The Murmuration by Grace Pengelly

The Murmuration by Grace Pengelly

How Simona Kossak found oneness with nature

(Or, the prophetic life of a forest witch)

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Grace Pengelly
Sep 30, 2025
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Korasek the notorious crow thief, pictured with Simona. Photo by Lech Wilczek,

Man is also a part of nature, and there are no more [or] less important parts in it. A flower, a star, a stone, a man is permeated with the same divine spark. Those who learn to sympathize with plants and animals can understand others and will be better for themselves, that is, they will do nothing against their nature.

— Simona Kossak

Surely I’m not the only person who has a desktop full of dormant digital post it notes—reminders of books or people that have piqued my interest and who I’d like to know more about? My ‘Simona Kossak’ post it note, into which I’d copied and pasted a very brief biography over a year ago now, has been taunting me (virtually) for too long. So consider today’s newsletter a brief attempt to rectify that situation!

The post-it note version of Simona’s life goes something like this:

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