The Aurora Boreadean
Magazine · United States · 1981–1984+
Cover Art by Ron Collins
Volume II, No. 2 · 1983
About The Aurora Boreadean
The Aurora Boreadean was the magazine of the Boreadean Order, a Pagan organization based in Watertown, New York whose publications reflect a distinctive blend of Druidry, Celtic religion, and Faerie spirituality. The magazine offers a window into the beliefs, creative work, and everyday community life surrounding the Order during the early 1980s. Its pages range from Druid and Faerie spirituality, ritual, and Celtic religion to gardening, recipes, astrology, book reviews, poetry, puzzles, cartoons, and children's material.
The magazine is especially distinctive for its visual character, with hand lettering, decorative borders, botanical drawings, and original artwork throughout.
Publication Details
-
Title: The Aurora Boreadean
-
Subtitle: Magazine of the Boreadean Order
-
Creator/Organization: Boreadean Order
-
Author(s): Various contributors
-
Editor: DEA
-
First publication year: 1981
-
Publication run: 1981–1984+ [latest issue located]
-
Publisher: The Boreadeans, Ltd.
-
Place of publication: Watertown, New York, United States
-
Language: English
-
Frequency: Eight times annually at quarter and cross-quarter days; later four times annually in double editions
-
Subjects/Tags: Druidry; Faerie traditions; Paganism; Celtic religion and mythology; ritual; seasonal festivals; folklore; comparative religion; shamanism; astrology; psychology; poetry; art; Pagan community
-
Tradition(s): Druidry; Faerie tradition; modern Paganism
-
Document type: Magazine
-
Rights status: Copyrighted; copyright notices identify The Boreadeans, Ltd. and state that material within the magazine remains the property of its authors.
Publication History and Sources
The Aurora Boreadean was initially published eight times a year around the quarter and cross-quarter days of the ritual year. Beginning with Vol. I, No. 6 (Autumn 1982), the publication changed to four issues per year, published as double editions at the cross-quarter days. The American Religions Collection guide documents thirteen issues from 1981 through 1984.
Source: Nontraditional American Religions: Western Esotericism from Witchcraft to the New Age, Part 1: Witchcraft, Paganism, and Magick, American Religions Collection, University of California, Santa Barbara. Reel Guide, The Aurora Boreadean, Reel 3, ARC Accession No. 1206.
Issue dates
The Aurora Boreadean used seasonal names for many of its issues. In the publication, Eilir corresponds to spring, Hefin to summer, Elfed to autumn, and Arthan to winter. Earlier issues also use names including Nollaig, Oidhche Brighid, and Oidhche Bel.
Curiosities
In an autobiographical piece titled “A Little About Me: An Autobiographical Sketch of DEA, by Our Lady of the Workload,” DEA explained that her name was actually composed of three initials, but that their meaning was known to very few people and was something she chose not to reveal publicly. The essay also describes her spiritual path, including her initiation in 1970, her eventual connection with the Faerie Faith, and her involvement with the Druid Faerie Clann.
Source: The Aurora Boreadean, Vol. I, No. 4 (1982), pp. 24–25.
The Boreadean Catalog: The Boreadeans, Ltd. also operated a mail-order catalog from the same 802 Holcomb Street address in Watertown. Advertisements in the magazine promoted thousands of items, including books, robes, courses, altar supplies, and astrology and psychic services.
Browse Available Issues
The following issues of The Aurora Boreadean are available to read through Internet Archive. Thirteen issues dating from 1981 through 1984 have been located, corresponding to the issues documented in the American Religions Collection guide. The complete publication run has not yet been established.
1981
1982
1983
1984
Additional scans: A separate Internet Archive upload contains four alternate scans of issues listed above. According to the uploader, these were digitized from original copies acquired from the estate of DEA (Gael J. Steele). They are included here as alternate digitizations because of their reported provenance. View the additional scans on Internet Archive →