ANTI-AUTHORITYANTI-AUTHORITY DAILYDAILY REVOLTREVOLT RETURNRETURN FIREFIRE INDIVIDUALINDIVIDUAL WILLWILL DE-CIVILISATIONDE-CIVILISATION Wild Plants: Birch Polypore & Old Man's Text Concerning Hambach Beard Forest (invitation to destruction from Poems For Love, Loss & War the front-lines of an anti-coal occupation, Germany) Global Flash-Points (direct action reports) 'To Create and Maintain Their Wealth' / 'Sensuality, Magic & Rebels Behind Bars Anarchist Violence' (text by prisoners & repression (reviews: various Jason Hribal, news) Silvia Federici's 'The Caliban and the Witch' Memory as a Weapon & Arthur Evan's 'Witchcraft and (a European folktale for our the Gay Counterculture') times – down with the empire, up with the spring) Why We Are With the Fighters (what do we mean by solidarity?) …and more! VOLUME VOLUME 3 3 , , CHAPTERCHAPTER II II I I [email protected]@riseup.net WINTERWINTER 2012015-20165-2016 We few began as wanderers in this wasteland, this wasted land, this land laid waste. Going through the motions every day, our hands passing over the assembly line, the steering wheel or the keyboard almost without our conscious awareness, as if ghost limbs. We tell – or are told – the same story again and again of how we come to be here, of how we have 'progressed''progressed' into this age that clings to us like cellophane. Yet what is it, this thought which flashes unbidden across our minds while we submit to the bosses orders, or when we pass the clearcut forest? Where does it lead, this chain of feelings we could allow ourselves to follow, hooked on the tailwings of the swooping swallow, or that draws us to a mountain or seashore? Why is it that our fingers twitch, curl into fists, become ours once more, when the newscasts and adverts blare, when the landlord knocks, when police approach? Who are they, those friends whose company seems incommensurable with the hollow commodities, the acquisition of which keeps us apart; those voices who dare to challenge these values and way of life; those who tear away at this suffocating skin which has been grafted onto ours, bringing their heretical dreams to life again and again as feral beauty, bombs and beating hearts? How could it be, that those moments could stretch on and on, while restrictions and categories peel away to fall as so much compost for the conspiracy of dandelions blooming atwixt the cracks, from an Earth we have learned to embrace once more? Gather your strength, the reply from our bones counsels. Your fight seems to have begun for anarchy, for wildness. WILD PLANTS – Birch Polypore & Old Man's Beard During winter­time, our attention often The birch bracket mushroom is anti­ shifts from the undergrowth to the trees for inflammatory. This means that it is sustenance of one kind of another. Please capable of reducing or entirely numbing note that these words should act as an pain without touching on the Central introduction only; especially in the case of System. Such natural products are in mushrooms, attending to a proper guide great demand because many ailments with good pictures (ideally, as well as an cause inflammation at some stage, and introduction via someone already often synthetic medications trigger acquainted with them) is necessary. unwanted side effects. In other instances, medications themselves Birch Polypore cause inflammation and products from this an inhibitory against strep and staph Sometimes, another species just reaches mushroom can be taken alongside such infections. In Chinese and ancient Greek out and grabs you (take that as medications to neutralise inflammation. medicine it has been documented as a metaphorically as you want), and this respiratory antibiotic for thousands of years winter so far it has been birch polypore. For storage purposes you can roughly slice (modern studies rate it as more effective And a great ally for these months it is! the mushrooms fairly thinly and allow to than penicillin against tuberculosis); dry, usually a pretty similarly, in some North American Also known in quick process, then store indigenous traditions it is known to English as birch in a jar or brown paper maintain and protect the trees, the lungs of bracket, birch bag out of direct light the earth. The usnic acid which it contains conk and razor until ready to use. The is an anti­fungal; shepherds in Italy would strop, in the wild dried (or fresh) put Usnea in their shoes to prevent and this mushroom mushroom should be treat blistering. The same acid inhibits grows exclusively added to a pan with the some causes of tooth decay. As an anti­ on birch trees. It water and allowed to inflammatory, it can treat both acute and appears most simmer gently for about chronic conditions. often in cold an hour. If there is a climates (inclusing specific health concern You can boil Old Man's Beard into a tea Europe, Asia and North America), like its then this dose could well be higher; also, (it's good with the birch polypore listed host. It is a round to kidney­shaped fungus, making a tincture will extract other qualities above, and often grows close by!), though growing from a single attachment point. It not brought out by water. the most effective extraction would be by starts out white, and the cap becomes tincture. It has anti­microbial properties more beige with age, finally darkening or that staves off infection when applied Old Man's Beard directly to a wound, as has been used as greying. The name polypore refers to its Also known as fishbone beard (again, due many pores, situated on the underside of such across the world (in the case of the to the tentril­like growths in a fishbone ex­Soviet countries, once powdered). the fruiting body. pattern), or properly as Usnea, this lichen grows mostly on birch and conifers. It is Because it is also absorbent it has been You can eat it, but it is said to be very bitter grey­green (often when smaller) to yellow­ so the uses that follow are mainly used for diaper material and menstrual green (in the larger hanging strands), and applications, while Interior Salish peoples medicinal. However, it's also been used for black at the base where it meets the tree. firelighting (when dried it can hold a spark of the Pacific North­West of the Americas A good way to tell it from other lichens is would weave clothing out of it for ponchos to carry from one campsite to another), cut that it has a slight into strips and used to sharpen knives and and footwear, elasticity when pulled, sometimes interwoven razors (hence the name 'razor strop'), and and when broken even making jewellery and much more! with silverberry bark apart you can and other stronger sometimes see the fibres. Similar uses of Applied medicinally, it's properties can be white inside part broadly described as anti­inflammatory, Usnea were made by which gives it this the Bhotia and anti­bacterial, anti­tumor and anti­viral. feeling. Used as a tea, it can clear parasites from Garhwali of India. the stomach and digestive system, acting It has been used for Apparently, it is best as a laxative, or to soothe the nerves or so much across the treat fatigue. It gives an amazing boost to avoided during world; as a general pregnancy. Also, Old the immune system, and is a great wound wound healer (Canary herb; not just for its anti­inflammatory Man's Beard easily Islands), antiseptic absorbs heavy metals properties but because it is anti­septic, (Argentina), anti­bacterial and helps to stop bleeding (it and other toxins, so antibacterial (Saudi don't gather it near can be used to make a perfect plaster by Arabia), antitumor scoring a rectangle into the underside, roads, factories or agent (Chile), delayed other pollution. then peeling it back slowly and carefully ­ menstration (Korea users have said that not only does the Lichens have shrunk and other Asian all over the world in mushroom heal the wound, but that it also countries), for uterine leaves no scar even with deep wounds). the last decades. Pollution, climate complaints and vaginal infections, as a change, and over­harvesting are among mouth wash, herbal cancer therapy, and as the indicted culprits. 68. POEMS FOR LOVE, LOSS & WAR It is a G ift, T his G rief requiring reinforcement. Grief. Tissue and cells, Like a snake, twisted around my insides, compassion, empathy and love organs and bones, that weren’t there before. ovaries, With each break, and heart. my heart grows stronger, I was hoping that paying attention, beats harder. and letting it in, Criss­crossed with scars, would end it somehow, reminders of all those who’ve left their mark. set me free from an ancient sadness that I carry like a weight. And maybe that’s what mourning does. I was hoping that if I stopped avoiding it, Tears you down, fed it, and gave it what it needs, so you can build back up again, it would curl up strong enough to go on, small and sweet, fighting for those you have lost. or lay down and die, It is a gift, happy. this grief. But it’s not. Given This grief stays, so that I might lay next to my small son, hungry and poised, and my husband, growing all the time, so much the same in sleep, soft, seething. And be happy. I heard they want to mine the moon. That the pacific ocean is Thank you for listening, radioactive and that California is being swallowed up by drought. Love, That Bison who leave Yellowstone are shot on sight.