A trip to Royal Maroon Herbs in Peckham by Ted Sempa

Maroon Herbs is a bastion against all ailments, flu, rash, acne, infertility, brain fog and more. Buried inside the Rye Lane Market in Peckham, it supplies the area’s inflicted and herbally savvy with plant medicines, topical applications and more. Sadly, people from elsewhere come more rarely, it is a hidden gem of the neighborhood. Upon your first visit you will be blown away by the kaleidoscopic display of herbs that adorn two walls of the shop. You will likely see herbs you recognise if you’re a health buff, ashwagandha, gingko biloba etc, but you will probably also see herbs you have never seen in your life, like Jackass bitters, shame macka and lady’s mantle.

The twin brothers that run the place are friendly, talkative and herbally knowledgeable. There is a consistent distrust of the pharmaceutical industry here, people preach a mystical gospel of forgotten herbal knowledge, synthetic chemicals marketed as medicines are seen as cash grabs that often cause more problems than they do solutions, and can you blame them for believing this? If you’ve ever listened to the side effect lists that play at the end of American ads for prescription medicines (“Side effects may include headache, constipation, insomnia, internal bleeding etc,” as jolly music plays over footage of someone smiling and playing catch with their kid), you will understand pharmaceutical medications often come with implicit side effects. Even aspirin is a synthetic version of a chemical (salicylic acid) that is present naturally in ginger and many vegetables. That’s neither here nor there, but it is definitely interesting how many miracle stories the twins have of people taking the herbs they sell and having their ailments heal very quickly.

The twin I talked to also had a very pronounced sense of good and evil, and had impressively nuanced perspectives on politicians, addiction to technology and substance abuse. He is somebody that you can talk to and instantly ascertain has good intentions, just as he told me during the interview I did, he does not run the business to make money but to heal and educate.

Perhaps this article comes across as slightly tangential, but the subject of herbal healing and the skepticism of modern pharmaceuticals has fascinated me for years, and the discussion is gaining traction every day. I have very positive experiences taking herbal supplements but I suggest you shop with a reputable supplier like Royal Maroon herbs instead of buying fake snake oils or supplements full of fillers. This business obviously has people's best intentions at heart and the owners will happily talk to you and teach you a thing or two if you come to their shop without much knowledge on the subject. They obviously have real passion for nature and natural cures, and have been to the origin points of many herbs to learn more about them in a slightly spiritual way, rather than just doing internet research like some vendors.

The Not Knowing by Mohamed Kamara

Fear of the unknown leads to attachment 
Unknown not be unknown 
Who must I be at will?
The power of the mind must be empty 
Be strong enough to commit 
Nothing is certain, except death 
Hey, I’m not at your mercy, do not mock my ambition you old unconscious fool.
Do not tell me what to do.
Even at the lowest point, have faith.
It is in I am where the holiest of who I am shall rise up in glory
Let’s take a break and think about things you want to achieve in the future
Trust yourself in the process 
I am who I am and must achieve what it is here onwards I go on to endeavour 
Always believe in yourself 
Be optimistic about the future 
Know who you are 
Think first before you act second