Children of the Earth
Newsletter · United States · 1981–?
Volume I, No. 4 · 1981
About Children of the Earth
Children of the Earth was a newsletter for and by Pagan families. It provided a forum for parents and children to exchange experiences, advice, and ideas about Pagan family life. Contributions included letters, articles, rituals, educational activities, and discussions of raising children within Pagan traditions. CotE featured articles on parenting, homeschooling, unschooling, childbirth, and religious education alongside recipes, book and film reviews, crafts, puzzles, and seasonal activities. Children contributed their own writing and artwork, while letters, pen-pal requests, and community announcements helped connect Pagan families across geographical distances.
Publication Details
-
Title: Children of the Earth
-
Creator/Organization: Children of the Earth (CotE)
-
Author(s): Various contributors, including children
-
Editor: Hestia
-
First publication year: 1981
-
Publication run: 1981–? (documented through 1986)
-
Publisher: Children of the Earth (self-published; no separate organization verified)
-
Place of publication: West Virginia, United States
-
Language: English
-
Frequency: Irregular
-
Subjects/Tags: Pagan parenting, Alternative childrearing, Pagan families, Homeschooling, Unschooling, Deschooling, Alternative education, Childbirth, Homebirth, Midwifery, Children's religious education, Children's rituals, Child autonomy, Gender roles, Alternative family structures, Rites of passage, Pagan seasonal celebrations, Nature-based spirituality, Children's writing and artwork, Parenting support, Pagan community networking, Pen pals and correspondence
-
Tradition(s): Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft
-
Document type: Newsletter
-
Rights status:Copyright asserted by CotE in multiple issues; current rights holder and reproduction permissions unverified.
Publication History
Children of the Earth was established as a participatory forum for Pagan parents and children, the newsletter depended on reader contributions, including articles, letters, personal experiences, artwork, and children's creative work.
In its Samhain 1981 issue, Hestia proposed a quarterly publication schedule corresponding to Samhain, Candlemas, Beltane, and Lammas. In practice, publication remained irregular, shaped by available contributions, production difficulties, and the demands of maintaining a small, independently produced newsletter. Its mailing address changed several times, with issues documenting locations in Philippi, Petersburg, and Keyser, West Virginia, and later Berkeley Springs.
The newsletter's production methods also evolved. By Midsummer 1983, Hestia had introduced computer-based production after the previous printer went bankrupt. In Lammas 1984, she apologized for another lengthy delay, citing computer problems, work pressures, personal changes, and a shortage of submissions.
Following the Lammas 1984 issue, publication ceased for approximately eighteen months. When Children of the Earth returned in Spring 1986, Hestia explained that personal hardships had nearly led her to abandon the project. She reaffirmed its purpose as a reader-created forum for Pagan families and emphasized that future issues would appear whenever sufficient material was received.
Curiosities
Editor Hestia encouraged contributions from both parents and children, including stories, poems, drawings, letters, and activities. Children weren't simply the subject of the publication; they helped create it.
The Candlemas 1982 issue devotes considerable attention to childbirth, featuring personal homebirth experiences, spiritual midwifery, and discussions of hospital versus home births. Throughout its run, the newsletter explored unconventional approaches to education, parenting, and family structures.
“You Know You Have a Pagan Child When…” Issue 13 (Spring 1986) features a humorous collection of observations about Pagan children, including a student selling charms and amulets to classmates, a child requesting Beltane off from school, and another attempting to use ritual magic to pass a test.
Issue 14 (1986) includes an article by Ed Fitch on children's covens, an account of a spring equinox ritual involving children at Aquarian Tabernacle, and a report on a Pagan children's workshop. Contributor Starsight even considers the possibility of organizing a summer Pagan children's camp.
Names & Networks
People: Hestia (editor) · Cloud (contributor) · Ed Fitch (contributor) · Nicola Miles (contributor, Wales) · Nicola Beechsquirrel (newsletter contact, Wales) · Belinda (Pagan Parents' League) · Bone Blossom (Covenant of the Goddess)
Related Publications: Pagan Parents' League Newsletter · The Littlest Unicorn · Pagan Parenting Network Newsletter · Panegyria · Matriarchal Mothers · Silver Web · The Wise Woman · Circle · The Wiccan Way
Organizations & Networks Mentioned: Covenant of the Goddess Children's Committee · Aquarian Tabernacle · Rowan Tree
Browse Available Issues
Access: Digitized issues are freely available through Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, Rowan Tree Church Periodicals Collection (MS/150/5).
1981
1982
1983
1984
1986
Seeking Copies
Issue No. 2 of Children of the Earth has not yet been located in the digitized collection. The publication's complete run also remains unverified, and additional issues may exist beyond No. 14 (1986).
Do you have copies or know where others might be held? We'd love to hear from you. Email us to help document and preserve this publication's history.