Developing a Practice

Herbs

Since I was at school I have been fascinated by herbs, their uses, the folklore surrounding them, growing and foraging. My regular newsletters often include my reading and experience in my garden and kitchen. Studying the lore of traditional herbs has been a way into reading landscape, connecting with growers, healers, textile workers, craftsmen, lovers and housewives of the past, understanding the many kinds of skills and knowledge that have been passed down to us, the different relationships people have with land and plants and their own bodies.

Deep Ecology

Since the energy crisis of the 1970’s I have been aware of the looming catastrophes associated with our abuse of land and the earth’s resources. I looked for a discipline that would redefine the dominant and exploitative human relationship to the rest of creation, that might be knowledgeable, mutual, nurturing, creative and celebratory. It had to embrace artistic and spiritual as well as scientific and ethical insights.
While I am neither Wiccan, Buddhist nor pagan, the regrounding experience of studying permaculture, Geopoetics and the writings of deep ecologists helps give depth and scope to my work, informing my artistic practices of ‘walking the territory’ and Christian Contemplative prayer, and my activism around the issues of migration, nuclear disarmament, disability (particularly neurodivergence and mental health issues), climate change and biodiversity loss.

I write about this in my newsletters, and many of these issues come up in my poetry and essays. I am open to allowing relevant work to be used by groups active in these areas. Please contact me first, to avoid copyright conflicts.