Thursday, June 24, 2021

Hexagon Astrology Magazine: A Blazing, Shooting Star of an Astrological Publication (2015 - 2016)

 
Hexagon Astrology Magazine: Smart. Sharp. Subversive. 

Hexagon Astrology Magazine was a blazing, shooting star of a publication that ran for three white-hot issues (Summer 2015, Spring 2016, and Summer 2016). Hexagon burned brilliantly and brightly for a short time and left a lasting impression. I can't even express the Herculean effort that went into this publication by its creator, Editor, and contributing writer Matt Savinar. It was a near-otherwordly feat, and I don't use that phrase lightly. Epic effort by Matt and secondarily, by others who contributed to the making of this magazine. 

Hexagon Astrology Magazine was available by subscription or at Barnes and Noble bookstores across the United States. My copies of Hexagon are among my most cherished possessions!

A lot of the articles I contributed to Hexagon are available (in pre-edited form) on the blog, linked below for your perusal: 


 Hexagon Issue #1 - Summer 2015

Hexagon #1, Summer 2015 - Ladies of the Zodiac...It's Showtime! by Willow

Hexagon #1, Summer 2015 - Sagittarius Season Storytime and Tales from the Fascist Police State by Willow (Updated to "Tales from the Police State" in the magazine.)  

Hexagon #1, Summer 2015 - Saturn in Libra and Beauty at Every Age - AKA Society (Libra) Makes Me Tired (Saturn) by Willow (Updated to "Saturn in Scorpio and Beauty at Any Age" to reflect the Saturn in Scorpio transit at the time of the magazine's publication.) 

 

Hexagon Issue #2 - Spring 2016

Hexagon #2, Spring 2016 - Saturn in Sagittarius: Freeing Suppressed Truths With Our Blazing Arrows of Righteousness by Willow (This was a patron article, available in full only to patrons or in this issue of Hex Mag!)

 

 Hexagon Issue #3 - Summer 2016

Hexagon #3, Summer 2016 - Pluto in Capricorn and the Plutonic Sociological Imagination by Willow 

Hexagon #3, Summer 2016 - The Astrology of the Punk Movement by Willow

 

Hexagon was first published with transiting Mars in Leo and Venus retrograde in Leo. Lots of style, lots of fun and funky expression, and lots of creative mojo. Creative mojo with an edge!

Transiting Mars is currently in early Leo, just as it was on the day of Hexagon's launch, and Venus will enter Leo on June 26, repeating that astrological signature, as well. Winged messenger Mercury is in Gemini (magazines, media, perspectives) under today's professionally-oriented Capricorn Full Moon, and all this makes it a good time to retrospectively appreciate the creative endeavour that was Hexagon.

Matt's note to readers in the first issue of Hexagon:

"The magazine's ultimate intent is, in effect, to function as an alliance of, by, and for people who's perspectives - both astrological and otherwise - have, until now, gone largely unrecognized."
 

I very much appreciate that intention. 

Though I'm a trained journalist and have had my writing published in newspapers and magazines (both mainstream and alternative), no existing astrological publication would have published my punk/anarchist astrology writing - at least, not without extensive editing that would have gutted the articles - so I was very grateful to be included in this exciting endeavour along with many talented and outside-the-norm astrologers. 

I have to say, Matt's editing was so very skilled. I've had some really bad experiences with editors in the past, and as a result, I don't usually enjoy offering my articles up to others in that way. Matt had a light touch as an editor, allowing the true spirit and rawness of the articles to shine through, and the edits he did make always made the finished article better. I can't say that about any of the editors I've worked with in the past, so that is high praise coming from me.

I'm not a person who can change herself (or her work) to be more palatable, popular, or profitable. It's an impossibility. So it's near-miraculous that Matt could not only roll with what I was throwing down, but roll beautifully with it.

Hexagon Astro Mag brought together a truly beautiful mix of astrological voices. Alas, too beautiful for this world... 

Some of the contributing astrologers and writers were: me, Matt Savinar, Jenn Zahrt, Jason Fleming, Austin Coppock, Michael Lutin, Jen Julius, Samuel Reynolds, Madame Zolonga, Yerevan Yacoubian, Joanne Bezzina, Nick Dagan Best, Carrie Davoli, Andrea Gehrz, Mystic Medusa, Kimberly Peta Dewhirst, Lada Duncheva, Denise Menton, Mecca Woods, Heather Renee Horton, Elodie Miaow, and Vanessa Guazzelli Paim. I hope I haven't missed anyone, but let me know in the comments if so, and I can update the list.

I'd also like to recognize that Willow's Web Astrology readers made up the largest cumulative contribution to the Kickstarter campaign that launched the magazine. (So said Matt.) Thank-you so much to all the contributors for supporting indy astrology and indy astrological publications. Thank-you for recognizing the value of independent astrological perspectives and offerings, even when they exist outside standard channels.

Above all, thank-you for your heart, your vision, and your hard work, Matt.

I Love Hex Mag!

Very sadly, Novalee Truesdell, the model on the cover of the first two issues of Hexagon, passed away in a vehicle collision on April 26, 2018. She was 37 years old and was the founder of an animal rescue called Blossom Animal Rescue in Nevada County, California. Thank-you for bringing your beauty to Hexagon Magazine and for your heartfelt love and compassion for animals, Novalee.  

Hexagon described itself as smart, sharp, and subversive, and it was certainly all three of those things. I don't know if there will ever be an astrology publication as cool as this again, but if there is, Hexagon blazed the trail and set the standard.

No comments: