Welcome to Nature Nurtured!

This month, in honor of the Spring Equinox, we are exploring hope, growth, and the courage it takes to enter a new season of greening.  As pagan and earth-reverent people, we mirror the cycles of the Earth waking around us.  Bravely, we grow.

Spring Fae by Diana (bunnykissd.blogspot.com)

Bravely We Grow
Initiating new growth and life changes takes tremendous energy and daring. In The Courage of Spring, River Roberts acknowledges the strength it takes for tiny seedlings to thrust up through winter’s clinging frost and how we, too, must be brave in order to grow. J.F.A. shares her family’s spring tradition, planting seeds of hope and intention for the coming year by Building a Nest of Hope. I share one way that I am seeking to push myself as a Witch by making the commitment to living Life Outside the Broom Closet.

Planting Seeds of Magick
Spring is a time of planting the seeds of that which we want to harvest in the future. In order to experience a magickal life, we must plant those seeds of magick. For Amanda Tillman, those seeds were planted in the earliest days of her life. She reveals her experiences as a life-long pagan and reflects on the gifts of the pagan-born among us in her article, Born and Bred Pagan: A Second Generational Perspective. For Shawna Laird, valuable perspective and insight is gained through a personal practice of Journaling the Year. In my family, this month’s Your Family feature, the very heart of magick, the seeds of our domestic joy, the safe space in which we may grow each year, is all Rooted in Gratitude.

Ostara by Diana (bunnykissd.blogspot.com)

Honoring Ostara
For Sierra, the artist and Priestess behind this month’s Shop Spotlight, Corn Doll Goddess, the sabbats along our Wheel of the Year can all be acknowledged, celebrated, and explored through the making of elaborate heirloom quality corn husk goddess figures for the altar. One of her creations, Blessed and Hailed Persephone, bedecked in her spring finery, is part of our month’s Giveaways, waiting to adorn the altar of one of our readers this Ostara.

In my home, with young children underfoot, Our Ostara Egg Hunts have become a beloved yearly tradition. How will you honor Ostara this year?

Our March Prize Giveaways

This month, we are offering two prize giveaways that we purchased from our Shop Spotlight, Etsy’s Corn Doll Goddess. For information on how to enter to win the dried floral pentacle wreath or the Spring Maiden Corn Husk Doll, please visit this month’s giveaway page. The drawings are open to any U.S. residents age 18 or older. Sweepstakes entry runs between March 1st, 2013 and Noon EST March 10th, 2013 when the winners will be selected via random.org random number generation and announced on our site. Good Luck!

For information on art you’ve seen in this issue, please visit our Art page. Artist bios, medium, intentions, and links to portfolios and shops where you can see and purchase more of their work are all listed under the titles of the individual pieces.

Your opinion matters to us. Please take a moment to comment on an article that you particularly enjoyed or send us an email to let us know what we’ve done well and what we can do better. As a new venture, we are working hard to create the best resource possible for pagan and earth-reverent families. Thanks!

My heartfelt thanks go out to this month’s circle of contributors. Your big hearts and magickal lives have given me greater courage to grow. Without you, Nature Nurtured would simply not exist. Thanks, as always, to Laura Vasilion, for your artistic vision and generous friendship. You have made this site a beautiful place to be. My everlasting gratitude is due to those who poured love and magick and the joys of an Earthly existence into the pages of this issue through their art and their words. Thank you, so much, to J.F.A., Shawna Laird, River Roberts, Corn Doll Goddess’ Sierra and Amanda Tillman. Extra thanks to Diana of Faerie Garden Fancies for generously answering last minute emails and going above and beyond anything I could have asked of you. Your art is only surpassed by your kindness and your light-bearing spirit.

We need you to make Nature Nurtured great. We are currently accepting submissions for our April 1st issue on the themes of spiritually-inspired activism, volunteerism and the work that we do here on the Earth. If you are interested in contributing, please visit our Submissions page for more information on what we’re looking for and what we pay. Thanks!

Brightest Blessings,

Rachel Melcher
NatureNurtured.com