Choosing the stepping stones on my path towards a future based in Symbiosis, Holism, Syntrophy, Integrity, Self-Reliance, Compassion and Symbiogenesis.
The Holon that is my holistic goal and vision for my life on Earth is one of perpetual gratitude, learning, co-creating, humility, teaching, healing, Self mastery (spirutually, physically, and mentally) and striving to further align my own path with the path of nature more and more each day.
I intend to take the time to learn the material in a course I am taking (called “The Advanced Permaculture Student”) thoroughly while synthesizing an ability to apply the concepts within it (that are relevant/applicable to my climate, topography, and latitude) to my life through constant experimentation, observation, documentation and collaboration with fellow permaculturalists. This may take me months, or it may take me years, either way I am determined and clearly envision the positive outcome and beautiful journey of learning that will take me there. When I feel I have a firm grasp of all concepts presented in this course and possess some ability/experience with applying these concepts toward a favorable outcome (aligned with syntrophy) I then intend to expand my learning path in a more specialized capacity in several fields of knowledge. These will include apiculture, mycology, soil science, biophysics, botany/horticulture (more specifically, the developing of heirloom veggies/herbs) learning about extracting/preserving plant based medicines, expanding my knowledge and experience with ‘wild’ (aka spontaneous) fermentation as a means of food/medicine preservation/augmentation, gaining knowledge and experience with regards to foraging/propagation of wild edible/medicinal plant species. Then one day I hope to speak publicly to share/teach a synthesized holistic understanding of where these fields of knowledge converge to allow one to live in balance with the living planet that sustains us all while having an abundance of food, joy, peace and fulfillment in one’s life. I trust in the process and feel very guided and supported in this endeavor (both via physical means through the previously mentioned amazing class, its extremely supportive, knowledgeable and flexible teacher(s), and the community of like minds that are synchronistically drawn into my life as I follow my heart on this path as well as via non-physical spiritual means). I will strive to move forward while embodying love, understanding and acceptance for the Earth and all her children (young/old, human and non-human, macro-scopic/micro-scopic ) even when this is not an easy pill for my ego to swallow. I will do my best to offer an outstretched and open palmed hand to those who are currently choosing to invest (their time, energy, beliefs, and actions) in things that are destructive to the person himself, eco-system, humanity as a whole (or any other behavior that is based in degeneration). For these are the people that most need love and viable opportunities to become part of the change to create a more respectful and peacefully connected people. In the distant future I will offer programs for families and children to enroll in an immersive learning experience that helps them re-connect with Mother Earth in a way that is practical, syntrophic, healing, and empowering. This school will offer courses in gardening that aligns with Mother Earth ( is regenerative to the ecosystem(s), foraging for food in the wild, learning to read the environment/eco-system and understand the behavior/ value of the different beings found within it. These courses will include incorporating stillness and nourishing one’s inner environment/garden which will help the students find an individualized path to their own discovery and knowing of self.
My annual holistic goals for 2018 are to move my garden away from leaning so hard on annuals and towards 70% perennial to 80% perennial. I am also working to set up a medium through which our local first nation members can share their traditional horticultural and spiritual/social knowledge with young children through my planting “three sisters” at a local school garden serving as a link between the two. Another goal is to master the art of lactic acid fermentation (more specifically to master “wild” lacto fermentation) to the point where I feel confident in extracting and preserving the beneficial properties of foods and medicine plants (of which I have abundant access that I may provide them to those in urgent need firstly and then barter or sell them to those who are able to complete such an exchange of energy, next.) Part of my goal pertaining to fermentation for 2018 is to take the time in the summer/fall to make/preserve enough wild fermented sauerkraut, kimchi, and hot sauce to last me 9 months (until next year’s first harvests) so my wife and I have access to probiotic, nutritious superfoods year round and take one step further away from a centralized industrial food system and one step closer towards having an intimate, direct, symbiotic and self-reliant relationship between us, our food and the land it comes from. On a side note I intend to expand my permaculture techniques into the realm of survival skills and emergency preparedness by learning to make fire from ice and water from air.
The gratitude part begins when I wake up each day and consciously choose to see each day as an opportunity to be part of co-creating and experiencing wondrous things; to take a breath and see that even in the most seemingly monotonous task is the opportunity to better my self, embody love and peace. It exponentially expands when I choose to notice ‘the little things’ as I work in the garden or with things that grow from the earth and experience soulful and fulfilling moments as I nourish them to achieve their highest potential. This conscious act of choosing gratitude and building more gratitude has a powerful syntrophic effect as it re-shapes my perspective, the energy and thoughts I put out (and this changes what people and situations I attract into my life).
For me, it then becomes about sending out a clear intent (through a combination of thought, emotion, words, and actions) to the universe (Spirit, Creator, etc.) focusing on the things I want to learn and gain understanding about. The next step is being open to embrace the people and situations/opportunities that are presented to me (such as this amazing course) and moving forward with humility with my heart (moral compass) as my guide while I am exposed to new ideas, information and opinions. This gives me a chance to see the world/universe I live in with greater clarity and understanding. Many of these opportunities for learning will challenge concepts/beliefs that I once held as ‘absolute’ and it is at this point where the greatest opportunity for personal growth is presented. I must strive to use such opportunities from the perspective of my spirit and not my ego (which if left unchecked would reject/dismiss many new ideas/greater degrees of understanding due to its complacency and proclivity to remain in ‘the comfort zone of sameness’). Thus, daily meditation/stillness practice which helps me to stay aligned with both gratitude and humility is essential in my toolkit for enabling a path to true meaningful learning and achieving my daily, annual and long term holistic goals.
With regards to my goal of teaching, I intend to work with indigenous people, conventional school programs, home-school programs, public speaking forums/conventions, community gardens and one day a private school which will specialize in teaching a seamless easy to apply model of permaculture for the individual/family. I have begun doing reconnaissance for what places i can rent for public speaking events, and talking with local teachers who would value having their students exposed to a more holistic model that can be applied to gardening/agriculture than what is currently taught in available text books.
On my path to heal my body and the body of the Earth I have learned about many powerful and synergistic plants and techniques which I feel can offer my future students a window into a future (with less dependence on pharmaceutical drugs, petroleum based technology and ‘spiritual gurus’ who claim to own ‘the sole path to enlightenment’) to instead offer one of many potential paths we can take to a future more focused on symbiosis with the plants, bio-mimicry based technology and an individualized path of inward exploration/spiritual unfolding which is discerned by each individual through allowing their own heart to act as ‘an organ of perception’.
My path to Self mastery is never ending for as my lovely wife says “Here on Earth, we are all Perfectly Imperfect”. I start each day by saying this mantra to my self “To those who see with loving eyes, life is beautiful… to those who speak with tender voice, life is peaceful… to those who help with gentle hands, life is full of meaning, and to those who care with compassionate hearts, life is beautiful beyond measure.” so that I may remind myself of what is important while I live in a broken society that often covets intellect and physical prowess and sees compassion and humility as weakness. It means I must strive as Einstein suggested to “.. widen our circle of compassion, to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” so that I may escape the illusion of separateness that the current dominant institutions (‘educational’, religious, ‘journalistic’, ‘entertainment’ etc) on Earth pushes onto the people and instead consciously embrace the innate oneness of all beings and all things.
In order to hone myself, I feel it is important that I always choose to be open to the possibility of being mistaken (or at least to the possibility that my ideas / beliefs may be askew and in need of adjustment/honing). It involves taking long hard looks in the metaphorical mirror through honest assessments of whether my thoughts, words, and behavior is aligning with my moral compass. It involves welcoming criticism/opinions from others so that the friction of those critisisms and potentially different opinions may serve as the ‘grinding stone’ to sharpen the ‘blade of consciousness’ that is my mind.
Physically my path to Self mastery involves caring for this body I was given to navigate and experience life on Earth through. It will mean eating more and more raw whole foods which I have grown with my own two hands from seed, it involves a steady stream of wild fermented foods (to maintain optimize digestive/immune health), a diverse plant based diet and a fun approach to creating in the kitchen inspired by many different cultures which will be both joyous and educational. It will also involve yoga, tai chi, swimming, mountain hiking, working every day with my hands in the rich Earth and to maintain optimal cardiovascular, muscular, joint, bone, respiratory health.
Mentally my path to Self mastery is like re-mediating soil that has been subject to some abuse and has had less than favorable things growing in it in the past. It involves taking an honest inventory of what is there and then consciously choosing to release somethings, while nourishing new things to take their place in the garden of ideas, beliefs, dreams, and perspectives that is my mind.
On my path to align more with nature each day I am at the same time diverging from my connection with the petroleum based fiat currency dominated society we live in. I find myself taking baby steps away from dependence on a centralized power production and distribution network (through solar, geothermal, resonance energy harvesting, and one day… a device that pulls in energy from the quantum vacuum.. aka ‘zero point energy’) and I see this as a trend I must continue on with, if i wish to move away from a parasitic relationship with earth towards a more symbiotic one. I see small moves towards food self-sufficiency becoming leaps and bounds with my expanding experience and knowledge of lactic acid fermentation which allows me to preserve the raw nutrition packed seasonal abundances into winter months, I intend to exert a concerted effort to expand those efforts exponentially until we not only have enough delicious/nutritious food for ourselves but also have enough to gift and trade. Each day I strive to make at least one observation about a natural living system that can offer me an insight into how I may use my energy more efficiently and direct it through a more holistic modality. I record these observations in a journal enabling further reflection/honing.
I will continue to develop my intellectual knowledge, intuitive discernment, and capacity to love so that all the previously mentioned techniques and strategies can be continuously honed, adapted, and transformed into what best serves me and the whole of which I am an integral part as I move forward in a lifetime apprenticeship to nature.
*a special thanks to Matt Powers for pioneering the field permaculture design with his ground breaking book “The Permaculture Student 2: A Collection of Regenerative Solutions”*
