I picked up my first issue of Moon Shadows (issue #33), and I have to admit that I was very disappointed. Rather then being a professional and polished magazine like other Pagan publications (PanGaia and SageWoman, for example), it seems rather amateurish and poorly written. I really am loath to say this, since it is clear that the magazine is put together with a lot of love, but it is hardly of the quality of other magazines.
Moon Shadows does offer many wonderful fairy pictures scattered throughout the magazine, most fairly well reproduced. The type setting and arrangement of the magazine needs some work, but it is organized and easy to read. It is also in desperate need of a tough copy editor.
None of the articles or columns were particularly inspiring, although the column from a Wiccan solider in Iraqi was interesting. I was most disappointed by the herbs column, since it seemed to be little more than a paraphrasing of material from Cunningham’s encyclopedia–no real insight was offered.
Moon Shadows may be worth a look if you are interested in faeries and the like, but there are many other more serious and scholarly magazines out there.
Apparenlty the magazine has had some trouble too: Good Works on Earth about Moon Shadows Magazine.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts, but I have to beg to differ with you. I have held a subscription to this magazine for quite some time now and have both enjoyed watching it evolve with new writers and artists as well as always found the articles informative and inspiring. I am wondering if part of why you were disappointed was that you have labled this as a pagan magazine, when as their website says, it is a metaphysical/spiritual magazine?
Personally I have found that Sage Woman has not been having as many interesting articles as it once did. Most are now targeted to the “Crone” and neglect the other aspects of being. I think Moon Shadows offers a fresh and inspiring approach to spirituality with new articles monthly vs quarterly. They also have three different writers that write on herbs now so maybe that deserves a second look from you? I do agree the Pagan solider stories are intriguing. It adds an interesting twist in the times we live in to hear back from the front lines.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I enjoy reading your blog and reading your thoughts.
I understand what you are saying, Marie. I suppose since it seems to me that a large portion of the magazine is devoted to Wiccan/Pagan issues, I see it as a Wiccan/Pagan magazine. To be fair, there is at least one article written by a woman who is clearly Christian. Although, I couldn’t find anywhere in the issue I had that it stated that it was either a metaphysical/spiritual or a Pagan magazine.
As said above, it is clear that Moon Shadows is a magazine produced with love. I’d encourage everyone to take a look at it to see if it is right for them.
As for SageWoman, it has increased its scope in recent issues. There are now columns dedicated to the Maiden, Mother and Crone. I really like SageWoman, partly because there are very few women in my life whom I can talk to about spiritual matters.