November 2020 » Ginger Witch in Northumberland

Over the course of the last year, I have become much more acquainted with other local (and many none local) Pagans who I have made invaluable connections and friendships with. One of those is local online magazine creator, Quinn. The magazine is Pagans of the North Magazine. Over the last few months, I have provided articles for her magazine, and she has very kindly allowed me to interview her for this blog. So here goes, in her own words – straight from the witches mouth..

What inspired you to start an online Pagan magazine?

I knew that Lockdown was going to make people feel quite isolated and especially so in a small local community like paganism.

When I discovered a Midlands magazine for pagans and witches, I was instantly inspired and asked around in local groups and searched online to see if there was a north magazine at all. There wasn’t. Well, I thought what way to bring a local community together under lockdown, than to start a northernly magazine, and I think it’s worked.

Are you a pagan yourself?

I am. I have been a Pagan for about a decade now. I started out as wiccan for around three years before moving to secular paganism and witchcraft, and have learned a lot along the way.

Have you always followed a pagan path?

Only the last ten years, before that my childhood was atheism, my family also are atheists. It wasn’t until I was 16, I discovered goddesses and that led me to paganism and polytheist religions. What did I learn in R.E? Certainly not female focused religions, sadly.

Do you work with anyone on the magazine?

I do! I work with a team of pagans/witches and they are all people I have met through local Facebook groups, many of them, replying to a post I made asking if anyone wanted to help me make a magazine. There are currently four active team members (not including myself) all from different paths and walks of life and even different parts of the North. They’re all so lovely and active and really make this magazine work as well as it does. (thank you, Jen, Sam, Vicky & Anne-Marie)

How often do you publish a copy?

We try to publish a new issue a few days before an important Sabbat, so usually an average of a month between issues.

Do you aspire to have paper issues?

That would be the dream! One day it will happen and have them in local pagan/new age stores!

What do you hope the magazine will achieve?

Our focus is on local traders, suppliers, stores and creators, so the biggest hope is that we have put a focus on them for people to find them, especially since these stores and services are few and far between. Not only that, but to have localised information on what’s happening in the North, stories and rituals/spells at their fingertips, for free.

Have you noticed readers growing?

Yes! The last few issues we have been getting around 100 readers within the first 24 hours of an issue being released! Compared to the first issue where we got 20 readers, it’s a huge success, and people keep coming back too, with each issue, more and more people know about us, it’s very exciting!

Is content provided by volunteers?

Yes, and also readers. Anyone is free to provide content for the magazine, I like to think of the magazine as ‘for the readers, by the readers.’ People can provide articles written by themselves, poems, pictures, rituals, and so much more! It makes the magazine so much more interesting, honestly!

You must enjoy putting the magazine together?

I do, myself and the team, do very much. It’s a lovely moment when the magazine is finished and we release it, and get people commenting about how they loved reading it. It makes us feel happy.

How long have you been putting the magazine together? Only since March. Our first issue was out for Ostara.

Is there anything about your own path you would like to share?

My own path has changed a lot as time as went on. I now consider myself a secular pagan but also a witch (green witchcraft) but I am also so curious and love to learn and grow, and I think that’s something we all should allow ourselves to do, as we age and time goes by.

How do you get your magazine “seen” by potential readers?

Mostly it’s all through Facebook on our page but also its advertised in the local groups and then word of mouth, shared by our readers and also shared by local shops who are part of the magazine.

Is there anything generally about pagan paths you would like to say? I

I love how diverse it can be, how unique and wonderful and open these paths can be, how different it can be for everyone. No one path is usually the same and remember that your path is not how someone else may practice.

Do you add content to the magazine yourself?

I do, sometimes I’ll include the odd article here and there. In the last issue I posted about waning moon magick, I also sometimes write articles with information about the upcoming sabbats, so I don’t just edit, I help out in all ways.

Is there anything else generally you would like to say?

I love how welcoming the pagan community has been to the idea of a local magazine, we are very involved in the north east, and down to Yorkshire, but the North west is somewhere we are still trying to be involved in and get to know and I am sure we will in time as the magazine continues.

Thank you, Ginger Witch for providing such lovely blog content for the magazine too.

So there you have it, some behind the scenes and interesting information about the coming to life of an online local magazine and the aspirations of the creator for the magazine’s future. Thank you so much Quinn for giving us some of your time.

Obviously you’ll want the link for the magazine, which is https://www.pagansofthenorth.co.uk/magazine. You can also find details at https://gingerwitchinnorthumberland.com/pagans-of-the-north-magazine/.

Stay Wild.

Blessed Be.

Ginger Witch.

Pagans of the North Magazine – https://www.pagansofthenorth.co.uk/magazine

I had hoped to bring this post, Full Hunter’s Moon: Samhain 2020, to you on Samhain this year, however due to one thing and another that wasn’t possible. My blog about Samhain can be found at https://gingerwitchinnorthumberland.com/2020/10/23/samhain-celebrations-and-traditions/ . However, as I had this mostly written already I still want to share it with you. So here it is …

http://magicangelfishart.etsy.com – @magicangelfish

How amazing is it that Samhain this year brings us a full moon; the full Hunter’s Moon. Personally, I find this so exciting; the energies and thinning of the veil that comes with Samhain coupled with a full moon should be an en environment for some really powerful spell and manifestation work. As if that wasn’t enough, because this is the second full moon in October this year, the full Hunters Moon is also a Blue Moon.

As an interesting side fact, this year’s Full Hunter’s Moon will be the smallest Full Moon of the year and is therefore referred to as a “Minimoon”, the opposite of a “Supermoon”. The moon won’t look any different to the naked eye, however, so this is just a fun fact to store in your Full Moon knowledge bank.

Another interesting fact is that the last time Samhain shone with a Full Moon in the sky visible the Globe over, was in 1944, during World War II some 76 years ago. The next time a Full Moon will fall on Samhain and be Globally visible will be in 2039. Gosh, I’ll be 56 – let’s not think about that too much right now.

You also should not be disappointed if the moon does not look blue; it is not supposed to; the moon will retain its usual golden glow and will not shine hues of blue down upon you.

Full Hunter’s Moon – Meaning

The Full Hunter’s moon is named as such because this is the time of year when hunters would head out to hunt for preserves, to stock up larders, pantries and store rooms with meat to last throughout the winter.

Obviously named before the days of nipping to a supermarket at almost any time of the day or night, the Full Hunter’s Moon rises in the sky once the crops have been harvested and the planes are flat and barren, making it easier for the well fed and fattened animals to be seen as they journey across the land.

Not only would these animals be easier for hunters to see at this time of year, but their predators such as foxes and wolves would also be easier to see as they too would venture into the open to hunt down the same prey as our ancestors.

Whereas many Full Moon names depict a general time of year, the Full Hunter’s Moon is a specific night when hunting parties would gather, as along with the advantage gifted to them by the flattened harvested fields, the brightness of the Full Harvest Moon would reduce the need for any other means of providing light, which, until fairly recent times, would have been achieved through the use of fire which obviously brought not only its own risks, but if spotted would have scared any animals away from the hunting party.

Other Names for the Full Hunter’s Moon

Not all cultures have the same names for the Full Hunter’s Moon, with it also being called the Sanguine or Blood Moon, probably named for the blood from hunting or the kaleidoscope of rich colours we see in nature as all but the evergreens bless us with their most vibrant displays before sinking gracefully to sleep for the winter.

Another name, found within Native American Tribes, is the Dying Grass Moon. As with all names attributed to the Full Moons by Native American Tribes, the name comes from observations of nature all around. It seems clear that this name comes from the dying of the plant life as winter approaches. Native American naming of Full Moons all tell us something about the time of year they appear to us in the night sky; such an intuitive and soul deep way to stay in tune with the cycles of the earth surrounding us.

The Full Hunters Moon and You (Yes, You!)

It’s unlikely that you will find yourself out hunting for your own food at this end of this harvest season (though let’s not forget that there are people and settlements around the Earth who do still hunt for food), so what does the Full Hunter’s Moon mean for you? Well let’s look at the intrinsic message we are receiving from our Lady Luna at this time of year. To go out hunting for provisions we are gathering what we need for survival, we are putting into practice our hopes and dreams for the coming months, and we are putting in the hard, bloody and dirty work into making sure we have what we need to accomplish our goals throughout the winter; putting into practice that which we have planted and planned for throughout the year. We understand that these are the last days we will spend outdoors for some time and that our pursuits will take us under rooves and into shelters. We understand that even distant light can bring illumination to the darkness covering our winter paths.

So sit a while and think, sit a while and meditate or journal; what do you want to achieve this autumn and winter? Have you done all that you planned to help you achieve it? What do you need to do to set the wheel in motion; does this match those planted seeds and drawn out routes? Let the energy and magical light of this Full Hunters Moon surround and penetrate you and pour your ideas and spells filled with that Luna energy into your ritual fires, spaces, chants, dances or spell bags and focus on the manifestation of your desires.

Set out jars, bottles, dishes and bowls of water to create such powerful moon water this Samhain. Carefully place your crystals, wands, spell candles, cards and other magical tools in a safe and dry place to soak up the rare and intense vibrations of this super-charged spiritual night.

There is not a single better day this year to put that first toe out of your comfort zone to embark on something new and exciting..

It’s been a challenging year this year, for everyone, and the air around us has generally become filled with more negative energy and more negative vibes than I personally have ever felt. This Samhain night use the magic and sparkle in the air to cleanse yourself of this negativity; you have the means within you to cleanse your own energies and aura; take the opportunity so beautifully presented to you by the universe to invite calm, peace, determination and strength into your soul.

Perhaps 2020 has beaten some of your dreams down a little, dampened your ambitions or put new pursuits on hold. This convergence of Samhain with the ethereal energy of the Full Hunter’s Moon is here to remind us that our dreams and ambitions are not born to be stunted or placed on hold. Flowers to not stop growing mid-season, they endure and strive towards the light until they bloom into their full beauty. You are no different. Maybe you cannot realistically not put practical steps into motion right now, but what can you do? Can you make written plans? Put preparations in place? Just as our ancestors would prepare for their hunt while waiting until the light of the Moon to hunt by, you can make your preparations and be ready to fire when the right time presents itself to you. Remember, acknowledge, work towards and capture your dreams. Rarely, under the Full Hunter’s Moon, would the prey wander freely into the lair of the hunter.

So there you go, a mini rambling from Northumberland about the Full Hunter’s Moon. I hope you had a magical time and embraced all that this celebration brings.

Stay Wild

Blessed Be

Ginger Witch

Ginger Witch in Northumberland

Month: November 2020

Interview with Pagans of the North Magazine

Full Hunter’s Moon: Samhain 2020