LAST EVER ISSUE OF SILVER WHEEL MAGAZINE IMBOLC 2009
After twenty-one years of continuous publication, this is the final edition of Silver Wheel Magazine. I thought long and hard before making this decision, and there are several reasons why I think it is the right one. I’ve had it in mind for some time now that a new format would give me a chance to publish longer, more in-depth articles, and consequently, Silver Wheel will become an annual paperback from May this year. Secondly, the world of small press magazines has changed a great deal. The days when an amazing, imaginative and vibrant plethora of magazines were produced by enthusiasts slaving over photocopiers are passing. This is partly because the internet has taken over as a means for individuals to promulgate their creative enterprises, and partly because the public demands slicker paper-based magazines with colour pictures, reliant on pages of advertising. I didn’t want to go down this route, as for me it would compromise the ideal of Silver Wheel’s individuality and independence, which has never had to rely on commercial forces – it has never been a profit-making exercise. Thirdly, I was just tired of printing and compiling an issue every quarter. It’s a time consuming effort, and over the years, the occasions when I’ve had help doing this can be counted on my fingers!
The world has changed a great deal in the last twenty-one years; for a start off, I didn’t have any wrinkles or grey hairs back then. Paganism as a mass movement was only just beginning to make its way out of the broom closet. Organisations like Paganlink were putting like minded people in touch with each other and there was a spirit of optimism and mutual support which we seem to have lost along the way to cynicism, self-interest and commercialisation in many sectors of the movement, though happily, not all. I’m still delighted by the many genuine and inspiring people I meet.
It seemed fitting that this last issue should contain pieces from the last twenty-one years. The articles here are pot-luck selections, not chosen because they were the best articles we ever had, though they do represent something of the variety of viewpoints we’ve featured. As well as great writers, we’ve had wonderful poets and talented artists like Helen Field, Sabrina the Ink Witch and Levanah.
The first issue was twelve pages long, printed in large type, with very short articles. I had to paste it up [younger readers will have no idea what that means] because we didn’t have desk-top publishing packages in those days. In fact, I had an old Amstrad computer with 586k [count ‘em!] of memory, so you can imagine the limitations.
The first few issues were printed for us by Merlin’s Cave in Ashby de la Zouch [sadly long since closed down], and then I hocked my soul to lease a photocopier, an expensive mistake which locked me into a five year deal by which I had to pay ever increasing amounts of money on a machine with ever decreasing quality. For the last few years I’ve produced it on a laser printer, still at home, still compiled by hand.
Flicking back through the old issues brought back many memories like the Gina Geary Van appeal to raise money for a disabled Pagan woman to get her own transport, my time running the Holistic Healing Centre, articles from past coven members, and of course, from people who have now passed over to the Summerland – Julia Isobel Reed [my old High Priestess], John McGlynn and Peter Mastin who had the only complete collection of Silver Wheel to that point. Because of people like them, the Pagan movement is thriving, and they are much missed. In fact, those old issues of Silver Wheel trace not only my own development and that of the Hearth of Arianrhod, but the wider Pagan community in Britain. Creating Silver Wheel - and keeping it going - has been hard work, but ultimately worthwhile, I think.
It’s time for a new chapter in its history.
Anna Franklin
For more on the new Silver Wheel Annual and how you can order or contribute see www.silverwheel.co.uk