~ THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL ~

SUMMER SOLSTICE
2008

illustration by Charles Mikolaycak

The boy heard the torrential falls and saw the rainbow-strewn mist and he felt the sun’s warm hand on his neck, all in one magic, overwhelming moment. He stopped, held his hands to his cheeks, closed his eyes in wondrous disbelief. When opened them, he saw beside him a blueberry bush full grown and ripe with fruit. He was standing in fresh green grass, and his bare feet were wet, for every blade was laden and shimmering with dew. He ran his finger along a slender green leaf, collecting the fresh water, and touched his lips. He picked five blueberries and ate them. He turned his head to the sky, which was bright blue and shining. Glittering on top of a puffed cloud was a castle, finely jeweled and delicately wrought with gold, and the sunlight shown through.

The boy laughed out loud, suddenly remembering. His laughter reached up to the highest peak…It reached down to the deepest hollow, to a quiet pool where a family of trout awakened. His laughter rang from the rocky hillsides, and it rolled over the ocean waves. The music traveled around the whole new world and out of it until the sound reached the sky.

Balder reached the gate first. He opened it and let his brothers enter into their new home. Just as Gimle’s golden door swung wide, the reborn gods heard distant music. Balder the Good, Hoder the Blind, Vili the brave, turned and looked down where they saw green grass growing. In the dewy meadow below, they saw the first child of the race of men who would inhabit the new world. They heard his laughter, and they were glad.

~ excerpted from In the Morning of Time: the Story of the Norse God Balder by Cynthia King

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While the sun is at its peak, pausing before the inevitable descent, I’d like to take this moment out of time to show my gratitude to the fine folks that have supported and mutually created this endeavor. It was two years ago on Summer Solstice that I made a commitment to devote myself to the celebration and preservation of the ways of my ancestors, and it has brought me much joy to collaborate with you all.

If recently, your magazines come late, your messages go unanswered for days, and you find this issue of the e-zine to be lacking in substance…well, I have a really great excuse! I have been busy busy busy as a bee…and I am excited to announce that I have begun building Hex Folk Market—in celebration of European Folk Ways and sustainable living. It will be an online market and community space where folks can set up their own shops for free and sell goods for a small fee. Imagine…you can get your lederhosen, brewing supplies, and Waldteufel CDs all in one place!

We are working towards an October launch date, so I will soon be sending out an announcement with more details to gather interested merchants. Be excited…Be very excited.

I am neck deep in this endeavor, so I will quickly wish you all a fruitful Summer Solstice and get back to work!

cheers,
~Arrowyn Craban

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AN ANNOUNCEMENT

Hi Folks,

Myself and a few collaborators recently started a new website: www.elhazablaze.com

Here is the site introduction:
We are a group of heathen mystics. The purpose of this website is to document and promulgate our ideas and experiences.

You will find articles on runes, seid, heathenism, history, philosophy, magic, trance, martial arts, altered consciousness, music, art, politics and practical experimentation. We are interested in creativity and wit.

We regard our writings as being opinions, and regard all other writers on these subjects in the same way. We will even happily disagree with one another. Our work flows from heathen lore but we regard the rampant anti-spiritual attitudes of many heathens to be boring, untrue to history, and frankly a waste of time. We are suspicious of demagogues and esoteric organisations. We take joy in mocking such characters.

We hope you get something of value from our writing. In addition to Clint, Donovan, & Heimlich, we also occasionally accept guest submissions. Contact us via the website if you would like to offer a submission or otherwise make contact. Note that we reserve the right to decline submissions without explanation or rancor.

If you are interested in the site, interested in contributing, or just like it then let me know – and please also feel free to spread the word to interested parties.

Thanks!
Heimlich A. Loki

henry@ironwoodsound.com.au
http://www.myspace.com/ironwoodband
http://www.ironwoodsound.com.au

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Until the Feast of Bread, may you and your
household be blessed and kept. Hail!
~HEX Magazine

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