Editorial

No time like the present

Ella Leith

As Autumn turns to Winter and nights grow longer, now’s the perfect time take stock. The harvest-time and back-to-school fervour has dissipated, and, whether we call it Samhain or All Soul’s Eve, the cusp of November invites us to remember those gone, to look back over times past, and to think of— maybe plan for —times to come.

Time is the essence of this issue, and with it, memory. Both of these are embodied in Marianne Hughes’ Herb of the Month, the ancient Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba). One of the oldest extant species on the planet, it has lived alongside dinosaurs and skyscrapers, through ice ages and nuclear explosions; an individual Maidenhair can live for millennia. Memory on that scale is near unfathomable, so Claire Gormley (The Chemistry Column) guides us through the formation of tree rings, through which a tree’s history is recorded beneath its bark. Along with the ancient memories of trees, we look at trees as memorials (Foraging Through Folklore), and at our fragile, all too human memories— going, going, gone (StAnza Presents...). For restorative remedies, turn to Rose Morley’s Flower Power, and see what magic Ann King (Notes from the Brew Room) has been brewing to keep the faculties sharp. Delving deeper into the role of the past in the present, Amanda Edmiston (Botanica Fabula) takes us on a journey of the senses on the back of a shooting star; closer to home, Callum Halstead offers Sage Advice about carrying beloved gardens with us to pastures new.

Our modern relationship with time is damaging our health, says Dora Wagner (Anthroposophical Views). She outlines the impact of stress on the body, and emphasises the importance of taking the time to adapt and respond to our surroundings, and especially to the natural world. This, too, is the core message of our long read: Kyra Pollitt (Past Papers) shares her fascinating research into time as a core— and too often missing —ingredient in the process of healing. Healing, she reminds us, is at root wholeness, and to be whole we need real-world anchors— to the seasons, to the rhythms of the day, and to each other. At a time of acute crisis in relation to climate change, Patrick Dunne (The Climate Column) reinforces the same message: climate summits can only take us so far, he says, so what we really need is to invest our time, energy and belief in our communities.

Now snuggle down with Herbology News, let Maddy Mould’s striking prints tickle your imagination, and take time to be present and settle into Winter.

Honorary Executive: Catherine Conway-Payne. Editorial Team: Kyra Pollitt, Ella Leith. Artistic Director: Maddy Mould. Illustration: Maddy Mould. Finance and Distribution: Marianne Hughes.

Herbology News is printed on FSC certified, carbon neutral, recycled paper, using non-polluting vegetable-based inks, made from renewable sources.

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