The Witches' Voice (WitchVox) was an online information and networking resource for the Wiccan and Pagan community. It is a non-profit organization founded and run by Wren Walker and Fritz Jung in 1997. It won Peoples' Choice under Spirituality in the 2002 Webby Awards,[3] and is considered one of the "most extensive" Pagan websites.[4] The organization's website was retired on December 31, 2019.[1][2]
 | |
 Screenshot of The Witches' Voice site as of 7 June 2010 | |
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | December 31, 2019[1][2] |
| Owner | The Witches' Voice Inc. |
| Created by | Wren Walker and Fritz Jung |
| Commercial | no |
| Registration | optional |
| Launched | 1997 |
| Current status | Defunct |
Site features
editThe "Wren's Nest" news section of The Witches' Voice was used as a source for other Pagan publications.[5] The site includes posts by businesses and individuals, semi-monthly essays submitted by users, columns by regular contributors, and a monthly selection of Pagan musicians and bands. Witchvox also includes Witches of the World, which facilitates networking among site members and groups.
Since 2000, The Witches’ Voice included a section called “Bardic Circle” which is “a gathering… to share stories, magic and music”.[6] While this is traditionally done in a wooded area around a campfire, The Witches’ Voice invited NeoPagan musicians to share their music in downloadable mp3 files with Witches around the world. Some of the best musical artists and bands in NeoPagan circles participated over a ten-year period, including: Gaia Consort, Damh the Bard, SONA, Isaac Bonewits, Loke E Coyote. Beltana. sede, Magicfolk, Abigail Spinner McBride, Telling Point, The Reverend Rat, Cassandra Syndrome, Jhenah Telyndru, Lady Isadora, KIVA, Tribeworld Ensemble, Jay Atwood (who played didgeridoo for Wicked Tinkers and their album Banger for Breakfast), Tiffany Moon, Soren, Madd Mother Moose and Kari Tauring.[7]
The Witches' Voice was the largest international Neopagan site, with thousands of personal notices from users seeking to network with each other.[8]
Awards
editThe Witches' Voice received the People's Choice Webby Award for Spirituality in 2002 as a result of a write-in campaign.[9] The site was one of only two People's Choice winners which had not been nominated for the award that year.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Rollins, J. Michael (5 January 2020). "Pioneer Witchvox shuts down and ends an era | News, Paganism, Witchcraft, World". The Wild Hunt. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ a b Mankey, Jason (19 November 2019). "The Witches' Voice is Shutting Down". Patheos. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ a b "2002 Webby Awards". Webby Awards. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
- ^ Cowan, Douglas E. (2005). Cyberhenge: modern Pagans on the Internet. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-96910-7. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ BlackCat. "Modern Witches Connect on the Internet". Widdershins: the Northwest Pagan's Choice. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
- ^ "INDEX: Bardic Circle". www.witchvox.com. Archived from the original on 2002-03-17.
- ^ http://www.witchvox.com/music/xbardic.html Archived 2002-03-17 at the Wayback Machine see left sidebar
- ^ Johnston, Hannah E.; Peg Aloi (2007). The new generation witches: teenage witchcraft in contemporary culture. Ashgate Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-0-7546-5784-2. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ Ardinger, Barbara (2007). Pagan Every Day: Finding the Extraordinary in Our Ordinary Lives. Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. ISBN 978-1-57863-332-6.
External links
edit- The Witches' Voice archive from the Internet Archive