Pentacle Magazine
Encyclopedia
Pentacle is a Neopagan
magazine that began publication in February 2002. It was created by Marion Pearce and Jon Randall. It is a quarterly magazine published on the dates of the old festivals of Imbolc
, Beltaine, Lammas
and Samhain
, and has a worldwide distribution of 2,500. It was conceived to provide an independent voice for today's Pagan
, those not wanting to be told what to believe by the two main organization-backed pagan magazines of the time.
Pentacle has published articles on folklore
, ritual
, magic
, archaeology
. Articles have covered many aspects of pagan traditions, including heathen, Druidry, and other classical and modern traditions. The magazine has also included announcements of workshops, conferences, moot
s, festivals, activities, training, groups and exchange magazines. Most of the articles have been once again aimed at the beginner/intermediate level reader, often written by the Pagan community and readership, whose members cover many levels of expertise. Furthermore it has contained a large amount of pagan and visionary art
throughout, supporting all levels and abilities.
and poetry
. She has also included many articles on archaeology
and historical folk practices. She stood down as editor in 2006 to allow the magazine to grow internationally.
The subsequent editor, Jon Randall, further expanded the remit of the magazine to include herbalism
, counseling and science-backed therapies. This was achieved through a more rigorous academic methodology, contrasted by a more hands-on approach to Paganism
as a religion and life choice. His style was more hard-hitting than the previous editor, and he tended to "call it as he saw it", leading to the inclusion of more in-depth articles that challenged and stretched the readership.
As of January 2010, Jon Randall resigned from his position as Designer and Editor.
In the meantime, Marion Pearce took over the reins again as editor. There has been a new forum and Facebook page, where readers can contribute ideas for the kind of content they would like to see included. The relaunched magazine has been described there in the following manner:
Pentacle has supported the PaganDASH initiative to have Paganism counted in the UK Census
2011.
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
magazine that began publication in February 2002. It was created by Marion Pearce and Jon Randall. It is a quarterly magazine published on the dates of the old festivals of Imbolc
Imbolc
Imbolc , or St Brigid’s Day , is an Irish festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on 1 or 2 February in the northern hemisphere and 1 August in the southern hemisphere...
, Beltaine, Lammas
Lammas
In some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, August 1 is Lammas Day , the festival of the wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop...
and Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
, and has a worldwide distribution of 2,500. It was conceived to provide an independent voice for today's Pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, those not wanting to be told what to believe by the two main organization-backed pagan magazines of the time.
Pentacle has published articles on folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
, magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. Articles have covered many aspects of pagan traditions, including heathen, Druidry, and other classical and modern traditions. The magazine has also included announcements of workshops, conferences, moot
Moot
Moot may refer to:* from Moot as an Old English language term for meeting:**Folkmoot**Jamtamót, the old assembly of Jämtland**Witenagemot, the High Council of Anglo-Saxon England...
s, festivals, activities, training, groups and exchange magazines. Most of the articles have been once again aimed at the beginner/intermediate level reader, often written by the Pagan community and readership, whose members cover many levels of expertise. Furthermore it has contained a large amount of pagan and visionary art
Visionary art
Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences.-Definition:...
throughout, supporting all levels and abilities.
History
Marion Pearce, the first editor (now the publisher) has included art, animal welfareAnimal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. She has also included many articles on archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and historical folk practices. She stood down as editor in 2006 to allow the magazine to grow internationally.
The subsequent editor, Jon Randall, further expanded the remit of the magazine to include herbalism
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
, counseling and science-backed therapies. This was achieved through a more rigorous academic methodology, contrasted by a more hands-on approach to Paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
as a religion and life choice. His style was more hard-hitting than the previous editor, and he tended to "call it as he saw it", leading to the inclusion of more in-depth articles that challenged and stretched the readership.
As of January 2010, Jon Randall resigned from his position as Designer and Editor.
In the meantime, Marion Pearce took over the reins again as editor. There has been a new forum and Facebook page, where readers can contribute ideas for the kind of content they would like to see included. The relaunched magazine has been described there in the following manner:
- Back will be the informative articles, with wide ranging pagan and archaeological news, poetry, and classified sections, all illustrated in full colour by high class art work. Back too will be a regular environmental feature. There will also be a new regular feature on sacred sites throughout the UK. All you need to know about the pagan community in the UK - in one magazine.
Pentacle has supported the PaganDASH initiative to have Paganism counted in the UK Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
2011.