Wild Magic
Celebrating The Earth Throughout The Year Coloring Book
Words by Lichen June and Artwork by Kerry V. McQuid

On the front of this very creative coloring book reads the words, A coloring and creativity book for all ages?. Being the skeptic that I am I looked at it and studied it very closely and saw a dragon, lion, some sunflowers, clouds, the sun, a candle and then slowly a smile brightened across my face as I realized I was looking at the Sabbats and Esbats of the Pagan tradition. I thought to myself, ?finally something new, different and refreshing?. So I opened the cover to read it instead of setting it aside and moving on to the next book waiting to be reviewed.
What a surprise awaits you! The authors have outdone themselves with this coloring book. This is a must have for your pagan children and even those of you who want to teach your non-pagan children about the Pagan Religion. The book is done in such a fashion that while a child can enjoy the coloring and enjoy learning, I have to say that I, myself enjoyed reading and gaining a new prospective of the holidays myself. I even created my own Magic Star, which now hangs, above my altar.
Lichen and Kerry have quite simply taken their skills to explain in simple English all about Sabbats and Esbats with words and pictures so that people of all ages can easily grasp the holidays. They also explain the symbols of Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Spirit. The pictures are simple but once colored in or even painted can be framed for your children?s room or possible for a special place on your altar during that special holiday season.
I give Wild Magic Coloring Book my highest rating of 5 Stars

You can order Wild Magic by going to:
www.lichenjune.com/wildmagic

Don't wait until the last minute you will be so disappointed if they run out and your witchling doesn't have one on Yule.

Interview with Lichten June and Kerry V. McQuid:

I had the opportunity to speak with Lichten and Kerry regarding the making of Wild Magic and also their careers and lives:

PaganPages: (PP) I have to say how surprised I was in this coloring/informational/craft book. I see hundred of books annually and this is the first one that I have run across that has peaked my interest enough for children that I personally purchased 2 for my nieces. Job well done to both of you. With that said I have to ask what was your inspiration?

Lichen June: (LJ) Thank you. Wow. Well, I think there were a number of things. I wanted to buy a book like this and no one else had created it yet, so perhaps necessity was the mother! I really wanted something that embraced relationship with the earth and captured the heart of the energy in each sabbat and element in a very simple and blessing way. And I also wanted something that involved the reader/artist in a creation all their own. That is one of the things that really stands out for me about the pagan path, that it is about each persons direct relationship with nature, with spirit, and that we all have the power and responsibility to participate in creation.

PP: Lichen, I noticed that you chose the shamanic traditions of the native peoples of Europe are you from Europe? I ask as I am Cherokee and was curious why you felt Native people only came from Europe? I did read that your ancestors are Celtic and European were they also both Shaman and Celtic?

LJ: It was important to me to address in my intro that there are tens of thousands of different native traditions around the globe. All humans where once tribal, living in relationship with the earth, and all people have native ancestors from somewhere. It is just a question of how far back you have to go in history to find when a particular group was brutally murdered or assimilated as civilization metastasized across the globe. Kerry and I were both born in the US, but our ancestors were Celtic and Europian, so we have the challenge and the honor of reclaiming the traditions of our heritage that were suppressed so very long ago. We are attending the local Highland Games tomorrow were we will find a variety of pagan traditions mixed in with the vendors selling Celtic crosses and clan tartans. It is wonderful to share some of the traditions of our Scottish ancestors and we don't mind the men in kilts either! (laughter) But seriously, I feel I would have no right to speak of Native American traditions because I am not Native American and I would have even less right to publish a book and make profit on a culture not my own. Though I have a great love and respect for Native cultures in the US, especially the cedar and salmon peoples here in my home of the NW. I grew up visiting the Lelooska Foundation's living history programs (link: http://www.lelooska.org/), and it was Chief Lelooska who first inspired me to be a storyteller.

PP: Kerry Your ability to catch the symbolism of each holiday was totally refreshing and eye catching. With each page as I read Lichen's words and looked at your expressions on the pages I could easily relate and see what she was saying. That, my dear makes you a very talented artist! Did this come easy to you? Did you see the drawings first and Lichen write the page or visa versa? How did pages come together? You seem to work so very well as a team.

Kerry McQuaid (KM): First of all, thank you so much for your kind words about the book and about my drawings. After she had the initial idea for the book, Lichen did the research on the Sabbats and the Elements/Directions and made lists of all the different symbols and images that went with each. I then went away and worked out compositions that encompassed as many of the things as possible. Some were relatively easy to plan out, Water never changed much from the first sketch, Yule had to change completely a couple of times as the earlier drawings didn't end up working. Luckily Lichen and I do work really well together, we have been so close for so long, and know each other really well, and trust each other. I think that is really key. Any constructive criticism from her really is just that.

PP: It appears that the pages are created so that once colored or painted the owner can separate them and frame them or use them near their sacred space on the Sabbats or Esbats or as symbols. Was that part of your intentions. I fell in love with your Spirit and Earth pages and I myself have them frames up in my sacred space, which is why I ask?

LJ: Hooray! Yes, that was my original vision, to give people an image and brief text that could be used as blessing or mediation for alters and sacred space.

KM: I love the idea of people enjoying the pictures enough to hang them on their wall. It's also kind of nice because with a coloring book the art that happens is not just mine, it's also the co-creation of whoever colored it. That is a kind of magic in itself, which is brilliant!

PP: Lets talk a little about you, your passions, your family, what's in your future plans. How did you two become a team?

KM: My passions, I love drawing, I love my cats, I love my family, I love trees, and I love Beethoven. My family is great, really supportive of my art career. My Grandmother on `my Dad's side was an artist; I think that's where I get it from. My sister Chelsea is an artist too, she's a painter and an interior designer, and so it runs in the family a little. We are terrible at math though, so it's give and take.

LJ: I love the natural world and hope to do more work in nature education, and I have a new book I am very excited about writing called, ?The Teenagers Guide To Sex and Death.? I love creating whether it is a piece of non-fiction, poetry, drawing, singing, directing theatre, quilting, creating sacred space, or simply baking a pie. My family is amazing. My folks are activists who love the natural world, all credit for my name goes to them! And I recently adopted two older children who are a great part of my inspiration. My daughter, Losgunna, is a prolific and passionate writer and my son, Liam, is an extraordinary young artist. Their creativity is awesome and their embracing the healing and energy of the natural world is a gift.

PP: Lichen I have done my research and know that you have your hands into many other areas as well, would you like to talk to us a little about that? I believe you are a Director, Stuntwomen, participated in the Voices readings held in Portland this past May 2008. You are quite a busy woman. What inspires you?

LJ: Kerry inspires me! Check out her website:
http://www.kerrymcquaid.com/
I think we make each other better artists because we delight in entertaining each other. I so look forward to working on projects together.
As for directing theatre, that leads back to my love of story telling. On stage or on the page I love crafting a rich and textured experience that is both challenging and inspiring. I really believe in empowering people to be more true to them, to listen to their gut and what the world is telling them, to dream bigger dreams, to question everything that their culture has taught them and find their own path. Ha, I've been told I basically only think big!
My career in stunts was brief and glorious. I had a lovely adventure working in New Zealand with some of the best men and women you'll ever meet. It was a grand adventure until I got broken and had to come home. I'm writing an autobiographical book about those misadventures, you can find a little about that at my website:
http://www.lichenjune.com/
I was actually co-producer of the Voices charity event in Portland. One of the things I am most proud of is helping to publicize historian Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's wonderful and important book, Voices of a People's History of the United States.? At the Portland event we were honored to have an amazing cast from across the country including actor Viggo Mortensen, musician Eddie Vedder, performance poet Staceyann Chin, Native poet and musician Trevino Brings Plenty, and many others. Matt Damon is making a movie using some of the voices events across the country and you can see the preview here:
http://howardzinn.org/video/thepeoplespeak.mov
I am also an LMT, and I do a little work at Ruhl Bee Supply in Gladstone: http://www.ruhlbeesupply.com/ I love bees! And I love working with beekeepers and folks who care about the environment. What was the question! Inspiration... my guides and ancestors help me so much every day, and I am humble knowing that the words don't come from me but through me. I am happy to be there to catch them. Well, that's a long enough list!

PP: Lichen, born in Oregon, you have done work in Portland is it safe to say you live in Oregon? Is there anyone special in your life? Family, pets, that special someone

LJ: Yes, I live in Oregon. I've spent time in Michigan, Iowa, England, and New Zealand, and I love things about all those places but for me Oregon is still the most beautiful place in the world. I am currently single and just enjoying being a new mom. We share our farm with many goats and cats and a beautiful family of skunks who calmly wander our yard in the evening.

PP: Kerry you are a graphic designer and photographer. We have something in common in many years ago (I am telling my age here LOL) I was once a professional photographer in the musical field. I have seen your work what is your favorite subject to photograph? You can tell us, I have mine we all do. I have an idea what yours is but I am curious if I am right LOL. I you have a talent for drawing as well, which do you enjoy more.

KM: I love photographing people, especially kids before they get self-conscious. Also flowers, I do crazy macro close-ups of flowers, and anything that has gone rusty I love. Tractors, boats, that kind of thing, when they go rusty they transform in to something beautiful.

PP: Kerry, what is your inspiration? Who do you draw from what makes you get up in the morning? Do you have that special someone in your life, or pets, muse you like us to know about?

KM: My inspiration comes from just listening to my guides. Always remembering that it's not really just me who is doing it, it's them, my spirit guide team. Rah Rah. The sun gets me up in the morning. My bedroom has a big East-facing window; I have no choice, sun rays on the eyeballs. I am currently single its just my gorgeous ragdoll cats Pookie and Max, and me Max was named after the little boy in Where The Wild Things Are. He looks just like him, with the wolf suit.

PP: I am hearing through my crystal ball that you are working on a new book, Lichen is this true and if so, will we at PaganPages get a first peek at it? Knowing your talent I know it's going to be to hit right off the shelf.

LJ: Thank you. Yes, ?Wild Magic? is just the first in this series of creative spiritual books. Next we will be doing Moon Magic and Everyone is Magic, and we look forward to sending you a copy. You can find more about Wild Magic and our upcoming books here: http://www.lichenjune.com/wildmagic.html Thank you for taking the time to chat with us and for the blessings of your enthusiasm and support!

PP: Is there anything either of you would like to tell our readers that I have not asked you?

KM: It sounds corny, but if you have a creative idea you just have to do it yourself. It's so NICE when you finish your project and you can hold it and share it with people, and people actually care!! So, thanks!!
Thank you both for spending this time with our readers and me. I have enjoyed getting to know both of you very much and can?t wait to read your new book.

author: Faith Smith