i: Editorial
Try a little tenderness Ella Leith As the second year of the pandemic reached its end, I’ve got to admit that I felt pretty ragged. 2021 was hard work: the constant low-level anxiety; the uncertainty; the ubiquitous screens; the ever-updating and ever-miserable news cycle. We are all in need of respite. So, as 2022 dawns, Herbology News invites us to embrace gentleness— with each other, and with ourselves. This is the theme that Dora Wagner explores (Anthroposophical Views), reminding us of the psychosomatic impact of stress and anger on the stomach and gut, and the spiritual need for patience, forbearance and gentleness. She invites us to ‘keep hope alive for a transformed world’— for hope, turn to The Climate Column for Patrick Dunne’s cautious optimism; for transformation, to Kyra Pollitt’s recommended manifesto from The Nation of Plants (Book Club). Treat your eyes to Artist of the Month Jenna McKechnie’s gentle palettes, and remember that, although it’s too early in the year to see it, the days are beginning to lengthen once more. Soon, soon. But now is still the darkness and chill of January, and hibernation has never felt more attractive. These are the stone months, Amanda Edmiston tells us (Botanica Fabula): a time to hunker down with stories, songs, and a bowl of comforting soup— whether the beloved soups of your childhood (Nine Arches Press Presents...), or those produced from a simple stone (Foraging through Folklore). In the interests of hunkering down, Callum Halstead (Sage Advice) gives his tips for creating a winter garden you can enjoy through the window, and recommends this fallow time for cleaning your tools and taking stock. Meanwhile, Joseph Nolan is making stock and other medicinal foods, including delicious ferments (Of Weeds and Weans). This is also the focus of Our Man in the Field’s interview, so join David Hughes on his tasty tour of the Edinburgh Fermentarium, then try your hand at Ann King’s Fresh Festive Ferment (Notes from the Brew Room). If your stomach is still struggling from the excesses of the holiday season, find relief with Marianne Hughes’ soothing Herb of the Month, Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea; Nepeta glechoma), or turn to The Chemistry Column for Claire Gormley’s explanation of the efficacy of another remedy for digestive distress, Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita). Finally, an appeal. To start the year, what better resolution than to help renew Herbology News? This beautiful magazine is written, illustrated, designed, edited, and produced wholly by volunteers and without institutional support. We love making it because we want you to love reading it. We have learned and grown a lot in the past year, but our advertising and sales revenue does not yet cover our digital and print publishing costs. So, if you enjoy our pages, please consider helping us to stay in production, either by becoming a regular patron (patreon.com/herbologynews), by making a one-off donation (justgiving.com/crowdfunding/herbologynews), or even by sponsoring an entire issue. You’ll find all the information you need on p. 5. Thank you for your support. Honorary Executive Editorial team Artistic Director Illustration Finance and Distribution
Catherine Conway-Payne Kyra Pollitt, Ella Leith Maddy Mould Maddy Mould Marianne Hughes
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