Welcome to the Summer Solstice 2020 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer! 

Our theme for this issue is Holy Days. Every tradition has its sacred festivals and important dates. Some center around Deities, others around the change of the seasons. Some focus on ancestors, others on historical incidents. This issue of Eternal Haunted Summer features poems and short fiction which address all of these types of Holy Days.

The Wheel of the Year appears in a number of works in our Poetry section. Kim Malinowski addresses two opposing Holy Days in “At the Crossroads: Beltane and Samhain,” while Clay F. Johnson’s “The Fires of Ecstasy at Samhuinn” is a dark and sensual meditation on that ancient tradition. Michele Merkel’s “Mabon’s Melodies” is a howl in the darkness, while Lynette Mejía’s “Quarter/Cross-Quarter” echoes through the year as mortals and Deities alike celebrate the passage of the seasons. “Black Cat Chant” by Ashley Dioses is an evocation of feline familiars, while “Pumpkins” by KA Opperman is an homage to that most emblematic of fruits. Fiona Pitt-Kethley makes her EHS debut “The Chicken Mine,” which calls us to seek and find the sacred in humble and hidden ruins, while Colleen Anderson reminds us in “Dithyrambos” that any night can be sacred when a God is given welcome. Cathy Bryant makes her debut with the Welsh-inspired “Golowan,” while Adam Golaski brings ancient rites into the modern world in “June first.” Nicole J. LeBoeuf reminds us of just how hard it can be to leave sacred space and return to mundane reality in “The Mardi Gras Tree,” while devotees of “Marzanna” honor that Goddess on the Spring Equinox in Gerri Leen’s poem. Scott J. Couturier takes us to the most isolated, inhabited island in the world in “Old Year’s Night,” while Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran shows us that activism in defense of creation can be a sacred act in “Tiw, Tiw, Tiw: A Triple Invocation of Tyr for the 2019 Global Climate Strike.” The mother of creation reminds us of our ritual obligations in “To the Goddess” by Jennifer Crow, while Elizabeth Davis teaches us that every day is sacred “To the Unknown God.” Finally, witches of every color and gender gather in Lorraine Schein’s effusive celebration of “Walpurgis Night.”

In our Fiction section, Oliver Leon Porter makes his EHS debut with the bittersweet “Christmas 2019,” while Joel Donato Ching Jacob makes his debut with the Tagalog-inspired “Ginoong Panay.” Daniel Stride’s “The Last Libation” centers around an apocalyptic Anthesteria, while Nicole Rain Sellers makes her first appearance with “The Radix Scripts,” in which a loving mother offers advice to a daughter whose name will echo down through history.

Lastly, Reviews! EHS editor Rebecca Buchanan looks at the paranormal mystery Black in White by JC Andrijeski, while Tom Cabot reviews Lifting the Veil by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone. Shannon Connor Winward delves into the eco-mythical Trinity Sight by Jennifer Givhan, while Erin Lale addresses What Does Heathenry Mean? by Garman Lord.

Enjoy! And Happy Solstice!     

Welcome to the Winter Solstice 2019 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer!

This issue, our theme is “The Americas.” In this brief, but beautiful addition to EHS, contributors were invited to explore and celebrate the many native traditions of the Americas: two continents, two hemispheres, numerous islands, mountains and deserts and plains and jungles, thousands of years, and hundreds of different cultures. In Poetry and Fiction, you will find verses and short stories about indigenous Gods and spirits, native-born ghosts and haunts, syncretic Deities and traditions born of the (often forced) fusion of peoples and beliefs, and new practices based on ancient techniques; followed by the Essay “Love Under Will,” which explores the teachings and precursors of Thelema. 

Our Special Feature comes courtesy of Jennifer Lawrence. It’s “Frostbite and Iron,” part two of Salt and Glass. Part One can be found in the Winter Solstice 2018 issue of EHS.

The issue closes with Reviews of books about magical societies, dwarves, BDSM, the end of the world, and much more.

As always, enjoy the issue! And if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at lyradora@yahoo.com!

Welcome to the Summer Solstice 2019 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer!

Our theme this season is The Planets and Stars. Contributors were invited to explore the intersections of astronomy, astrology, mythology, spirituality, and faith. Here, you will find Poetry inspired by asteroids and constellations, divine lovers and fallen tricksters, beguiling Goddesses and lustful Gods, all courtesy of Hayley Arrington, Scott J.Couturier, Deborah L. Davitt, Ashley Dioses, Denise Dumars, Marianne Gambaro, Andrea Gustafson, Juleigh Howard-Hobson, Clay F. Johnson, Nicole J. LeBeouf, Mary Soon Lee, Kim Malinowski, Avra Margariti, K.A. Opperman, and Kim Whysall-Hammond. As well as Fiction about true love, the deaths of planets, and astrological personalities, courtesy of Maxwell Gold, Gerri Leen, and Chris Wheatley. 

Our Special Feature, set on the Lancashire coast of northwest England, comes courtesy of author, poet, and mystic, Lorna Smithers.

Interviews find us sitting down with Daniel Cureton, editor of Enheduanna: A Pagan Literary Journal; Galina Krasskova, author Living Runes and A Guide to Modern Heathenry; Erin Lale, author of Asatru for Beginners and participant in the Heathen Visibility Project; and Dagulf Loptson, author of Playing With Fire.

Finally, check the Reviews section for analyses of poetry collections, urban fantasy, practical devotional work, Norse mythology, and witchcraft.

As always, enjoy the issue and, if you have any comments or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at lyradora@yahoo.com.

Welcome to the Winter Solstice 2018 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer!

This issue marks a noted change from previous issues. To begin, this is the first to be centered around a single theme: The Dark Spirits of Winter. Second, this issue marks the debut of our new Special Feature, a story specially commissioned just for Eternal Haunted Summer.

The Dark Spirits of Winter. What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? Frost giants? Malevolent ice spirits? The sun at her height? Here, you will find Poetry, Fiction, and an Essay which explore the many different Gods, Goddesses, spirits, powers, and moods associated with the winter season. Some of these welcome the winter season; others dread it; some retell the myths of the Deities of winter; others (re)imagine these Deities or create entirely new powers.

Our first Special Feature comes courtesy of Jennifer Lawrence, a widely-published poet and short story author. Here, she offers the first part of her polytheist urban fantasy, “Salt and Glass.”

This issue also includes Interviews with three noted authors: Edward P. Butler, author, philosopher, and theologian; KA Opperman, poet of the weird and horrific; and Lorna Smithers, a Brythonic awenydd and blogger. 

Finally, the Reviews included in this issue cover everything from myth-based music to a myth-based play to books on Baba Yaga, chaos heathenry, Inanna, a magical mystery, story creation, and so much more!

As always, please post your comments, thoughts, concerns, and inspirations in the comment section. And enjoy the issue!

Welcome to the Summer Solstice 2018 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer!

There are lots of debuts!

In Poetry, Katherine Heigh looks to Northern European lore for “(Almost) Magic,” while Ashley Dioses calls on the “Fae of Forests.” Ngo Binh Anh Khoa makes her debut with the Greek-themed “The Fall of Icarus,” as does Clay F. Johnson in his debut, “Finding Hecate.” Max Vitelli looks to the land between the rivers for “Gilgamesh at Enkidu’s Deathbed,” while Louise Wilford calls on the “Goddess” herself. Jennifer Lothrigel makes her debut with “Hymn to Ceres,” while Denise Dumars draws on the indigenous spirituality of the Maya in “Ix Chel and the Rabbit.” Hayley Stone and Eric Pinder also make their debuts with “Lament From the Ruin Mounds” and “The Marathoner,” respectively. Deborah L. Davitt and Alexandra Seidel also draw on Greek myth in their respective poems, “Mother” and “The New Prometheus.” In “Ode to the Gorgon,” K.A. Opperman finds beauty in the monstrous, while Amanda Artemisia Forrester examines Norse myth in “Of Creation.” Sobekreshuten makes her debut with the Egyptian-themed “On the Riverbank,” while Larry D. Thacker’s mystical debut is “So full of light sparkle, this dark mattered formulae.” Robyn Alezanders returns to EHS with “Solace in the Groves,” as does Juleigh Howard-Hobson with her “Sonnet to Freya.” Samson Stormcrow Hayes makes his debut with the LA-based “Summer Solstice Outside the Mount Wilson Observatory,” while Gerri Leen returns to EHS with “Two Long Tails.”

In Fiction, Wondra Vanian makes her debut with the Great Rite-inspired “Lamora’s Initiation.” [Note: adult, erotic content.] Laila Amado makes her first appearance in EHS with the Greek myth-based “Lost and Found,” while Shannon Connor Winward returns with the Orpheus and Eurydice-themed “She Is.”

In Essays, J.D. deHart offers suggestions for “Mythology in the Classroom.”

In Interviews, we sit down with Alura Rose, creator of the Fairy Tale runes; and Kele Lampe, author of the Caitin Ross paranormal mystery series.

Finally, Reviews! Bettina Thiessen looks at Lucya Starza’s Every Day Magic, while Robert Scott delves into Divination: By Rod, Birds, and Fingers. Erin Lale looks at three different titles: Odin: Meeting the Norse Allfather; The Return of Odin; and The First Books of Urglaawe Myths. Last, Caroline Morin examines Jhenah Telyndru’s book on the Welsh Goddess, Rhiannon.

As always, comments and questions are welcome. And enjoy the issue!

Welcome to the Winter Solstice 2017 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer!

“Yuki-onna” (snow woman) from Hyakkai-Zukan by Sawaki Suushi. Image courtesy of wikimedia commons.

In Poetry, Cameron Coulter makes his debut with the haunting “The Anthem of Stardust,” as does Zachary McGar with the Greek-inspired “Apparatus Criticus.” TJ O’Hare returns with “The Divine Hag of the Celts,” while Deborah Davitt looks to ancient Hellas for “Diwia” as does Alison Rumfitt in her EHS debut, “The Fifty Daughters of Danaus.” Allan Rozinski mixes ancient mythology and modern psychology in his debut “In the Labyrinth,” while Evelyn Deshane looks to the Greek Goddess of memory in “Mnemosyne (A Villanelle).” A different Goddess is the focus of Jennifer Lawrence’s “The Morrigan at War,” and Bettina Theissen returns to EHS with “One Spark.” Amy Karon makes her debut with the seasonally-appropriate “Solstice,” while Chelsea Arrington sings the praises of a misunderstood monster in “Sonnet in Honor of Medusa.” Kaye Boesme returns with the angry and challenging “What Remains in the Ruins,” while Kyle Hulbert and Scott J. Couturier make their debuts with “Wolfheart (A Tribute to Skadhi)” and “Yule-Telling,” respectively.

In Fiction, Allie Nelson offers our first-ever Arabic-based fantasy, “Ghazal.” Brenda Anderson mixes and matches pantheons in “Greek God Naming Ceremony,” while Gabriel Ertsgaard makes his debut with “The Nymph Who Couldn’t Dance.” 

SR Hardy returns to EHS in the Essay section in “Ertu Hagr? The Gilded Sow and Esoteric Symbolism in Hreiđar’s Tale.”

Finally, Reviews! EHS editor Rebecca Buchanan delves into A Dance With Hermes by Lindsay Clarke; Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch: An Essential Guide to Witchcraft and The Kitchen Witch’s World of Magical Plants and Herbs by Rachel Patterson; and Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis. Erin Lale looks at four different titles: Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem; In a Cat’s Eye edited by Kelly A Harmon and Vonnie Winslow Crist; Norse Revival: Transformations of Germanic Neopaganism by Stefanie von Schnurbein; and Worshiping Loki: A Short Introduction by Silence Maestas. iPagan, edited by Trevor Greenfield, and The Way of the Lover: Sufism, Shamanism, and the Spiritual Art of Love by Ross Heaven are reviewed by Evelyn Deshane. Pagan Portals: Gwyn ap Nudd by Danu Forest is reviewed by both Hayley Arrington and by Nicole Perkins, while Chelsea Arrington looks at Pagan Portals: Have a Cool Yule: How To Survive (and Enjoy) the Mid-Winter Festival by Mélusine Draco. Finally, Rex Butters offers his thoughts on Spirits of the Sacred Grove: The World of a Druid Priestess by Emma Restall Orr. 

Enjoy the issue! And Happy Solstice!

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Welcome to the Summer Solstice 2017 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer!

There are quite a few debuts in our Poetry section. Amelia Gorman opens with the Greek-inspired “3000 Daughters of Ocean,” followed by Deborah Guzzi’s haunting “The Breaking of the Waters.” “The Drowsing God” marks Deborah Davitt’s debut (following her interview last issue), as does “Eleionomae” by Neva Bryan. Avalon Graves appears here for the first time with “The Elements,” as does Kate Garrett with the Welsh-inspired “Feathers, petals, fur, bone.” Jennifer Lawrence turns to (proto)-Hindu lore with “For Agni,” while Colleen Anderson offers an elemental take on cosmogenesis with “Geomystica.” “Honoring Ys” marks Deborah J Brannon’s EHS debut, while Beate Sigriddaughter returns with “If There Were Other Lives.” The Hindu tradition also inspired Kerri-Leigh Grady in her first EHS appearance in “Jai Jai,” while a famous Collier painting inspired KA Opperman’s “Lilith.” Hillary Lyon turns to Greek lore for “Medusa in Her Mirror,” as do Deborah Guzzi in “Missed,” Steven Klepetar in “Narcissus,” and Gerri Leen in “Pomegranates and Ashes.” The mournful “The Popaeg Dirge” highlights Robyn Alezanders’ return to EHS, while Charlotte Ozment first appears with “Quetzalcoatl in a Cowboy Hat.” The Celtic-inspired “The Sionan” by Uche Ogbuji is followed by “Spirit Bottle” by Colleen Anderson, and Jessica Jo Horowitz’ debut, “Split.” The haunting “teenage ghosts” by Evelyn Deshane is followed by Paul Brookes’ experimental “tha may ask thee sen/At the Finish” which tells the same tale in both old and contemporary English. Finally, we round out the section with Kyla Lee Ward’s debut, the Etruscan-inspired “Vanth: A Myth Derived.”

Next up, Fiction! The sweetly romantic “Bonfire Night” by JA Grier (her first appearance in EHS), is followed by Brenda Noiseux’ “Languid Solstice” (also a first!). Next is the primal “Lupercalia” by H Pueyo (another debut!), followed by Ed Ahern’s return in which he draws upon Oglala lore for “Wooing Wohpe.”

The Essay section is graced by the alchemical thoughts of Gary D Aker in “Eight Minutes to Reach the Sun?” 

Our Interviews section includes digital sit-downs with Kathy Crabbe, artist, astrologer, and spiritual counselor; Math Jones, poet and songwriter, and creator of eaglespit; Lorna Smithers, author of the Brythonic- and eco-based, The Broken Cauldron; and Jhenah Telyndru, editor, author, and creator of The Avalonian Oracle.

Finally, Reviews! Rex Butters digs into The Broken Cauldron by Lorna Smithers, while EHS editor Rebecca Buchanan looks at Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford and PS I Spook You by SE Harmon. Hayley Arrington and Evelyn Deshane both offer their thoughts on The Madness and the Magic by Sheena Cundy, while Erin Lale looks at Neolithic Shamanism by Raven Kaldera and Galina Krasskova, and The Secret Life of Lady Liberty by Robert Hieronymus and Laura E Cortner. Finally, Evelyn Deshane rounds out the issue with their analysis of Pagan Portals: By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root by Melusine Draco.

As always, feel free to leave any thoughts or comments or questions. And, enjoy!

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Welcome to the Winter Solstice 2016 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer! In honor of the season, here is “Pythagoreans Celebrate the Sunrise” by Fyodor Bronnikov.

In Poetry, Hayley Arrington makes her EHS debut with “Antlered Mother” and the regal “Brigantia,” while Evelyn deShane looks to Greek lore for their “Artemis and Orion.” Jennifer Lawrence draws on three different world mythologies for her poems — “The Cailleach’s Season” (Gaelic), “Kingly” (Celtic), and “Väinämöinen Sings” (Finnish) — while Kim Malinowski makes her debut with the haunting “Chor-Hani.” Steven Klepetar returns to EHS with “Horses of the Sun,” while Cynthia Anderson offers the seasonally-appropriate “Krampus.” Lynette Mejia turns to Hellenic mythology for her triptych “Leda / Medusa / Persephone,” while Heddy Johannessen explains the “Lessons From the Goddess.” Angelica Fuse makes her debut with “Lunatic Moon,” while Sally Nemesis draws on British tradition for “Misrule at Yule.” Greek mythology also inspires both Neile Graham and Sandi Leibowitz in “Persephone Crosses the Styx” and “Psyche’s Lamp,” respectively. Brendan McBreen writes of the “Sacrifice” demanded by the Muses in his debut work, while John W. Sexton sings of the beautiful “Sappho and the Woman of Starlight.” Nick Carter and Adele Gardner both return to EHS with “Spanning Years” and “Spell For a Friend,” respectively, while Ashley Dioses turns to Roman mythology and celestial lore for “Venus.” Finally, Liz Tetu makes his debut with “Whitchman,” as does Robert Beveridge with “Wild Huntress.”

In Fiction, Gary D. Aker returns to EHS with the eco-mythological “New Servant of the Hive.” Allister Nelson debuts with the Greek-inspired “Prometheion,” which explores what happened after Prometheus left Olympus with that stalk of flame. Gerri Leen also looks to Hellenic lore for her modern take on an old tale in “Sepulchre for the Stolen” (note: adult content).

In Interviews, we sit down for a Fast Five with Deborah Davitt, author of the magical alternate history series, The Edda-Earth Saga.

Finally, Reviews! Evelyn deShane delves into Arc of the Goddess by Rachel Patterson and Tracey Roberts, and Fairycraft: Following the Path of Fairy Witchcraft  by Morgan Daimler. Erin Lale looks at the The Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic by Claude Lecouteux; Icelandic Magic: Practical Secrets of the Northern Grimoires by Stephen E. Flowers; and When God Isn’t Green: A World-Wide Journey to Places Where Religious Practice and Environmentalism Collide by Jay Weller. The Goddess in America: The Divine Feminine in Cultural Context, edited by Trevor Greenfield, is reviewed by Caroline Moran, while Shannon Connor Winward examines the poetry collection, Listening For Their Voices by Jennifer Lawrence. And Juli D. Revezzo digs into Witch’s Moonstone Locket by Marsha A. Moore.

As always, enjoy!

Welcome to the Summer Solstice 2016 issue of Eternal Haunted Summer! In honor of the season, “Midsummer” by Albert Moore.

In Poetry, Tahni J Nikitins returns to EHS with the Loki-centric “April Fools” and “For Beltane,” while Clint Wastling makes his EHS debut with the haunting “Avebury.” Steven Klepetar offers us three works based on Norse mythology: “Balder Rises,” “The Dreaming Norns,” and “Loki Invents the Net.” Hillary Lyon looks south to Greece for the inspiration behind “Charon’s Exchange,” as does Samson Hayes with his EHS debut, “Demeter’s Song.” “The Faerie Knoll” by Dan Stride marks his debut, as well, while Jennifer Lawrence returns with “Golden Delicious” and the Celtic-inspired “Keening.” Lauren Messenger turns to Egypt for the inspiration for her poem “Heqat,” while Kyle Opperman looks to Rome in the gothic “Invocation of Diana.” Two works based on the myths of the north come to us courtesy of Erin Lale in “The Knot of Odin” and Gloria Steele-Hatten in her EHS debut, “Odinson.” Three other debuts are “Pyrrha” by Neile Graham, the underworld-themed “Remembering to Eat” by Amelia Gorman, and “Sister Owl” by John W Sexton. Finally, Allison Leigh Lilly returns to EHS with “Wishing Well.”

In Fiction, Sylvia Kelso looks to the mysterious land of Kush for her high adventure tale, “The Horses of Buhen,” while Hillary Lyon brings ancient Goddesses into the modern world with “Yard Sale of the Fates.”

In Essays, Gary D Aker offers “Sowelu: A Sermon on the Old Gods,” while Gerri Leen digs into pop culture and cinema in “Wonder Woman in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice — How Did They Do?”

In Interviews, we sit down with Alicia Cole, author and founder of Priestess and Hierophant Press; Nina Kossman, artist and editor of Gods and Mortals; and Galina Krasskova, artist and author of Nine for Odin.

Finally, in Reviews we look at Bone Swans by CSE Cooney, The Riddle of the Sands by Geoffrey Knight, and We are traveling in dark at tremendous speeds by Sarah Sadie (all reviewed by EHS editor Rebecca Buchanan). Erin Lale delves into The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance by Elizabeth Wayland Barber, Domino by Kia Heavey, and Pagan Planet edited by Nimue Brown. TJ O’Hare examines Enochian Wars: Armageddon Unleashed by Julius Palumbo and Planet of the Magi by Erin Lale. And, last but not least, Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible’s Harlot Queen by Lesley Hazleton is reviewed by Tahni J Nikitins.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to post them or email the editor at lyradora@yahoo.com. And, as always, enjoy!