ReConnection Magazine ~ Spring 2008 Issue

This column is in service to the creation of this science.

As a continuation of my writings for Re:Connection Magazine I am examining another angle of the same theme, how change occurs, how it's fostered and the leverage points towards greater freedom and paradoxically when it's necessary to abandon ones goals and begin anew. In my past article Future History Archive I was seeking to approach with the intention of using conscious language in the form of future history to pre-ordain outcomes I'd like to see manifested stemming from cultural forms I've experienced or witnessed already that could blossom further. In this article I switch towards an examination of how foundations are cultivated for maximized potentials to occur. To narrow the lens on this we refer to Permaculture and History with possible Future History ops. (opportunities)

Permaculture Design Applications

In the whole system based practice of Permaculture the core values are Earthcare, Peoplecare and Fairshare. As a guide the word O'BREDIM is a mnemonic based on Observation, Boundaries, Resources, Evaluation, Design, Implementation and Maintenance. The groundwork for any design whether it be agriculture or social system based relies upon the skill of observation of nature's patterns. In studying these patterns we can see that natural systems are self-sustaining when left to their own devices though also maintained by the interaction of multiple life forms. Examples such as how leaves fertilize the ground when they fall at the base of the tree, animal waste or decomposition nourishes soil fertility and the food chain establishes growth boundaries for the system. When using this principle in a garden a Permaculture Design might employ planting successions of a crop so that as one series of plants dies its nutrients recycle into the next succession and so on. There is no need to let things go fallow and have to start from scratch. The simple practice of composting food and yard waste or mulching around plants can mimic natures ways of growing itself continuously in healthy ways.

In Permaculture the goal is often to work towards a forest garden that like a forest can continuously replenish itself fed on biodiversity. The need to weed, plant things annually, and use lots of outer resources is diminished over time to the point where eventually the main labour in maintenance is harvesting. This happens not over night but after a period of careful management and placement of elements within the garden making use of things like companion planting in guilds to maximize synergistic effects and maximizing the way the forces of nature interact within the system. All of this however is only noticeable to the trained eye. To the unknowing it could be the same mistaken perception of the Conquistadors who thought that the Mayans had no form of agriculture when in fact they were allowing the jungles to be their well observed and managed gardens. The old growth forest in its rich biodiversity is a template that has been replaced by economic growth minus ecology. This shortsightedness stems from social issues more often than not which snowball into systemic catastrophes.

Social Permaculture

The applications of permaculture into the realm of social systems gains more and more relevance with the obvious inadequacy of political and economic systems which are working against those they were originally intended to serve. Indeed the wisdom of discarding outdated systems is a key ingredient to the evolution of our planetary culture. Social movements that have lived past their time become fearful of the world around them that doesn't correspond to their ways of doing things and thus stagnate. Spiral Dynamics,conceived and led by Dr. Don Beck, a leading global authority on value systems, societal change, and stratified democracy, shows through "value-memes' how culture builds off of each aeon while carrying embedded memes of the past forward. It is a valuable aid in viewing the collective consciousness over a great span of time. With such a tool it becomes possible to work holistically to satisfy multiple values without clashing one against another in much the same way that plants in a garden can co-exist if placed carefully within an ecosystem. Social permaculture makes use of every tool to enable beneficial communication to occur between different parts of a social system. Conflict resolution and understanding crisis as opportunity are essential elements for the success of any culture in its evolution. In the prophetic novel PsyEarth Quest by Charles Bensinger, people from around the world prepare to become trained Earth Stewards of a multi-faceted nature. It begins with solitude and personal practices of cultivation of the senses and communion with nature, leads into interpersonal dynamic building between the sexes before finally then developing its group orientation.

History as the Ground of Cultural Healing

When looking at change, "the only constant" it sometimes seems like there is an urgency to make it happen rapidly, as with revolutions that have occurred in many places in the world. The cost of these revolutions is unfortunate however in the sense that so little is preserved from history that it leaves history "doomed to repeat itself", in the very least the experiences of humanity lost. History is a most precious cargo on spaceship Earth perhaps. It sets the laws with precedents. It is also used to justify both justices and injustices. It requires detachment and should value the diversity of opinions that form any time period. The Cultural Revolution of China has left China a country devoid almost of its own rich cultural heritage and appears now to be the embodiment of what it once seeked to suppress in its communist period. It is left to outside observers to make use of its significant lessons and experiences. In many cases this burial of history is the means by which political power of the Church or State is maintained.

The history of humanity shows many methodical attempts to control and manipulate change to achieve varied objectives. It fertilizes the ground of its outcomes with education systems, beliefs, customs, cultural practices and rituals to reach for certain outcomes. This masculine force of humanity has sought to conquer the wild spaces and kept the chaotic feminine forces in check as much as possible. In so doing it is ill prepared for changes that occur unexpectedly. Fundamentalist forms of culture without room for the unknown, that factor x, become susceptible to harsh reality checks as the universe asserts its greater mystery. The science fiction series Dune by Frank Herbert works with the theme of prescience, foreshadowing outcome,showing how its paradoxical nature when taken to an extreme can be get trapped its own controlled structures. In the novel a female religious order known as the Bene Gesserit demonstrate how they work their goals over long stretches of time, concealing their intention, avoiding power to avoid the fall that all things that rise must go through. They also make use of Other Memory which can in cases of crisis be generated collectively to preserve their mission goals from being lost. This stress on maintaining pure memory is also coupled with the goal of uniting the feminine memory of the world with the masculine to achieve a form of unity of a high order. Towards the end of the series they seem to learn a way of being gentle in their guiding of humanity, less cold in their approach as teachers of the way. Perhaps a message to the religions and governments of the world?

The intricate weaving of destinies as plural values wind through history is a distinct feature of the times we live in and are heading into. What grand destiny awaits us all seems beyond comprehension. Will it be a utopian or a dystopian future or perhaps a blend of both? Can it synthesize the aboriginal consciousness of the planet while making use of the innovations of the modern age? We have so much to work with given to us by the hands of ancestral lines before us. The great lessons of humanity can be as beacons towards a place we have not come to yet as a humanity, a place of integration of our divine nature in its multiplicity of mannerisms. In the land of Ma'i (the ancient name of the Philippines) where the hunt for gold has laid low many treasure seekers a valuable thing about seeking something that gives us power and wealth which maybe applies to all the goals we might have. According to legend, gold is protected by encantado (spirits) who can augment the greed in any heart resulting in bloodshed between friends. Only the purest of heart can obtain the gold which is being reserved, it is said, for higher purposes such as education and health. In approaching the goals of evolving our practices of sustainability and social justice it is a good thing to remember that we must not let ourselves be divided by our attachments to outcome, to glory, to any of the stray thoughts that attach to our highest dreams which sabotage them. The paradox given to the gold seeker is that it is only the seeker who does not seek or want it that finds it.

The world has already reached a stage where turning back the tide of global warming is said to be past the point of no return. It seems that if that race is already lost a new goal presents itself in its place. Change is going to be accelerating and managing those changes is where we can assert our individual and collective will to direct the transformation in a positive direction. The shape of the future may be uncertain but we can select the values we wish to include in it and make sure they integrate a healthy diversity that forms synergy. Testing grounds are good ways to look at all new land purchases or use of existing ones. If each one teach one we can collectively link our experiences and develop planetary service to new levels of sustainability, cooperation and abundance. One of the places this can begin is in progressive organizations with well formed group dynamics. Educators roles need to encompass global frameworks now, parenting as well. Every act of cooperation builds a muscle to be better prepared to live in the uncertain future. Finding our personal gifts within ourselves and having the capacity to bring them forth is a call every human can respond to and in so doing develop self-esteem and fortitude.

If reading this has brought up any commentary to enhance the development of this investigation, please send your comments to Re:connection Magazine - ncarere@gmail.com