Copper Moon E-zine

Archives of Wisdom

Copper Moon has been online since 2002, however we've been using our current format (blog/magazine hybrid) for a little over a year. Due to this change of format, I didn't have the opportunity to maintain our older material (online).

However, throughout the upcoming weeks. I will begin the process of taking select archived material and posting it on the website. As some of you are recent subscribers; these articles, reviews and author interviews will come across as new material. They will be "backdated" on the website, so all new material should be featured first as usual.

If you are subscribe through e-mail, chances are you'll receive this material via e-mail. To save you from constant e-mails, i'll aim to send out the archived material on the same day as new submissions. This way you'll have one e-mail with several bits of info new and past dated.  

This may take some time to adjust but ultimately Copper Moon will have a significant amount of archived of material. This knowledge bank will be a testament to the hard work and effort of our contributors, readers and authors who have stood by the vision of Copper Moon E-zine.

Thank you for your time, patience and continued support.

Sincerely,
Gwinevere Rain
Owner and Editor of Copper Moon E-zine

Sacred Paths for Modern Men by Dagonet Dewr

Reviewed by Steel
 
Sacred Paths for Modern Men is a book about the pagan man and his roles in both magickal and mundane life.  It begins with the premise that we as men have lost our connection to the true, sacred nature of manhood and instead replaced it with toxic, faux-manly images ripped from beer commercials and Jackass.  From there, the author provides us with twelve archetypes to work with in reclaiming our masculine nature.

The archetypes (The "Sacred Paths" from the book's title) are the real meat of this book.  From the Green Man to the Magician, the Lover to the Warrior, these are archetypes we can all relate to.  The author explores these archetypes with tales of deities, anecdotes from his own life, and a Babylon 5 quote or three.  Each archetype chapter comes with a personal magickal working, a group ritual for a circle of male pagans, and follow-up questions which encourage us to examine our own lives to help us realize our masculine nature.

Beware the Seduction: A Cautionary Tale for Pagans (Young or Otherwise)

by Shadow

Hi, welcome to Paganism – around this corner, we have all sorts of books on how to summon dragons with starlight!  Second hall on your right is the office of the Grand Über-Magistrae, Lord Highlander, who will foretell your future for a mere $500 during a physical session of the Great Rite (totally worth it, by the way!).  The Great Hall houses our ritual space, where numerous Spirits tells us who is meant to be with whom – no grounding necessary!  Please leave your keys, wallet, and diary at the front desk so our council can monitor them, and have fun exploring our home without fear of getting hurt – perfect love and perfect trust after all!  Thank you, and have a blessed day!

Wouldn’t it be really nice if it was THAT easy to sense when someone’s trying bullshitting you?  Unfortunately, all too often, scams are never this apparent – on the contrary, to the unseasoned eye, most people trying to play you appear downright harmless.  Many people whom have been victimized, in one form or another, often don’t realize it until after it’s too late.  As members of a young religion, we have to be extra careful to not be taken advantage of by people claiming to be authorities on our religion(s).  This goes double for younger Pagans of every stripe, because the simple case of our explorative and (often) accepting nature leaves us especially vulnerable.

 What I am about to present to you is my unfortunate story, which is the reason why I bring up this issue.  My purpose here is to give you, the reader, a fully fleshed example of what can happen when hucksters, seducers, and/or cons manage to penetrate your defenses and take you for your money’s worth.

Pagans & U.S. Politics

By Gwinevere Rain

We have a new president coming into office this January. Barack Obama won in a clear victory Tuesday night. His acceptance speech was to the point, serious and inspirational. As this e-zine has helped bring to light previously, not every Wiccan/Pagan lines up with one particular political party.  We are a group of diverse people that approach social, political and even religion from different viewpoints. 

However, no matter your path in life, if you voted (as I did) than you have had your voice heard along with millions of other americans. So often those of us in the "magical community" speak about obtaining/maintain religious rights. By extension, voting helps us to establish a tiny voice among many.  It is my hope that we keep having our voice heard, our vote count, and take the step forward to making our society a better place. 

If perhaps you voted for the republican candidate, John McCain and feel upset about this result, please have no fear. This change may actually be for the better. Please do give our next president the chance to make positive change. 

Since Copper Moon is for those age 13 and up, naturally it can be a bit frustrating not to be able to participate in the voting process (if you are under 18). However, please take note that your time will come. And remember how important this right and responsibility actually is. Many young people (they call "young people" in polls those under age 30) came out this election cycle and made a true impact.  Ultimately, as Wiccan/Pagan people we should be aware of politics. This past election season was crazy! But it gave us some lessons to ponder and will offer change in the upcoming months.