Sometimes when I’m working on JUNO a phrase or image will leap out at me, perfectly expressing how I’m feeling about life in that moment. In this issue, it was reading this sentence in Willow Grace Murton’s Life on the Land column (page 50): “… such is the glare of all there is to do”. Willow was explaining how she can feel overwhelmed by all the jobs there are to do on a smallholding, and how she welcomes pockets of time to enjoy a quiet moment. Does anyone else feel like this right now, because I certainly do? Maybe it’s the contrast after the eerie months of lockdown, but it feels to me like the world has now sped up, and I can’t keep up! Or maybe it’s just that summer is always busy, with lots going on and an ever-growing garden and veg patch to keep up with? Sometimes, mid-summer, I find myself longing for the dark at 4pm when I can justifiably light a fire and sit down in front of it. I have to remind myself not to wish this precious life away, and to live in the moment.
That’s why autumn is such a wonderful transition season – we can still have those golden sunny days that lift the spirit, but the earlier darkness means I can’t keep buzzing like a worker bee far too late into the evening. Throughout this issue of JUNO we celebrate the joy of autumn, through using natural treasures in craft projects (see Becky Goddard-Hill’s feature starting on page 53) and connecting to the moon’s phases, explained to us by Judith Hurrell on pages 43–45.
I love the synchronicity of JUNO. Whilst of course I do plan each issue, sometimes I won’t know exactly what writers are going to send until it arrives, or indeed know what books we will review until I look through the towering pile. And as wonderful patterns begin to emerge, I feel inspired. This issue I discovered the notion of “rebugging” ‒ thanks to Lizzie Mae Smith’s powerful writing about it in her homeopathy column (page 17) ‒ at the same time as I was reviewing Rebugging the Planetby Vicki Hird,which has inspired me to really stop and notice all the insects, reflect on how crucial they are to everything, and think about what we can do about this.
Another theme is first aid: Lucy Gregory and Chris Deutsch empower parents to learn lifesaving first aid skills in Talking Point on page 52, and Fiona Heckels and Karen Lawton inspire us to look to plants to create a herbal first aid kit in their Sensory Herbalism column on page 47.
On the days we finalised these proofs the sun was bright and the sky was blue; the golden autumn colours glowing around us. I sat under a tree and felt grateful to my garden, remembering to relish those last growing moments before the leaves started to turn. I wish you a restful transition towards winter.
Featured contributors
Ruth Sabrosa and family have helped review some of the child-led learning resources.Ruth is a hypnobirthing instructor, dividing her time between the coast, the countryside and the city to give her children a rich and varied education.
Zofia May is a natural lifestyle family photographer based in London who took our beautiful cover image. After her children were born, Zofia fell in love with capturing details that tell a story and show beautiful connections between people.
Daniel Ingram-Brown is an author using his voice to help us all understand more about adoption. He has written our Here’s An Idea feature about Memory Boxes and is currently undertaking a PhD exploring adoption through creative writing.
What is inside the Autumn issue 2021 of JUNO Magazine? Our beautiful Autumn issue is packed full of supportive and informative features including…
- Home education: child-led learning resources to try
- Families show us how they home educate
- Eco-ableism
- Connecting with the moon
- Saving a community allotment site
- #birthmyway community feature
- Exploring gender identity
- Creating a memory box
- Demystifying the menstrual cycle
- Hypnobirthing: using our senses
- Dyslexia: perceive as an advantage
- Autumn treasure crafts
- Comfort food recipes
Plus all your favourite regulars and columns including Empowered Birth, Mindful Dad, My Teen, Birth in Pictures, Natural Connections, Community Photography, Reflections Of A Homeopath Sensory Herbalism and much more…
How To Make An Autumnal wreath