Goblincore is a popular lifestyle trend in social media circles known as a darker, muddier offshoot of cottagecore (the cozy-nest interior design fad that rose out of the need to be home during the pandemic). A devotee of goblincore spends a lot of time in the woods, admiring frogs, snails and other wetland creatures, foraging for mushrooms, perhaps collecting moss and animal bones for a terrarium, all while wearing earth-toned, loose-fitting clothes suitable for agrarian pursuits. Below are some reading materials which may appeal to goblins.
Followers of goblincore appreciate the delicate beauty of the mushroom, which is grown from a vast network of interconnected fungi. Mushroom aficionados will savor Martin Sheldrake's Entangled Life, which takes a deep dive into fungi, how they function in the ecosystem and their surprising benefits to the environment, animals and humans alike. A single fungus can possess tens of thousands of genders, a fitting trope for goblincore, which welcomes gender fluidity and those who identify as LBGTQI or A.
Local goblins searching the woods for herbs and edibles will find sustenance for body and spirit in Midwest Foraging and The Green Witch. The former details how to safely identify, harvest and preserve edibles found in the wild, while the latter provides tips on the identification of healing herbs, flowers, oils and crystals and how to use them to foster relaxation and spiritual health.
Goblins looking for guidance on creating and sustaining a miniature garden or terrarium need look no further than Miniature Gardens. This guide offers tips on creating thriving enclosed plant ecosystems and even habitats for fairies, zombies and other woodland creatures.
Fiction-loving goblins will enjoy Madeline Miller's Circe and Sue Rainsford's Follow Me to Ground. Both feature supernatural protagonists who rely on plants to ply their trade and are in close touch with the natural world. Circe is a luminous, feminist retelling of the story of a minor figure from the Odyssey, while Rainsford's weird, dark novel centers on an otherworldly healer literally born from sacred ground.
Happy Foraging!
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