I have been meditating upon why appropriate technologies and Permaculture were not widely adopted by those who claim to favour a green lifestyle.
Your writings about Alchemy and Alchemies may be a useful part of the puzzle.
I came to discover Permaculture at the same time as appropriate technology, around the late 1970’s. There was a TV show about Bill Mollison and he described the system in an Australian context. In simple terms it is the use of mutually supportive biological systems in an organized manner. The patterns and flows of wind, water and energy are all tracked and incorporated. Examples include trees for shelter, crops and no-dig systems to protect soil structure.
At the same time I was reading Taoist literature and exploring Anarchist politics. Both sets of ideas talk of mutual aid and working with the flow of nature. I think these primed my mind as it were.
As I re-read "Permaculture One", I became aware that he had been influenced by Taoism and Eastern systems. Is this why Permaculture has not been adopted more widely in the West ?
However, there are many books and internet pages that use the Permacultre ideas, but in a more watered down way, losing the underlying philosophical content. Not to mention the parasitical social justice content that derails the focus in many books and on most Permaculture forums.
Then there is the excessive emphasis placed on "doing the course", which is simply teaching the text of the Mollison books.
So this reminded me of your Alchemy and “Alchemies” discussion. I think that maybe the Alchemy of Permaculture depends on the Taoist pattern / flow metaphor being suitably embedded. Certain philosophical ideas need to be constructed as a foundation for certain Alchemies to work. Thus the changing of consciousness, the magic, requires certain ingredients for the ritual to work.
Sorry if I rambled somewhat, but I hope this may be of interest.
Thank you again for this forum. There seems to be nowhere else I can share ideas of this sort.
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branchandroot
Is Permaculture an Alchemy ?
Date: 2021-05-03 12:43 pm (UTC)I have been meditating upon why appropriate technologies and Permaculture were not widely adopted by those who claim to favour a green lifestyle.
Your writings about Alchemy and Alchemies may be a useful part of the puzzle.
I came to discover Permaculture at the same time as appropriate technology, around the late 1970’s. There was a TV show about Bill Mollison and he described the system in an Australian context. In simple terms it is the use of mutually supportive biological systems in an organized manner. The patterns and flows of wind, water and energy are all tracked and incorporated. Examples include trees for shelter, crops and no-dig systems to protect soil structure.
At the same time I was reading Taoist literature and exploring Anarchist politics. Both sets of ideas talk of mutual aid and working with the flow of nature. I think these primed my mind as it were.
As I re-read "Permaculture One", I became aware that he had been influenced by Taoism and Eastern systems. Is this why Permaculture has not been adopted more widely in the West ?
However, there are many books and internet pages that use the Permacultre ideas, but in a more watered down way, losing the underlying philosophical content. Not to mention the parasitical social justice content that derails the focus in many books and on most Permaculture forums.
Then there is the excessive emphasis placed on "doing the course", which is simply teaching the text of the Mollison books.
So this reminded me of your Alchemy and “Alchemies” discussion. I think that maybe the Alchemy of Permaculture depends on the Taoist pattern / flow metaphor being suitably embedded. Certain philosophical ideas need to be constructed as a foundation for certain Alchemies to work. Thus the changing of consciousness, the magic, requires certain ingredients for the ritual to work.
Sorry if I rambled somewhat, but I hope this may be of interest.
Thank you again for this forum. There seems to be nowhere else I can share ideas of this sort.
Best regards Northern Ben