1 Summer 1999 Issue No. 1. W hat are the needs of Pagan parents and their children? One need that I hear voiced over and over again is the need for more information resources for Pagan families. The existing learning materi- als need to be adapted for use with our children. The past ten years have seen a burst of publishing activity on Paganism and New Age themes. There are several good books published on Pagan parenting. We are developing new tools to create our lifestyles; this newsletter will publish articles for Pagan families seeking ways to build their beliefs into their family life. Depending on where we live, some Pagans must keep their religion “in the broom closet.” Not every neighborhood is a safe place to let your beliefs be known, and raising children in an unfriendly environment is a challenge. How can we teach pride in what we believe if we have to hide? How do we deal with the local school systems or pressure from other family members to change from our “heathen” beliefs? Let’s focus our creativity and develop our ideas in The Blessed Bee. Within these pages we will create a sharing place for Pagan families. Our aim is to be a forum of inspired ideas, opinions and experiences reflecting the myriad of everyday encounters that Contents From the Hive The Buzz The Wise Child Magical Parenting Pagan Homeschooling Mama's Medicine Bag Crafty Ideas Earth Mother Stories Coloring Page The Lesson Breastfeeding Ritual Becoming Demeter Songs for a Pagan (Inner) Child The Poetic Muse Book Reviews A Pagan Family Newsletter The Challenges of Pagan Parenting 2 3 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 16 17 19 22 23 25 by Lauren Foster-MacLeod Pagan family living involves. There are so many variations in Pagan traditions that the approaches seem countless. Though our traditions may vary widely in structure and beliefs we all share in our reverence for this planet. Children start “from the ground up” with their observations of nature and the seasons’ changes; mine have each asked me endless questions about everything imaginable, it seems. We learn together as the wheel of the year rolls along season by season. Some Pagan parents have found their spiritual path before having children while others have turned onto it after becoming parents. How may we apply our beliefs to our child-rearing? What do children think of their parents’ ideas,  whether they are being raised in a Pagan household from birth or are adjusting to their parents finding the Pagan path later on; after being raised in another faith or with none? The Blessed Bee is a place to explore these questions. We are all learning as we live to- gether on this earth that we are a part of.  I know that I learn as much from my children as they learn from me. Now we can “open up the doors,” so to speak, expanding our community of Pagan families. I look forward to hearing from families everywhere on this beautiful planet of ours.