From the editor, Winter 2025-26

In the Deep Midwinter

Angus Soutar

It is a popular belief that the New Year is a time for Resolutions. But, in the northern hemisphere, well away from the equatator, resolve is often in short supply at this time of year. It is a time for looking after ourselves, conserving our energy and fortifying our spirit for when spring finally arrives.

For some time, I have been wanting to write about how heavy the challenges are growing upon us, a heavier load than most of us wish to contemplate, let alone to bear. But that is the last topic I would wish to occupy our minds at this time of year. All that will have to wait until we have a bit more daylight, and perhaps some sunshine, to cheer us up. I have directed my mid-winter musings towards a list of activities that we could practice as we enter a potentially epic struggle against the advance of The Machine.

So, forget "New Year Resolutions", shrug off any ideas of Januarial self-denial. Years lie ahead. Read through the list of "Resistance" activities here, and Think On. If you are at the "beginner" stage with anything, accept that some of my "Resistance" suggestions could take decades to master properly. Others may already be part of your repetoire. We can't be good at everything, and we should not need to be. Concentrate on areas that you are enthusiastic about. Enthusiasm could take you a long way in a short time.

Those who have attended our Permaculture Design course (Day 10 in particular) might understand the rationale behind the suggestions in the following list. Or, you might recognise that some of the items are selected to help prepare for a future of limited fossil fuels. The list reflects my sense that a lot of our future resilience will depend on psychological health as much as our physical well-being. And yes, there is also a spiritual dimension to it all.

We are not machines. Keep in mind that machines have no soul, as much as some of them will try to convince you otherwise. So here goes:

Defy mechanisation

Put your hands to good use.

work with wood, shape, join, carve
draw by hand, paint, illustrate, decorate
work with fabrics sew, knit, cut.

Prepare for the worst

Cultivate activities that can be carried out when the electric power goes off (that could include internet access).

read books, especially those from different periods and places
learn to play an acoustic instrument
memorise verse and recite it aloud

And, while the power is on:

watch old films from any and all decades and study TV programmes made before, say, 2003 ^*
learn how to live without batteries.

^* To be explained more fully in a future article.

Make connections

Don't get stuck in your hutch like a battery hen.

join others in outdoor and indoor activities
discover/rediscover card games and board games (material, not virtual)
get to know your neighbours
buy things in shops where you can look the assistant in the eye, say something nice about them or the the way the business is run
cultivate the art of talking to strangers and casual acquiantances, in queues, on public transport etc

Keep healthy

Health, in all its aspects, is the foundation of personal resilience.

produce food, even if your efforts are small and appear insignficant
learn how to avoid plastic as much as possible, particularly around food and drink
as soon as you see sunshine, get out in it
watch the rising and the setting of the sun
strengthen your understanding of your immediate environment, both landform and culture.

Finally, as soon as you can do anything on this list, show others how.

If anything on the list is not fun for you to do, then don't do it. Think about other skills and activities that are along the same lines. As for New Years Resolutions, just aim to stay positive, whatever life throws at you.