Editor’s Notes

The 2004 LooseLeaf editorial team passed the baton to us in July 2005, and we were officially off and running. Although there have been a few hurdles along the way, and even a few spills, through a lot of hard work and a little sweat we’ve made it to the finish line.

At the first meeting of the 2005 team, we brainstormed themes for LooseLeaf. We wanted the themes to be somewhat unified across the three issues and came up with an elemental concept.

We chose the element of Earth for our first issue because we all felt we could use a bit of grounding at this hectic time of year, and because we wanted to impart a sense of nourishment and support to our readers as they, too, struggle to begin anew.

In the East Indian philosophy of life known as Ayurveda, all of creation is believed to be composed of five elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Ether. These elements combine to create all form, emotion, and thought.

In our bodies, the earth element gives structure and support. It is manifested in the skeletal system, and its main function is the formation of bones. When the earth element joins with other elements, it forms hair, skin, blood vessels, and flesh. Emotionally, the earth element keeps us centred and grounded. Without it, we can turn into flighty airheads, blubbering crybabies, or hot-tempered demons. If we have too much earth element, we can become stubborn and overly attached to things or ideas. But just the right amount of the earth element allows us to feel securely attached to mother earth, so that we can feel our watery emotions and think our airy thoughts without getting carried away.

We hope that this issue of LooseLeaf will give you a sense of the wonder of being part of the earth, the joy of being enveloped in Gaia’s arms, and the satisfaction of being anchored in your life and work.

As we approach the next issue of LooseLeaf, we anticipate that some sparks will fly. The theme is Fire, so any of you interested in submitting, think about what makes you hot!

Kate Lancaster, Managing Editor

Fall 2005 Editorial Team

Managing Editor – Kate Lancaster
Substantive Editors – Vanessa Simpson, Kat Code
Copy-editor– Amanda Grondahl
Proofreaders – Rita Bayer, Janice Everett
Graphic Design– Vince Yim
Web Design – Lynne Graham

Read the editorial team's bios