If You’re Building Community, You Should Be Reading These Magazines

2026-02-08T18:10:17.000Z

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This is an intermission article between the 4-part series "How to Exit the Empire (Without Burning Out or Going Off-Grid)" Read parts 1 & 2 here:Subscribe here for more If You're Building Community, You Should Be Reading These Magazines Nicole Reese Feb 8 READ IN APP This is an intermission article between the 4-part series "How to Exit the Empire (Without Burning Out or Going Off-Grid)" Read parts 1 & 2 here: How to Exit the Empire (Without Burning Out or Going Off-Grid) Pt. 1 Nicole Reese ·Jan 12 Read full story How to Exit the Empire (Without Burning Out or Going Offgrid) Pt. 2 - Resources Nicole Reese ·Jan 22 Read full story Magazines You Should Know I'm running this publication and I could be focused on racking up subscriptions, optimizing funnels, and squeezing every drop of attention from the algorithm gods. But regenerative mindset means we don't have to cannibalize each other. I learned that in the Amazon rainforest, there are over 1,000 different species of frogs with unique specialties. The village building world needs to coexist rather than compete for resources to be truly regenerative. So in honor of Terrenity's 2-year anniversary on Substack , I want to do something slightly rebellious and deeply aligned with the work itself: celebrate the other publications that are helping us remember how to live differently. These are the magazines and journals I return to when I want to be in deep communion with the regenerative movement. They are commons projects. They are slow, intentional, and stitched together by many hands. And yes, if you don't subscribe to Terrenity yet, that's still your first order of business. But after that, welcome to the wider village. Terrenity helps you build your village, wherever you are. Support the work by becoming a free or paid subscriber Upgrade to paid Why Full-Length Publications Matter More Than Ever As our collective attention span shrinks to caption-sized truths, I feel that long-form writing becomes an act of resistance. This is partly why it's so pleasant to be on Substack. But none of these other publications are based on Substack. Most of these publications offer print/digital versions, and some are print-only, highlighting how rooted they are in the real world. These publications ask more of us: time, presence, reflection, digestion. We need places where regenerative ideas can breathe. Ones where we can think at the speed of nature. Here are some of the ones doing that beautifully. COMMUNITIES - The elder of my village I get their quaterly magazine subscription Meander Magazine - The song of my village Meander is a print-only magazine that will leave you breathless with its carefully curated elegance. When I read it I feel like I'm padding barefoot through a reverent forest. They bring together writers on the topics of bioregional culture, slow living and regenerative futures, and I was published in their first issue. Their issues feel like books you want to display on your coffee table. Launched only last year by Tom Greenwood Meanderings and supported by Tijn Tjoelker and team, they are making lovely ripples in the regenerative pond. The Weave - The shaman of my village The Weave centered around bringing together the leading voices, the weavers, and the deep listeners of the Regenaissance. It focuses on sharing what it calls "New-Earth intelligences", or social technologies that help us midwife the new paradigm on our planet. Deeply spiritual and rooted, I can't help but really admire this publication. Inside its exquisitely illustrated pages, you'll find deep interviews, stories, poems, and thought pieces from leaders of the regenerative field. Led with grace by Barbara Lima , the magazine has been on pause since 2023, but you can still explore issues 1-3 for free. Terrenity - The hunter of my village Terrenity was born two years ago from a simple frustration: There was nowhere to talk about village building in a modern context. I had all of these observations and opinions about my experience in the field all bottled up inside me. I wanted to explore the complex, messy, beautiful design challenge of our time. Since then, Terrenity has become a place where I can be obssesively practical with my systems thinking solutions. Like a hunter, I don't want to talk about food, or dream about food. I want to build the tools that will give us what we need, and then go out and obtain it for all of us. This publication bridges the lifestyle experiments of early villages, and the possibilities of modern villages to build a future worth living in. Upgrade to paid Why this matters: Because we need a no-fluff bridge between vision and implementation attuned to the next generation. POLLWould you want to see a magazine style version of select Terrenity articles released once a year? I would read a separate compilation I only read articles on Substack A Few Ways to Support the Ecosystem (and Terrenity) The thing is, running a publication is a risky business. Many mags have gone under, because people just don't read the way they used to. But we can make it fashionable again. If this article resonated, here are a few ways to tend the commons: 1. Subscribe to The Village Voices We are moving beyond the old paradigm, beyond individual success, and beyond the single-voice thought leader model. Two years in, I'm more convinced than ever that we don't need one dominant voice. We need many voices in conversation. We need a chorus. We need a forest of frogs. Thank you for reading, for building, and for being part of this ecosystem. And if you're here, reading this, you're already in the village. Terrenity . For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. Upgrade to paid Like Comment Restack © 2026 Nicole Reese 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104