Editorial

All articles are the copyright of the particular writers and cannot be reprinted without their express permission.

The views shared by the writers and advertisers in this publication may not reflect the viewpoint of the publisher.

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ProWrite Communications and the publisher are not responsible for any advice given herein.

ISSN #1496-7898

Publisher Jeni Mayer

Editor Jeni Mayer

Guest Editor Aleesha Stephenson

Art Direction Katie Day

Contributing Writers Angel Victoria Betson Boo Tira Brandon-Evans Amy Eyman-LeBlanc Maggie Frost Nahi Guzman Kim Huggens Nexy Jo Jennifer L. Monaghan Denis O'Brien Dan Pelletier MeeWah Reynolds Aleesha Stephenson Veshka Valkyrie Heather Zais

Web Designer Jay Baron

Greetings,

I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the guest editor for Body, Mind, Spirit Magazine. This has been a huge learning experience for me. As a writer, I've never sat on the opposite side of the desk before - seeking out writers and artists willing to share their experiences and talents. When Jeni first asked me, panic ran through my brain but once I began asking questions about what exactly a guest editor does, the panic turned into a realization of what a huge endeavor this would, in fact, be.

The challenge, as I saw it, was to remove the bum wrap that Wiccans get. I needed to find a diverse group of Wiccans and Pagans alike to show you, the reader, who and what we are. Everyone assumes that if you call yourself a Wiccan you must be affiliated with a coven, which you don't. There are many solitary Wiccans out there. They aren't all that much different from the many Pagans or Christians that you know except that they perform spells.

Our spells are like prayers, wishes, whisperings that we share with the Goddess about how we want to create our reality. Many of us find correlations and similarities between ourselves and other religions because really, aren't we all pretty much the same? We have a higher power/being/God-Goddess-All-That-Is which we hold sacred. We walk our path, hoping to create a better life for ourselves and for our children, striving for peace and serenity in our world and homes. We have a set of rules that we live by, because without rules there is chaos. Knowing the parameters of what is acceptable and proper assists us in focusing our day-to-day actions. Most Pagans and Wiccans live by a code of conduct similar to the one published in this issue.

My wish for this issue is that people of other belief systems will see that Wicca is not a path of hatred, control and negativity. Instead, I hope this issue assists them in opening their eyes to the gentleness and flow of Wiccans and Pagans. I hope reading the articles will remove some of the stereotypical images that many people carry about Wicca and it's practitioners.

I would like to thank Katie for the beautiful cover of this issue, her vision of the Goddess. I would also like to thank my soul-mother, Maggie Frost for her assistance, patience, guidance and proof reading skills. To all of the writers in this issue who have chosen to share their beliefs, I thank you.

Lastly, I would like to thank Jeni for this opportunity, I have grown much with this task. I thank you for trusting in me.

In light, Aleesha Stephenson

Body Mind Spirit Magazine is published online every second month by ProWrite Communications. The deadline for advertising copy is the fifteenth day of March, May, July, September, November and January.

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