Witch Mom Raves: BIG Kids Magazine

I read a lot of blogs: pagan blogs, blogs by marginalized voices, political blogs, artist blogs, and mommy blogs. The mommy blogs that I read tend to be folks who practice attachment or natural parenting styles and I often discover neat new stores that have natural items for Rowan on them. I tend to follow the various links and see what I find. On one such blog, I found a link to a new magazine for kids out of Australia called BIG. (BIG stands for Bravery, Imagination, and Generosity) It is an unusual magazine in that it is child driven, and the adults (who are all artists) who help to publish it guide the kids do the writing and artwork.

I was excited to see how the magazine accomplished such a lofty goal. The magazine industry is a hard one to make work, especially in the long run. Heck, print in general! So when I got my review copy, I was seriously impressed! This is as high a quality magazine as many of the other art magazines out there: on thick stock, a matte finish, with a great fresh layout. It's also an envronmentally friendly magazine, with vegetable based ink and recycled, chlorine-free paper stock.

There is painting, drawing, poetry, writing and interviews, all done by kids. From the magazine:
BIG stands for Bravery, Imagination, and Generosity. BIG is committed to partnering organisations that protect, support, and enrich the lives of children. BIG prioritises inclusion and encourages the growth of compassionate and tolerant communities. BIG challenges hierarchies of who is listening and who is speaking, and amplifies small voices in big ways. BIG is a poetic and tangible place of ongoing discovery. Read their manifesto!

I especially love the side-by-side interview feature- one is called Big People Grown (an interview of an adult) and the other facing page is called Big People Growing (an interview of a kid). The interviews of adults are of artists, performers, and scientists- in other words, inspiration for the growing people reading the magazine.

Kids contribute black and white pictures that serve as coloring pages for other kids. And one lucky artist gets a loose print in the magazine, suitable for framing. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to be a contributing kid artist and be selected for such an honor? I mean, when you get hung on the fridge its a big deal- but having your work distributed to thousands of others in a print magazine? Wow.

Rowan is a little young for this magazine now (being less than 2) but you can bet I will be subscribing when he gets older! It's expensive, but not only are you paying to support a worthy project that inspires kids (including your own), but your subscription includes donating copies to those who cannot afford one. I think $35 (Australia), $49 (Asia Pacific) and $59 (the rest of the world) is a fair price for a such a great project.

Witch Mom Raves: The Garden Song

This is a song that can be taken literally, or teach a much deeper lesson to older children.

Sing along!

Garden Song by David Mallett

CHORUS:
Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
Gonna mulch it deep and low
Gonna make it fertile ground

Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please keep them safe below
'Till the rain comes tumbling down

Pullin' weeds and pickin' stones
We are made of dreams and bones
Need a place to call my own
'Cause the time is close at hand

Grain for grain, sun and rain
Find my way in nature's chain
Till my body and my brain
Tell the music of the land

CHORUS

Plant your rows straight and long
Season with a prayer and song
Mother Earth will make you strong
If you give her loving care

Witch Mom Raves! Fred Small

From time to time, I hope to share with you something that I have discovered that I love for me, my son, or my family. Something that fits in to our witchy worldview, helps us as parents, or is just generally awesome.

The first thing I have to share with you is a song. This song is a lullaby, but more than that- it expresses a worldview that I share and want to have my son exposed to. When I sang it for the parents at Pagan Playdate, they were moved to tears.

The song is called "Everything Possible" and it was written by folk singer Fred Small. (See also this link for him.) I was taught this song by my doula, who sang this song for her daughter (now in her 20's).

I am posting the lyrics below the embedded video (of another singer covering this tune with a lovely glockenspiel accompaniment). If you want to learn it, it's helpful to sing along to the video playing while reading the song lyrics as you go.


 Everything Possible

We've cleared off the table, leftovers saved
Washed the dishes and put them away
I've told you a story and tucked you in tight
At the end of your knockabout day

As the moon sets her sails to carry you to sleep
Over the midnight sea
I will sing you a song no one sang to me
May it keep you good company

Chorus:
Well, you can be anybody you want to be
You can love whomever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know that I will love you still

You can live by yourself
You can gather friends around
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds 
Will be the love you leave behind when you're gone

There are girls who grow up strong and bold
There are boys quiet and kind
Some race on ahead, some follow behind
Some go in their own way and time

Some women love women
Some men love men
Some raise children, some never do
You can dream all the days never reaching the end of everything  possible for you.

Don't be rattled by names, by taunts, by games
But seek out spirits true
If you give your friends the best part of yourself
They'll give the same back to you

(chorus, repeating last two lines for the finish)