Ten Years Already; Where Has the Time Gone?
With this issue our esteemed Editor-in-Chief, Thea, leaves us to embark upon new ventures. She's writing the book she wants to write among other things, and we send her on her way with much love and best wishes. We will miss her valuable input and skills, and it just won't be the same around here without the other Pisces girl! We hope that she'll come back to visit from time to time.
Her successor is Cendi, along with the dear Freya, one of our very favorite goddesses! We welcome Cendi and we hope that she can put up with our weirdness and silliness because we know she kicks ass! Welcome Cendi! She'll bring her own flavor to the paper, and we may make some changes eventually.
Ten years, ten years...any mother knows what I mean when I say it seems almost like it was yesterday! It was a very difficult birth shrouded in gossip, controversy and scandal, and over the last ten years this child of ours has been everything from brilliant to um...let's just say she's not perfect. She has inspired art and political activism, stayed on top of the sex-positive wave and defied our detractors. She has informed, entertained, celebrated, mourned, annoyed and generally kept her finger on the pulse of the pagan community here in Seattle and surrounding areas.
In the pagan world, publications come and go in rapid succession; you rarely see one around for a year or two, much less ten! We have hung in there through all kinds of challenges and problems, doing our best to do this thing that we do for you, the pagan community here in the Northwest. We have consistently produced a professional publication with very few resources and sometimes only one or two of us working on it. Now THAT'S magick!
We care about YOU, our dear readers, and the businesses that support us by placing ads -- enough to keep going despite being tired, pissed off, bored and entirely and absolutely burnt out.
The truth is, it is a labor of perfect love, a community service for all of those seekers out there both new to town and the craft and those who have been around for more than a few turns of the wheel. In case you didn't know, "all volunteer" means that none of us on staff gets paid. I know that we look like a professional publication with a paid staff of 25, but we are, and have been for ten years, staffed completely of charitable, amazing volunteers (and not nearly enough of them!) from writers, artists, editors, copyeditors, ad managers, delivery crew, not to mention our hard working Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief, and myself, the publisher. Everyone generously and selflessly give their time, energy and talent -- and that's saying something.
From very humble beginnings we've eked out a niche for us in the pagan scene here and on the West Coast, as well as around the world on the Web. We've garnered respect that wasn't easy to come by, the Seattle Pagan community is a hard shell to crack...but even some of our first detractors now say nice things about us!
Ten years ago this month Melanie and I and a few other people were frantically pulling our resources together to get our first paper out before Beltaine. We were writing, editing and drawing, figuring out PageMaker layout and just generally courting chaos with lewd epithets, proclamations and much unbridled excitement.
I ended up working in Kinko's (at the Mac station) around the clock for almost two days because of what PageMaker did while printing the first issue from the Kinko's printer/computer combo. I was crazed, we were all at our temper's end and the birth was proceeding at a snail's pace. One of the Kinko's employees went out and bought me a couple of Dick's burgers so I wouldn't starve to death. I was that committed, or was it obsessed? We made it, and one issue followed another....
We grew, and with every issue we got better at all the tasks that were necessary to make it easier and faster. We started out writing a lot of the material and pulling rank on everyone from coven members to friends and family for stories, articles, art, etc. Since then we've expanded across the globe as far as writers and artists represented. We now get submissions from wonderful writers all over the world!
I have considered letting Widdershins go more than a few times...it is still a really enormous job after all these years to make the paper happen, but every time I decide Okay, this is it. The Goddess comes along and speaks into my dreams about all of the people who rely on Widdershins for her resources, calendar, and articles; She is truly a pagan oasis from mainstream media.
However long you've been on the journey with us, we hope that we've enhanced your experience and that you'll continue on with us. Volunteer, advertise, donate equipment or money, deliver papers, write articles, send us your pagan art -- we can always use more help. Now that this child of ours is ten and starting puberty, who knows what new challenges we might face.
I know there are not many pagan publications that can claim to be our equal in longevity, much less quality, and we have done a great job of serving the PNW pagan. Will we continue for another ten years? Only the goddess knows the answer to that, and she's not talking quite yet. Will she provide? Will she inspire and challenge us to do better yet? I hope so!
Happy Tenth Birthday Widdershins! Cheers!
-- Sylvana
Many Thanks
I want to take a moment to specially thank a number of people who have worked hard for many years to make Widdershins happen.
First and foremost thanks go to Melanie Fire Salamander, Widdershins co-mom, Editor-in-Chief and benefactor for many years. Without her, it never could have happened. Melanie you are a rare treasure of witchy beauty, brains, wit and sexy charm, and I'll always be grateful for everything that you have done for the paper and me! We miss you and your excellent voice here at Widdershins and we hope that you sell many books and always do what you love and love what you do.
A large measure of thanks goes to the amazing Bestia Mortale, certainly the smartest and sexiest Scorpio beast ever to shadow our door. Endless gratitude for all of your many contributions, from stories to equipment to time and energy to deliver papers for ten years! You rock!
Dedric is another person whose many contributions have spanned the entire ten years that Widdershins has been alive. He was there from the beginning to lend encouragement, do research, create, host (for free!) our Web pages, and recently to provide us with a permanent office. He has even managed to write a few articles along the way. Thank you Dedric for all the many ways that you support the paper and me!
Blackcat, your contributions have also been varied and many, from writing articles, a column, reviews, working on the Web pages, and generally supporting us in many Aquarian ways. We appreciate and thank you.
Another ten-year alum, Erika has also worn many hats...serving on the board of directors; writing, copyediting and proofing; and generally helping where she was needed. My best friend and a constant inspiration, thank you, you mean more to me than I can convey in words. Besides, your smile lights up a room!
We've had ad managers before, but none as dedicated, effective and all around wonderful as Bruce! Without Bruce, there would be no ads, no money and NO paper! So, next time you talk to him, please thank him! He puts up with us in all of our chaos and still brings in the bacon!
This issue marks the departure of our beloved Thea, the fabulous professional Editor-in-Chief that succeeded Melanie. We are really sorry to see the other Pisces part of the triangle go. Thea has been tirelessly dedicated to maintaining a high level of quality for Widdershins and besides being pretty to look at, she's smart, funny, and knows all the best gossip! She's an amazing resource in many areas and we cannot thank you enough Thea! We'll miss our Thea!
Much perfect appreciation from all of us to the organized, sexy, super Aries girl, Freya. As our Managing Editor, Freya has a big job -- herding writers. I am sure you've all heard the joke about organizing pagans being like herding cats, and writers are only slighter harder to herd than cats. Freya has not been with us as long as some of the people above but I have a feeling she'll stick around for a while. I can only hope!
Thank you more than we can convey to all of our incredible volunteers over the years. I can't mention you all here by name, but your contributions to the Seattle pagan community will forever bear fruit in good karma for you.
More thanks also to our many great delivery managers, elves and fairies. Thank you immensely Denise and all of our delivery crew! You are one of the most important cogs in this machine! We hope that you know that what you do is both really important and incredibly appreciated by many!
To all of our past and current writers, artists, editors, copy editors, proofreaders and to our whole team past and present, I love all of you!
I dedicate this issue to the memory of our beloved Nightowl, Sharma Oliver, who continues to inspire me even though she's no longer in a mortal body. As well as being a loyal friend and coven sister, Sharma was a pleasure activist, blood and chocolate lover, Widdershins board member, writer, delivery fairy and much more for many years. I miss you my friend!
Countless sexy, sweet and incredibly satisfying Beltaine Blessings to all of you!
-- Sylvana
New Organization Serves Southeast WA and Northeast Oregon Areas
The Five Paths of Gaia is a new nondenominational, family oriented pagan group, primarily though not exclusively Wiccan, striving to build community amongst practitioners of ALL positive, life-affirming, Earth- friendly, spiritual traditons in rural Northeastern Oregon and Southeastern Washington. We network extensively with like-minded others throughout the region and provide a wealth of information, services, support and activities not presently available elsewhere. Membership, including a group Web page and a new print newsletter, is free. Open meetings are held every Sunday 3:00 p.m., in the banquet room of the Panda Inn, 675 N. 1st Street (Hwy 395), Hermiston, and all interested parties are invited to to attend. For further information, contact The Five Paths Of Gaia c/o Boxholder, P.O. Box 992, Hermiston, OR 97838; (541) 571-7104, or visit us at our Web page, www.thefivepathsofgaia.com
Widdershins Needs Delivery Service!
We can't pay much, but we're flirting with the idea of having one or two people take on the lion's share of delivery for a small stipend. Do you have a dependable vehicle? Wanna help? contact me at sylvanas@widdershins.org!
Volunteer for the Cause!
We have had many distribution challenges over the last year. We need really reliable people to round our delivery team. We also would like an organized person to manage our subscriptions and get them mailed out to all of the wonderful people that have paid for their Widdershins to be delivered to their door, and on time! If you'd like to be a part of the best pagan publication in the NW, please join us! Really, we only need a few more willing and dependable bodies.
It's a great contribution to the pagan community. All you need is transportation and a few hours once or twice in six weeks. Make your community service easy and fun by delivering Widdershins to our area distribution locations.
We also always need copyeditors and contributions of articles and artwork. Perks include working with some of the silliest Witches in town! We will all adore you for it! Email me at publisher@widdershins.org
Copyright © 2006 by the article's author