroundings. And of course, there are plenty of creative ways to retro-fit one or more barrels for various uses garden or otherwise. I’m thinking creatively about getting more direct personal benefits for me- the gardener.

Wouldn’t it be great to add one at the forest edge or in the middle of the garden--painted black--to supply a solar heated outdoor shower?! ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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Mindful

cooking

For many people cooking is a chore to get out of the way. Perhaps they rush through it because they don’t particularly enjoy it or maybe they are short on time to devote to it. Or maybe they rush to get food on the table to hush loved ones who cry “I’m hungry! When are we gonna’ eat?”

Whatever the reason, it means they rush through one of the basic necessary activities of life. It is estimated the average British man spends one and a half years of his life cooking while the average woman spends three years of her life cooking. Without getting into the inequity of the time, it’s fair to say that each figure is a large chunk out of a person’s life regardless of gender or location. Rather than rush mindlessly through that time, why not use it as an opportunity to slow down and ground ourselves in one of our more earthly basic needs? Or to put it another way, how about practicing mindful cooking?

The time can be used to meditate on where our food comes from: What is the true source? What kind of plant or animal provides it? What kind of person might have cultivated the soil? What did the animal eat to convert its food into food for us? What processes and people have contributed to it reaching our home?

We often think of eating food as sensual--the flavors, textures, and colors of the food make for a multi-sensory experience. Cooking can open us up to another side of 12

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When eating the fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.

Vietnamese saying

the sensuality of food. How does it feel in our hands as we handle it? Take the time to appreciate the different colors and textures of the ingredients. Is there any beauty to be found in the flesh of a vegetable or fruit as its outer skin is peeled off? What about the sounds of grains or beans flowing as a container is tipped? Are there any colors that jump out as being more luscious than others? Any enjoyable sensations as the hand passes over the ingredients?

Food can carry memories along with its flavor and fragrance. Taking the time to examine those feelings can bring those memories to the fore where they can be examined and meditated on. It can also begin to build new memories as the time spent cooking becomes more enjoyable and rich.

Another use for this time is to use it for centering oneself by listening to music or a lecture or podcast on spiritual matters. Cooking can provide a small niche of time for relaxation and furthering our pagan progress.

If there are others around, then get them involved in the cooking process. Forget that old saw about too many cooks spoiling the broth. Think of it as fostering a sense of community and cooperation.

Cooking may be one of our basic earthly needs but we can still approach it in a spiritual manner and gain a greater understanding of our connection to food and ourselves.

Eclectic Cooking

by Maeve Gregory

Roasted Veggies

The Recipe

Ingredients: V carrots, potato arious vegetables, includin g but not limit turnips, cabba es, sweet potatoes, beets, ca e g uliflower, pars d to, e (c u t in wedges aroun rutabagas, onio d the center co nips, ns, broccoli, etc re), .

Amounts: App cut into 1-1/2 roximately 1 cup of uncooke inch cubes d veggies per person Preparation: and spread ouCoat with olive oil, season w 30 minutes or t on a cookie sheet. Place in ith salt and pepper hearty meals auntil cooked through. Make a 400° oven for 20sa nd leftovers are good in hashe good side dish for s and soups.

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Montserrat

the Visionary Art of

“Aurelia” 14” by 20” oil painting $200.00 (US)

By making connections between the world Montserrat paints for us and our own, she aims to create not only art, but also peace and unity. Traditional oil paintings and digitally manipulated paintings introduce us to a world where fairies crown cats in spring garlands, Lillith cradles a menagerie of critters, and the universe swirls inside a standing stone. She says, “If I had to come up with a new term for it, I would call it: ‘Sacred Feminine Renaissance Art.’” One can get caught up in the vivid imagery, wondering what the hummingbird is singing while watching the twinkling stars... it’s easy to see this world is not very different than our own after all. “I hope that the viewer connects with the Spirit-within-thepainting. I know it has stories to tell...”

“Earth Goddess”

“Heal the Earth”

“Eyes of the Goddess” 14

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Montserrat’s earthy, nurturing figures bring feelings grounded and ethereal at the same time. Rich, soothing palettes take us to a place of serenity and dreams. The paintings pull one into a bath of healing and light. They connect us to the balance of the universe, the flow of the earth, and the power within oneself. Montserrat’s goddesses and fairies remind us of the sacred side of ourselves, reclaiming our connections to each other and our environment, calling to us to work as one and heal the world.

“I remember always feeling this way. As a child, I was impressed by beautiful paintings of nature such as Botticelli’s. Everything that had anything to do with mythology fascinated me: fauns and nymphs frolicking in the woods, magical forests full of faeries, seashores, deep oceans where magical mermaids live... And I have not changed a bit!” Breaking from the traditional characters of Botticelli’s however, Montserrat’s characters are full of energy influenced primarily by “Mother Nature” and the “Feminine Spirit.” Her strong females challenge the viewer to discover the “power within” as opposed to celebrating the “power over” often displayed in traditional Renaissance fauns’ pursuit of fair maids.

Art & Soul “I hope that the viewer connects with the Spirit-within-the-painting.

I know it has stories to tell...”

featured artist

Identifying herself by first name only, Montserrat was born in Barcelona, Spain and spent time in Greece, Italy, and France while growing up. In 1983 she visited the United States where she now has a home, a family, and creates her art in the Seattle area of Washington.

She was always involved in the arts, mostly sculpting and drawing but after a dream she began concentrating on oil painting. “An Italian painter, named Giovanni, taught me how to paint in a dream. I had always been in the arts, but I had been more focused on sculpting and drawing. It was after this dream that I did my first oil painting.” Montserrat hopes her art can be a tool to inspire our world community to realize its full potential, regardless of gender. Her works have now expanded beyond her paintings to candles, jewelry, and sculpture in which each piece has a definitive purpose and vision.

“My Sister the Moon”

“Lillith the First Mother” 18” by 24” oil painting $350.00 (US)

Evident in the theme of her works, eco-feminism is incorporated into every aspect of Montserrat’s life. Her main influence for her paintings comes from her strong pagan beliefs “I worship the Earth, the Sun and the elements and they are the essence of my paintings.”

While Montserrat does not have her own gallery, she is well known in the Seattle area and easy to access online.

Her paintings and other creations can be viewed and bought at www.thesacredfeminine.com. While some original paintings are available, many works can be ordered as prints and even as greeting cards at very affordable prices.

“My art is a journey. Every painting teaches me something new, either about myself, or the world around me. I have no idea where it is taking me other than deeper into my soul and those of others.

In Arthurian tradition, it was said : ‘the king and the land are one’. I could say something similar: My art and I are one. My art reflects fragments of myself, and conversely, my art changes me and helps me along the way. We are interrelated.”

“The Tree of Wishes”

“Mother Earth” ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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the Urban Shaman

by Michelle “Crowskin” Bond

Plant Familiars Honoring and Working with Green Medicine

What exactly is a plant familiar? How do you choose one? How do you work with it? By working with a plant familiar, you can greatly expand your sense of nature’s energies in your personal workings no matter where you live.

Everything has a spirit and energy: a ‘medicine’… so called because the spirit and energy of a familiar can be used to help heal parts of ourselves and benefit our overall health. Animal guides, crystal properties and ritual tools are examples of medicines we use in our daily workings. However, plant familiars are often overlooked or completely forgotten, especially in the urban shaman’s modern environment.

A plant familiar is a living plant of any kind (herb, flowering, or household) that holds a special place in your magickal environment. It can act as an elemental symbol for earth, as well as give its own distinct energies and properties to your home and work area.

The key is to take good care of it and to treat it with respect. By caring for this plant spirit, not only are you creating and nurturing a connection to the earth, but also giving yourself a great opportunity to study its properties, allow its energy into your work, and give comfort and living energy to your home.

helpful suggestions of plants and their energies for those starting out.

Chamomile: Good choice for soothing and calming nature. Well known for being used in tea and dream pillows. Great choice for people with anxiety or who focus a lot on meditation and healing. However, this plant needs a lot of sun and can be a bit fickle indoors.

Catnip: May be a hard choice to maintain for those with cats and is more commonly grown outdoors. Needs a lot of sun and care. A great match to anyone with strong feline totems who wants to celebrate and bring in joy, happiness, woman-power, and allure.

Sage: A very powerful plant for smudging, cleansing, healing, and shamanic work. A happy and healthy sage plant brings strong protection and cleansing energy. Most sage plants are found in simple herb gardens, but Buffalo or White sage is recommended if you can get your hands on it. Carefully harvest a few leaves, dry it for later smudging and have the benefit of knowing the source plant was well cared for and already charged.

Choosing a plant familiar is not always easy. Although there is a wide choice of inexpensive and varied plants, not all of them will mesh with every environment or lifestyle. Make sure to pick a plant with similar qualities to what you are looking to improve in your home and yourself spiritually.

Ivy: Ivy crawls, grows, and adapts to its surroundings.

Its long arms stretch out to overtake obstacles in its way. Its medicine overcomes obstacles, helps with transitions, and improves endurance and critical thinking. Various forms of ivy are common and great for increasing determination, strength of will, and adaption to sudden transitions.

Do research first before picking a plant. Make sure lighting and location will be beneficial to the plant.

Make sure if you have curious or playful pets, they cannot eat or knock it over once settled. What kind of plant will work best with you on an energetic level?

Intuition may guide your choice, but here are some

Rose / Carnation: Two beautiful plants both associated with joy and affection, they have meanings which are often associated with their colors as well. White has a softer more soothing quality than an intense red which is more associated with passion and lust.

The best match for these flowers are workers who are

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™• April 2010 • Volume I

strong with their emotions, who need energies of selflove and self-esteem brought into their lives.

Cactus: A good strong plant teaching self protection and strength. A person who feels insecure and unsure can learn and benefit a lot from cacti energies. Not only does it rely on its own protection but can endure environments other plants would perish in. It is survival, growth, steadfastness and not backing down.

Bamboo: A great choice for people strongly drawn to the water element. A hardy plant associated with luck, good fortune, and wishes. A very refreshing quality about it lends itself easily to healing and well wishing.

Good for a wide array of work and overall great for bringing in a little optimism and peace of mind.

After you’ve chosen a plant familiar and have brought it into your home, make a nice quiet space for it in your working area. Make sure it’s getting enough light and shade (depending on the plant) and it’s up high enough

not to be unsettled by pets or children. Maintain it well; treat it like you would any tool or crystal you would keep on your altar.

When a plant shares your space, how do you work with it? By maintaining this new little life you’ve brought into your home, you can better use its energies and medicine in any other work you do. For herb species like sage and chamomile, make sure you are careful to not harm the plant’s growth when harvesting leaves and flowers for your work. Respect the plant by thanking it for its gift to you. Keep the harvested pieces in a dry location with circulating air until you are ready to use them. You can also learn to work with the plant’s energies for healing and meditation work.

No matter where you are in the urban cities of concrete and electricity, having a plant familiar with you will help reconnect you to the energies of the green earth and nature itself. Honor and cherish your roots: bring a little more green medicine into your modern magick.

™• April 2010 • Volume I

17

Re-purposing and Decorating

a Glass Jar

“Going Green” is the latest social environmental movement. Though some terminology and focus has changed, the spirit is still the same. I remember growing up with the slogan “reduce, reuse, recyle.” The current focus is reducing the ‘carbon footprint’ that we each leave. There are countless ways to accomplish this. No matter what way you choose to help out the environment, the point is being mindful in everyday life of how the things you do can effect the environment in the future.

When I shop for items, I take into account the packaging. I try to reduce the amount of packaging materials that will be thrown in the trash or even recycled. Recycling is better than throwing things in the trash but recycling an item also expends energy and resources. I choose items based on the re-usability of the packaging.

For example, when buying salad dressing or mayonnaise, I look for a glass container with a metal lid because the container can be cleaned, painted, and used as a decorative container to store many different items such as tea bags, candy, spare change, and buttons just to name a few.

The idea to paint reclaimed glass jars stems from watching my mother create. When I was younger, she would paint wine glasses for weddings with the wedding date and flowers matching the wedding colors. Each one was personalized with the name of the wedding party member.

Supplies: • Glass Jar • Dish Soap • Scrub Pad or Steel Wool • Razor Blade • Rubbing Alcohol • Paper Towel • Glass Paints • Various Paint Brushes • Paint Palette • Water Cup • Metal or Plastic Paint (Optional) • Fine Grit Sandpaper (Optional) • Drawn or Computer Aided Design on Paper(Optional) • Tape (Optional) 18

™• April 2010 • Volume I

Handecraft

a how-to by Wendy Beth

Pentacle Jar (Applesauce Jar) by Wendy B. Joly Butterfly Jar (Miracle Whip jar) by Janis S. Joly Fairy Jar (Pickle Jar) by Janis S. Joly

Steps: 1. Cleaning The Jar: Some labels will easily peel off leaving just a little bit of glue on the seam line. Where as other jars may have the entire label glued on. Try peeling the label off first. If only the glossy part of the label comes off, scrub the surface with a scrub pad or steel wool and hot soapy water. Soaking the jar in hot soapy water prior to scrubbing will ease the process. If there is any hard glue left, try scraping it off carefully with a razor blade. The lid should also be cleaned and any price tags removed. Allow the jar and lid to air dry.

Drying with a towel may leave behind lint but is quicker if time is a concern.

2. Choosing and Drawing a Design: Some may prefer to free-hand a design. If this is the case then skip straight to painting the jar. Most people will want to draw out the design on paper first. Clip art and text may be printed from a computer to aid in design. Once the design is ready, tape it in position on the inside of the jar.

3. Selecting a Glass Paint: The painting process will depend on the glass painting products selected. While choosing a glass painting system, keep in mind the care instructions and be sure to obtain any additional supplies needed for the system. There are mediums that can be mixed with acrylic paints as well as air dry and bake on systems.

Delta CeramDecor PermEnamel gives good results. This air dry system has a three step process of a base coat, paint, and sealer. It is oven, dishwasher and microwave safe, non-toxic, and cleans up with soap and water.

Some use a system that requires the finished piece to be baked in the oven to cure the paint. For an item that will be frequently washed, a bake-curing system is more appropriate because it is more durable.

4. Painting the Jar: Just before painting, wipe the surface of the glass with rubbing alcohol to remove any

remaining oils. Follow the instructions of the selected paint system. Some paints may be translucent, while others might be opaque. Translucent paints are a little harder to work with and will show brush strokes.

Multiple coats of translucent paint can be used to darken or intensify the color. Paint the previously created design or let your creativity flow free-hand. Fill in large areas first. Outlines and details should be put in last. Follow drying time and sealing recommendations of the selected glass paint system.

5. Painting the Lid: This is an optional step. If you like the current aesthetic of the lid, skip straight to the next step. The lid may be plastic or metal. Choose a paint appropriate for the material of the lid. To prepare a metal lid, sand lightly with fine grit sand paper to give the surface a tooth for the paint to adhere to and clean with rubbing alcohol. Plastic lids might have raised writing that can be removed carefully with a razor blade. Follow the instructions for the paint and seal as recommended. A design can also be added to the lid prior to sealing using a contrasting paint color.

Uses and Creative Ideas: Baby food or small condiment jars make nice spice or herb containers. A reclaimed decorated glass jar can also be filled with dry ingredients for bake goods, attached with a recipe card, and given as a gift. A collection of various sized jars can be decorated with a unifying design and used in the kitchen as a canister set for storing flour, sugar, rice, dried beans*, and pasta.

One of my favorite ideas for reusing baby food jars is hanging storage for nuts, bolts, screws, and nails. The lids of the jars are screwed to the underside of a shelf hanging on a wall in the garage for easy accessibility.

Each of the jars is painted with a label and clip art style item depiction. *See Maeve Gregory’s Eclectic Cooking article on Beans from March 2010 issue of Pagan Edge ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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Wheel of Happenings

Events Calendar

APRIL 2010 1st – 4th Spring Mysteries Festival XXV Aquarian Tabernacle Church, Nordland, Washington

7th-11th PHOENIXPHYRE GATHERING OF PAGANS Hidden River Resort Maclenny, FL http://phoenixfestivals.com/

MAY 2010 6th – 9th Blue Ridge Beltane Blue Ridge Beltane Planning Committee Louisa, Virginia 6th – 9th Beltania Parrish Ranch Berthoud, Colorado http://www.beltanefestival.com/

16th - 18th Spring Quest Carolina Spirit Quest Camp Millstone, Ellerbe, NC http://www.carolinaspiritquest.org/

8th – 9th Mich. Pagan Fest Fed. of Circles & Solitaries Belleville, Michigan

16th – 18th Beltane Fest & Grand Sabbat GreenSong Grove, St. Petersburg, Florida

13th -16th Pagan Unity Festival (PUF) Montgomery Bell State Park, Burns, TN http://www.paganunityfestival.org/

17th Annual Conference at the Town Hall Pagan Federation Wessex Glastonbury, Somerset, England houseoftheoldways@talktalk.net

14th – 16th Steampunk World’s Fair Jeff Mach & a Consortion of Steampunk Promoters Piscataway, New Jersey

22nd – 25th Southeast Regional Pagan Festival Bowdon, Georgia

15th – 16th Maryland Faerie Festival Chesapeake Pagan Community, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

24th – 25th Circle of Life Expo 2010 The Mystic Cottage, Pensacola, Florida 24th 10am – 10pm Michigan Mayfest Event Wayne County Fairgrounds, Belleville, Michigan www.michiganmayfest.com

27-31 Moondance Memorial Day Weekend Dragon Hills (near Carrollton, GA) http://www.faeriefaith.net/Moondance.html

28th – 2nd Beltaine Our Haven Sanctuary LLC, French Lick, Indiana

28, 29, 30, 31 Gryphon’s Nest Pagan Fest Memorial Day Weekend Covenofthegryphon@yahoo.com

29th – 2nd Beltaine: A Pagan Odyssey Fest, Year12! PantheanTemple- (Oxford, Connecticut)

30th – 31st Beltane Bash and Pagan Pride Parade Jeanette Ellis of Caduceus, London, England

29th - 2nd Beltane Fla. Pagan Gathering Camp Ocala, FL http://www.flapagan.org/ 30th – 2nd Mountain Mysteries Beltane Festival Mountain Mysteries, Stanardsville, Virginia

JUNE 2010 3rd - 6th Duckstock, The Party Dragon Hills, Carrollton, GA http://www.duckstocktheparty.com/

If your festival is not listed here, please email us at admin@paganedge.com to have your listing added.

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™• April 2010 • Volume I

Sunbeams &Windmills There it was — seen clearly in the distance, towering high into the sky as far as the eye could see: a field of spinning, whirling, twirling collectors of the most readily available power source on the planet. The wind mill farm.

Johnny loved to go for walks in the fields by the farm with his best friend and boon companion, Ricky, his pet dog. They would run back and forth touching each mill as they ran past. One time he counted them, and to his surprise there were more than 200 wind mills. Each one stood at least 80 feet tall, with blades longer than his brother’s 1972 Cadillac. Yeah, they were that big!

He asked his mom once why they were there, and she said it was for electricity. The wind caused the blades to spin which turned some sort of generator inside the tower. She said the field made enough electricity to power every house in the little town of Windville with enough left over to share with the neighboring town, Sunbeam.

Johnny had a best friend who lived in Sunbeam, his name was Skyler. The two boys would often walk to the park, passing rows of quaint houses with black panels on their roofs. Some even had black windows, which didn’t really make any sense to Johnny. How can you see out black windows? He asked Skyler about it one day, not sure if he would know the answer or not. “Sure

Life’s Wit

by Brian St. Clair

I know,” Skyler smiled knowingly and continued, “those panels are solar panels. They collect the sun and make enough power to heat our houses or turn on the lights.

Even though we get some electricity from Windville it’s not quite enough for the whole town so we use solar panels to make up the difference. Pretty neat, huh?”

Yeah, Johnny thought it was really cool. He didn’t realize that you could use the sunshine for a source of power, just like the wind in his town. Skyler said “Even my Dad’s car has little solar panels on it. He gets to drive without using gasoline, it’s really cool, and super quiet.

The best part though, is that it doesn’t pollute the air like those big nasty cars and trucks in Pollutia. No more stinky, smelly black smoke!”

While Johnny was riding his bike home he was thinking about what Skyler had said about pollution and electric cars and about the houses with the solar panels on them. He was also thinking about the time his teacher was talking about steam power. He remembered hearing about the old steam locomotives back in the Old West days and about water wheels that were used to turn generators like the ones inside the wind mills at his home town.

“Wow,” he thought, “there sure are a lot of ways to make power without using oil. I wonder why more people don’t use them?” ™• April 2010 • Volume I

21

Our Lady’s Counsel Advice from Lady Fae’s Wisdom Circle

Dear Lady Fae, I’m an atheist with Buddhist leanings and have many earth-based spiritualist friends. We share some common viewpoints and spiritual beliefs. I don’t often talk about the areas where our beliefs diverge... I believe what I believe and don’t feel a need to discuss that with others.

Because of that, my friends assume that I also share their more wiccan/goddess based beliefs. They even at times insist that I am pagan and that I just don’t know it! Do you have any tips for me in how I can respect their beliefs and still have my beliefs respected in return?

Regards, The Not-A-Pagan

Dear Not-A-Pagan (or The Atheist Buddhist),

Oh, doesn’t it feel awful when your friends are trying to tell you what you believe? That’s even worse than when strangers try to do the same!

I get the sense that you are a private person and that your beliefs are complex. You call yourself “an atheist with Buddhist leanings” which seems to me that it is not easily explainable to others. Perhaps those discussions in the past have been more frustrating than interesting because others don’t understand.

And why have conversations that might be frustrating for you with your friends?

However, it’s important that they are respectful of your beliefs and feelings. I think that might require some explanation of your beliefs. They may simply not understand the differences that you see so clearly or may not understand what being an atheist or even a Buddhist means or entails.

I know for myself at least, I don’t always know much about others’ religions and spiritualities. And I find comfort in the similarities—those are points I can connect with someone on. Maybe your friends are feeling that way too?

Sit down and think of how you might convey your beliefs to your friends, revealing as much as you are comfortable with.

Be sure to let them know how you feel when they insist you are pagan when you are not! They may not see how hurtful or frustrating that is for you. And lastly, demonstrate the respect you have for their beliefs and ask for that respect from them.

Many blessings, ~ Lady Fae

Dear Lady Fae, I am Wiccan and my boyfriend is Catholic. In the two years we have been together, religion and spirituality have never been an issue for us. We each practice in our own ways and accept each other’s ways of practice. Although not engaged, we have discussed marriage. I was shocked to find out that he plans on having a big Catholic wedding in a traditional church. Not only would this situation make me very uncomfortable, it would require me to convert to Catholicism. Although I love him very much, I cannot see myself ever going through a ceremony that would require me to lie to myself and my family about who I am or what I believe. How can I reason with him? Or should I just give up and get out now? ~Lost In Love

Dear Lost In Love,

Oh, dear, I certainly don’t think you should give up!

You seem to love him very dearly and I would hate to see you give that up before you’ve even discussed the issue with him.

I’m wondering about that marriage conversation you had. I suspect that you probably did not share with him what you shared with me due to feeling very shocked. Am I correct? You definitely need to share those feelings! If he loves you as you love him, I doubt very much that he would want you to lie to yourself or be untrue to who you are.

I am assuming from your letter that you both have discussed your religions with each other and what they mean to you. I see this as an extension of that conversation. He deserves to know your feelings about having a Catholic wedding and you deserve to know why he would like that traditional ceremony. I definitely see many ways to compromise here, especially since I’m friends with couples who have differing religions (yes, some even Catholic and Wiccan) and who were able to work out those differences in satisfactory ways for both parties (not always both families, but definitely both people involved!).

Good luck, my dear. Remember to be honest and to be open to hearing what he has to say. I wish you both all the best and many blessings. Do let us know how it turns out!

Brightest Blessings, ~ Lady Fae

Need some counsel from Lady Fae’s Wisdom Circle? email your questions to advice@paganedge.com 22

™• April 2010 • Volume I

Nature’s Bards: KIVA Sings Earth’s Songs

Music Review

Note This!

by V.L.

man behind the didgeridoo and percussive instruments as well as a melodic voice. Tigre Cruz also lifts up a voice to sing whilst playing the drums and other percussion instruments. KIVA’s satellite members are Amikaeyla Gaston (vocals, drums, percussion, and songwriter), Eve Jones (drums, percussion, and silver flute), and Jacqui MacMillan (drums).

Many artists praise Nature in their music, but KIVA doesn’t simply praise Nature. They “celebrate the magic of nature and ancient bardic traditions”. The group is comprised of seven members, plus guests, who are all multi-instrumentalists. Many different cultures and spiritual disciplines have inspired them. The musical styles that KIVA is influenced by are Celtic-folk, blues, big band, traditional chants, and jazz. The band’s repertoire consists of original music, covers, and traditionals that they encourage the audience to sing along to.

In the spring of 1989, an idea was formed that quickly came to life in Washington DC. While on a spiritual journey of renewal, Ariana Lightningstorm thought up KIVA. Since then, the band has gone through metamorphoses that strengthened them.

From the change of members to challenging tours to enlightenment, KIVA has remained strong over the years. No matter what has come their way, they kept their mission in mind at all times: To sing from their hearts and help people “find their magical selves” through song and dance.

The band leader who guides KIVA in their goal is Ariana Lightningstorm. She is also the group’s manager, lead vocalist, songwriter, and percussionist. On the drums, whistles, vocals, and Native American flutes is Diana Sunday. Diana McFadden is KIVA’s cellist, guitarist, and mandolin player. The other guitarist and mandolin player is Jim Brewster; whom also sings, plays bass, banjo, drums, flute, and whistles. Tim Sauerwein is the

In a little over twenty years, KIVA has put out twelve albums and were guests on two. Their discography is as follows: • The Healing Art (1990) • Renewal (1991) • Alchemy (1992) • Mother Wisdom (1994) • Finding the Balance [Mother Wisdom’s twin album] (1995) • Live at the Forest Inn (1997) • A Call to Beauty (2002) • Armageddon Calling [single] (2003) • Out of the Corner of the Eye (2006) • Oshun Gaia (2006) • Reflections (2007) • KIVA So Far: A 20 Year Adventure (2009) They appeared as guest artists on Songs of Mysts and Moon (1990) and Fairy Gifts (1998) with Morganna Davies. Though unsigned, KIVA is well known in the United States as well as in Europe. They’ve been nominated fourteen times for the Washington Area Music (Wammie) Award. KIVA can be found on facebook and at www.kivasong.com. Their music truly is uplifting with warm spiritual messages of the heart and soul.

Through the power of their art, KIVA has indeed met their goal of uniting the listener and nature. With songs to make you dance, sway, and reflect, KIVA is definitely a band to check out. Those who like Wendy Rule may also like KIVA. To catch a live show, check their website or facebook page regularly for show dates or book them to perform in your town.

The music of KiVA and our monthly featured artists can be heard on: www.myspace.com/paganedgemagazine ™• April 2010 • Volume I

23

The Pagan Edge

Book Review The Wicca Herbal:

Recipes, Magick, and Abundance

by Jamie Wood 2003 ISBN: 1587611694

Jamie Wood has compiled a truly lovely book about using herbs for spellcasting, for healing, and even for cooking.

She speaks of the importance of herbs in history for healing, shares respectfully gathering herbs and honoring the spirits of the plants, and creating your own garden. The bulk of the book is spent on specific herbs. Each has one to three pages of information, providing history, identifying the plant, useful parts of the plant, where to find it, when and how to use it in gardening, spells, rituals, and recipes.

What I love about this book: Wood’s attitude towards herbs and nature in general. Two quotes will illustrate my point.

First, she says “Herbs teach us balance between resting and blooming, the need and value of our dependency, and the universe’s perfect harmonic timing.” Really, that sounds like a few lessons I’m trying to learn—how about you? Second, she writes, “Satisfy your desire to connect with nature by tuning in and appreciating her bounty; the result is nothing short of magickal.” I’ve been feeling that desire more and more lately and the connection is truly magickal.

Being a beginner when it comes to herbs and herb lore, I found this book really helpful and interesting. However, for those of you who are more knowledgeable, this book may not be as lovely and exciting. Of course, she does not include everything ever thought of or every use for each of the herbs.

How could she? But if you’re looking for more comprehensive and complete, perhaps you should keep looking.

Worth checking out for all, I still believe! Even if only for the delicious sounding recipes like Rose-Geranium Pound Cake or Asparagus Seduction!

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™• April 2010 • Volume I

by Faelin Wolf

Unshapely Things

by Mark Del Franco, 2007 ISBN: 0441014771 Do you ever notice that your reading tends to go through themes? Well, my theme lately is books about the fey. More specifically, I’ve been drawn to books that talk about the meshing of the modern world with the world of the fey. Unshapely Things is one of those books.

Connor Grey used to be a powerful druid investigator for the governing structure of the fey, but his magical abilities have been significantly crippled since an investigation went wrong. Since the accident, he does freelance work for the Boston Police Department. When a series of male fairy prostitutes show up dead with some odd magical elements left with the bodies, Connor is consulted but ends up being drawn personally into the case. While trying to discover the magic used in these murders, he’s struggling with his greatly reduced abilities and trying to find out how he can still feel useful and feel as though he belongs with other druids.

Connor’s struggle makes him more “human” (he’s not really human, he’s fey!). He’s the kind of character I like: somewhat sarcastic, has an interesting group of friends and colleagues, acts tough but really is quite caring and compassionate, and gets personally involved with what he’s working on.

Del Franco creates a realistic and fascinating world with quite a long history of integration. He talks of the politics and governance between the humans and the fey, the prejudice that humans hold for the fey, and the way history (as we know it) was changed due to the joining of the two worlds. Fascinating. And it really made me think about our own world…and the people who are considered different, unusual, and frightening.

Scribes’ Tablet

Poetry from Our Readers

Farewell to Youth’s Innocence

By A.H.

Gazing out of my plain second story window on a gloomy afternoon, I watch as college students cross the streets to make their classes on time. Some walking briskly, lost in their thoughts; others are laughing joyously with friends, their feet clacking in tune on the wet pavement. The world beyond my window is clustered with life despite the frosty climate.

Squirrels running up trees who look as if their limbs might break from the aching snow, cars rushing to beat the red light, someone’s music blaring down the hall, clomping footsteps on the stairs, and the smell of buttery popcorn being secretly made.

My thoughts linger back on my youth, to all of the events leading up to this very moment. Memories flood my mind and I am transported back in time. The scenes outside my window morph into kindergarten.

It is fall and I am at my first day of school. My teacher, Mrs. Brown, a woman who once must have been very beautiful once, but now appeared withered and bent like a gnarled oak tree. A kaleidoscope of colors consume my vision; the ABC’s streamed along the puke green walls, children books littered across the multipatterned floor. A grape juice stain partially hidden by a chair. Laughter as a boy runs, destroying a girls blocks until cries pierce the already buzzing air. The way it felt to have a smear of blue, green, and yellow on my fingertips making what I thought was a masterpiece.

It was a year when the only thing a child had to worry about was if they got to finger paint and when would they have snacks.

The picture changes, I’m in fifth grade on the playground. The Carolina sun blazes on my skin which has since turned tan. I am a tomboy of eleven.

I’d rather play freeze tag with the boys and obtain a skinned knee. An honorable battle wound. My eyes

drift upward through the fingers of the trees to where a swallow has just landed, fluttering its wings before hopping alongside its mate. A week later I discover that same bird on the ground, her wing bloody and mauled. The killer rests a few feet away, licking her paw with feline apathy. A faint chirp causes me to glance over at a baby bird in the nest, now helpless. At age eleven, I learned that nature is not always kind.

Fast forward five years. There’s nothing to be seen but a stretch of white hall way. The smell of bleach and latex. A middle-aged woman answering a phone that never stops shrilling. I wait for what seems like hours, the clock droning-- tick, tick tick. Finally, my name is called and I am guided to a room down the end of the hall. An elderly woman with a frail frame sleeps in the bed. She looks almost alien with all of the wires and tubes attached to her, as if they are sucking the life out of her. At the sound of my voice, she opens her eyes, once a vibrant emerald but now dull. Her hand reaches out to mine, papery thin with newly formed wrinkles that spider across. Standing in that room, I never felt so alone. My grandma was dying of cancer and there was nothing I could do. A few months pass. It is now spring and the flowers are beginning to bloom. One warm night I get a phone call to rush to the hospital.

When I make it, however, she’s already gone. Like the light flickering down the hall; she used to be lit but now she’s burned out.

Blinking again, I find myself looking out the same plain second story window, except now there are snow flurries gently cascading down. The streets are empty of people, a car barely passing through. This is where life has brought me. College. Like the seasons, life is always changing. It is a true, but cruel lesson. At the current age of nineteen, I’ve learned the circle of life.

™• April 2010 • Volume I

25

“Goldy” the Goldfinch

Fabulous Familiars Favorite Song to Sing to: “Rockin’ Goldfinch.” You may know it better as “Rockin’ Robin”, but “Rockin’ Goldfinch” works just fine. Here, try it for yourself: Rockin’ Golfinch (Tweet, tweet, tweet), Rockin’ Goldfinch (Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee), Go Rockin’ Goldfinch ‘cause we’re really gonna rock tonight (Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee). Told ya, sounds great doesn’t it?

Name: Goldy the Goldfinch

Breed: American Goldfinch

Favorite Activity: Flying in my roller-coaster-like flight pattern with my peeps, while singing our cheery song. It’s an attention getter for sure.

Guilty Pleasures: I love to visit Wildflower Gardens in the fall and feast on all the seed heads.

It’s like being at an all-you-caneat buffet.

Favorite Book / Story: “Goldie Finch and the Three Hawks.” It’s my favorite tale to share with my peeps when we’re gathered together telling scary stories.

Ambitions: Wanna see my picture on the cover of the Birds and Blooms, wanna buy five copies for my mother, wanna see my smilin’ face on the cover of the Birds and Blooms.

Favorite Movie: “Goldfincher”, starring Sean Canary as James Bird 007.

Nickname: Wild Canary

Foods I Crave: Sunflower and Thistle seeds, especially in the middle of winter when it’s zero degrees outside, I’m freezing my tail off, and some kind-hearted humans have their finch feeders nicely stocked; just my cup-ofseeds.

Favorite Resting Spot: My nest in the fork of a young maple tree, where I can rest and eat maple seeds at the same time. It’s like Breakfast in Bed.

Favorite TV Show: “Nature” on PBS, especially the episodes where the main focus is birds.

Person I Admire: Golda Meir, prime minister of Israel from 1969 – 1974, she became a hero as one of the first women to head a nation in the modern era. My favorite Golda quote: “Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”

Sports Played: Aerial Acrobatics, whoo-hoo!

Jobs Before Being A Familiar: Testing Roller Coaster rides at amusement parks.

Least Favorite Things: Hawks, all of them, they are definitely NOT vegetarians, and I am listed on many of their menus.

Rule I Like to Break: Flying Without Goggles.

Craziest Thing I’ve Ever Done: Tried out for Cirque Du Soleil, but I didn’t meet their size requirement (too small, they said I was), and because of that no one could see all my intricate aerial maneuvers without binoculars. That career was over before it even left the ground, if you get my meaning.

What I Enjoy About Living The Pagan Lifestyle: My playful perky nature and cheery songs help inspire Pagans to enjoy the great outdoors, and also helps with their positive affirmations for life in general. If I do say so myself, people just feel better when they hear me sing.

Submit your Fabulous Familiar’s photos & stats to chief-editor@paganedge.com 26

™• April 2010 • Volume I

News from the Edge Make Me A Regular! Did you know that you now can get an annual subscription to Pagan Edge? Each copy print just for you and mailed direct. Stop by our website for details!

We now have over 200 fans on Facebook & almost that on MySpace! thanks for joining us!

Pagan Edge is available three ways: 1. electronically on the homepage of paganedge.com 2. on our electronic print source, issuu.com 3. hard copy is available from magcloud.com We Want to Hear It: good, bad, or edgy...

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Classified Ads are issued firstcome-first-serve, placed according to relativity to the Pagan lifestyle, and limited to available space.

Ads must be 20 words or less and include an email contact. Submit to chief-editor@paganedge.com ™• April 2010 • Volume I

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™• April 2010 • Volume I