Seed Zine Basics
>> What is a zine?
A zine (pronounced: ‘zeen,’ short for “magazine”) is a small, self-published booklet — often folded, hand-assembled, and shared in limited quantities. Zines have long been used as a grassroots way to circulate ideas outside of mainstream narratives/media. They can be anything and contain anything! Poems, photographs, short stories, personal reflections. They can be made only once, or seasonally like magazines. They can be sold or given away—whatever the creator wants.
>> What is a Seed Zine?
Seed Zines are one specific kind of zine — created to be copied, folded, and shared. Whether received by mail, handed from a friend, or printed at home, each zine is rooted in intention, meant to spread ideas with care and presence.
>> I received a Seed Zine. How do I plant it?
- Photocopy or print the zine.
- To photocopy, unfold the zine so it’s a flat 8.5×11″ piece of paper.
- Lift the photocopier lid and place the zine face-down on the glass. (Don’t use the document feeder, as it can get stuck and tear.)
- Fold the zine like this. You’ll need a pair of scissors for one cut (or can tear).
- Share the zine. Here are a few ideas:
- Send one in the mail to a friend.
- Post one to a bulletin board with a note: “If you’re drawn to this, the zine is for you!”
- Give one to a community member.
- Leave one in a Little Free Library.
- Gift a collection to celebrate someone.
>> Is there a limit to how many copies I can make?
No, there’s no limit. Mother Earth is abundant, and Seed Zines are modeled after her. These zines are seeds. You’re welcome to copy and plant as many as you like, so long as they’re shared freely, in the spirit of care and community. Do what feels joyful and right in your body.
To plant a zine means spending time with your hands in the soil (copying, folding) and then tending your community: offering a zine to someone directly, tucking it somewhere it might be found, gifting it with attention in a letter or card.
I’m interested in creating more of these tactile moments in folks’ lives, while spreading ideas that feel rooted and alive.
When we share, everyone benefits. That’s the way of Mother Earth — generous and deeply interconnected.
>> Can I send the PDF file to others?
No, please don’t. Seed Zines are meant to be shared physically, not digitally. You’re welcome to print and share copies, as outlined above, but the digital file is just for you. This helps keep the project rooted in the body. (You can definitely share links to pages on this site, though!)
No digital sharing also means no scanning or sharing of photographs of the pages inside a Seed Zine. Thank you for honoring this.
Energetic $ Exchange & Support
>> $3 doesn’t feel like enough. Can I offer more?
Yes, thank you for asking! If it feels joyful, you can contribute via Venmo @rebeccaroots (Comment: Seed Zines).
Seed Zines are meant to feel accessible and abundant — like seeds from a dandelion. Once you’ve received one, you’re invited to copy and plant it with care. That’s part of the design & price point.
>> I received a Seed Zine from a friend / found one and would like to pay for it. Can I?
Yes—thank you! You can send a contribution via Venmo, whether for a specific zine or simply to support the project.
Intention & Deeper Roots
>> I know you value nuance, and a mini-zine is quite short. How can they fit the complexity that exists in our world?
Thank you for noticing this. Yes, mini-zines are short. It’s creatively challenging for me, the one who likes to illuminate all of the unseen layers with words. That’s why most Seed Zines reference additional resources—such as a book or a podcast conversation—which will thicken and illuminate complexities. I hope these zines are accessible intros to new ideas. A first toe-dip that leads to you put your ankles in. Once you’re ankle-deep, you might take a step further, and so forth. (Or, you might notice it’s not for you, and step elsewhere. All noticing is celebrated here!)
My mom is a big inspiration for these zines, actually. She and I have very different lenses through which we experience the world. She’ll hear me use words and ask: what’s that? “What’s kimchi?” “What’s gaslighting?” “What’s Reiki?” She helps me remember that there was a past-me who didn’t know many of the ideas/concepts that are now in my commonplace lexicon. She reminds me there is a need for sharing these ideas in an accessible way.
>> What topics are Seed Zines about?
Each zine is born from what’s alive in me at the moment, whatever Creator moves me to create. (This is often with bubbly delight at learning something new, or to share ideas I wish were more widely held.) These zines are rooted in a pursuit of Truth. Rooted in Source / God / the Great Mother / that Unnameable force which animates us all. I may write about embodiment, connection with the Divine, attention, language, subtle energy, Terrain Theory, and more. My full-length personal zines were more story-centric. Seed Zines are more about sharing ideas.
And, as a human being, my interests/attention change over time. So, topics will change. I LOVE the feeling of learning something for the first time, or hearing something articulated in such a way—and feeling bubbles up and down my spine. Yes, this. Or, how am I only learning you now? I love reading books and listening to podcasts, researching whatever currently enlivens my life force, unlearning, learning, and being in awe at this human experience. I’ve experienced many paradigm shifts, and know my perception will continue to simultaneously widen and sharpen. The sacred, spiral path. New zines! I hope to share some of this journey through this project.