From Aidan Simardone

What I am advocating is a radical reappraisal of how we relate to our food, whether animal, vegetable, or both.

In a world where politicians lie constantly, companies continue to wreck the Earth and our food is processed with things we can’t pronounce, we ought to think carefully about who has our faith.

And of course, prayer need not always be verbal. It can be as simple as standing barefoot on the grass or listening to the birdsong at sunrise. But even from this must come action to protect those very things that give solace, that cannot protect themselves. In this way, this communion with this other becomes something that is reciprocal.

The cycle cannot be escaped;

All there is to do is coax out words and coat

The atavistic sorrow

An upcoming course from Alley Valkyrie!

We don’t really have a good way of measuring the effects of social media on how we conceive of ourselves, despite intuitively understanding that it’s not good for us.

This is not the path to crucifixion.
Neither is this the path to a bog burial.

If the people we fight against had their way, then none of us would be safe for another day. That’s all the reason I need to stand against them.

Stanton Moor is a beautiful place, rich in history, nature and, of course, magic. It is an early Bronze age burial ground with over seventy barrows and cairns. When you’re there on an early October morning you can feel how special this place is. The land is full of spirits, and you can feel them here. Perhaps these hills are liminal places, wild spaces where the veil is thin at most times, but even more so at this time of year.

Violence against Indigenous people is not a natural disaster, and they need not be rescued from it. To be rescued from violence doesn’t end violence, it only keeps certain people temporarily safe.

The art of Remedios Varo does indeed show the dream world and the real world are the same, combining technical drawing and surrealism in a way that brings the dreamworld into the realm of the everyday, hinting at the magical nature of the world. Using contrasts in colour and texture, Varo captures the essence of the ‘other’. My favourite piece, if I had to choose just one, is called Star Maker.

‘I see the trig point fallen on its side,
triangular top, long foundation, like a broken tooth,
no longer the highest point on the hillside.’

There’s something special to be found in all the seasons, but my heart belongs to the growing dark. I find something soothing in the winding down, in the retreat, and as an introvert, it feels like coming home. And of course, there is a beauty in the slow decay that comes with autumn. The trees put on a colour show far more beautiful than any illuminations.

Rhyd Wildermuth’s presentation on paganism, witchcraft, and climate change in the Château of Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg

“(Pre)history, like any story, is empirically non-reducible to a singular causal chain of historical events, including the bogus idea of the agricultural revolution.”

The latest episode, from Alley Valkyrie & Rhyd Wildermuth

“From prophesying an apocalypse, I’ve come to live inside of one – and I’ve tried to make something beautiful of it.”

From Rhyd Wildermuth

The September 2021 monthly digest