Herbology News // The Bitter Issue by HerbologyNews

Contents

i Editorial Artist of the Month

Kyra Pollitt Alison Cutts

4 5

ii Herb of the Month

Marianne Hughes, Hazel Brady

iii Of Weeds and Weans Past Papers

Joseph Nolan Marianne Hughes

11 14

iv Our Man in the Field….

David Hughes meets Kate Swaine

v Anthroposophical Views Notes from the Brew Room Flower Remedies

Dora Wagner Ann King Anne Dalziel

23 27 29

vi Jazz Ecology Garden Gems

Ramsey Affifi Ruth Crighton-Ward

33 36

vii Foraging Through Folklore The Pagan Page

Ella Leith James Uzzell

39 41

viii StAnza Presents…

Eleanor Livingstone

ix Book Club: Kyra Pollitt reviews The Human Cosmos: A Secret History of the Stars by Jo Marchant (Canongate, 2020) x Contributors Looking Forward

51 56

i: Editorial

Jacob’s join Kyra Pollitt This issue marks six months since we relaunched in our new format. That fact takes a while to digest. It’s been a whirlwind of a journey so far; I learn so much with each issue. There are some columnists— your favourites, I’m sure— who have submitted superb articles every month, without fail. We are truly grateful to this core team. Other columnists, understandably, find they are able to contribute occasionally— perhaps when personal commitments allow, or the time or theme is right. Thanks to all of these efforts, we are now in the enviable position of being approached by new writers, keen to join our ranks. So, we’re beginning to draw together a team of Herbology News Reserves— a group of writers who are either able to contribute a unique column from time to time or are prepared to step in at short order to cover one of the core columns. If you think that’s something you’d like to get involved with, please get in touch. This principle doesn’t only apply to columnists, of course; thus Ella Leith (Foraging through Folklore) will be stepping up to guest edit our May issue. Ideally, we’d like one other person to be a Reserve Editor. If you have that skillset, experience and inclination, please make yourself known. Perhaps you have other skills to contribute? In this issue we’re advertising for a Botanist, and an Astronomer, but behind the scenes we would also welcome someone to manage subscriptions. And we’re always looking for book reviews, so next time you reach for that book you’re really enjoying— or fling that annoying book back on the shelf —reach also for your keyboard and share your thoughts with your HN community. And we really are a community. This month, Maddy and I have been exploring the menu of our new Issuu digital publishing package, taking the wee taster tutorials and generally chewing over all it has to offer. One thing it serves up is a statistical snapshot of readers— we both squealed when we saw the volume and the spread, and we’re delighted to share it with you here. Readers from Around the World

Welcome, one and all. What a wonderful community we’re creating together. Executive Editor Editor Artistic Director Illustrators Treasurer

Catherine Conway-Payne Kyra Pollitt Maddy Mould Maddy Mould, Hazel Brady Marianne Hughes

i: Artist of the Month

Alison Cutts www.alisoncutts.com Dr. Alison Cutts is a botanical artist with a scientific background. She holds a Biology PhD, an RBGE Diploma in Botanical Illustration— which she passed with Distinction —and she is a Fellow Member of the Society of Botanical Artists. Returning to teach at RBGE, she is currently a tutor on the online Certificate in Botanical Illustration. She also works with Newcastle Arts Centre, and with the Natural History Society of Northumbria, where she teaches a variety of botanical and natural history illustration short courses and workshops. Producing formal, technical scientific illustrations suitable for academic papers, textbooks and field guides as well as bold, contemporary illustrations of plants and animals for books and magazines, Alison says: I describe and explain the structures, shapes and textures of plants and animals and the space around them in two dimensions, with or without the use of colour. My illustration process begins with observation. I look, see, analyse and dissect. Then I draw to understand. And then I draw again in response, to explain, interpret and communicate. I work digitally and in a range of traditional media including watercolour, ink and coloured pencil, but always using many elements to build up the image. This could be many tiny dots of ink or many layers of transparent colour. I love drawing in a scientific style and painting complex, textural subjects— cacti and cabbages are some of my favourites, and I enjoy inspiring and helping others to appreciate the beauty and complexity of plants through drawing them. Her recent projects include a scientific drawing of the ‘Edinburgh Potato’ (Solanum × edinense Berthault), published in the latest Sibbaldia and a series of paintings of Tea plants (Camellia sinensis) commissioned for a book on the

history of a Sri Lankan tea growing family. She is currently working on illustrations to explain floral polymorphism in wild Flax plants (Linum trigynum and Linum tenue) for a group at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at the University of Stockholm. Alison has kindly offered a collection of images of the species Brassica oleracea for this month’s Herbology News. As she points out, ‘Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi and a few others are all varieties of the same species— selectively cultivated for characteristics that make good eating’. Follow Alison on Instagram @dr.alison_botanical_artist Cover image: Brussels Sprout Plant Watercolour painting. This is how the sprouts look when they are growing on the plant. The lower leaves fall quickly and, as the sprouts grow larger, they cover many of the scars on the stem where the leaves used to attach. Further images: Image 1, p.7 Brassica oleracea Plate 1 Leafy Growth Traditional ink drawing. This is a wild Cabbage plant I grew from seed collected from a colony on the Northumberland coast. Image 2, p.10 Cruciferae Watercolour painting, ink drawing. Cabbage and their allies are often referred to as ‘Crucifers’, describing the characteristic cross-like arrangement of the four petals of the flower. The ‘half-flower’ view is often used in scientific botanical illustration to show details of the reproductive morphology.

i: Artist of the Month Image 3, p.18 Cavolo reflection Ink and watercolour. Cavolo Nero is delicious to eat and deliciously complex to paint and draw. So good, I had to illustrate it twice— first in many shades of grey ink, and secondly in watercolour. Image4, p.22 Red Cabbage ‘Tinty’ Watercolour painting. A beautiful, pointed-head variety of Red Cabbage. The ‘head’ of a Cabbage like this is an exaggeration of the apical bud, the growing point of the plant. As the leaves open out, they become greener— chlorophyll cells multiply in response to light, generating sugars through photosynthesis to fuel the plant. The tightly packed leaves of the head remain the beautiful red-purple colour. Image 5, p.32 Red Cabbage ‘Tinty’ – young leaves Watercolour painting. Digital multiplication. The young leaves of ‘Tinty’ Cabbage are even more beautiful than those of the mature plant. Image 6, p.38 Tumbling Sprouts Watercolour painting. Digital multiplication. The ‘sprouts’ are axillary buds, growing in the leaf axils where the leaf joins the stem. The leaves (and, therefore, the sprouts) are arranged around the stem in a loose spiral— this is the basis for this composition. It reminds me, too, of Brussels Sprouts tumbling out of a greengrocer’s brown paper bag. Image 7, p.43 Brassica oleracea Plate 2 Flower and Fruit Traditional ink drawing. A scientific plate illustrates in detail all parts of the flowers and stages of the life cycle. I collected the flowering and fruiting stems, allowed the fruit to mature and then sowed the seeds to grow the specimens used to illustrate the seedlings. Image 8, p.45 Brussels Sprout Plant 2, Watercolour painting.

Alison Cutts Brassica oleracea Plate 1 Leafy Growth

ii: Herb of the Month

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Marianne Hughes, with illustration by Hazel Brady It is so uplifting to see and to smell the blooms of Witch Hazel appearing in January and February. They defy the frosts and snow, bowing their branches and sending forth their sunshine colours into the greyest of days. Witch Hazel has medicinal properties, too—further gifts from this wonderful tree. Turn to this month’s Foraging Through Folklore column to dig deeper into its name, but Ode (2012) notes that the healing properties of Virginiana Witch Hazel were highly valued by various First Nations people: the Menominee rubbed the decoction into their legs to keep them supple during sports while the Potawatomi put Witch Hazel twigs into sweat baths to relieve sore muscles The Mohawk peoples made a wash for sore eyes by steeping the bark in water. Conway (2001) notes that: the Cherokee applied it to sores and grazes, and the Iroquois used it to prevent bleeding following childbirth This is one of the few traditional herbal preparations that has continued into popular use, though perhaps many use that bottle of distilled Witch Hazel in the bathroom cupboard for bruises and grazes, without a knowledge of the plant from which it originates?

The constituents of Witch Hazel are tannins (810%), flavonoids (including kaempferol and quercetin), saponins, bitters, volatile oil (including eugenol and safrole), choline and Gallic acid (a property of one of the tannins). Its major actions are astringent— stopping internal and external bleeding —and antiinflammatory. Bartram (1998) notes that the vitamin P content acts to protect capillaries and small blood vessels. Witch Hazel can be used on cotton wool to stem a nosebleed, as a mouth wash (in distilled form) against gum disease, to alleviate inflammation caused by acne and eczema and, in a cream form, it is excellent for haemorrhoids. In my time as a Herbology student, our class made a frozen Witch Hazel ointment which proved very effective for minor cuts and lasted for ages in the fridge. All in all, then, Witch Hazel more than earns its place in the First Aid cupboard. Some scientific research (Thring, 2011) into the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions of Witch Hazel has demonstrated that the hamamelitannin content is one of the effective constituents. There are a number of hydrolysable tannins within the bark of Witch Hazel but, in more recent research (SánchezTena, 2012), again the hamamelitannin proved most effective— this time in inhibiting the growth of colon cancer. Additionally, this

ii: Herb of the Month

tannin had no harmful effects on normal colonocytes i.e., normal cells. Even more reason to celebrate this wonderful plant that heralds emergence from the dark tunnel of winter. References Bartram, T. (1998) Bartram’s Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine. Robinson, London Conway, P. (2001) Tree medicine: A comprehensive guide to the healing power of over 170 trees. Piatkus, London Ody, P. (2012) The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A Practical Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs. Skyhorse Publishing, New York

Sánchez-Tena, S. (2012) ‘Hamamelitannin from witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) displays specific cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cells,’ in Journal of Natural Products, 75(1):2633 Thring, T., et al (2011) ‘Antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and formulations of white tea, rose, and witch hazel on primary human dermal fibroblast cells,’ in Journal of Inflammation 8(27) Wren, R. C. (1988) Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations. C.W. Daniel, Saffron Walden

Alison Cutts Cruciferae

iii: Of Weeds & Weans

Digestive Ills Joseph Nolan With the body, most things begin and end in the gut— and we all know the aphorism ‘you are what you eat’. Your body is rebuilt day by day and moment by moment from the food that you ingest, and you can’t build a stone palace from old pallets. To get at those precious materials, you need to break food down efficiently. Then, you need to absorb, transport, and use those goodies, and safely dispose of the by-products. A hitch anywhere in the system of input, utilisation, and disposal will show up somewhere as a problem. If food is not being broken down or absorbed properly, it’s a problem. If detoxification fails, it’s a problem. If waste is not removed from the tissues or expelled efficiently, it’s a problem. With adults, things are complicated. But fortunately, with children, there aren’t forty years of fish and chips and Irn Bru to contend with, making things simpler. The Enteric Brain We have more neurons in our guts than in our spinal cords, and the main conduit between brain and gut— the vagus nerve —is 90% concerned with taking information upstairs. Certainly, we know that this huge network of neural tissue oversees digestion, but it does much more than that. Recent research has found numerous links between gut and brain function, and we are all aware of how much emotions affect our digestion. Constipation makes a person cranky— that is another story for another day —but it is enough to know that we have enough neurons for a second brain in our bellies, and the interplay between digestion and emotion cannot be overstated. Herbs and the Gut There are several issues that can cause common tummy problems in children; including tension, food intolerance, microbiome problems, and diet. I typically treat gut problems with teas, and bitters too stimulate digestive function. We have bitter receptors throughout our digestive tracts, not

just in our mouths, and so, while tasting bitter things is ideal for getting digestion going, it is not entirely necessary, especially when flavour might be a deal-breaker. The Tense Gut Tension in the gut can lead to painful spasms, trapped wind, bloating, and constipation. The alimentary canal is meant to move in a synchronised and fluid way; beginning with the lips, teeth, and tongue, continuing with swallowing, oesophageal squeezing, and the curious gyrations of the stomach. Then there is a lot more squeezing in the small intestine and colon, mixing in the large bowel, and finally coordinated muscular contraction and release at turd time. Tension anywhere inhibits free movement, and material builds up. We can see that as constipation. Maybe a child has trouble at toilet. Maybe a child has no urge to go potty for several days running. Material sitting around in the gut, full of nutrients and microbes, ferments. Fermentation releases a lot of gas, and that in turn causes wind, bloating, discomfort, and pain. So, what causes tension in the gut? We’ll need to zoom out a bit and remember that the gut in question is in fact attached to a whole child. What causes tension in the child? Addressing this question always helps, and more often than not resolves the issue. Spoiler: it works in adults too. Things which cause children to become constipated include weaning, the birth of a sibling, starting school or nursery, moving house, changes within the family, and anything else causing disruption to a child’s sense of safety and routine. At the other end of childhood, the pressures of adolescence— or impending adolescence —can play havoc with a young person’s gut and sense of self. Forcing a tense gut to move is a losing game. A tense gut is part of tense person, and tense people need to feel safe and secure so they can relax, let go, and be comfortable. My absolute favourite herb for the tense gut is Matricaria recutita (Chamomile). It is relaxing to the nervous system, bitter, anti-inflammatory, and

iii: Of Weeds & Weans anti-spasmodic. It helps with wind and pain, relaxes a tense anxious child, and even tastes nice. While Chamomile has myriad uses, especially in children, for the tense gut it is superlative. Another wonderful herb for the tense gut is Lippia citriodora (Lemon Verbena). Lemon Verbena smells gorgeously of mild, fruity lemon— its fragrance lifting the spirits and relaxing the mind. A high essential oil content makes Lemon Verbena antispasmodic; helping with pain, bloating, and trapped wind, allowing the gut to move freely. The flavour is lovely without being overpowering, and children like it. These two herbs combine beautifully. The Fish Finger Gut Children with poor diets will have digestive issues: wind, bloating, reflux, constipation, diarrhoea, piles, dental problems. Breakfast may be white bread or sugared cereal, crisps or biscuits for snack; pizza, pasta, or ham sandwiches at lunch; sweets at snack time; fish fingers or chicken nuggets with chips for dinner, followed by jelly from a plastic pot. Sometimes there are peas. Drinks tend to be diluting juice, apple juice, or fizzy pop. Such a diet does not offer children the nutrients they need to grow to their full potential. Processed foods are high in salt and sugar and low in nutrients. They contain thickeners, fillers, sweeteners, emulsifiers, humectants, preservatives, chemical flavourings, flavour enhancers, modified starches, colourings, perfumes, and trans fats. Processed meat and fish products are made with the bits you would never buy— and let us not forget the 2013 horse meat scandal. In order to grow healthily, children need a huge range of vitamins and minerals. They need antioxidants and phytonutrients, proteins, complex carbohydrates, fibres, and lashings of natural fats for nourishing brains, nerves, and skin. They need vegetables. They need pulses, mushrooms, seeds, and nuts. Fruits. Medicinal substances from spices and herbs. Omnivorous children need good quality meat and fish, dairy, and eggs from healthy animals. They need variety. Children’s nutritional requirements change as their bodies develop,

as we see with their peculiar food fads. A healthy gut can deal with the occasional ice cream feast or an exhausted parent dialling Noodle Box and calling it dinner, but a varied diet of natural foods is essential for a happy belly and overall good health. Children with poor diets will be low or deficient in many nutrients, so improving absorption is key. Bitter remedies fire up digestion like nothing else. Chamomile is very helpful. Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion root), is useful for increasing digestive secretions including saliva, liver and pancreatic enzymes, stomach acid. It has a relatively mild, sweet and bitter flavour. Use short term in low doses with children. Another bitter herb that frequently goes in teas for poor diet kids, is Achillea millefolium (Yarrow). Yarrow is bitter, as well as anti-spasmodic, anti-septic, and antiinflammatory, and it regulates blood flow. Children with constipation and piles are Yarrow children. Like Dandelion, Yarrow stimulates digestive secretions, and they combine well. I usually mix Yarrow and Dandelion with Chamomile, either singly or together. The Riff Raff Gut Sometimes, one can get mixed up with the wrong sort— the gut is populated by undesirable microbes, resulting in inflammation, wind, bloating, and constipation or diarrhoea. In children, the riff raff can get a hold when there are antibiotics given around birth, or in multiple rounds for conditions like repeated tonsillitis. Children born by c-section can have problems building up a healthy microbiome because, without passing through the birth canal, they do not get the usual inoculation of beneficial bacteria. A diet of high sugar, low fibre, processed foods also foster an unhealthy microbiome. Around weaning in particular, when the gut flora alters as a child transitions from milk to solid food, poor diet has a strong influence on the gut flora and overall health. So how do you get rid of the riff raff? A healthy, fresh, varied diet is essential. However, if you wish to grow watermelons, no matter how good your soil, it won’t happen if all you have are tomato seeds. Desirable microbes may

iii: Of Weeds & Weans need similar seeding. Probiotic products are a good way to do this; pick one with a high number of organisms and a high number of strains. Even better is eating uncooked fermented foods daily. These are things like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, brined olives, natto, miso, and a host of other traditional foods from all over the world. Many are easy to make at home and great for even small children to help prepare. Homemade is preferable to shop-bought, but all live fermented foods are beneficial. Growing a healthy microbiome, like a healthy garden, is a process. First, weed out the undesirables. Then, put down compost favouring what you wish to grow. And then, put in your seeds and plants. For weeding, use antiseptic herbs like Yarrow and Chamomile. Bitters improve digestive power, in turn discouraging undesirable microbes; Dandelion is another good choice. I would add in Calendula officinalis (Marigold, Calendula) because it helps to reduce inflammation and heal damaged tissue, and it is anti-fungal. Plus, those long orange petals are so appealing in dried tea. Once the riff raff is cleared and the tissue is healing, I like to add something prebiotic, which provides nourishment for beneficial bacteria. My favourite is soothing and delicious Althea officinalis Radix (Marshmallow root). I use it to encourage beneficial flora, but also to soothe inflammation and pain, and relax the mind. It has a mild calming flavour and combines very well with all of the other herbs, especially for constipation. The Intolerant Gut Food intolerances are common, and most parents of children with digestive problems have considered them. Food diaries are invaluable for spotting patterns, best done by writing down everything a child eats and drinks for two weeks, as well as keeping a log of symptoms. In clinic, I aim to get rid of food intolerances. If you’re at home, knowledge is power, and working out what is exacerbating the symptoms brings considerable peace of mind.

Consider a food intolerance when wind, pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, or itching at either end, fails to adequately resolve after taking sensible measures. The big names are dairy, eggs, wheat, gluten, soya, and nightshades (plants in the Solanaceae family, including peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and aubergines). Treat the inflamed intolerant gut with Chamomile, Calendula, and Yarrow. That triumvirate is my go-to for many children’s ailments— eczema, skin infections, thrush, and even baths for babies. Additionally, these herbs have anti-allergic properties, which can be helpful. Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice) is another workhorse herb, with antiinflammatory actions and a sweet flavour. Some children complain of tummy pain without much bloating or wind. Inflammation my show as mouth ulcers or mucous in the stool, and Liquorice can be very helpful to calm, and permit tissue healing. Here is an old-fashioned remedy to calm and relive almost any digestive problem: Home Herbal Helper: Barley Water Hordeum vulgare (Barley) contains soothing, gel-like polysaccharides that encourage beneficial gut flora, soften hard stools, soothe inflammation, relieve diarrhoea, and help with nausea and vomiting. It does contain gluten, so if your little person has gluten difficulties, Barley is not suitable. Try Millet or Rice instead. 1 part Barley 9 parts water or herbal tea (Chamomile, Calendula, etc.) Simmer together for 20 minutes. Strain. Add the juice of half a lemon— or to taste —and drink freely. Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Happy herbing!

iii: Past Papers

From field to plate, from root to gut Marianne Hughes The first in a new series of excerpts from student papers, this article is extracted from Marianne Hughes’ dissertation, submitted for the Diploma in Herbology at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, class of 2020. We are grateful to Marianne for sharing her work. If you have a past paper you would like to share, please contact us via herbologynews@gmail.com. Louis Pasteur’s party trick was to show that he could identify spoiled wine not by tasting but by examining a drop through his microscope. Yet, as the development of microbiology emphasised disease-causing organisms, a school of thought emerged that saw microbes not as beer, wine and cheese making friends, but as foes to be eliminated (Montgomery and Bikle, 2016). In the 20 century, Lynn Margulis challenged the Darwinian dogma of survival requiring competition by studying symbiotic relationships. Following the work of German biologist Andreas Schimper, and Russian lichenologist Konstantin Mereschkovsky— who coined the term ‘symbiogenesis’ —she realised that, like every other multicellular life form, we began as a series of symbiotic relationships between different microbes, mostly bacteria. We now know that microbial symbioses are the norm for healthy plants and animals (Montgomery and Bikle, 2016). th

Plant life In 1804, Nicolas-Theodore de Saussare, a Swiss chemist, demonstrated that plants grow through combining liquid water with carbon dioxide gas in the presence of sunlight— photosynthesis. However, this left the question of how plants take up essential elements like calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron, as well as the nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) to build roots, stems and leaves. The prevailing view was that it was simply decomposing manure and humus (soil organic matter) that facilitated nutrient absorption. However, once it was realised that humus does not dissolve in water, the idea that plants could absorb nutrients directly from rotting organic matter was discredited and the importance of humus was side-lined. In 1840, during the Industrial Revolution, Justus von Liebig found that plant ashes were rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, so assumed soil chemistry held the key to soil fertility. By burning plants, Liebig and others identified what they thought were the lowest number of key essentials for plant growth; water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and two rock-derived minerals— phosphorus and potassium. They concluded that organic matter played no important role in soil fertility. Adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil produced more crops, and the ‘chemicals-as-soil-fertility’ philosophy of modern agriculture was born. In 1943, Eve Balfour noted of Liebig’s work that man’s understanding was blinded by the increase in production…. the exhaustion of the fertility of the soil is no new thing, nor is the temptation to practise for immediate gain.

iii: Past Papers Unfortunately, crop yield had become synonymous with crop health, and subsequent research zeroed in on individual parts of the soil, losing sight of the complex biological system. Soil-dwelling organisms were regarded as pests, to be managed or eliminated. Attempting to counter this dogma in her book The Living Soil (1943), Balfour made connections between the health of the soil and public health. She advocated the merging of ministries of agriculture and health to ensure the provision of fresh, nutritious food for the public— this remains an unrealised, visionary idea, probably needed even more today than in 1943. Balfour’s was not a lone voice. William Albrecht, an American agronomist, had forecast that declining soil health would lead to declining human health, pointing out that renewing only nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus but not trace minerals would result in mineral-poor crops, and consequently less nutritious food. He was proved correct. Copper, magnesium, iron, zinc and other micronutrients are essential for building phytochemical, enzymes and proteins in plants, and are essential to human health.

Plants as food We now know that organic agriculture promotes greater beneficial microbial biomass in the rhizosphere, with plants growing more extensive root systems thereby accessing more micronutrients (Soil Association, 2018). Mycorrhizal fungi deliver up to 80% phosphorus, 25% zinc and 60% copper to plants (Ramiez-Puebla et al., 2013). In humans, copper is essential for haemoglobin to function and for normal bone formation; magnesium is important for mental health and to prevent fatigue, muscle spasms and muscle weakness (in experiments on mice, inadequate magnesium led to rapid changes in gut microbiota and the development of intestinal inflammation). We are familiar with iron deficiency leading to anaemia, which impacts on our capacity to learn and to work. Zinc is essential for many enzyme reactions required for tissue repair and wound healing. The widespread application of artificial fertilisers in modern agriculture, along with the milling and processing that removes 50% of the iron and zinc from the world’s main grain crops, is leading to calorie-rich nutrient-poor foods. In a study (Thomas, 2003) comparing the mineral content of typical Western foods between1940 and 1991, the iron content of potatoes was found to have declined by 50%, magnesium by 33%, and copper by 50%; in carrots magnesium had declined by 75%, copper by 75%, and iron by 50%. Overall drop in mineral content of UK food from 1940 (Thomas, 2003) Zinc Copper Iron Magnesium

1978 27% 20% 24%

1991 59% 97% 83% 26%

In addition to the degradation of soil impacting on the nutrients present in our foods, almost 300 pesticides are currently routinely used and are often present in non-organic food (Soil Association, 2019). Our over-use of antibiotics has contributed to the destruction of our healthy gut microbes. In Europe, 70% of antibiotic use is for the animals we eat— much of it ‘preventative’. These antibiotics find their way into our food and into our land, as waste products run into soil and waterways. While it is clear that responsibly used, narrow-spectrum antibiotics can be lifesaving, unnecessary and ineffective use has caused world-wide problems. In 1985, less than 10% of the USA population was obese; in 2010 no State had less than 20% obesity and some States had 34% obesity. Whilst this rise does not prove a causal relationship between antibiotic use and obesity, we know the destruction of healthy gut microbes interferes with the digestive processes that manage fat in the human body. Moreover, ultra-processed foods (or UPF) now account for 50% of all the calories eaten in the UK and the USA (Wilson, 2020). 80% of processed food is made of just 4 ingredients: corn, wheat, soy and meat.

iii: Past Papers Plants and the microbiome Campbell and Campbell (2016) suggest that a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet is protective against the diseases of the affluent West, and this supports an understanding of the important role consuming plants plays in the health of our gut microbiome. The majority of bacteria in our gut (colon) and in the soil share a saprophyte genealogy— the Greek ‘sapro’ refers to rotting, and ‘phyte’ means plant. 80% of our immune system is located in our gut, so probiotics and prebiotics from quality food are protective against bacterial and viral infections. The foods that reach our colon intact (mostly complex carbohydrates present in vegetables and fruits) need to be rich in polyphenols, as it is these compounds that encourage microbes, such as lactobacilli, to flourish. Lactobacilli mop up and bind fat or lipid particles, clean our blood, and prevent unwanted microbes, like E-coli, from colonising our gut. Healthy gut microbes also produce vitamins K and A— crucial to our immune system —B5, B6, niacin, and folate, and feed off the flavonoid polyphenols abundant in a whole food, plant-based diet to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), like butyrate. SCFAs allow helpful species of bacteria (Bacteroidetes, Prevotella) to increase, whilst butyrate is the substance that signals to us that we feel full. Spector (2015) suggests that vitamin supplements are useless and that bio-available vitamins come from the consumption of whole plants on which gut microbes act. This is echoed by Campbell (2016) who notes: Everything in food works together to create health and disease. The more we think that a single chemical characterises a whole food, the more we stray into idiocy. Herbs and health The way we grow our food, including herbs and the trees from which we gather nuts and fruits, appears to be essential to the micronutrient quality of what we consume (Hunter, 2011), and therefore to the health of our gut microbiome. If we care for the soil in which we grow our herbs, fruits, vegetables and grains, we will be caring for our digestive systems too— as long as we consume plants in our diets. Spector (2015) provides a detailed scientific picture of the impact of specific foods on human gut health. He outlines how various constituent parts of food act as prebiotic fertilisers for microbes in the colon, citing particularly Chicory root, Jerusalem Artichokes, Dandelion greens, Leeks, Onions, Garlic, Asparagus, Broccoli, Wheat bran, Olive oil, Almonds Pistachios and Walnuts. He also notes that ‘gram for gram cocoa has the highest concentration of polyphenols and flavonoids of any food’, which is very good news for lovers of 70% cocoa chocolate. Interestingly, coffee contains fibre and a dozen antioxidant polyphenols which, combined, provide food for gut microbes, too. Sofrito (tomato-based sauce with onion, garlic and extra virgin olive oil) has at least 40 different polyphenols. Along with organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains, herbs can play a major role in promoting the health of our gut microbiota. It is useful for medical herbalists to not only understand the actions of various herbs, but to explore a person’s diet during a consultation, as it would appear that a diet high in ultra-processed food would act to negate any benefits herbal medicine could provide. As many herbs contain flavonoids, polysaccharides and saponins, these act as probiotics, promoting the growth of beneficial gut microbiota and inhibiting the growth of harmful gut microbes. Xuedong (2019) cites Glycyrrhiza extract (Liquorice), containing glycosides, coumarins and flavonoids (among other substances), in promoting Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus, and inhibiting the growth of Clostridium and Brucella, thus aiding the treatment of colonic cancer. Liquorice is also anti-inflammatory, producing a viscous mucus which coats and protects the stomach wall and limits acid production (Ody, 2017). Similarly, Avena sativa (Oats) and Astragalus membranaceous (Huang qi). Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) contains mucilage, polysaccharides, asparagine and tannins. These polysaccharides require our gut microbes to act on them in order for exposed or irritated surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract to access the soothing, protective and demulcent actions of the mucilage.

iii: iii:Past PastPapers Papers Tannins are one of the largest groups of polyphenols, which our gut microbes hydrolyse to protect inflamed or dry mucous membranes, reduce inflammation and swelling, and generate a binding effect in the gut, relieving diarrhoea and dysentery. These actions are all positive in cases of gastritis. The leaves of Marshmallow also contain mucilage as well as flavonoids, coumarin, salicylic and other phenolic acids. Coumarins are phenols and flavonoids are polyphenols (Pengelly, 2004), so these substances are positive for our gut microbiota. The aerial parts of Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) contain salicylates, flavonoids, tannins, volatile oil, citric oil and mucilage (Ody, 2017), from which gut microbes produce substances that are anti-inflammatory, reduce stomach acid secretions, and soothe and heal gastric mucosa. In the UN Decade of Nutrition (2016-2025), Monteiro (2019) urges action, as the impact of ultra-processed products on human health is itself a world crisis, to be confronted, checked and reversed as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our companions in life are our microbes, and investing in our partnership can address the health of our planet and our own, individual health. References Balfour, E. (1943 [1950]) The Living Soil, Faber and Faber: London Campbell, T. C. & Campbell T. M. (2016) The China Study, BenBella Books: Dallas Monteiro, C. et al., (2018) ‘Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them’, in Public Health Nutrition (www.researchgate.net, accessed 14.2.20) Montgomery, D.R. and Bikle, A. (2016) The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health, W. W. Norton: New York Ody, P. (2017) The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A Practice Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs, Skyhorse: New York Pengelly, A. (2004) The Constituents of Medicinal Plants: An introduction to the chemistry and therapeutics of herbal medicine, CABI: Wallingford Ramiez-Puebla, S.T., et al. (2013) ‘Gut and Root microbiota commonalities’, in Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 79:2-9 Spector, T. (2015), The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Thomas, D. (2003) ‘A study on the mineral depletion of the foods available to us as a nation 19401991’, in Nutrition and Health, 17:85-115 Wilson, B. (2019), How ultra-processed food took over your shopping basket’, article in The Guardian newspaper (www.theguardian.com, accessed 15.2.20) Xuedong, A. et al, (2019) ‘The interaction between gut microbiota and herbal medicines’, in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 118 (https://reader.elsevier.com, accessed 04.02.2020)

Alison Cutts Cavolo Reflection

iv: Our Man in the Field

David Hughes meets Kate Swaine We’ve been treated to an unusually wintery February in Edinburgh this year— true brass monkey weather. There have been two extended bouts of snow, with the kind of bitter nip in the air that lets you to see the birds’ breath when they sing. Picturesque and delightful for those who venture out, but I’m not one of them. I'm preferring to stay in hibernation for now, ensconced in a blanket fort by the fire, enjoying oversized cups of tea and the products of my slow cooker. I’ll likely stick my head out around the time the daffodils do. So, from the comfort of the couch this month— thermostat maxed and fire blazing — I relaxed into a chat about nutritional therapy and functional medicine with the fantastic Kate Swaine, practitioner at the Edinburgh Clinic of Nutrition. So, let’s get in about it: I’ve used herbs in the practice for a long time, and they can be a great adjunct to the work I do. The nervines, particularly. I might use Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) or Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) for their beneficial calming properties— reducing mental stress is a good starting point in the treatment of digestive distress. Functional medicine is Kate’s practice. It's a model for identifying areas of imbalance in the body that can help underpin and inform the decisions of herbalists and other medical practitioners when selecting courses of treatment. In Kate’s own words: My role as a nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner is to identify the root causes of imbalances in the body. These may be biochemical or microbial, possibly a nutrient deficiency. I'm not treating the person, but rather identifying what the imbalances are, where they stem from and what lifestyle changes could be adopted that will see an improvement in a patient's health.

Now, never one to pass up the opportunity to glean an enriching opinion from an expert, I was keen to learn whether there is such a thing as a one-size fits all healthy diet. There just isn't one diet to fit all, sadly. The research findings from recent Crohn’s and Colitis papers can point in one direction, but then you’ll encounter outlier patients who— although [they] suffer these same conditions —aren't necessarily responding well to the most obvious and recommended courses of treatment. You can’t just assume. A patient may have found information online that suggests a Paleo-style diet can be beneficial in the treatment of autoimmune conditions and, while it may show improvements for some, others may find this particular diet can be disastrous. More and more, the forward course of action for any individual will depend on a patient’s specific microbiome, combined with their genetics, and so many other factors. That's not to say there aren't obvious initial steps that can be taken toward better digestive health; for some, removing gluten for a trial period can be worthwhile, for others introducing a broader range of plant-based foods can be helpful. Making dietary changes can be challenging as we may be breaking long-ingrained habits. Radical changes can be too much for people who are already carrying the burden of busy lifestyles, caring responsibilities and high stress. For these people, an approach with longer time scales is preferred, to allow us to slowly introduce dietary change— starting with nervine teas to reduce stress —rather than make a rake of sweeping lifestyle changes that will only be adhered to for a fortnight because it becomes overwhelming. Sweeping dietary changes are not just

iv: Our Man in the Field negative for those in digestive distress; how many times have you heard diets discussed that were considered nonsustainable because people felt they ran out of energy? If there isn't a one-size fits all diet, then what foods should we look to consume to help us on the path to better digestive health? Generally, we all need to be eating a bigger range of plant-based foods. This can't be disputed. It doesn't mean you have to be vegan, but it does mean you should eat a very broad range of plant foods, rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids. You have to mix it up, though— if you're just eating broccoli, carrots and onions, then that should be considered as limiting your range. Good variation is definitely key. It’s also why there are so many benefits to a typical Mediterranean diet, with its wide variety of fresh, whole foods, scientifically proven to be beneficial. It has plenty of omega oils from fish, some carbs but not too many and, most importantly, lots of colour on the plate. If I was to suggest a general dietary habit that would benefit the majority of people, then the consumption of a Mediterranean diet is a good place to start. Although more heavily salted, the same variation in healthy ingredients exists in Japanese cuisine and you’ll find dishes that contain many beneficial elements combined on the same plate; seaweed, pickled vegetables, fish, all that good stuff.

People place much less importance on food here than other places around the world, and there is a cost element to it as well. Although there is a shift back towards healthier eating underway, the trend in Britain and America has been to go for the most convenient thing that will fill them up quickly and cheaply, or that will fill them up but without putting on weight. So, what would you imagine the diet of a Functional Medicine Practitioner and Nutritional Therapist is like? Disgustingly clean and healthy? No, it’s not saintly! But yes, for the most part I walk the talk, as I love healthy, vibrant food. I do my best to stay away from processed food. My diet is mainly plant-based, but with a lot of variation within that. I’m a meateater, but very fussy about sourcing— and not every day. I’ve been pescatarian, then vegetarian for a decade, and then vegan. I love dark chocolate and if crisps were good for me, I’d eat them more often!

It occurs to me, and not for the first time, how the healthy nature of Japanese and Mediterranean regional cuisine encompasses the idea of eating the landscape. It's a concept that people, particularly in Britain and North America, began to move away in the 1950s, as they gravitated toward the convenience of preprepared food and away from the allotment.

iv: Our Man in the Field I was curious to find out more about why Kate gave up a wholly plant-based diet, and I found her answer very relevant to the focus of the practice she has gone on to build: Ultimately, I felt rubbish; energy was low, stress levels were through the roof. I don't think I was assimilating enough B vitamins, iron, zinc— all things that, bang for your buck, can be easier to get from good quality animal products. Again, so many of these things are based on an individual's genetics and biome and what works for one person may not work the same way for another. Some people switch to veganism and feel fantastic, but obviously I never see these people because they're not feeling unwell. For certain medical conditions, a high fat animal protein diet can be beneficial— but long-term, that is not going to be good for healthy gut bacteria and, ultimately, needs to be balanced out with plant-based foods. Some people may feel better without grains— begging the question, ‘Why are they maldigesting the grains?’ It really is down to the individual. There's a lot of interesting findings being discovered on the differences in the gut bacteria between someone on a high animal protein diet and someone on a plant-based diet. Findings seem to suggest that plant-based with just a little bit of animal protein promotes the highest diversity of beneficial gut bacteria— and the more diverse, the better.

because you can't make vitamin D at all during November to March— even on the sunniest of winter days. When we all lived a more traditional lifestyle, people would have spent far more time outdoors in the lovely long days of summer, making and storing vitamin D. What we see now is people who are incredibly deplete of vitamin D by the time March rolls around, as they didn’t make enough during the summer— and it’s an essential nutrient. We also used to eat more mackerel and herring. And you can get a little bit of vitamin D from oily fish, but nothing like the sun. Mushrooms grown in the sun store a little bit of vitamin D but, again, exposure to the sun is the important factor— you’re talking miniscule amounts compared to what 15 minutes in the sun will do for you. So, while we all dream of frolicking in the warmth of summer, I’ll leave you with a top tip from Kate that certainly suits my mood right now: Do things slowly. Make changes slowly. Listen to your body— sometimes it takes a while.

To close us out, I decide to ask Kate if there is any single lifestyle or dietary change that any of us could make, to potentially improve the state of our health: Yes! But it's one you can't really do much with food for— vitamin D deficiencies are a massive problem in the northern hemisphere, especially at this time of year. Everyone should get more sunlight during the summer

Alison Cutts Red Cabbage ‘Tinty’

v: Anthroposophical Views

Into the biome Dora Wagner The mind is like the stomach, You should only ask as much as it can digest Sir Winston Churchill

The essential purpose of digestion is to convert that which is foreign to our body into its own, and that really is a challenging task. Everything unfamiliar must lose its strangeness and become part of ourselves; this is exactly what the term ‘metabolism’ means. From the perspective of anthroposophical medicine, all primary impulses of the internal organs below the diaphragm, and those of the extremities, are subject to the ‘metabolic-limb system’ (see my November 2020 column for a more detailed explanation). Here, substances are absorbed, processed and transformed; the body is nourished and sustained by the substances supplied from outside; cell division and excretion take place. Everything is in motion and connected with transforming and dissolving forces— the so-called ‘sulphuric forces’. Digestion should lead an element or a compound into neutrality and thus make it available to metabolism and its formative (Girke, 2010). These processes of transformation and reinforcement are also attributed to the foundations of human will, including action. Thus ‘digestion’ primarily describes food intake, but also applies in general to everything affecting our organism from the outside. We are all familiar with situations where we ‘go with our guts’, we feel ‘butterflies in our stomach’, or we find something ‘stomach churning‘.

intestinal flora to the formation of human thought, and suggested the relationship between intestines and brain development should be studied phylogenetically (Steiner, 1920). Indeed, the gastrointestinal tract and the brain communicate with each other intensively and, above all, reciprocally: the intestine not only receives instructions from the brain, but also sends signals there. This is why the intestine is also referred to as ‘the second brain’ (Carabotti, 2015). Just as plants, animals, humans, and other living beings form ecosystems with complex

For several years now, the gut-brain axis has been intensively studied by scientists, so today the influence our digestive system has on our thinking, feeling, behaviour and wellbeing is becoming increasingly clear. Yet a century ago, Rudolf Steiner was giving lectures in which he emphasised the functional connections between gut and brain, the importance of

v: Anthroposophical Views interrelationships, our internal ecosystem is a large community of up to 1000 different species. Each of us shares food, water and shelter with tiny colonies of microorganisms that include bacteria and fungi. According to Eckburg and colleagues (2005), there are at least 500 different species of microbes in our intestines alone. The complete microbiota, including its genes, is also referred to as the intestinal microbiome (GAÄD, 2019). So, even though the unicellular organisms that colonise us are small, they outnumber our own body cells by a ratio of 10:1, and account for about 1.5-2.0 kg of our body weight. Whilst this may sound disturbing, this cohabitation is essential to human health; bacteria in our microbiome, for example, produce certain vitamins, help us break down nutrients, or teach our immune system to recognise dangerous invaders. Some microbes are indigenous or inherited over generations, others are passengers that visit for a while, some might settle depending on our nutrition and behaviour. Some make us sick; others are important for our health. Salmonella, and some types of coli bacteria are unpleasant and hopefully do not stay for long. Lactobacillus case, Lactobacillus reuters, or Bifidobacterium bifidum boost our immune system, enrich and invigorate us (Reuter, 2001). Most amazingly, no two microbiomes are the same. Even if two people eat exactly the same food for a while, their microbiomes will align but will not become identical. Microbiomes are as unique and individual as our fingerprints, but change throughout our lives (GAÄD, 2019). The composition of our food plays a key role in the make-up of our microbiome. Drugs such as antibiotics, like unbalanced and unhealthy food, can make important co-inhabitants disappear forever. Just as in nature, a high level of diversity is beneficial in our food choices and thus in our internal ecosystem. As I explained in this column back in November 2020, anthroposophic remedies employ buds, flowers, fruits and seeds to treat the digestivelimb system; Foeniculi fructus is an example of a seed drug. But with so many interdependencies, there are many

v: Anthroposophical Views opportunities for our digestive system and its organs to lose their balance. Nowadays, the main causes of metabolic disease stem from malnutrition and overeating. Four clinical pictures often present together: excess weight, metabolic fat disorder, elevated blood sugar or sugar metabolism disorder, and high blood pressure. In such cases, the internal ecosystem seems to have collapsed, and the first therapeutic measure is always a change in diet (Edelhäuser et al., 2020). Food is highly valuable for medicine and health here but for healthy eating, it matters how our nutraceuticals— our vital resources —have been produced and processed. Dioxin in eggs, antibiotics in meat, pesticides in fruit and vegetables, softeners in cheese; reports of contaminants in our nourishment appear regularly in the media. No wonder, then, that in 2017 the WHO launched the ‘One Health’ project to underline the clear link between health, nutrition and agriculture. One woman from a prominent Aberdeenshire family (Humphrys, 1986), convinced that agriculture, nutrition and health were

inseparable, made particular efforts to produce healthy food. Lady Johanna Skene of Skene (1879-1966) is considered a mother of biodynamic agriculture. In the 1920s, she and her husband, Count Karl von Keyserlingk (1869-1928), were administrators of large agricultural estates in Silesia (now Poland). The Count and Countess were enthusiastic anthroposophists; Johanna, in particular, being involved in the development and realisation of various biodynamic projects throughout her life. She, more than anyone else, persuaded Rudolf Steiner to deliver agricultural courses, on her estate, over Whitsun in 1924 (Selg, 2010). Similar to organic or integrated farming, biodynamic agriculture considers each farm— with its unique flora and fauna —as a living organism, with its own individual characteristics. On biodynamic land, cattle husbandry, farm-grown seeds and fodder, fertilisation with composted or fermented preparations, and legume cultivation are the basis for a cycle of subsistence agriculture in which soil, plants, animals and people live in harmonious balance and combine to form a vital, overall organism (Waldin, 2015; BDA, 2020).

v: Anthroposophical Views At Witten Herdecke University, all students are required to attend courses of Studium Fundamentale to enable, for instance, students of art or economics to develop an interest in agriculture, horticulture, herbalism and nutrition, and come together in crossdisciplinary initiatives (Holtermann, 2019; foodplanet, 2020). In the medicinal garden, our group is engaging with nutrition by raising seedlings of ancient vegetables on the windowsills of many shared flats. We not only want to harvest, prepare and eat the nutraceuticals, we also want to let the plants grow naturally, studying their life cycles as they breed or harvesting and using pure, heritage seeds ourselves. Vegetables that are not cultured for high yield only may grow more slowly— but they can produce many more nutrients. In addition, the old vegetables contain a wider range of secondary plant metabolites, often giving interesting colour and other protective qualities. Our efforts may seem very small compared to the huge problems currently weighing on our humanity and our natural environment, but it is nevertheless satisfying to make a tiny contribution to the One Health initiative. I do believe it is exactly this feeling— being able to take something into your own hands, truly digesting and working through, following your own path through the process, accessing and trusting the outer world, acting, coping and getting in touch with your own creativity, while engaging in something that is meaningful and valuable —this feeling of being in tune, that is what makes us healthy people. Images: Dora Wagner. Collages created by Dora Wagner from materials available through pixabay and Creative Commons licenses. Source materials from California Academy of Science, and Wellcome Trust. Image of Lady Johanna Skene of Skene courtesy of Forschungsstelle Kulturimpuls. References Biodynamic Association (2021): https://www.biodynamics.com (link accessed 1.2.2021)

Carabotti, M.; Scirocco, A.; Maselli, M. A. & Severi, C. (2015) ‘The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems, ‘in Annals of Gastroenterology 28(2):203-209 Eckburg, P. B.; Bik, E. M.; Bernstein, C. N.; Purdom, E.; Dethlefsen, L.; Sargent, M.; Gill, S. R. Nelson, K. E., & Relman, D. A. (2005) ‘Diversity of the human intestinal microbial flora,’ in Science, 308 (5728): 1635–8 Edelhäuser, F. et al. (2020) ‘One Health— Agriculture, Nutrition, Health’, lecture series, University of Witten/Herdecke, available at www.uni-wh.de/zentrum-studiumfundamentale/oeffentliche-vortraege/stufumediathek/ food-planet (2020), blog, available (in German) at www.uniwh.de/detailseiten/news/ernaehrung-alstherapeutisches-mittel-8089/ GAÄD (2019) ‘Herbsttagung "Bauchgefühle" Reizdarmsyndrom und chronische Bauchschmerzen,’ in proceedings of the Autumn Conference of the Society of Anthroposophic Physicians of Germany Girke, M. (2010) Innere Medizin— Grundlagen und Konzepte der Anthroposophischen Medizin. Salumed-Verlag: Berlin Humphrys, M. (1986) genealogy project, available online at https://humphrysfamilytree.com/Skene/ Reuter, G. (2001) ‚The Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium microflora of the human intestine: composition and succession,‘ in Current Issues in Intestinal Microbiology 2(2):43-53 Selg, P. (2010) The Agriculture Course, Koberwitz, Whitsun 1924— Rudolf Steiner and the beginnings of biodynamics. Translated by Matthew Barton. Temple Lodge Publishing. Steiner, R. (1920) ‘Geisteswissenschaft und Medizin,’ available from the Rudolf Steiner Archive: http://anthroposophie.byu.edu/vortraege/312 .pdf, accessed 19.02.21 Waldin, M. (2015) Biodynamic Gardening, Dorling Kindersley: London World Health Organisation (2017) One-HealthProject; https://www.who.int/news-room/q-adetail/one-health (link accessed 5.2.2021)

v: Notes from the Brew Room

Soothing Bitters Ann King Current, fascinating research into the gutbrain-mood connection is particularly relevant when we also consider the effect gut health may have on the strength of our immune systems. The gut microbiome is the community of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms that live inside our digestive tract. When these are in balance, the digestive system is able to break down food and extract nutrients in the most efficient manner possible. This, in turn, contributes to optimal functioning of the immune system, helping us fight off unwelcome microbes. A diet filled with unprocessed foods, high in pulses, whole grains, fruit and vegetables will benefit gut health. In addition, regular consumption of herbal bitters, often taken before food, can encourage the secretion of digestive juices, generally energise the gut’s systems, and act as a detoxifying agent for the liver.

Experimenting with bitters is an exciting way to combine different flavours and herbs. Whilst traditionally bitter in taste, they can be augmented to create interesting pre-dinner aperitifs that will benefit digestion. Using herbs to aid digestion is by no means new; the digestif Chartreuse was produced by Carthusian monks as a medicinal liquor containing 130 botanicals which had been macerated for eight hours. It became popular in the 1800s as a calming and soothing postdinner drink. The favourite bitter in the Brew Room at the moment combines liver support, calming nervines, carminatives and antioxidant components to make a positive addition to daily wellbeing. So, here’s my ‘Soothe’ recipe— but please do experiment for yourself. Smell, taste, observe. Creativity will bring its own rewards. There are so many possibilities and permutations. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal taste.

v: Notes from the Brew Room

Ingredients 1 Orange (Citrus X sinensis)— unwaxed and preferably organic ¼ cup Calendula flowers/petals (Calendula officinalis)— for their gentle calming action and benefits to the lymphatic system ¼ cup Chamomile flowers (Matricaria chamomilla/ recutita)— a gentle bitter which modulates inflammation and decreases anxiety-based tension 5cm sliced, fresh Turmeric (Curcuma longa)— a cholagogue to promote bile secretion, and a hepatic herb 1tbsp Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)— for soothing the digestion and adding flavour 1tbsp Coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum)— for its carminative properties and balancing notes 1tbsp Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale)— to support liver function, high in nutrition 1 tsp Fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare)— a pleasant tasting carminative. 1 tsp Black Peppercorns (Piper nigrum)— a warming herb to encourage movement and increase the bioavailability of nutrients from other herbs in the profile ¼ cup local Honey Vodka ½ litre Kilner jar, or similar Method Simply chop up the Orange— flesh and skin — and combine with all the spices in a sterilised Kilner jar. Cover with honey, stir, and top up with vodka. Leave for one to two weeks, shaking and tasting every day until the desired taste is achieved. Strain through muslin and store in either dark glass dropper or spray bottles. Add a couple of drops to a glass of still or sparkling water and drink before meals. Shelf life: up to one year.

Disclaimer No recipes are intended to replace medical advice and the reader should seek the guidance of their doctor for all health matters. These profiles and recipes are intended for information purposes only and have not been tested or evaluated. Ann King is not making any claims regarding their efficacy and the reader is responsible for ensuring that any replications or adaptations of the recipes that they produce are safe to use and comply with cosmetic regulations where applicable.

v: Flower Remedies

Gut feelings Anne Dalziel People often know instinctively when a decision is the right one for them; they ‘trust their gut’, ‘know in their heart of hearts’. If someone is hesitant about a decision, they might ‘feel sick to their stomach’. We might describe someone with a low mood as a ‘misery guts’. Recent research into the connection between the gut and the mind (e.g., Vogt et al., 2017) is beginning to show there may some truth in these common sayings. Deepak Chopra (Chopra and Chopra, 2013), a neuroendocrinologist, writes: We started this whole idea of that wherever a thought goes a molecule follows. And the molecule is not just in your brain— it's everywhere in your body. There are receptors to these molecules in your immune system, in your gut and in your heart. So, when you say, ‘I have a gut feeling' or 'my heart is sad' or ‘I am bursting with joy,’ you're not speaking metaphorically. You're speaking literally. Carabotti et al. (2015) describe a two-way signalling system, known as the ‘gut-brain axis’ that links the emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with the intestines. The balance of signals in these cerebral areas can affect the speed at which food moves through the digestive system, the absorption of nutrients, the secretion of juices, and the level of inflammation. The ‘second brain’ of the gut may also produce similar feel-good chemicals— like serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine. Conversely, negative emotions—

anxiety, sadness, low mood, fear, anger —can also affect digestion. Sufferers of inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease and food sensitivities often report their conditions worsen at times of stress (Lach et al., 2018). The founder of the famous flower remedies, Edward Bach, was a bacteriologist who observed that certain intestinal germs had a close connection with chronic disease. Believing they also held the key to cure, he isolated the bacilli and prescribed it for the patient in the form of a vaccine. His work prefigures today’s research (e.g., Winter et al., 2018) which demonstrates that increased gut inflammation and changes in the microbiome can have profound effects throughout the body; contributing to fatigue, cardiovascular disease, and depression. At the same time, Bach studied the work of Samuel Hahnemann, the renowned homeopath. He was struck that Hahnemann had recognized the importance of personality in disease and soon noticed similarities between his work on vaccines and the principles of homoeopathy. He adapted his vaccines to produce a series of seven homeopathic ‘nosodes’. This work, and its subsequent publication (Bach and Wheeler, 1925) brought him some fame in homeopathic circles, and the Bach Nosodes are still used to this day.

v: Flower Remedies

By 1930, however, Bach had stopped this research, seeking a more holistic approach to medicine. He wanted to find more natural remedies, to treat emotional states. This led to the thirty-eight Bach Flower Remedies; ‘pure and simple herbs of the field’. These were never intended to treat physical illness per se, but to balance the emotions of the person. Bach Flower Remedies work on a vibrational level, with each of the remedies working to rebalance a specific emotional state. Bringing personal energy into harmony with the soul and the higher self creates emotional well-being and freedom from such negative states as anger, uncertainty, fear, and despair. Once emotional balance and harmony are achieved, the path becomes clear for healing at the physical level. As Bach (1931) puts it: They... cure by flooding our bodies with the beautiful vibrations of our Higher Nature, in the presence of which, disease melts away as snow in the sunshine. So, Bach found that addressing the personalities and feelings of his patients unblocked the natural healing potential of their bodies and alleviated their unhappiness and physical distress. A keen observer of the human condition, he grouped patients’ personalities into seven categories, suggesting that each group reacted to ill health in particular ways. Likewise, he categorized the Bach Flower Remedies into seven groups: fear; uncertainty; insufficient interest in present circumstances; loneliness; over-sensitivity to influence and ideas; despondency and despair; and overcare for the welfare of others.

v: Flower Remedies

An example of a remedy in the despondency and despair group is Salix vitellina (Willow), and Bach (ibid.) suggests this is suitable: For those who have suffered adversity or misfortune and find these difficult to accept, without complaint or resentment, as they judge life much by the success which it brings. They feel that they have not deserved so great a trial that it was unjust, and they become embittered. They often take less interest and are less active in those things of life which they had previously enjoyed. Harbouring bitterness, pent-up anger, and frustration may contribute to various dysfunctions in the body. Continually being in a negative cycle of thoughts and feelings can disrupt mental and physical wellbeing. The Bach Flower Remedy is designed to gently help the individual to see their experience as the outcome of personal thoughts being projected into the outer world, and support their ability to change those thoughts to the positive rather than the negative. Thus, this person ceases being a victim and becomes master of their own fate, beginning once again to enjoy life. It is also appropriate to mention Ceratostigma wilmottiana (Cerato), which is in the uncertainty group of Bach Flower Remedies. The people who need this remedy are those who do not follow their gut feelings. In fact, they often ignore their own inner wisdom completely— relying instead on other people’s advice and ending up confused or doing something that they know in their heart is not right. The ambition of Cerato is to support the emergence of someone who listens to their own inner voice, is self-assured and decisive, and trusts their own judgement.

Of course, scientific research has greatly advanced since Bach first made the link between the gut and wellbeing more than ninety years ago. The world may have changed in that time, too, but human emotions and people’s reactions to everyday situations have not. Bach believed that the mind and body were connected and that is as true today as it was then. Images courtesy of The Bach Centre References Bach, E. (1931) Ye Suffer from Yourselves. The Bach Centre: Mount Vernon Bach, E. and Wheeler, C. E. (1925 [2020]) Chronic Disease – A Working Hypothesis. Read Books Ltd: Redditch Carabotti, M.; Scirocco, A.; Maselli, M. A. & Severi, C. (2015) ‘The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems, ‘in Annals of Gastroenterology 28(2):203-209 Chopra, D. and Chopra, S. (2013) Brotherhood: Dharma, Destiny, and the American Dream. Brilliance Corporation: Grand Haven, MI Lach, G.; Schellekens, H.; Dinan, T.G. & Cryan, J.F. (2018) ‘Anxiety, Depression, and the Microbiome: A Role for Gut Peptides,’ in Neurotherapeutics 15(1):36-59 Vogt, N.M.; Kerby, R.L.; Dill-McFarland, K.A.; Harding, S.J.; Merluzzi, A.P.; Johnson, S.C.; Carlsson, C.M.; Asthana, S.; Zetterberg, H. Blennow, K.; Bendlin, B.B. & Rey, F.E. (2017) ‘Gut microbiome alterations in Alzheimer's disease’, in Scientific Reports 7(1):13537 Winter, G.; Hart, R.A.; Charlesworth, R.P.G.; Sharpley, C.F. (2018) ‘Gut microbiome and depression: what we know and what we need to know,’ in Reviews in the Neurosciences, 29(6):629-643

Alison Cutts Red Cabbage ‘Tinty’ – young leaves

vi: Jazz Ecology

Impatience with Impatiens Ramsey Affifi I was born and raised in a settler city sprawling through the middle of traditional Anishnaabe territory. Despite living and breathing land kept by Anishnaabe people, my education occurred within, and indeed maintained, a bubble separating me from this broader cultural world. I grew up with a love, admiration and care for the living world around me, and yet even here, my stock of concepts was influenced by people born to those across the Atlantic, not by the children and tenders of my own watershed. Despite this all too familiar scenario, a number of concerns with the environmental narratives circling about crept into my consciousness. One concern was with the term ‘invasive species’, a label cast so casually by those within my bubble. Even if these creatures were shaking up existing ecological balances, it bothered me that adults taught children to vilify them under the guise of ‘education’. I wondered if the phrase victimised not only Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Purple Loofestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and countless other animals and plants, but also the young recipients of these words, replacing the possibility of enchantment in their story of the world with experiences of judgment and division. When the xenophobic language of the populist right in Britain and North America regularly hit my social media feed, I couldn’t help but wonder whether the stock of metaphors used in politics was being imported into ecology. I was struck by an apparent contradiction: many of my environmentalist friends were appalled at the use of such language in the human realm but adhered to it unflinchingly in the field of the green, the feathered, and the furry. How could the impulse to ‘other’ others be condemned in one context but taken up in another? I pondered whether something Jungian was at work. Even if invasive species were sometimes causing disturbance to local

ecosystems, is calling them ‘invasive’, creating ‘eradication programs’ and all the rest of the militarism, really the best way to approach them? Are many of us settlers and globally mobile citizens unsettled in our depths about where we ‘should’ be living? Are environmentalists projecting onto other species a darkness within? What inner work do we need to do before treading into questions of how we might treat these prolific newcomers? Now living in the land where my grandfather was born, and still not feeling quite at home, I stand at the edge of the Water of Leith, watching its inexorable flow under the crisp, winter sun. I imagine clusters of Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) clambering along its edges sometime after the summer crests and the days start shortening again. The government has occasionally called the Royal Marines in to destroy this showy, pink flower, and researchers are investigating new biological diseases to wipe them out. But bees have accepted this plant into their web of relations, delighting in what seems a joyous frenzy from its copious nectar. When does a plant— or a person —become native to a place? Newspapers regularly remind us of ‘pollinator collapse’ set in motion by a collision of threats; from pesticide use to habitat destruction. Might Himalayan Balsam’s flourishing be part of ecological rebalancing rather than disruption? Few questions so quickly furrow my ecologist friends’ brows. Perhaps their irritation is warranted. Alongside other local species, bees seem to favour Himalayan Balsam (Horsely, 2016). The presence of Himalayan Balsam may thereby reduce the pollination of other species, some already curbed by its fecundity. But like many ecological studies, how we bracket our vision turns out to be crucial. A study must have a beginning and an end, and conclusions are drawn from within

vi: Jazz Ecology these boundaries. While the results are in a certain sense objective, the decision of when to start and stop the study is not. In this case, as long as the Himalayan Balsam’s nectar exceeds the needs of the bee population, bees may well favour it to the detriment of other plants. But such a scenario is obviously temporary. At some point, Himalayan Balsam’s plentiful supply will increase pollinator populations, but will no longer meet the demand. Other less alluring food sources are then sought out. Davis (2011) calls this ‘the car dealership effect’. In recent years, some popular science books have argued that invasive species seem to cause fewer extinctions than previously assumed (Pearce, 2015; Thomas, 2018). Perhaps they jump in to fill opening niches and catalyse evolutionary change? Others point out many invasive species run rampant because they have no natural predators. Maybe so, but the best way to ensure a predator develops is to let a would-be prey expand its range. If there is any ecological rule, it is that an unexploited niche is an evolutionary opportunity. It is not clear how long we’d wait for animal grazers to step in, but we can be confident opportunistic microbes will quickly emerge. Again, the question is timescale. People are currently testing fungi that might infect Himalayan Balsam (Tanner et al., 2015)— but we know that if we didn’t, something would evolve anyway. What is the rush? What kind of hero story do we need to maintain? Why do we need to insist that the intervention restoring balance come from us rather than nature? And how does this hero story link up with the villain story? Is there a tragic feedback loop between guilt and hubris? Instead of revelling in a nature increasingly manipulated to fulfil an image we’ve concocted from the arbitrary past, might we not become careful students and attentive lovers of the process by which ecosystems adjust and accommodate change? Is nature an active intelligent process or a static process to be preserved? Might ecosystems self-regulation exceed our comprehension? The biosphere, after all, evolved myriad creatures in complex co-existence with all their countless fascinating

features. Surely the arrival of new species— be it through hitching on the backs of birds, on logs projected into the seas by violent monsoon rivers, or through continental merging —is nothing new in the story of the Earth. What role does patience, indeed humility, play in conservation? With these thoughts in mind, I google how Anishnaabe people view invasive species. As many Anishnaabe people still live in intercourse with the land, I imagine invasive species might impact them more directly than urbanites who malign new species’ encroachments on their places of leisure. Reo and Ogden’s (2018) ethnography of indigenous Anishnaabe communities reveals some common features lacing through a wide variety of views and practices towards invasive species. Anishnaabe people are likely to view invasive species as migrating communities or, as they call them, nations. Many consider every nation to have gifts to share, and accepting their gifts fosters reciprocal responsibilities of care and respect. Human and more-thanhuman nations may not yet know or understand the gifts a new nation might bring to a place, but all have an active role in co-determining the new relationship that will emerge. So, whilst important food and medicines are often significantly affected by the arrival of a new species, for the most part the attitude is ‘let’s wait and see’. In other words, the process begins with listening. Perhaps we need not wait for fungi or bacteria to make food of Himalayan Balsam. It has been around the British Isles long enough for many of us to know how delicious its yellow seeds can be. To me, they taste a bit like watermelon. If more of us consumed this offering with gratitude, their numbers might be controlled but not eliminated, and our community made the better for it. That might be a better lesson for our children. References Davis, M. (2011) ‘Do Native Birds Care Whether Their Berries Are Native or Exotic? No.’ in BioScience, 61(7): 501–502

vi: Jazz Ecology Horsely, C. (2016) ‘Alien invasions! Himalayan Balsam, friend or foe?’ in Buzzword 32, November 2016 Pearce, F. (2015) The new wild: Why invasive species will be nature’s salvation. Icon Books: London, UK Reo, N.J. & Ogden, L.A. (2018). ‘Anishnaabe Aki: an indigenous perspective on the global threat of invasive species,’ in Sustainability Science 13: 1443-1452 Tanner, R.A.; Pollard, K.M.; Varia, S.; Evans, H.C. & Ellison, C.A. (2015) ‘First release of a fungal classical biocontrol agent against an invasive alien weed in Europe: biology of the rust, Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae,’ in Plant Pathology, 64(5):1130-1139. Thomas, C.D. (2018) Inheritors of the earth. Penguin: New York

vi: Garden Gems

From little seeds… Ruth Crighton-Ward In March, new growth is noticeable; buds are appearing on shrubs and trees, the greens of plants appear brighter and more alive, and the seed sowing season starts in earnest. When sowing seeds, it is advisable to use seed compost rather than regular compost. Seed compost is usually a bit finer than regular compost and is often sand based. You can make your own, using a mix of equal parts sharp sand, leaf mould and loam. Seed compost needs to be of less nutritional value than other compost, so that it is not too strong for the seedlings. It is finer, to make it easier for the seedlings to push themselves up through it. If making your own, you may have to take careful note of which seeds you sow in it. For example, if sowing a salad leaf mixture there will be a variety of different looking seedlings emerging. With homemade compost— unless it has been sterilised —the likelihood is that there will be a selection of weeds germinating alongside your desired plants. Shop-bought compost comes already sterilised. You can sterilize your own— in an oven or microwave — but this is not always very practical.

Seeds come in all shapes and sizes, and they should be sown to the requirement of each particular type. Some will want to be sown at greater depth than others, and some should just be scattered lightly over the growing medium and not covered at all. Some will require a pot all to themselves. For germination to occur, the conditions must be right for that type of seed. Instructions are usually printed on seed packets. If not, do some research prior to sowing. This is applicable to all seeds— whether growing for food, medicinal or ornamental purposes. The attached series of photos shows the sowing of Tomato seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) in pots. These pots will only be home to the seedlings for the first couple of months. After that, the seedlings will be ‘pricked out’— moved into bigger pots. The seeds themselves are small and I have sown 4 seeds in each 10cm x 10cm pot. They should be sown shallowly— to only about an eighth of an inch. Then, cover them lightly by sieving some fine compost over them. Tomatoes are incredibly versatile, with a huge number of varieties to suit every space and gardener, and a large range of flavours to suit every taste bud.

vi: Garden Gems Some are incredibly sweet, whilst others have a more earthy flavour. If your space is limited, there are many dwarf varieties which will produce ample quantities of fruit. They are one of our favourite salad and cooking ingredients, as well as containing an antioxidant called lycopene—associated with many health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. Seeds sown last month should now have germinated. Seedlings are delicate, so watering should be done sparingly. With seed trays, water the seedlings from the bottom by placing the trays in a larger tray filled with water. Wait until they are wet through before lifting out. This is a much gentler method of giving them a drink than dowsing them using a watering can and potentially damaging them. Now is a good time to gently heat the soil for those seeds that will be sown directly outdoors next month. This can be done by placing horticultural fleece over the areas to be sown. Over time, this gradually reduces the chill and gently raises the temperature a couple of degrees. Much of the garden would benefit from a feed at this time of year. This will give plants an energy boost as the growing season kicks in. There are many different types of plant feed, in liquid, powder, and solid form— go for ones that are natural, rather than chemical; seaweed, chicken manure or blood, fish and bone. But be

aware of plants that prefer an ericaceous feed; these are acid-loving plants, like Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Although regular compost will not do them any harm, they would benefit more from a lower pH value. Acid plants tend to favour a growing medium with a pH around 6. The average soil in this country has a pH of 6.5 to 7, and anything above that is more alkaline. Seeing which plants grow well in different areas of the garden can be an indicator of the pH of your soil, or you can test it. Testing kits can be bought at garden centres or, for tips on making your own, just look back to the Chemistry Column in the December (12//20) issue of Herbology News. Throughout March, the first crop of Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) can be ‘chitted’, then sown. Chitting gives potatoes the best chance to grow and is achieved by sitting the seed potatoes in the light (but not direct sunlight) for approximately two to three weeks. This should be done indoors, not outdoors. Egg boxes are good here— they allow the Potatoes to sit and keep them apart from each other. Over the course of those couple of weeks, the Potatoes will start to produce growth from their ‘eyes’. When these new shoots are about an inch long, the Potatoes will be ready to plant in the ground. Next month, I’ll get into the detail of planting Potatoes, pricking out seedlings, transplanting into bigger pots, and the direct sowing of seeds outdoors.

Alison Cutts Tumbling Sprouts

vii: Foraging through Folklore

Which wych? Ella Leith Is there something witchy about Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)? It is a shrub that borrows other trees’ names. It is definitely not a Hazel tree (Corylus avellana), despite also being known as Snapping Hazelnut. Nor, despite its other name— Spotted Elder —is it an Elder tree (Sambucus nigra). There’s definitely magic in another of its bynames: Winterbloom, so-called for its bright and spiky flowers that arrive in the cold season and are somehow impervious to frost. Witch Hazel relies on wind currents rather than insects for pollination, so in theory it could appear anywhere— as if by magic. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen the tree in nature, but I know very well the astringent remedy that my mother and grandmother swore by for grazes and blemishes. A dab of Witch Hazel would sting, but that meant the magic was working. If it isn’t a Hazel, then why do we call it Witch Hazel? In The International Book of Trees (1993:132), Hugh Johnson explains its name: Hazel because of its soft, oval leaves like the nut tree’s; witch presumably from witch. Intriguingly vague. Why from witch? For the healing quality of the ointment derived from its bark? Or because, in its native North America, it has traditionally been used for water witching? Water witching is the term popularly used in America for what we’d call water divining or dowsing: the use of two L-shaped rods or a forked stick to identify subterranean water. When passing over underground water sources, suddenly the rods cross each other or the forked stick ‘quivers, and … twists in [the dowser’s] hands and points downward with such violence that the bark peels off’ (Vogt and Hyman 1959:2). First recorded by the Romans (Vogt & Golde 1958:520), it appears to have increased in popularity in the 16th Century, due to German miners dowsing to identify mineral veins and precious metals. The practice came to be used in the tin mines of Cornwall and

spread throughout the British Isles and from there to America where, in addition to seeking underground water and metals, practitioners have dowsed for missing animals and people, and to ‘determin[e] digestible and indigestible foods’ (Barrett and Vogt, 1969:197). The movement of the rods or sticks is now usually attributed to ideomotor responses (i.e., the person moves unconsciously), with successful discoveries considered coincidental— ‘in many areas, it is difficult to drill and not find water’, says Deming (2002:451) —or a conscious or unconscious response to other cues in the dowser’s surroundings. But, as Deming observes, ‘scientific questions aside, water witching is fascinating as a cultural phenomenon’ (1999:451). Belief in the practice persists to this day, as comments on an online Farmers’ Almanac article attest: We had two witchers as neighbors, saw them many times work their ‘magic’ and never saw them miss. […] [My boss] wouldn’t dig a well with[out] first having it witched. (‘Ron’, online contributor) Witched my first well in my teens. Twisted the willow branch until it snapped. (‘Mark Dresser’, online contributor) Closer to home, in 1959 the following account was recorded from a Mr MacGregor in Braemar, Aberdeenshire: I had a boy workin here… and he had a, ye see, this stick, ye know for water divining. […] The stickie started to go, ye know, and— it’s a wonderful thing, that. A wonderful thing, that. How they can get the water like that. Aye. There must be somethin in the blood […] But he was a nice chap, that, too— there was no harm about him, ye know, there was no… Nice chap, too. But it was jist a wee bittie— jist when ye saa it first, ye know, when it started to quiver and then… [go] down, ye know? Ye would

vii: Foraging through Folklore think it was a bittie Auld Nick in him! [laughter] Mr MacGregor shows affection for what he calls ‘the fella with the stick’, and appreciation of his ‘wonderful’ skill, but his slight discomfort at the supernatural aspect of dowsing comes through— there could be a bit of the Devil, or ‘Auld Nick’, at work. Certainly, water divining sits on the cusp of acceptable and unacceptable paranormal activity. It’s been termed miraculous (by no less a figure than St. Teresa of Ávila), but it’s also been termed diabolical (by another religious dignitary, Martin Luther)— with Besterman reporting various German legends about the Devil or ghostly creatures appearing where dowsers dig (1926:119). The term ‘water witch’ began to be used in the late 18th Century, when dowsing was commonly written about ‘in connection with witches and witchcraft’ (Vogt & Golde, 1958:522). The skill can be seen as innate to the person— as Mr MacGregor put it, ‘something in the blood’ —or tied to the ‘witching rod’ itself, as ‘the representative of the magician’s wand’ (Burne, 1914, 133). Water witches using witching rods— hence, perhaps, ‘Witch Hazel’. But Witch Hazel is only one of many materials used to fashion witching rods: any springy wood can be used, as can metal and ‘manufactured articles such as tongs, snuffers, or even (be it whispered) a German sausage’ (Besterman 1926:133). As Hamamelis virginiana is native to North America, it was certainly not used on this side of the Atlantic. In Britain it was traditional to use Hazel trees proper, Willow (Salix), various fruit trees, or Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra). In fact, the ‘wych’ in Wych Elm gives an alternative explanation for the ‘witch’ in Witch Hazel. The Old English wiće or wić means weak or bendy, and, according to an etymological dictionary: the suffix ‘wych’ or ‘witch’ has been applied generally or vaguely to various trees having pliant branches. This is an interesting etymological overlap: are witching rods witchy because of their association with arcane knowledge and occult skill, or are they just wych-y— bendy —instead?

The homophone allows a perfect folk etymology to emerge, entangling witch and wych to give pliant wood occult undertones that semantically segue into what the wood is used for. And indeed, ‘Witch Hazel’— or ‘Wych Hazel’— was used to make witching rods in Britain, even if Hamamelis virginiana wasn’t. Since at least 1541, both variants of this name have been used as synonyms for Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra), a tree with its own particularly witchy connotations (Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? is a spooky true crime story well worth looking up). However much we might intellectually accept that trees and shrubs with this suffix are named for the pliant wood they supply, there’s still something witchy about them— and I like them better for it. References Barrett, L. and Vogt, E. (1969) ‘The Urban American Dowser’, in The Journal of American Folklore, 82 (325):195-213 Besterman, T. (1926) ‘The Folklore of Dowsing’, in Folklore 37 (2):113-133 Burne, C. (1914) Handbook of Folklore, Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Publishing Co. Deming, D. (2002) ‘Water witching and Dowsing’, in Groundwater 40 (4): 450-452 Johnson, H. (1993 [1973]) The International Book of Trees. London: Mitchell Beazley Kanuckel, A. (2020) ‘Water Witching: Fact or Fake?’ The Farmer’s Almanac, www.farmersalmanac.com/water-witchingdowsing-22011 Vogt, E. and Golde, P. (1958) ‘Some Aspects of the Folklore of Water Witching in the United States’, in The Journal of American Folklore 71 (282): 519-531 Vogt, E. and Hyman, R. (1959) Water Witching U.S.A, Chicago University Press The interview with Mr MacGregor can be found on the Tobar an Dualchais / Kist o Riches website, the online portal for selected items held in the School of Scottish Studies Sound Archive at the University of Edinburgh: http://tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/37 091

vii: Pagan Pages

Spring equinox James Uzzell The Spring (or Vernal) equinox is a point of balance, when the sun and moon stand still in the sky. It marks the start of the lightest half of the year, and is a time of bonfires and festivities. I think back to my childhood— walking to school as life trickles up through slumberous, frozen surfaces; Imbolc’s hardy Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) clearing the glistening cobwebs from the hedgerows; the anticipation of Sweet Violets (Viola odorata) whose delicate perfume will entice early risers from their winter slumbers. In the weeks of awakening leading up to the equinox, it's as if each day is a new opportunity to greet another green bud, watch some smitten songbirds. The youthful energy that pulses through the natural world is enthusiasm, fertility, new growth. So, it's not surprising to see these themes in most cultural celebrations around the world at this time, but particularly in paganism and other nature-based religions. Before discussing pagan traditions and history, it's important to get a basic understanding of the fluidity of some of the language and names. ‘Paganism’ is most often used as an umbrella term, to describe many different preChristian spiritual practices, typically derived from Celtic, Germanic, and Norse cultures. In reality, paganism is far more complex, with a much broader reach than I can describe here— but there are plenty of great scholars who enjoy the fickle subject of history, if you are inclined to dig deeper. Suffice to say, the spiritual practice most pagans in the UK identify as Celtic paganism is, in fact, neo-paganism— which was ignited around the industrial revolution, when people were forced to renounce their dependence on the land and on natural cycles, and start ‘unwilding’ themselves, becoming ‘civilized’ people who worked in ‘civilized’ factories and cities (Hutton, 2009). The trauma of this left folk hankering back

towards history and local folklore, back to those deities it was thought best represented our sacred connection to the wheel of the year, and back to the teachings of our mother earth. Of course, this process was neither universal nor uniform, so modern pagans inherited many names and stories for very similar archetypes. This explains why there are so many practices and paths; Wiccan, Druidry and Norse being the most prominent, each with many paths within them. The story of the wheel of the year is a tale of the god and the goddess, of life and death. The goddess— mother earth, life-giver, creator of harmony, the divine feminine —gives birth to the Sun (son) on the Winter Solstice, and their divine dance begins. The male form takes many roles throughout the year, as their dance unfolds, but the Spring equinox is a time of courting, of excess energy, of union and wider harmony. As the days lengthen, the return of Father Sun to Mother Earth brings new life and fertility for the coming growing season. A common alternative name for the Spring equinox is ‘Ostara’, from the Germanic / AngloSaxon festival celebrating the eponymous Maiden of Spring. Many versions of this archetype exist, and Ostara has many names— Ēostre or Ostara in Northumbrian Old English; Ēastre in West Saxon Old English; Ôstara in High German. Personifying the new life and fertility of spring, she is often depicted wearing white, holding flowers and eggs, amongst creatures of the forest— particularly hares. In his 1835 Deutsche Mythologie, Jacob Grimm writes: This Ostarâ, like the [Anglo-Saxon] Eástre, must in heathen religion have denoted a higher being, whose worship was so firmly rooted, that the Christian teachers tolerated the name, and applied it to one of their own grandest anniversaries. Our Spring maiden is said to sleep all winter, first stirring at Imbolc (on February 1 ), but st

vii: Pagan Pages rising properly on the equinox, alongside other woodland hibernators. In Druidry, the principal male incarnation at this time is the Green Man— a blooming, energetic forest-being, who brings the sap forth out of the ground, flowers from their bulbs, and urges the lifeforce back into all things. The Green Man is reborn as all life is reborn with him; the Spring Maiden is awake, as the warm sun awakens with her. The equinox is experienced as a time of total balance and unity between the two. From my relationships and creativity, to my ability to channel the magick of the earth, or invoke advice from the gods or nature, this new energy manifests in my life and being. While it’s the life's work of a few Celtic Reconstructionists to find scripture and history that shed light on ancient rites and rituals, it is accepted that many of these are largely lost to oral tradition. However, one strong theme in pagan practice is that people don't need to follow a rulebook to celebrate the world around them, so neo-pagans of all paths have birthed new traditions and ceremonies over the last century or so. If, like me, you feel the resurgence of energy beating through everything, resonating on all levels of your being, then you might be moved to celebrate with your own Spring equinox solo ritual. Ede-Weaving (2021) offers some helpful structure, involving: A ritual statement. Draw a circle and set the intention of the ceremony, acknowledging the tell-tale signs of Spring and the environment around you. The Calling of the Goddess— to aid her in Spring's awakening, and to invoke her blessings. The Calling of the God— to manifest his incarnation, and to bring unity to the ceremony. The creation some form of alter— perhaps with two candles, or opposing props —to help materialise the magick of balance and unity. The performance of a rite— this may be walking a labyrinth; writing, then

burning the paper; making an offering; or however best you connect with that language of prayer —to help channel your meditation. Giving thanks —acknowledge all parties and thank them for their presence and attention. As it was opened, now close the ceremony. There are many other rituals that can align us with the earth’s natural transition; watching the rising sun's new dawn; lighting fires to strengthen the energy of the year; or simply planting seeds or bulbs in your garden, giving each one the blessings of Ostara to help grow it to a bountiful Lughnasadh harvest (the first of the three harvest festivals, celebrated on August 1 ). We can all find our own ways to resonate with the winking eye of a flaunting robin, the sweet perfumes of the Bluebell wood (Hyacinthoides non-scripta or hispanica). All nature feels this magick, these rituals just help me recognize and acknowledge it, and tune my consciousness to earth-time. As I look forward to the Beltane fire festival on May 1st, I feel excited about my new-born creativity, and where it might lead me between now and the festival of fertility, at the height of spring and the start of summer. st

May all your bitter greens sprout big, thick leaves, and— although this past Winter may have been one of the hardest we've all been through —may the sweet sounds of the birds and the bees fill you with at least a little confidence that, even after the longest nights, the sun will rise again. References Hutton, R. (2009), Blood and Mistletoe, A History of Druids in Britain, Yale University Press: Bristol. Grimm, J. (1835) Deutsche Mythologie, Dieterich: Göttingen. Ede-Weaving, M. Spring Equinox Alban Eilir Solo Ritual: https://druidry.org/resources/spring-equinoxalban-eilir-solo-ritual-no-1(accessed 2021)

Alison Cutts Brassica oleracea Plate 2 Flower and Fruit

viii: StAnza Presents…

Eleanor Livingstone Re-discovering Custard for Karen Late October all bluster, pins of rain and the breeze finding its way beneath every door. Not a day for ice-cream despite the offer chalked white on the blackboard above our heads. The waitress shrugged, brought us a pot of tea with a promise worth the wait. It arrived in state, huge platters, each with a slice of fat molasses sponge a pool of caramel, and a generous jug full of creamy yellow goodness thin, no lumps, no skin. We spooned it up, spooned it up, as sweet as days can come.

Eleanor Livingstone is a poet and editor as well as being StAnza’s festival director. Her first full collection, Even the Sea (Red Squirrel Press, 2010), now in a second edition, was shortlisted for the 2010 inaugural London New Poetry award for first collections. Her other publications include The Last King of Fife (HappenStance, 2005), A Sampler (HappenStance, 2008) and as editor Skein of Geese (The Shed Press, 2008), Migraasje: Versions in Scots and Shetlandic (Stravaigers, 2008), Bridging the Continental Divide (StAnza, 2015), Necessarily Looking Backward (StAnza, 2018) and The Arch (StAnza 2019). StAnza brings poetry to audiences and enables encounters with poetry through events and projects in Scotland and beyond, especially their annual spring festival in St Andrews. www.stanzapoetry.org Facebook: stanzapoetry Instagram: @stanzapoetry

Alison Cutts Brussels Sprout Plant

ix: Book Club

The Human Cosmos: A Secret History of the Stars (Marchant, J.; Canongate, 2020) Reviewer: Kyra Pollitt Back in my RBGE student days, I found great contentment tending my little corner of the Botanics and began to experiment with biodynamic gardening on my plot. My life began to fill with moon charts and astronomical calendars, and I began to pay attention to the traditional names of the full moons, to fruiting days and rooting days, to the presence of moonlight in my life. But moving beyond biodynamic literature seemed to lead either to heavily mathematical, scientific texts or towards the shamanic. So, I have to admit to a degree of scepticism when ordering Jo Marchant’s latest work. Reader, this volume is everything I could have hoped. This is a book of enormous scope, plotting the journey of human engagement with the planets through vast swathes of prehistory, ancient and modern history, contemporary societies, and across the geographies of our planet. After all, everyone, everywhere, can see the moon. According to Marchant, it is the dominance of the moon in our shared sky that explains the relationship between astronomy and astrology: Then, around 400BC…[Babylonian] priests invented the zodiac by dividing the ecliptic (the path through the sky followed by the sun, moon and planets) into 12 equal segments of 30 degrees, naming each one after a nearby constellation, such as ‘Bull of Heaven’ (now Taurus) and ‘Great Twins’ (Gemini). This gave them an accurate system for recording and computing events in the sky. From then on, these two disciplines were intertwined; precision in astronomy refining the astrologer’s ability to predict accurately: Galileo regularly made astrological predictions for rich clients…Kepler hoped to strengthen and reform the discipline…he firmly believed that different qualities of light from the various planets could influence climate

and health, and he suggested that just like human beings, the Earth has a soul, sensitive to the harmonies of the stars. It is only with Cartesian dualism, and the emergence of what we now call ‘science’, that these two disciplines were divorced, and academic investigation lost its soul. So, be prepared to learn much beyond the strictly celestial. The chapter titles take us through Myth, Land, Fate, Faith, Time, Ocean, Power, Light, Art, Life, Aliens and Mind. You can’t help but learn something, particularly as most subjects are presented in some depth. Thus, we are treated not just to the planetbased geometry of Callanish, Stonehenge, Newgrange, but to how these structures may have given rise to the practice of agriculture. There is impressive coverage of the persistent influence of the planets on our belief systems—

ix: Book Club

from the Sol Invictus festival of 25 December, to the derivation of the word ‘deity’ from a root meaning ‘shining in the sky’. The waning of the planets’ influence on our concept and practice of time is boldly charted— from the astronomical (Saturnday, Sunday, Moonday) to canonical, then mechanical and digital timekeeping. In the chapter on Life, we learn, amongst many other things, that: In 2015, scientists published the first example of a plant that reproduces by the moon. Ephedra foeminea, a nonflowering relative of conifers and cycads, attracts insects during the full moon by exuding drops of sugary liquid that ‘glitter like diamonds’ in the nocturnal light. There’s some discussion of the effects of the lunar cycle on humans: …perhaps the lunar rhythm has weakened or disappeared in modern society simply because we’re no longer exposed to the moon’s changing light (in which case, along with other health problems, our artificially lit lifestyles may be disrupting fertility). And we learn that we’re not the only creatures that behave this way: Nightjars such as the North American whip-poor-will tend to hatch during a new moon, so when the chick’s highest energy demand comes two weeks later there’s moonlight for the parents to hunt insects. Serengeti wildebeest use the moon to time their conception, so calves are born safely ahead of the species’ mass migration in May or June. th

shortcomings are mitigated by the accessible and fluid style of Marchant’s prose, and the entry and exit points of her storytelling. So, I’d suggest it’s worth the journey. The cumulative perspective is certainly thrilling. From the vantage point of the ancient heavens, modern science seems recursive— curving back on itself like the crescent moon —orbiting again towards a finer understanding of the properties and powers of our solar system.

The disadvantage of a book of such breadth is that, depending on your interest, you are likely to encounter some stretch of text that feels somewhat barren to you. Certainly, I thirsted for illustration— both to leaven the text and to aid comprehension. On balance, though, such

Seeking Reviewers Are you reading something you would recommend to others? We’re always interested in reviews of books to share with fellow herbal folk. Please simply send us a review, or get in touch: herbologynews@gmail.com 48

Advertisement t

ARE YOU A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ASTRONOMER? . We are looking for a friendly astronomer, interested in public engagement, to contribute a regular column to our pages. Help us grow our audience, teach us all about the night sky and how the stars affect the earth and all that grows on it. Your readers await…. Contact: herbologynews@gmail.com

ARE YOU A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BOTANIST? . We are looking for a friendly botanist, interested in public engagement, to contribute a regular column to our pages. Help us grow our audience, teach us lovely botanical things. Your readers await…. Contact: herbologynews@gmail.com

x: Contributors

Ramsey Affifi is Lecturer in Science (Biology) Education and Environmental Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. http://ramseyaffifi.org Hazel Brady’s background is in IT, but she has always loved plants and since retiring has expanded her knowledge, especially around herbs. She completed the Diploma in Herbology at RBGE under Catherine ConwayPayne. Retirement has also given her the opportunity to develop another of her interests —an artistic practice centred in drawing and painting. Ruth Crighton-Ward has had a long interest in plants and nature, although her first career was in Stage Management. After 18 years working in a variety of Scottish theatres, she decided to go into gardening. She took her RHS Level 2 in Horticulture, as well as a Certificate in Practical Horticulture at RBGE. In 2014 she started her own gardening business, which has proved successful. In 2018, alongside her fulltime work as a gardener, she returned to the RBGE for a Diploma in Herbology. Anne Dalziel qualified as a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner (BFRP) in 2006, later becoming a licensed teacher for the Bach International Education Programme (BIEP) and for the Bach Foundation. Anne has facilitated many workshops in community education, and for several commercial organisations. IG: @bachflowertraining David Hughes is an organic gardener, fruit and veg enthusiast, plant nutritionist, terpine whisperer, seed collector, green librarian and half decent in the kitchen. Most often found disturbing the peace in the woods of East Lothian, or more occasionally wandering in unimproved pastures looking quizzically at things, David looks to explore people and their relationships with the plants that surround them by examining the esoteric sides of herbology through conversation, experience and silly wee stories.

x: Contributors

Marianne Hughes began following her interest in complementary medicine after a career in Social Work Education and voluntary work in Fair Trade. Starting with Reflexology & Reiki, she progressed into Herbal Medicine. The evening classes at the RBGE got her hooked and she completed the Certificate in Herbology and, more recently, the Diploma in Herbology. Her current joy is experimenting with herb-growing in her own garden, in a local park, and alongside other volunteers in the RBGE Physic Garden. marianne@commonfuture.co.uk Ann King has always dabbled in gardening in some shape or form is now a horticultural therapist and graduate of the RBGE Herbology Diploma. She is passionate about facilitating nature re-connection and enabling its therapeutic benefits by creatively adapting knowledge and stories for organised group sessions: either outdoors, incorporating exercise; or sedentary, indoor, experiential workshops. You can follow her on IG: @annlovesherbs or at www.thymefornature.com

Dr. Ella Leith is an ethnologist and folklorist who studied in Scotland and now lives in Malta. She particularly loves folktales and the storytelling traditions of linguistic and cultural minorities. @leithyface

Maddy Mould is an illustrator living in the Scottish Borders. Her work is heavily influenced by her interests in the natural landscape, folklore, and history. She likes to illuminate the magic of everyday things, both through her art and through some simple kitchen witchery with what she hopes will soon be home-grown produce. maddymould.co.uk

x: Contributors

Joseph Nolan practices Herbal Medicine in Edinburgh, at the UK’s oldest herbal clinic, and specialises in men’s health and paediatrics. He is a member of the Association of Foragers, and teaches classes and workshops related to herbal medicine making, wild plants, foraging, and natural health. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram @herbalmedicineman, and on his website: www.herbalmedicineman.com

Kyra Pollitt is a graduate of the Diploma in Herbology at the RBGE. When not editing Herbology News, she works as a translator, interpreter, writer and artist. She lives on the Isle of Harris, where she is busily planting and growing a garden. www.actsoftranslation.com

James Uzzell is a lifelong pagan who practices independently, and with enthusiasm. Working in mental healthcare, and educated in broadcast audio engineering, James is just trying to stay rooted and grounded in such an uprooted and unsettled world. Believing in Faery Kingdoms and watching the sunrise are just some of the ways he finds some solace in the storm.

Dora Wagner is a graduate of the RBGE Diploma in Herbology, and a Didactician in Natural Science. She also works as a Naturopath for Psychotherapy, and as a Horticultural Therapist. She currently lectures in Medical Herbalism at the University of Witten/Herdecke, and is leading a project reconstructing the medicinal herb garden of an Anthroposophic Hospital in Germany. dora.wagner@t-online.de

ADVERTISE HERE For a ridiculously small fee, you can advertise your products and services to over 200 interested readers.

We can embed a link to take our readers directly to your website, Etsy shop, or platform of your choice.

£15 for a full-page advert with illustration(s) of your choice £10 for a half-page, with appropriately sized illustration £5 is all it costs for a quarter-page advertisement

All monies raised go to production costs. Contact: herbologynews@gmail.com

Herbology News has grown from the Herbology courses taught at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, under the careful eye of Catherine Conway-Payne. A suite of Herbology course options is available, as part of the broad range of education courses offered by RBGE. Herbology News is neither financially nor materially supported by RBGE, but is put together entirely by volunteers and is currently seeking charity/not-for-profit status.

x: Looking Forward

03//21: The Calm Issue     

Your usual columnists Plus, Herb of the Month: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Plus, Artist of the Month: A.B. Gilchrist Plus, Our Man in the Field kicks back, as our Editor interviews Mel Skinner Plus, Marianne Hughes reviews Fantastic Fungi (Schwartzberg, L.& Bone, E.; Earth Aware Editions, 2019) for our Book Club

And more….

56 56

Herbology News // The Bitter Issue

Articles inside

Eleanor Livingstone

ix Book Club: Kyra Pollitt reviews The Human Cosmos: A Secret History of the Stars by Jo Marchant

Contributors

Notes from the Brew Room Ann King

vii Foraging Through Folklore Ella Leith

v Anthroposophical Views Dora Wagner

David Hughes meets Kate Swaine