Planetshifter.com Feedback Archive - 2016 – 2017 from Willi Paul

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Note: Visit the Planetshifter.com Feedback Archive - 2008 - 2016

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Howdy Willi: glad you got your new Soundcloud going. I'm excited to see how the project develops. I thought you may be interested in hearing a sample of a piece I'm developing. It draws inspiration from a lot of things you mention in your writings... I keep it simple by saying ancient mythology and modern cosmology. I didn't know that it was intended as a welcoming to the Chaos Age until I read your website. There are more songs written, they all just need production/polish.

listening to the evidence from the apocalypse

Hi Willi, I really like the project and would like to contribute. I think the idea is beautiful. Your original craigslist ad said that this is the contract work / TBA. How does it work? Is there a contract? I am asking because I am a freelancer and I am looking for paid gigs. I found your ad, which sounded very interesting (I love doing sound art). So just want to clear out things in my head. Also for the artifacts - do you provide the recorded samples / do I record my own sounds or are some sounds synthesized (i.e. toxic DNA [I imagine something like a magnetic field recording])? Let me know.
Eldar

WOX: Admittedly, these are complex ideas - and a complex ecosystem!

Please see this piece for an overview:

Journey Mapping - Sound Archetypes and the New Mythology with Research Questions
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2496

Any insights from your journey would be incredible! I have ruffled the feathers at the JCF because I now see the community as the Hero - not the indivdual!

Leslie Combs, CIIS: fascinating. how about a score for the hero's journey? Hard to write music for communities. I will have a listen.

WOX: Hi Gary -

I am working on an integrated theory of new mythology that includes permaculture, environmental and sound archetypes and sound myths.

My main site:
https://www.planetshifter.com/

Are there any synergies or references that you could extend to this effort? Thank you in advance.

Willi Paul
Sound Myths
https://soundcloud.com/the_chaos_era

Sounds like quite a project! Unfortunately I have nothing on hand to offer but will keep my eyes open.
Gary Varner


The event, including a pre-lecture 30 minute interview, would consist of the large stories on the walls as s teaser; a lecture integrating the connections between mythology, permaculture and sound driven by live web projection; and some Q&A to wrap.
The lecture is 60 - 90 min.
One camera.
Is there an-house PA? Projection?
WOX

Oh, cool. Sounds in depth and enlightening from a cool perspective. I'm assuming this would be a ticketed event, if so, what are you planning to charge for tickets? Sounds like I'll need to do some research and get to know your work really well. Sounds like a fun project, actually. I think the next steps would be to meet in person and sort of draw up a focussed game plan, then you can put down your deposit. After I wrap up the lecture/interview video, you can pay the rest upon delivery. We can negotiate something now or in person if you'd like, but I won't commit until we meet.
Cody Ray Raymond

Good to connect with you Willi! I see us joining forces in the Off-Grid / Permaculture / Freedom Movement arenas... I have been living 'Home Free' [Nomadic] for the past 6 years - Major speedbump in March with a cancer diagnosis - So now I'm focused on Holistic Health / Integrative Medicine; which dovetails nicely with Permaculture and Homesteading - I know that stress played a major role in my illness; constantly chasing money; The American Nightmare ;-) We're doing it all wrong - Time for a Major Do-Over IMHO - Great job on the PlanetShifter site; I look forward to delving deeper... Here's hoping that you enjoy the holiday season - rest up for '18 - Be well...
Brian Dugas, LI

I put in a request to join your group. I'll check out your website. Consider my interest peaked. I'm thrilled to be in contact with you and am certain we share some similar passions and interests. I look forward to future correspondence.
Michael Dunbar, LI

"Our New Mythology" - A Conversation about Archetypes and Sound Myths with Willi Paul by Zeljko McMullen

- excerpt -

I assigned Symbols to Permaculture
Alchemy to Transition
Archetypes to New Myths
Sounds to the Subconscious
Creation to End of the World

Hey Willi Paul, I've been intrigued by the emails you sent and have spent a little bit of time going through your website, its a lot to take in! I noticed you collaborated with Zeljko on these projects and just wanted to reach out and say I know him from way back when I lived in NYC. Nice to see connections like this happen in the bay too, small world! best, phill
www.philliphermans.com

I came to this page from a wormhole in Craigslist about your needing help with SoundCloud marketing and more. Never have I seen your type of art/information/communication so strong. I really believe in this format for the future, I look forward to more of your thoughts. I appreciate your work. it makes so much sense to me and inspires. Best!
Jon-Fredric Anderson, FB

The Light Pool (2019 A.D.)

When I read this story, it sounds like the children are spirits not human-
Malou

FAKE MUSIC : "HEX" : PLANETSHIFTER.COM

: HEX :

Capitalismus non interficiat nos cum populo
et erimus nos qui esuriunt et sitiunt resurgemus
mollitiam est animo et corde

- WOX -

#sex #lies #video #Surveillance #dope #Russia #Trump #rich #CNN
#Palestinians #Jews #War #Republicans #apocalypse #GAIA #resilience
#Hollywood #holywater #God #Jesus #Campbell #Torture #WilliPaul

A rite for an endangered world. If you can figure out how to curse that motherfucker into the ground-..well, let 'er rip.
Selden Richardson

"The Holy, the Wild, and the Emergent" - Interview with Abby Colehour in Celebration of the 2017 Kindle Cascadia Winter Solstice Gathering, Aprovecho, Cottage Grove, OR. Dec. 18 – 22

- excerpt -

The Winter Solstice is a time of sharing and belonging. It is the time to transcend our differences and find our common ground. In Medieval England, the poor would go door to door offering blessings and songs in exchange for provisions-a tradition to remind that though we may live different realities, we are still neighbors, and we all have something to offer to each other. We are all kin.

Thanks so much WOX! Register for the event too if you are up for it :-) - Kindle Cascadia

Hi, Willi: You delivered another jewel in this interview. It spoke to my heart and soul/soil. I feel inspired to share this within several communities. So appreciate your devotion to capturing these thought streams and emergent Mythology of our time.
Myra Jackson

Wanted: Remote Sound Artist / Engineer for "SAVANNA" - Sound Myth #3. Project Description

Cool,.. But almost sounds like a neo spiritual colonization of sounds to produce products w out artist or culture benefiting. . perhaps Im miss visualizing this program. Lets go somewhere and get what they have kinda feel. What will the sound people do for the people they encounter. What would be the inter exchange in the people getting recordings. The realities are this..first world us white citizens are able to go almost anywhere in the world. The people who will get their culture from will mot have same possibilities, I truly hope you will be gifting and spreading the same style of living capabilities you have to offer to others, this is where the taking becomes if not managed.
wellnessgarden1@gmail.com

Hi - Thanks for the feedback. There are a lot of possibilities with sound, myth and archetypes. I am looking for a way in. Just contracted a sound artist to work the sonic story board. More to come.
WOX

is not it clear to me that it is the compilation of these sounds ...? In general, if you are making a sound library that you want to sell or donate to people who need it, I advise you to make much longer tracks. In the editing of sound you usually need a track of 4 minutes clean, to be able to edit without having to repeat the track, It is ideal for my little experience at the time of designing with the sound. If you do it alone to keep these types of sounds before they go into extinction (since thousands of sounds go into extinction every day like animals and everything we already know) I think it's a great idea. But I would recommend that your sound tracks are longer to enjoy them better. It is a humble suggestion if something serves you. However, I thank you for sharing your work and effort. receive my best regards. Kalien Delgado

KD - This is not an attempt to create a sound library, but a merging of several archetypal sounds, sounds and a few images to promote a journey. I am interested in your presumption that sounds go extinct - perhaps they recede into the subconscious? And: Longer tracks vs short is an arbitrary factor to me. What ever makes the piece complete, works. The next one, a hex, will work in a different way. Please look and listen for it. WOX

"mythbrain" self-portrait by willi paul - dedicated to the joseph campbell foundation 12-1

I like it. What's the connection between transmutation and triggers?
C. Milton Dixon, LI Group

Good Morning Mr. Dixon. Honestly, there must be other triggers than the ones I claim (archetypes, dreams and memory). All of this, including my "journey mapping" are in infantile stages. What catalyzes an archetype into a sound archetype is a central question. Drugs? A lead guitarist? Smell? Hunger? Greed? What do you see / hear?
- WOX

WOX: Please tell me about your Solstice Ritual?

Adrian: Hello WOX, We are in the process of organizing the structure of the ritual (for kindlecascadia.net/). It is a part of the event that many people inquire about, and it is something that shifts year to year! Usually, it takes place in the evening after dark. We generally have movement across the landscape, invitation to seek inward at what desires to be let go moving into the new year and season, and a welcome back to the light, a celebration of the return of the sun. We don't have structure built at the time; it is an ongoing process: one that is informed by the nature of the space we are in (location and energy of the whole Kindle event) and we do have space to help in the co-creation of the ritual on-site during the gathering. I apologize to be so vague. That is the nature of these things, however. Please let me know if you have further questions.

"Journey Mapping - Sound Archetypes and the New Mythology" with Research Questions

Your post is most wise sir I love the whole up liftment of the polarities in spiritual living this has changed the way the planet must move forward and finance must follow so everyone has a better share of the pot to bring more balance to the force
Steve Tetsill, LI

Nice monomythic symbol for elements of each of our individual and collective Stories' heroic birth, figurative death, rebirth, figurative death, rebirth, and so on...with environmental and sound archetypal amplification. Quite fascinating in fact, Willi Paul
Leonora Francesca Flores, LI

Hi Willi, I had a chance to read through your latest post and this is not in a format that we can publish on the site. The sections do not weave a clear thread for the reader to follow and get a good sense of the background of the "Forest Grail", as a concept or as a place. I appreciate the imagery and links to mythos here but many of our readers will not be as familiar with these concepts to jump into a post that is written in the disparate way this one is. Again, I appreciate the interwoven poetry with mythology and general sentiment but this particular piece will not work well given our site's scope.

We are trying to bring the greatest clarity and value to the greatest number of readers. Our audience is very large and so you are absolutely right, there is a subset of people whom this would very much appeal to but there is a large chunk for whom this will be a bit confusing. It's not the concept it's self but the packaging or format that does not lead the reader along in a way they are used to seeing. My worry is that many people will love this content but that they are the people already at PlanetShifter rather than this being an accessible format for the average web reader. Kale, Mother Earth News

Alchemy - Turning wastes into functional soils: a bio-chemical and physical assessment from lab to field

https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=90037&LID=12

Willi, Thanks for sending this out. The industrial by-product recycling field seems to create a lot of toxic waste itself. It is good to see research that appears to be aimed at producing something that is useful. What will the byproducts will be of this soil production? Is anyone looking at that?
Anne Trudeau, PPG List

Can you think of any examples where Joseph Campbell highlighted Sound Symbols and Sonic Archetypes & Metaphors in Mythology?

Hi Willi - have thought about your question and nothing comes to mind. Did you ask Stephen Gerringer by any chance? I haven't emailed him for a while but expect that stephen.gerringer@jcf.org is still a good address. Warmly,
Dr. Catherine Svehla, Mythologist

"The A-Frame Messenger" - New Myth # 105. A New Tradition based on 2017 NW Permaculture Convergence, MythShare Workshop

I like this - very creative!
Susan Silber, EBP List

Yes we looks like there is some good overlap with your work and ours.
Alpha Lo, Social Lab, Berkely, opencollaboration.wordpress.com

Hi my name is Iso Rabins, I own a space called Forage Kitchen in Oakland. A friend at Slow Food forwarded me your email and thought we could help. Whats the recipe you'd like tested?

Hi Iso -

Thanks for contacting me! The recipe is a prototype for a community "crop starter" nutrition-membrane or seed blanket.
I will wish to make the prototype by blending about 2 dozen mangos into a thick liquid then adding some soil, compost and seeds.
The mixture is then poured onto parchment paper or plastic wrap in a ~ 8" wide x 4' long segment then sun dried.
The dried prototype is then peeled up and rolled for transport.
We will need organic and local ingredients.
Think fruit roll-up!
You can see the last Sun2Soil recipe test here:
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2464
I am happy to work along side a Chef there and cover costs.
I look forward to your feedback
Willi

Yea thats something we could help you out with for sure! Our rate for recipe testing and consulting is $75/hr, does that sound within your budget? I read through your doc and had a question about the metal roof panel...so it dries on that panel for 8 hours. Is that assumed to be inside or outside?
Iso


"Food Forest = New Nature" - eBook #39. Works in New Mythology, Permaculture and Nature. 2009 - 17.
When does "design with Nature" turn into "re-designing Nature?"

Have dirt? Make soil. Go no till!
Syd Denise Fredrickson, FB-OMS


NW Convergence 2017

i had wonderful connections with farmers when i went to the inland northwest permaculture convergence in hot springs montana. they are apparently hurting and very excited to see some way that allows what water they have to turn their land into productive crops. looking forward to working with them. met a person there who does consultations for farmers using technics of advancing eco agriculture (AEA and John Kempf) and will copresent at workshops with me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndc5GSOMJbk
farmers are apparently still tllling with this method but there is a lot of good here.
what i am noticing is that there are now at least 4 of these firms who are making fertilizers and sending out consultants. they have probably turned 500 farms and thousands of acres into ecorestoring land.
they are doing a much better job than permaculture. so lets here it for capitalism.
ah well, i see that most people are committed to permaculture being a design science and not a way to get the planet to be liveable for future generations.
Charlotte Anthony, victorygardensforall@gmail.com


Hi Willi, I was checking out your new myth #101 "The Neo-Nazis, Black Bloc, Permies and the Quakers." I love it that you see that people from differing ideologies are capable of working together. I'm putting together a speech for the upcoming Rally to Denounce Political Violence that will be in Augusta Maine on September 30th. My speech is about encouraging people to act as individuals and work together to find their commonalities rather than grouping up and feeding off of the pack mentality that gets them riled up and fighting in an Us vs Them modality. I was wondering if you have had any success stories that you could share about actually meeting on a common ground with two opposing groups? What do you see that we can all work on that will unify people rather than alienate people into opposing groups?
I'm going to read more of your stuff later on this evening. I like your views and your attitude.
Jen Noonan

Hi Jen -?Thank you for reading and writing. You ask a challenging question. It may be that humans find themselves choosing one side, and setting a course to win, is the norm. Do you think that a "win-win" solution is not desired in a capitalist society? There seem to be larger issues here, as you say: "?encouraging people to act as individuals and work together to find their commonalities rather than grouping up and feeding off of the pack mentality...." Herd emotions are powerful. As is hiding behind a mask. Is not consensus is a unusual course? I gravitated to my new myths for examples of "work ... that will unify people rather than alienate people into opposing groups." I usually act as a one-person group. An easy out! Lastly, please research the peace making of the Quakers. They are big time conflict solvers to me. Do let me know if I can help further.
WOX

"Permaculture Visions? Rethinking Our Past and Future Mythology" - Article by Marian A. Lee. Study Questions from Willi

I'm actually working on something to fix this for my family. We have a benefit from knowledge of ancestry reaching back to Migration Period of Classical Europe and Native American Ancestry back to the 1800s. A culture is the sum of its parts: cuisine, heroes and Gods, manner of dress, values and ethics, art, etc... I'm constructing a new culture from the experiences of my life including the above and other facets.
Ryan Hobbs, Permies.com

Thanks for the feedback although it would be helpful to know what you are "fixing?" Your aim of "constructing a new culture from the experiences of my life" sound most intriguing. Are you building new rituals and traditions? Please share more....
Willi

A MythMaker just passed away. Jim Channon. Check out his work at http://www.neweartharmy.com/Welcome.html and
https://www.facebook.com/Jimchannon
Bruce Weaver, LI Group

excellent reminder of Joseph Campbell's wisdom
S. Brian Willson, PPG

Mythology and Permaculture is and has been a natural expression of people throughout the ages. The Myth or Magick is the connection with the Natural Forces ( Air, Water, Fire, Earth & Imagination) and Energy Flows that exist within the Natural World. Expressed by peoples interpretation of, so to understand and integrate that 'magick' into their daily lives to live a holistic sustainable lifestyle. The important factor about today is that people of the earth have just forgotten what that 'magick' is and have become disconnected. The 'magick' never disappeared from the Earth. The entire Earth holds such 'magick' that if we really spent time returning to the ways of our ancestors we would then know and appreciate that we are one and the same.
Christopher Dunn, LI Group

Nice. Does Re-Wilding get us (back) to magick? How does our corporate obsession with data impact myth? Ready to do that interview CD?
WOX

"I Believe in We" - Prelude for a Ritual
Beautiful!
Theresa Jump, Myth List

We are all already working together whether we know it or not ;) I like the work you are doing. I teach an inner landscape class that really build the bridge between permaculture and the spiritual. I would love to create together.
Terry Meer, LI

Dear Willi, Thank you for your grant application with The Pollination Project. We truly value the time and effort that it took to complete the application and appreciate your passion for making a difference in the world. We have completed an initial review of your application and are sorry to say that, at this time, we will not be able to fund your work.
Jamila Banks, The Pollination Project

Compost= the effective processing (analysis) of our past experiences of waste (failures). This is a call to put aside our intellectually contrived solutions to problems with spiritual/psychological growth (chemical fertilizers), and invest rather in the simple, and more natural and effective nourishment of processing what we have been through, in terms of our failures. The referencing of Christ, in this context, is to say that true salvation of our psyche will only come via this approach. The singularity of Christ is a psychological reality. (No one comes to the father but by me). It is a statement to the effect that only a god-generated (unconsciously generated solution-that is, a product of a virgin birth) can suffice to restore our damaged psyche to functionality. Anything else will simply be our damaged ego consciousness attempting to pull our self up by its own dysfunctional bootstraps (and thereby perpetuating our present dysfunction in a new disguise). This is really good!
John Brusseau, LI

Hi Willi, Hope all is well with you. I admire your constancy and the work you put into Planet Shifter. I have decided to promote the existent book, The Heart of Myth: Wisdom Stories of Endangered People.
Dave Alber

"The Compost Pile Prayer - A Modern Symbol for Community, Cosmic Christ, and Eternity" – "Permaculture Myth #103"

Compost is the central point of my philosophy. The natural order is decay in place. Composting is really a very creative, elegant and thoughtful human invention.
Zvi Baranoff

Hi Michael - We have walked together in the past, yes? Your business vision is of interest here. How can we collaborate? This piece just up: "Journey to Green Star - A Children's Video." New Myth #102

M: Yes indeed I am the co-chair of the IAJS, we just had a very successful conference in South Africa. Next one with eh IAAP is in Frankfurt, you should present a paper. Your voice is important. https://jungstudies.net/
Cheers, Michael Glock, Bloom Factor, Inc.

"The Neo-Nazis, Black Bloc, Permies and the Quakers." New Myth #101

If you're not ready to fight the fascists, you ARE the fascists.
noc crawler, noccrawler at yahoo.com

"The Willi Paul Interview" (2017) from Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com" was just featured on Depth Psychology Alliance.

Had a good look at your website. Interesting. I am passionate about using storytelling as a tool for societal transformation. Will be great to work with you. Yes! Myth of creation, of spirits dealing with humans, of eternal youthfulness, of life and death, of being and nothingness, of the gods and ancestors...Africa is full of myths!

Anselm Adodo, Director at Ofure Integral Research and Development Initiative, http://www.paxafricana.org/

Willi: I would be most interested in collaborating with you on modern myths about slavery, colonialism and big military and agriculture. Do you have African myths with these themes?

Hi Willi - After reading over your (Sun2Soil) material more closely, I would like to cancel our interview. I'm not feeling that your subject matter is geared toward the shamanic audience. It's interesting and informative, but not suitable for this audience. Thank you and sorry for taking up your time. Warmly,
Julia Widdop, creativejourney.ning.com/

Your message is extremely timely and needed. I truly believe that people want to do "the right thing," they just don't know what exactly to do. The grocery stores sell shit, we all have to fill out tanks with fossil fuels (unless we can afford a Tesla and don't need four wheel drive). Your book will give people ideas on how to begin to change.
Kathy Bizzoco

"The Broadway Gardens and Shopping Park - A Streetscape Design Vision (Burlingame, CA)" plus New Myth #98: "A Greenway Runs Through Broadway" - excerpt -

Close Broadway to foot and electronic carts only, and keep the existing sidewalk planter strips and trees but re-purposing the street for greenway paths, play areas, picnicking and education stations. Consider a vision that promulgates its own future: a living place.

"I love how the planners and community integrate Nature with the shops and residents." "Seamless."

Thanks. I wish they would do that in Santa Barbara. We could use something like that.
Hannah Apricot Eckberg

Thank you, Mr. Paul, for sharing this post with us. It's certainly an interesting concept.
Lisa Goldman, City Manager, City of Burlingame

"Desktop Wars - Archetypes in the Chaos Age" - Source Book #38 and Study Questions

Found another use for surplus satellite dishes?
Gary Voss, LI

Willi Paul, and the 'archetype' always starts with individuals influencing the community they live in-this emphasis is the reality that a Buddha can be both good and evil (and exist in all individuals, no matter their social constituencies), but Karma (cause and effect) is the nature of NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO the essential nature of being human (https://www.sgi-usa.org) in Buddhist ethics one is only human, can never be anything other then human-such is the nature of the delusion called 'archetypes'. Enlightenment is learning the lesson of Buddhism and relinquishing the delusion of so called 'archetypes'.
Ivan E. Pratt, Perm List

Hi William, thanks for the connect. We are working on models for Smallholders to smartholder. Also, currently we are looking for investors for our large scale organic farming project (we believe people will follow once they see the success and scale) of 800 ha with 600 ha being Mango for dried Mango products and rest 200 ha for fresh vegetables export to Europe. We are creating the example so people can come learn and then implement it on their farms. Our capacity and capability is to design a sustainable concept based on Agribusiness. Will go through your sites tomorrow and shall come back to you on them. Blessings to you and your family. Keep up the smile !
Krishna Murty, LI

Newton's Cradle Syndrome - A Soundtrack Between Hope & Despair.
Close Your Eyes and Watch the Video:

Hey Willi, I actually did do that last night! It's cool, but not for the mainstream. This is way above their heads.
Kathy Bizzoco

"Ignite the "Sun2Soil R&D Network" - including startsomegood.com, regenerationhub.co, thexpollinators.com and Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com

Willi: I am interested in hiring a consultant to assist me in the Sun2Soil nurti-membrane R&D.

KB: Willi, Permaculture Design International does that kind of consulting, using Holistic Management tools. It looks like a great project! You are so creative. Would love to join your group.
Koreen Brennan, PDI

Email Conversation with Jan Zellmann and Willi – Sun2Soil

Hi Jan - See comments in-line -

It sounds interesting but I still don't know how far you actually are. You are starting a crowdfunding campaign but the recipe is not finished.

The main goal at this point is to perfect the recipe and prototype the membrane. on a farm field, garden or food forest.

Will you use the funds for the final research?
Yes, as above.

Do you actually live in VN now or in the USA?
Silicon Valley. I make money by designing / installing tech offices.

Also, it's a but unclear to me what you mean by 'Innovation that belongs to the community'?

It means that the initial product will be produced on-site, for the farmers and gardeners. A second application may be possible on a more commercial scale later. TBD. I am also considering how the membrane can help kick-start growing in areas where war and natural disasters have taken place. I have other ideas...

Lastly, thank you for sharing your campaign. Looking at it from an investor point of view, I ask myself why you did not make a proper video, showing this technology in actual application.
This is a conceptual vision - not a finished product. Hence the focus of the video is education. I like the straight-ahead power point feel!

Also, how is it made, how is it used, etc. It's the perfect product for a video.
As above!

Either, you don't believe in it enough to spend the 500 dollars to make a video or you have nothing to show yet. Both are the wrong signals to send for a 22k campaign.
I am in a preliminary, "shake the trees" mode, and there is no amount of money to make the membrane magically appear. You are not the first to ask to see the membrane. There is ample interest to date. I am comfortable working and communicating in this stage....

That being said, I love the idea and the concept of running this in a community approach which is right up or preferred scope of activities.
Yes, I get that from your excellent web site.

What is the price point if one sheet - say per sqm.
As I relayed above, initially there is no price point per se. This is a DIY process / product to start.

We have seen similar products but nothing organic.
I would appreciate knowing more about any predecessor efforts; I have not seen any to-date?

We have a good idea of how to bring it to market but it has to make sense to financially, work as promised and test results have to be satisfactory.

What would be the next step(s) if you could assist me with the recipe / membrane R+D? Do you require a contract for services and advance?

It would be great to include Evergreen Labs as a technical partner in my press release coming out this Thursday.

BTW - I could produce an interview with you for my network as a pro bono offering. My interviews / conversations are here.

Peace, WOX

Willi, I'm based in Hoi An Vietnam, Quang Nam Province. I have founded my Company 'Grow Your Life - Social Permaculture' this year. I currently collaborate with Evergreen Labs www.evergreenlabs.org and www.healthyfarm.org. Since last November when the first Farmers Market Da Nang was held the success & positive growth is amazing & rewarding to see people take note & want to learn more about Food Security/Safety. The purpose of the survey :

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUE-7H13DYcnpJJx85w-D4NGf1P_wdC_GaIZbN_M1yc9tuNQ/viewform

is to gather the social demographic data of the respondents, so to be able to focus on their needs in regards to the content of future Permaculture Workshops. The first workshop will be held at Bep An Phu Farm, Da Nang on August 26 this year. Where I'll be focusing on Natural/Wholesome Farming Techniques, particularly on reconnecting the attendees with the traditional Vietnamese Farming/Agriculture Method known as Vuon-Ao-Chuong.
Christopher Dunn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-dunn-31533234/

"Permaculture Willi and Hawk Drone #2" – "The Sacred Food Forest Camp"

Arthur Joyce -Thank you for the work you do. Unfortunate choice of image, however, with the child and an iPad operating a drone. We need to get kids OUT of screens and into Nature. Most environmentalists have tragically completely missed the fact that these devices are harming our children in almost every way: their health, through microwave emissions; their learning outcomes, which decline precipitously when iPads are introduced to classrooms; and their social skills, which also decline rapidly with heavy use. Other recent studies are pointing to serious addiction for kids with wireless devices.

Willi -I get what you are saying. I think the cost / benefit in the case of P-Willi is in the positive however. Walking, exploring, recording, story writing? interacting with Nature with Perm-Tech. Thoughts on the piece other than the image?

Arthur -as a writer I have to say this reads like a sketch or an outline for a proposed story rather than a fully realized story. And I would have to dispute that the cost-benefit falls on the benefit side. You might want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the risks of wireless devices. There are plenty of well-researched, credible websites on the subject. I've been researching it for a decade and I can tell you that we are not being protected by our federal regulatory exposure standards at all.
Arthur Joyce, ajoyce@uniserve.com

Willi- Hi Abbey - What do you mean by the "rich social network of Aprovecho"?

Thanks for the questions Willi. At Aprovecho we have many layers of our human community. Day-long visitors, weeks-long students, months-long interns, years-long staff, and decades-long neighbors who came for Aprovecho and stayed to raise families down the road. Then there's our extended network of food producers, partner organizations, instructors, consultants, designers, builders, contractors, etc who support work we do and apply the principles we teach in the real world. Aprovecho is a node of a larger web of organisms sharing a common vision of sustainable human settlement that nurtures ourselves as well as the land on which we depend.
Abby Colehour, Residential Steward, Aprovecho Sustainability Education Center
abby.colehour@gmail.com

Hello Willi Paul, Congratulations, your post in the topic titled:"Metamorphosis Song of the Monarch Butterfly - Kids Video" has been awarded an apple. You can visit that post at https://permies.com/t/67904/art/Metamorphosis-Song-Monarch-Butterfly-Kids#572314 - Thank you for that quality post!

"The Pattern Legacy" - Interview with Adam Brock, author of "Change Here Now: Permaculture Solutions for Personal and Community Transformation." Plus: Study Questions.

Hello Willi, Would you like us to put this on our website? I love Adam and would love to help promote his book. I like the approach you took with the interview and the study questions at the end. Well done!
Hannah Apricot Eckberg, Permaculture Magazine, North America

Nice, Willi! You do great interviews!
Koreen Brennan

"Sun2Soil" - Dissolving Nutri-Membrane (SSDNM) - A Perm-Tech Innovation

Thought of this before, very cool.
Benjamin Faher

I saw your LinkedIn message about your biodegradable crop fabric. That look super cool and so needed in this plastic culture "organic" farming trend. How long does it last when wet? How big of a roll can someone purchase? I love the idea of prototyping the sun2soil at PSC. There are three farmers operating there, and I bet at least one of them would be into it. I will have to ask.
Erik Ohlsen, erik@permacultureartisans.com

"I see a rare visionary AND activist in Willi. Good energy and long-term consistent work are additional qualities I have observed in this individual. We need more people like this."
Jadene Mayla, Eco-Logic

Willi - Is Permaculture available on the shelf at Whole Foods? Can you download it at Amazon? I'd like to pick your brains, Permies. I am wondering about the opportunities and implications of advancing Permaculture values with Capitalism. That's right.

Can we better educate and evolve humanity by joining the market place? Or by staying away from it?

What are the current and possibly new products and services from Permaculture?

What goods and services is Permaculture sponsoring besides Permaculture?

How do we package it? Brand it? Productize it? Sloganize it? Trademark it? Sell it?

Do you want to realize a profit with Permaculture?

Thanks for your insights.
Willi

Susan Silber - I think you aren't getting the point of permaculture Willi. I am very perplexed by your questions. What do you mean by download it at Amazon? You mean a book about permaculture? People can make profits through various products or sell courses related to permaculture, but not by selling the "brand" because it's a concept, not a brand! I'm curious, did you take a PDC before?

Willi - Susan, I have a PDC. Your reply raises good questions. That was the point of my message!! This is a thought piece, an exploration. A community test, if you will....

It's not about what most folks think about permaculture - which in my opinion is very limited - but rather about what is going missing....? But rather what permies can possibly do to extend the sector and values. Marketing permaculture is in a very immature stage. What if Permaculture is a Brand?

"Selling the Myth-Tech Code" - Article and Interview: Tim Hinchliffe (Sociable.co) - by Willi Paul (Planetshifter.com)

Buss Jarman... I immediately consider that there is a difference between the core tech culture and the MBA wielding "business support services" that flocked to take advantage of the profits and micromanage most of the fun and innovation out of the pioneers. +Willi Paul, OK, I am still basing comments on what I can see here in gplus. I meant that tech community, as it may exist today, doesn't necessarily reflect the same values as the original founding "core" members. I hope that serves to clarify.

Your article is comprehensive and thoughtful. Unfortunately, perhaps via jaded experience, I cannot easily identify the heroic/mythic element among the current set of business attitudes. I am inclined towards a more simplistic rendition of "The goose who lays golden eggs." Casting the real heroes into some pit where they must toil at the whim of [not even demigods] ignorant masters. On this community, we've all read and studied Wilson, McKenna, Campbell and many others, yet mostly standing with mouths agape not in awe. If gen X, Y, Z, expects to impress at mythical level then some attention to events and personalities arising before 1995, is in order. I don't criticize your efforts as much as I question a world seemingly devoid of heroic efforts.

Buss Jarman, Robert Anton Wilson Community, G+

Willi - I sought-out the article and counter-point of my colleague to support what you call "a world seemingly devoid of heroic efforts" without a "mythical level". I would love your deeper explanation of "core tech culture" and the 1995 vision-lost!?

Looks great, Willi. Thanks for the opportunity, and your questions were stimulating and engaging. I'm happy this worked out. I'll be sharing this around. Warm regards, Tim

Your new project, "Permaculture Willi - Hawk Drone @ Food Forest", has been successfully submitted. You submitted your project to us as "public" (Amazon Studios).

Hi Willi, I'm always impressed with creators. It takes a lot of spunk and moxie to put your work out in the open. Sadly, I'm more of the branding/marketing guy. I can't represent PBS on the programing side (I'd get in big trouble if I did.) There's all sorts of Standards/Practices that are in place to make sure nothing untoward happens in the submission process. To be fair, I'm no expert in long form. I have opinions, but my wheelhouse is the 90 second and under stuff. Story arcs, character development, and other rarified skills of the show producer are outside my professional proficiency. All I know is rumor and heresay. Bet anything I'd say would be a waste of your time. Like anything with money involved you get lawyers. Makes sense if you think about it. Most shows have similar conceits. You talk with someone at a channel about your show featuring a talking dog. They say "No" but two years later the channel has a show with a talking dog. Did they steal your idea? Do you sue them? That's why things are locked down. Don't know much about permaculture. I think I read about an Australian named Molson who was trying to do sustainable agriculture back in the '60s, but it's pretty far afield from my path. I'm very pampered.
Matthew Kennedy, PBS

Bio: Willi Paul attended Episcopal Church but never bought into the dogma. He later discovered the Quaker spirit and visited over a dozen Friends Meetings in his twenties finding meaningful political discourse and pot lucks to his liking. He struggled with Bi-Polar disorder during this same period which caused serious interruptions in his university studies and family relations. Even with his recent stints for civil engineers, sustainability and technology start-ups, Paul remains true to his solo-inspiration and entrepreneurial path. Nature remains the most important spiritual template and sacred light.

Kathy - Also, you probably don't want to hear this, but I'll share because I'm on the same page with you. Going to your website for the first time, I had no clue what was going on. If you weren't paying me, I would not have stayed to figure it out. You might want to think about redesigning your homepage to be more neophyte friendly so you don't loose people who stumble upon you.

State your mission/purpose clearly at the top so there is no mystery. Statistically, you have from three to five seconds to catch a person's attention. Your homepage should be clear, and maybe slightly more important, compelling. Off the top of my head: "What will/would you do when/if the electrical grid goes down in LA County? Find out here." Or, "What is perma-culture and why do you care?

Yes, this is marketing, but you aren't marketing widgets. You are marketing solutions. Be compelling, dramatic, charismatic. The American Petroleum Institute is pretty freaking compelling, as is the American Pharmaceutical Assocation. Rise to the level of your competitors. Their clarity and drama is compelling.

Willi - While your critique is valid, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Pharmaceutical Assocation are most certainly not competitors. The better question perhaps is who are my competitors. Clarity and drama without ethics and vision are dangerous indeed.

Kathy - I respectfully disagree. The Petroleum Industry, Big Pharma, the Military Industrial Complex are your main competition. You are teaching independence and separation from dependency on these guys! You are trying to let a tired and poor population know that these guys are the reason they are poor and tired. Hell yes, they are your competition.

Another question I have for you is, why create an entirely new language? Why not adopt either Mandarin or English? Talk about complicating the issue. Yes, a new language would put forward thinking LEADERS in a more equal, nay perhaps powerful, position, but followers still will still either (1) have to learn a new language or (2) be really lucky that their language rocks.

Willi - As a mythologist, I would say that I see the world less in terms of competition and more in terms of good and evil, in symbols and artifacts and archetypes.

https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2412

Humans are the competition, and Monsanto et al. comes a distance second.

Willi - Not sure what you are referring to? I am creating alternative ways to create and experience the world....

Kathy - Permagram Symbolic Language for Global (Post-Crash) Permaculture Tribes

http://communityalchemy.com/regenerator/regenerator.pdf

As I was scanning, I just thought, oh my, an entire symbolic language as well as learning how to plant what/where and find what/where. Just felt overwhelming.

From a marketing perspective, alternate ways of experiencing the world is your product. Do you want a product that is difficult to use, or simple to use? A new language doesn't make your product easier to use; I get that the new language makes the product easier to understand and you can make an argument that the new language is your product; but easy to use, not so much.

Willi - I believe that people can benefit from a soulful and deep journey rather than a free ride to higher consciousness.


Greetings Crystal - If you have time / interest, I would welcome your feedback on my contributions to the X-Pollinators site. I would relay that no one has communicated with me on my offers or news. Willi

Crystal: You rock, Willi. I really appreciate your eagerness in trying this new platform. Our target users are generally very busy people, so they won't be able to check back as frequently until we have a pattern established. While our vision is to be the Facebook for people doing regenerative work, we need to start with a clear value that attracts people to invest more time. You are ahead of me! Most people have been using CrossPollinators as a search engine for projects and organizations. Now that we have enough traction on the community side, starting next week, I will be sending out weekly community updates for people to see updates like yours! With gratitude for your patience and constant communication.
Crystal Huang, c@murikey.com

"Permaculture Willi - Drone Rising @ Food Forest"
https://youtu.be/GAVGn81fkM0
2D Animated Cartoon (Demo)
length - 135 - sec.
Narration: Willi Paul and Malou Carreon

Hi Willi, I have no funding ability except for my own projects, which are exclusively feature films - but what I would say is that you develop a pitch and network with the stations, like Nick, and find out how they like ideas pitched. I am not working in TV, so I am a bit out of touch with how that works today. But you best bet is to make a "bible" of characters, produce a script for the pilot, and produce a few minutes to show what you are thinking (maybe just a minute or two), and sample storylines (a paragraph) for the other episodes - 10-20 of them. Show that it has "legs."
Kevin Richardson

Thanks for reaching out to Rapid Eye. Your demo shows a lot of great work! Unfortunately, we aren't really geared for TV or series production. We primarily produce content for corporate/product marketing and training.

Cool! I'll share on social media.
Kathy Bizzoco, kathy@greenfrogpublishing.com

Hi Willi - I'd love to have you on the Guest Speaker Series. Everything you do is so fascinating. The presentation is first done on the zoom platform, then it is broadcast and uploaded to YouTube.com/JuliaWiddop. I'm hoping to hear that you have booked a slot soon. Warmly,
Julia Widdop, Creative Journey

Show Contents:

"The Adventures of Permaculture Willi: Hawk Drone at Food Forest Demo" by Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com - New Kid's Animation Project...

and pending application to Disney Accelerator and ...

"Eden-Maker" - "A Kid's DIY Video Creation System" - Overview / Resources / Questions. By Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com ... - https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2440

... and issues in the Integration of Permaculture, Transition, SpiritNature and the New Mythology for New Global Children's Media - https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2442


Willi: What does a orange star with a 2 in it mean on my profile?

Crystal Huang: Thank you very much for trying out the platform! The star-points was my attempt to test out ways to gamify and encourage people to increase the amount of activities on the CrossPollinators. It is the numbers of organizations/projects and events you share with the group. It was intended to stir up curiosity and cause you to write to me like you did here. I'm curious to know how you feel when you saw the stars.

Willi: When I saw the star, I was intrigued but also confused! I get it now.

1. What pre-existing online communities influenced your functionality and design?

a. Is craigslist.org a good example of resilient design and community participation?

b. What is theXPollinators.com connection to the NorCal Community Resilience Network - Circle of Collaborators?

c. How does your tool compare to: https://permaculturenews.org/forums/index.php?

2. Is theXPollinators contributing to the DIY / maker movement? If so, how?

3. How do you evaluate the performance of the site? How many folks are registered users at theXPollinators.com at present? How long will the beta test last?

4. Are you attracting seniors and lower income people?

Crystal:, As I mentioned to you briefly in our email exchanges last week, I spend most of my time with community organizers in East and West Oakland. While there are many other community organizers I can work with elsewhere, CrossPollinators was born with the genes from the frontline communities. We also believe that only if we meet them where they are at - and design the product with them in mind from the very beginning - can we make sure the product is the most inclusive.

I had to learn to adapt to the unpredictability of this type of community. Let me tell you, as someone who comes from a corporate culture of high-efficiency, it is a painful process. Our progress and schedule constantly get impacted by day-to-day challenges these community organizers face. They range from frantically picking kids up from school to utility being shut down to a bullet flying into their daughter's bedroom. You see, many of them are busy with multiple jobs and kids, all the while organizing to build solutions on the ground for their community. We are working hard to make sure that CrossPollinators can be a tool to truly help them solve challenges with each other faster. Finding product to market fit here is the single most important goal for us right now.

Just last week, our timeline had a major setback due to a sexual assault incident (along with many other things) in the community. Because I am grateful for your opportunity to do this interview, I want to make sure I can send you the must sufficient answers to your question. At this moment, the timing doesn't seem to be the right fit. With gratitude.

Crystal Huang
c@murikey.com


Would love to help you craft your Wiki page, your creative accomplishments seem quite extraordinary.
All best, Elizabeth, http://studioconservancy.wixsite.com/mysite

Thank you, WP. I will use your site for resources as I'm in the beginning stages of a permacxulture installation on 10 acres. I'm in Michigan. Tammy March, LI

"Forage" - Fresh News from Willi Paul Studio/ Planetshifter.com (5/11/17)

[ I. ] Willi Paul Studio has hired adamtaylorillustrator.com (Hillsboro, OR) to produce "The Adventures of Permaculture Willi: Hawk Drone at Food Forest" a 2D animation demo. The permaculture-flavored cartoon will be ready for kids, investors and activists, alike, in June.

[ 2. ] Willi has joined the NorCal Community Resilience Network - Circle of Collaborators

The Circle of Collaborators intention is to build a diverse community of organizations and businesses who are passionate about the Network's goals to build solidarity, broaden support and build capacity for our movement. Our intentions build trust between organizations, promote collaboration between groups who might not otherwise have worked together; and break down silos in our movement – between the smallest of grassroots groups to and staffed non-profits; between businesses and non-profits; and across sectors.

[ 3. ] "Shine!" - My Interview with Crystal Huang, Owner / Designer at theXPollinators.com (Coming-out in May)

The CrossPollinators is an open-source digital platform where you and other changemakers can share your knowledge of community organizations and projects to help regenerate the world. The Studio has joined the community to collaborate for community resilience!

- WOX

"The Doubt Beat - Questions for Kids"

is that even a question?? save us for what ? corps are eating machines we are being eaten

sure I make a difference,and if everybody had even payed attention,or cared or "made a difference" the same,by now we'd be on our way to recovery
as is,,,,,,,not enough

as pete seger saud,I think we are doomed,but I could be wrong about that,so I still work for good."
Thanks, Nicolas Morris

Greetings – Here is the Specification (pdf) for the "Permaculture Willi - Drone Rising @ Food Forest" 2D animation demo project. Please return questions if needed and your bid by 5/3 @ 7 PM. Note: I am looking to build a long-term relationship with a creative consultant to continue beyond this demo.
Thanks much! WP

I've looked over the synopsis/script. Here's the thing about animation. If someone gives you a firm bid without approved pre-production, it's highly probable that you, the animator, or both will run into a problem big enough to impact the project. Pre-production consists of style frames, storyboards, model sheets. You have images of the character, so a model sheet there is somewhat taken care of. There are still some props and other features to design. These are things that are routinely on hand when someone is pitching a project to producers/investors.
John

Ron Rose gave me wonderful massage today at Rose Bodyworks in Calistoga! He told me that my energy says: "Shaman."

Willi: I wrote this for him in my Yelp review:

Ron Rose is a gentle soul with powerful hands
I liked the back and forth
as we settled into the mantra in Calistoga
We found common interests
And healing bonds
Fingers dancing
For 90 minutes plus
I wish he still lived and practiced
Among the 101

Willi: Hi, Permission to use Owl image for Online Kid's Media Event?

Hello, Bill, A dramatic full color Media introduction. A super eye-catcher to your studio. You make an introduction and many will join in hopefully. Very good "kick-off". Wide spread interest due to interest in children. Lets see your responses to the beautiful color wheel. Love,
Dad


sure thing! go ahead, thanks for asking, and the credit.
thanks for sharing my art Willi.
Simon Haiduk

Thanks for sharing. This is an interest we have as parents of young children. Will check it out!
Sarah Houlihan, http://homesteadhouligan.com, Permies.com

We are just small project in South of Thailand , do permaculture here, if you like the project and want to support us please check out our campaign. We need some money to run the project and to reach our goals though if you like the ideas, let's do it :))
https://www.patreon.com/NumthangPermaculture
Anuthida K. Moolnam, Undergraduate Student, Mahasarakham Univ., Thailand

"The Teenager's Guide to Permaculture" - eBook #35 (2009 – 2017) - by Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com" on Depth Psychology Alliance

Willi, I am impressed by your bute activity and working to shape education for the next generations. Thanks for your online presence. Just a note our regional sustainable agriculture has been working with Mexican organic chelated minerals and bio -fertilizer along with permaculture and biodynamics; so much simple self -help knowledge being shared open-source.
Stuart Lloyd

Nur Salsabila (LI): Thank you very much Mr. willi to accept the connection request my linkedin :) I am from indonesia. You can call me Salsabila. I am a beginner in permaculture. I was helping a permaculture project that could prosper the people around the area near with another project carried my company is wood pellets. I actually learned and also a bit stunned at how technology is used in matters related to permaculture and will integrated with wood pellet, an renewable energy. I honestly really very new to permaculture. and just studying the literature 1.5 month. It because i dont get the materials on permaculture in the lecture. In indonesia permakultur still new methods. I really will enjoy and join to your group :) Thanks once again to respond my connection :)

Hi Penni - Thanks for the LI connection! Rebuilding Alliance looks promising.

Penni - I feel like they are doing good work. Managing sending the solar lights to Gaza program is interesting-still in training phase!
Penni, healingflowerenergies.com

Interview
I've checked out your website/blog and its very interesting. I like your vision! I'm definitely a permaculture supporter and practitioner but not an expert in the subject matter.
Kathryn Thomsen
http://hundredgivers.org/

kids?! the willi-mon?! good. a new rev. and yup yup yup, tech and nature. not gmo, but sustainable organic human enhancement without the pills. why the running of the bulls when man can run faster, further, and with more roi. go forth will-u-r....pure will.
Mark Biddy

Hi Willi, Thanks for reaching out. I'd recommend Soundlister.com for finding collaborators or the facebook group called "Sound Design" (you must request membership and admins have to approve you). Hope this helps, best of luck with your project. Best,
Dan Powell | Creative Development Manager
dan@soundsnap.com
Stereobot | Soundsnap

"White Board Democracy: A New Community Ritual for the Farmer's Market?" - New Myth #94 plus Interview with Carol Reed, Burlington, WI Farmers Market. New Mythology

great idea, willie
Charlotte Anthony, founder, at Mother Who Plants Trees

EastBay Pemaculture List feedbacks

Well, what's not 'sacred' here are white boards. For some of us the pens used on these boards (and fresh out of the box, the boards themselves) are an access barrier to participation, because they emit toxic fumes. As such, I would say 'White Board Democracy' is an oxymoron.
Isis

Isis, it's good to see your feedback, as always. Thank you.
Surely we can agree that the white board is a metaphor / community vehicle to a much needed re-tooling of things trans-democratic. Getting off-line and into F-t-F conversations is the goal. The piece has been read by ~ 474 folks to-date. Maybe we're on to something 'hear'?!
Best wishes, WOX

Maybe "Chalkboard Democracy"??? or "Posterboard Democracy"?? What would have the same connotation, but be chem-sensitive friendly, Isis?
Livi Joy

I think that using such a specific metaphor to describe an interactive experience is likely to keep people focused on the medium, instead of the action. It leaves little open to the imagination. That white board is just one example of a platform for people to express themselves. What you're describing is a place where community members leave messages, which can (and should) take many forms. Message Board Democracy?
Isis

"Círculo de Colaboradores" – Interview with Susan Silber, NorCal Community Resilience Network (NorCal Network) & Circle of Collaborators

On LinkedIn, Selected Readers:

Gregg Wion, Founder - Earth Stewards University
Erik Ohlsen, Permaculture Design
Monica Ibacache, Founder & Executive Director - Beyond Organic Design

"Leopard Noise" - What happens when we use sound samples instead of human speak in Nature cartoons?

"great video"
Top Shelf Sounds - YouTube

Rethinking Permaculture (PDX)<, LI -

Satya Vayu: You're not being censored - it's just that you post way more than anyone else, and it's mostly stuff that folks tell me is not so relevant to the specific interests of this group. One person reported a post of yours and suggested I not accept your posts anymore - I'm trying to be more accommodating and inclusive, so please respect our perspectives. Local is the Portland, OR area. As for online learning, I don't remember you asking, but I have no particular opinion - it's not my favorite way to learn, but it's sometimes useful.

Willi: As an early joiner of the online version of the group, I expect this sort of e-greyness. But I feel good about my work shared here and understand some of your folk's ironic emphasis on quanity vs. quality. I would submit that much of my content was well supported by members here as evidenced by the simple metrics provided by FB. As a group member, it would have been much more sensitive and respectful to get the sharp critique (i.e. - "One person reported a post of yours and suggested I not accept your posts anymore") from a real person, in a transparent way. My apologies for the gatekeeping, Saya. Portland, Bay Area, Ice Land; we all share many struggles and perhaps solutions. Geo-boundaries are a bad thing, I think. I wish I could have met you all in person, as it seems that it would have made a difference now. You can find my "race car ego" at https://www.planetshifter.com/
Love and Good Luck, WOX

"Círculo de Colaboradores" – Interview with Susan Silber, NorCal Community Resilience Network (NorCal Network) & Circle of Collaborators.

2045? Are you sure that we are going to make it?
Emil Marcovitch, Portland Permaculture List

Erik Ohlsen: Free Eco Landscape Webinar - Join Erik Ohlsen on March 16, 2017 for a FREE ONLINE WEBINAR: https://lnkd.in/gmkHiEw - JUMPSTART AN ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE CAREER: The Proven Step-by-Step Workflow for Successful Projects. IN THIS WEBINAR WE WILL COVER: - Step by Step workflow for consultation to design -Tips for beginners and experienced professional -The foundations of an ecological Landscape or Garden -Common mistakes to avoid that nearly EVERY landscape professional makes SIGN UP HERE: https://lnkd.in/gmkHiEw

Willi Paul: Land ownership is a founding issue to me. As a landless PDCer, the paradoxes of permaculture abound... and technology will not grow beans alone...

Erik Ohlsen: Willi Paul another reason why I'm starting to use the word permaculture less and less. For me, the goal is rapid land repair and people care. I think that will require the need to have viable careers for people to make any progress in that regard. So many angles to doing good work in the world. I really don't care what anybody calls it at this point. In some ways, I find I want to speak to everyone but permaculture people. When we leave our bubble and enter greater humanity, That is where I feel the change is really going to happen, when we stop judging and start loving more and guiding ourselves back to living peacefully with the land and each other.

Willi Paul: Teaching new values to a wider audience is a shared challenge. As to your sentiment concerning judgement, I know that many have a lust for profit first, and this must change in order to bring love and resilience for the chaos that pervades our world. For more on my support of Mr. Olsen's work, see this recent interview - https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2311


Hi Willi, Thanks for your question, it stopped me in my tracks for a while. I'll join the group, but may have to see how it goes to limit amount of info i have coming in. Your work reminds me of Pachamama Alliance's changing the dream and the Game changer intensive, in case you're interested. Blessings on the new dream,
Klaudia Van Gool, LI

Hello Willi, Thank you for connecting on LinkedIn. It appears that we have common interests. I'm primarily centered on helping farmers and gardeners grow great tasting, highly nutritious foods produced without harmful chemicals and GMOs. My overarching goal is to shift the agricultural paradigm to one that focuses on producing more health-giving foods, while preserving our environment. I can't do this alone, but working together with like-minded individuals, we can achieve a lot.

Here are some of the things I'm up to-

- Educating through my book and online courses about our degraded food supply and what can be done to improve food nutritional quality. (My Nutrition Grown™ methods can easily double nutrient density!)
- Establishing an educational, community-based Nutrition Grown™ research and demonstration garden. (Currently underway with grant funding.)
- Helping farmers and gardeners nationwide to improve their crops and gain financial stability.
- Creating a Nutrition Grown™ Association to promote production and marketing of more nutrient-dense crops. (Do you know growers who would like to tap into a whole new level of quality and marketing potential?)
- Establishing an on-farm health retreat and education center in a gorgeous, oceanview location.

Would you like to have a conversation to see how we might benefit each other? Or do you know someone who might benefit by being connected with me? If so, just give me a ring at (808) 938-9888 (Hawaii time zone, but should be just "regular" phone minutes from the USA) or send me an email-- info@BeyondOrganicResearch.com. Thanks! I look forward to speaking with you very soon!
Jana Bogs, PhD (horticulture and food science/nutrition)
www.BeyondOrganicResearch.com


"Global Permaculture not Politics!" – Interview with Rhamis Kent, Co-Director, The Permaculture Research Institute (Australia & USA). By Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com

Please share a favorite fiction, permaculture story or song. What does it tell us about the future?

I'm reminded of a poem from Jalaluddin Rumi that I find really moving called "Poem of the Atoms". It was featured in the Iranian film "Bab'Aziz". The verses are:

O' day, arise! Shine your light, the atoms are dancing. Thanks to Him the universe is dancing. overcome with ecstasy,

Free from body and mind I'll whisper in your ear where their dance is leading them. All the atoms in the air and in the desert are dancing, puzzled and drunken to the ray of light, they seem insane.

All these atoms are not so different than we are, happy or miserable, perplexed and bewildered, we are all beings in the ray of light from the beloved, nothing can be said.

I think Rumi is telling us, in so many words, we're in good hands. It's bigger than us and our preferences, desires, opinions, etc. All of those things are encompassed by the Reality we occupy: the heroes & the villains, the saints & the sinners, the good & the evil.

Our task is to discover the role we each are supposed to play and do it to the best of our ability. We aren't all equipped to do the same things. But whatever we're individually capable of doing, we are charged with doing the utmost with it. That is the ultimate tribute and how we leave our individual mark – ideally, in the service of something that's bigger than us.
Rhamis

Very nice interview with Ramis. I ve never met him personnaly but I ve worked all last year on Geoff Lawtons farm an for a few months with Howard Story from PRI Asia and what PRI is really strong in is communicatio and marketing, but on the ground there is not a lot of going on....

I read some of your posts on the website. From what Ive seen from the permaculture community so far is a little bit disappointing point of view. Human care is often forgotten and the focus is on teaching, what brings a lot of money to the teachers and their different organizations. I still think permaculture have a lot to bring to the work, because it bring in this holistic view that is missing in so many projects. A lot of foreigners settle down in the tropics or cheaper parts of the world and most of them dont integrate very well. I havent seen any permaculture project so far which main revenues are coming from the land. Most revenues come from teaching, designing, workshops and so on.
Patrick Vibert

As permaculture is increasingly complex it needs to be brought up on a university and engineer level. Still people can do PDCs, do their gardens and so but if we really want to bring a change for farmers and rural communities on a global scale et needs to be more professionnalized from my point of view . But we can all bring a change on a small level by planting more trees, bringing food production into the cities, capturing water where we can, creating communities and reduce our foodprint...thats the beautiful thing about permaculture thinking. We can all do our part to change ourselves, our communities and the world

Patrick Vibert, Intern at Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) Australia

Ryan Rising, RootsRhizing:

Willi, what are you talking about homie? Take it down a notch. Not everyone on this thread wants to hear the answers to all those questions and read a back and forth dialogue on their email inbox. Susan said she's happy to send you all the answers to those questions, and invited anyone who wants to know the answers to those questions to email her. First hating on anarchists and those who take direct action, and now this very demanding language; what's good homie?

Willi: Hey Ryan. I hear you. It's a give and take, eh? Delete this one if you want... Hoping for some foundation and process info.... Transparency for a community project. Be well. W

Ryan Rising: All love. Be well yo : ) see you soon.


The NorCal Community Resilience Network is excited to pilot test our Founding Circle of Collaborators in 2017. Together, we are creating a diverse coalition of organizations and businesses that are passionate about building solidarity, broadening support, and increasing capacity for the movement for social and ecological justice. The Network's vision is to build trust between organizations, promote collaboration, and break down silos between smaller/ volunteer-based grassroots organizations and larger nonprofits, between businesses and nonprofits, and across sectors. Examples of groups include food justice organizations, leadership non-profits, Permaculture Guilds, B-Corps businesses, land use planning non-profits, Transition groups, business co-ops and more.The Network will be pilot testing benefits for our Circle of Collaborators through August 2017.

The Network is developing its Guiding Principles to support collaborations within our Circle of Collaborators. These principles will be open to member revision and approval at our formal launch in early Spring. See http://norcalresilience.org/guiding-principles/

Our suggestions for effective collaboration are as follows:

Communicate respectfully with each other. We encourage using Non-Violent Communication strategies and reviewing the Four Agreements.

Be open to receiving feedback, if asked to do so. Be willing to give feedback humbly and respectfully, and ask permission before doing so.

Understand and work to embody environmental justice principles in the service of equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens for all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income.

As fully as possible, be mindful of environmental practices with events and projects:

Practice the 4 R's: Reduce, reuse, recycle and rot (compost!)

Encourage alternative transportation to events: set up a carpool and promote bike riding or taking public transit.

If conflicts arise, please try to resolve/integrate them by phone or in person, using "I" statements where possible.

Please self-monitor in group discussions. Is there someone in the group who may have less privilege than you? Have they spoken in the discussion yet? If you are used to speaking a lot, step up to listen more. If you are used to listening a lot, step up and speak more.

Be willing to say "no" if asked to do something you are not wanting (or don't have the time) to do.

Draft a Memorandum of Understanding if money is involved with your collaboration.

For paying events, aim for a certain percentage (e.g. at least 10%) of registration/enrollment be reserved for scholarships.

Whenever possible, work to make your events accessible to people with disabilities, language barriers, economic challenges, and childcare needs.

Hi everyone - to answer Willi's questions (concerning Circle of Collaborators):

Willi: How were the founding organizations vetted and selected?
Susan: -- We are doing a limited pilot test of the Circle of Collaborators, so we (Steering Committee of the Network) focused on working with the groups we personally know, and asked them to join (including many groups on this listserv). They are all super cool and agreed to our draft Guiding Principles. The process was not meant to be exclusive, but rather to pilot test our strategies in moving forward. We were trying to choose a diversity of groups - from ethnicity to sectors (ie, food, leadership, etc.) to bigger non-profit vs. smaller community groups vs. businesses. We have a super limited capacity (ie, tiny budget) so a handful of groups/orgs is all we can handle at this point! If other groups feel compelled to join, please let us know! (susan@norcalresilience.org). We are still open to accepting new groups until our launch.

Willi: Did you include all orgs and individuals in an open process?
Susan: -- no, see above... cuz of the pilot test -- but if you know of groups who want to join, please let us know!

Willi: What decision making tools ands process are expected on the 14th?
Susan: -- We are working with a professional facilitator on the 14th and will be talking through the decision-making processes for our Circle of Collaborators - and making some specific decisions around our guiding principles. We will be sharing our decision-making processes for our general Network then as well.

Willi: Thanks for your feedback, Susan. Questions for now:

1. I image that many folks and groups would like to get jobs in support of this work - and get paid to support this emerging effort. Do you have a plan to hire people from the community - to share the grant money in this way?

2. Who is the professional facilitator? Is this a paid gig?

Faith 2.0

neighborhood scales sharpening resilience
we discredit and resist and protest
nothing "above" us in our community now
we're all down below

pray if you want
but this is Faith 2.0

lock arms with your neighbor
the shit is hitting the fan
it's our time now
don't waste it

We are Neighbor 2.0

permaculture without nature is just
technology and tech alone
will not save you

We are Food Forest 2.0

this is our last
catechism class peeps
we all have the same spirit
in this spirit desert

God Damn it
We are Faith 2.0!

- WOX


Willi: What is the Center for a Stateless Society (C4SS)?

Kevin Carson: It's an anarchist think tank that publishes commentary and studies. It's mostly made up of left-wing market anarchist tendencies (like Tuckerite individualists, Georgists, some left-wing Rothbardians, etc.). I started out as a mutualist/individualist influenced by Thomas Hodgskin and Benjamin Tucker, but consider myself an "anarchist without adjectives" today (I'm also heavily influenced by Elinor Ostrom, theorists of commons-based peer production like Michel Bauwens, autonomists like Dyer-Witheford and Negri, etc.).

Kevin Carson, Freelance Writer, Research Associate at Center for a Stateless Society

Willi: Any reaction to this? "Prayer for the Anarchists" - by Willi Paul

Kevin Carson: I think I share a lot of your reaction to black bloc tactics, and I'm skeptical of insurrectionist approaches in general. I prefer models of anarchism that are focused on prefiguration and institution-building.


Willi: Do you see permaculture as a spiritual guide?

Nic Rioux Hi - its definitely embedded in the principles. Its hard to imagine a hard core capitalist using permaculture without being transformed spiritually in the process. We could say the principles act as guidance for sure!

Nic Rioux What is your take on it?

Willi: The power of spirituality in the permaculture story has long been conflicted with religion. Many leaders are now ok with integrating some sort of spirituality but more is needed. Resilience is a holistic path and science / technology cannot do it alone!

Nic Rioux Spirituality is ill-defined. This might explain why some dont know what it is and how they fit in the big picture! Mis communication between humans and nature as Stamets say

Willi: Love and kindness - Elvis Costello!

Willi: Hi Pegah -

I appreciate your email and applied for the position. My work in urban / town planning includes degrees in city planning and architecture technology, new town design with MDT, jobs with city planning agencies in MN, urban planning and design projects at Virginia Tech, and most recently work in the permaculture sector.

Your ceremony (ies)/rituals sound nice. I have checked out your website more lately and didn't realize you did so many interviews and radio shows. Congrats and best on all your works!
Blessed Be,
Mary Bencivengo, Myth List

Hey Willi, Thanks for the links, I'll take a look when I get a chance.
For now, feel free to submit anything you like to us for consideration on the newswire. Make sure you let us know in your email whether the piece is wholly original and just for the newswire, modified from somewhere else, or a repost from somewhere else. For the wild,
Rabbit, collective@earthfirstjournal.org

Hi Rabbit, so good to hear from you! I would relay first that I can submit articles to you on a regular basis but do not have the capacity to always deliver original content. I would modify work from Planetshifter.com for your network. My focus is research, activism and teaching. Subjects include Nature, Permaculture, Transition movement, New Mythology and related symbols / archetypes. You can see my current pieces at planetshifter.com

Please check-out:

My 225 + interviews
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/1423

Workshops
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2300

New Myths
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/56

eBooks
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2115
Willi:


Blog Series Description for Hannah Apricot Eckberg, Co-Editor
Permaculture Magazine, North America
http://permaculturemag.org/

Willi: "We have crafted and tested deep community tools and visions to support the permaculture and transition movement and it is now time to join together to build a just world, neighborhood to neighborhood.



The Pacific NW Fire Ceremony - Kindling New Myths" – plus "Interview with the Spirit" - By Willi

You added context for our email exchange and brought it to life. Deep blessings to you and your efforts,
claire

"Shovel - Spade - Rake - Axe - Hoe"- An Introduction to "Perm-Tech" aka Permaculture Technology - Commentary and Study Questions

Questions to Consider -

1. Consider the Green-Tech sector, with its global investors and financial machinery. Can permaculture compete with its investors, publicity and Wall Street backbone?

2. Is the lack of large scale technology holding back traditional investment in permaculture?

3. Is Perm-Tech and the DIY movement, at root, "Sharing Technologies?"

4. Can you name a few "Perm-Tech" start-ups?

5. Do see the current Perm-Tech tool kit as slowing the spread and efficiencies of permaculture?

6. How are resilience and Perm-Tech connected?

7. Do permaculturists take social responsibility for granted?

"Sustainable Lifeways for an Uncertain Future" - Interview with NikiAnne Feinberg, Director and Co-Founder of the School of Integrated Living (SOIL) at Earthaven Ecovillage, Black Mountain, NC.

- excerpt -

What kinds of new traditions and rituals are brewing at the School of Integrated Living? Are pagan and transition movement components involved in this process?

We think about culture and tradition like seeds: they carry the library of all the lineages they come from, but they also adapt in every generation to new conditions and needs. We carry on different traditions, ceremonies, and rituals that we've learned from our mentors and elders, as well as innovating our own layers on top of them.

In the traditional Roman sense of "rural", SOIL does include some pagan elements. As a rural community, we practice land-based and agricultural rituals that draw from the ecology of our surroundings. Some of our elders and teachers have also given us rituals that are pagan in the sense used by the New Age community. Our practices include rituals from the Druidic and Goddess lineages, as well as rituals from the Dagara people learned through Sobonfu Somé, Mayan rituals learned through Martin Prechtel, and Lakota and other native American traditions shared by various elders and teachers.

Another strong lineage represented at Earthaven (and thus SOIL) is the Wise Woman tradition, which teaches us to deeply inhabit our bodies, feel our emotions, and nourish ourselves and each other. All of these traditions share a connection to the earth-based practices of our ancestors, who knew how to align themselves with the whole world.

All of these lineages are preindustrial and non–Judeo-Christian. However, they are carried in a spiritual ecology cooperative with Judeo-Christian beliefs and practice. We are consciously moving towards a spiritual polyculture that includes and interconnects with all spiritual lineages, as long as their practitioners are willing to work together. One of our founding goals of Earthaven is to encourage an atmosphere in which diverse spiritual practices can thrive.

Earthaven is not explicitly based in the Transition Town movement as set forth by Rob Hopkins. However, it emerges from the same early stages of permaculture and solution-based thinking.

* * *

Hello Willi, I am so sorry that it took me days and days to get back to you when you provided me these great examples - I've had "I need to get back to Willi" playing on repeat and just needed to set down and go through the posts you sent, so my apologies. And yes, these are great examples of what would work for our readers. Some of the posts, such as that on Resilience that presents a schematic without much text, may be less appropriate as (we like to have a bit more explanation in the range of 500-1,000 words per post), although the idea is good. The example you sent with the permaculture Earth Pod designs are perfect, as is the All Soil's Day writeup and the discussion on rocket stoves - those seem to be a perennially hot topic with our readers.

Keep an eye out in the coming week or so for links from me for the bio page and first post (I'll try to work on this over the weekend if I don't get to it before). We are very happy to have you as a Mother Earth News blogger.
Kale Roberts
Blogging Coordinator
Mother Earth News
845-464-3682

Dear Willi, Thank you for your email and interest in Viridis Graduate Institute. I appreciate your sending information regarding myth courses, we do include mythology in our scope of teaching ecopsychology. At this time, those courses do not require additional faculty. We have a wonderful pool of mythologists and will certainly add your name. Thank you again for making contact. Keep up all the good work that you do.
Lori Pye, Ph.D., President
Viridis Graduate Institute
Ecopsychology and Environmental Humanities
www.viridisedu.org

It's time for our quarterly convergence celebrating and learning about revolutionary simplicity, and how we can support each other in the transition towards a healthy and joyful new culture. This is our fifth one, and the one year anniversary of our first! Come join us to share about ecologically harmonious living, including all creatures in our circle of compassion, becoming free of the burden of a money culture, and finding the spiritual resources to grow in courage and joy.

The gathering will again be at Kailash Ecovillage (4311 SE 37th Ave, Portland), starting on Friday evening, March 17th, at 6pm, with dinner and an opening circle, and will conclude on Sunday, the 18th, in the afternoon. As usual, there is no fee, delicious and nutritious food will be provided, and overnight accommodations are possible. Let us know if you're interested, and also consider if you want to present a workshop, and tell us about it. Questions and comments can go to touchingearth@riseup.net. Hope to see many of you there!
Satya Vayu

The Mythos We Live By: Uncolonising our Imagination
By Charlotte Du Cann, Martin Shaw, originally published by Dark Mountain Project
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2017-03-03/mythos-we-live-by/

Thanks for this. Although many mythologists, Shaw included, ramble on with too much jargon at times, this passage resonates:

"We can't be naïve in times like this, because we are in the presence of underworld forces that will do one of two things: they will either educate us, or annihilate us. And in fairy tales whenever the movement is down – and the movement culturally is down right now – you have to get underworld smart, have underworld intelligence, underworld metis. I have a strong feeling that a lot of what wants to emerge through many ancient stories is a kind of wily, tough, ingenious and romantic force that needs to come forward at this point in time.

So my challenge for anybody is to regard themselves as a kind of a mythological scholar in training. And to go out and to look through the old anthologies, get a library card, and try and collect these stories that are waiting to say something vital about the nature of our times.

And the second part of that challenge, the most crucial part of the research, will be your individual expression of that story. It doesn't have to be an oral storytelling. It could be something you write down, or paint. You could craft a boat from an image within the story. But one way or another you need to let the story have its way with you."
Martin Shaw

Also, I prefer to write the new Myths (https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/56) with Myth Lab tools - preferring to stay out of the library and find light in the fields and neighborhoods in the current space.

"The Tower of Fire and The Resilient Human" - AD 2029. New Myth #93. Myth Lab #12 from Willi Paul Studio / Planetshifter.com - https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2423

Willi Paul Studio, a Socially Responsible Media Partner, Launches on LinkedIn.com
https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2421
WOX



Willi: Hi Ryan - Thanks for the connection! How can we work together? Please consider joining my LI Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/5080106 Best wishes, W

Great question Mr. Paul! Thank you for connecting with me! I suppose the sky is the limit. To tell you a bit about myself, I received my PDC from the Regenerative Design Institute taught by Penny Livingston in September of 2015 & received my Permaculture Design Teacher Training certification under Jude Hobbs almost exactly a year later. Since receiving my PDC, I have been volunteering as a teachers aid & facilitator for the 4 Seasons course @ RDI and have also been working and studying under a drought tolerant edible landscape designer named Joshua Thayer for two years. My passion and willingness to study PC has no end really. I am trying to soak up everything I can with all this youthful energy I have. While it's been great learning the ins & outs of professional landscaping, I've been feeling called to take a step in the direction of education.

Specifically Inner/Spiritual Permaculture; helping people discover "oneness" & a greater sense of purpose through exploring the seemingly endless relationships of the natural world , and designing their own unique relationship with nature. If you feel any of what I have presented could be of value to you based on this small description, let me know! I exist as to be a joyful servant to all that is life and inspire people to be utterly wild & free! I will be sure to join your group and stay connected! Thanks for connecting! Infinite Love, Regenerative
Ryan Quinn

Willi: Hi Devon - Is it possible to apply for a New Mythos Grant from OPUS?

Devon Deimler: The New Mythos Grant is not being offered at this time. Just so you know, as we are a non-profit, all of our RoundTable events are free of charge and presenters do not receive payment. Have you spoken at a JCF RoundTable before? Our Office Administrator, Andrea Robles, also forwarded your inquiry about the OPUS JCF RoundTable on to me, as I am the coordinator of those events. We are currently programmed until later this year, but thank you for your interest and I will keep you in mind for future events. Just so you know, as we are a non-profit, all of our RoundTable events are free of charge and presenters do not receive payment. Have you spoken at a JCF RoundTable before? Best,
Devon Deimler: Devon Deimler, Curatorial Assistant
Group Leader, Joseph Campbell Foundation Mythological RoundTable® Group of OPUS
OPUS Archives and Research Center, www.opusarchives.org
805 - 969 - 5750

Willi: My request is to interview you for Planetshifter.com (via email). Are you interested? My interviews, including three with Stephen Gerringner, are here:

I presented at The First Study of Myth Symposium...

"Mapping Future Myths for the Transition"
Workshop & Video by Willi Paul
The First Study of Myth Symposium,
Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA. 8/31 – 9/2 – 2012

...but have been much more active as an independent mythologist since. Please see my workshops.

Two very recent pieces include:

"Garden of Eden 2.0 - The Permaculture Food Forest Mythic Promise" - by Willi Paul, Mythologist, Planetshifter.com
"Trump the Anti-Christ" - Foreshadow by Willi Paul, Mythologist, Planetshifter.com

Hi Willi, From the thread below, it sounds like you have a general interest in learning about Opus, in which case it would be best to talk to me. I would prefer sharing what we are doing here by phone or in person, rather than a through a more formal interview. Additionally, because Opus is a non-profit, we must take care that all of our activities be for the benefit of Opus and not to promote the activities of other entities. This is a legal issue for us. Thank you for your interest in Opus. Please feel free to give me a call at the number below if you would like to talk more or to schedule a tour. Regards,
Jennifer Maxon
Director of Opus Archives / Archivist
jmaxon@pacifica.edu

Willi: Hi Jennifer - Yes, as a new mythologist, I do have a general interest in promoting OPUS. At least two previous Planetshifter.com interviews have mentioned this place. Not sure what you mean by a "more formal interview?" I requested that we use email as I will not able to come down there in person. FYI - mine is not a for-profit endeavor. If, as you write,you cannot promote the activities of other entities, then it appears that I pass this test. Best wishes,
Willi:

Hi Willi, I sincerely appreciate your participation. Unfortunately, none of these are short stories about a positive and possible future. This is a fiction contest.

(Note: the three pieces are:

All Soils Day – An Alternative Thanksgiving Sharing Experience for the Community. New Myth #90l

Louise Sanchez and the Neighborhood Resilience Team (NRT) – New Myth #88

The Hillsborough Alliance for Local Food Security - New Myth #87. Dedicated to two 2016 Fall Permaculture Convergences at Fort Flagler, WA and Hopland, CA.)

I think it would be really cool if you set up a story with the content from these pieces. It wouldn't take much if you, say, set up your scene in this positive and possible future where friends were listening to the radio, and this was all there was on Fox News! If you're up for it, I would need the story ASAP.

Oh, they looked like press releases.

Alexis Thompson
www.StoriestoChangetheWorld.wordpress.com
www.CreatePlenty.org/future.html

Howdy Cheth - I am much interested in sound than music. Sound symbols and archtetypes. Willi

Cheth - Hi Willi, It's an interesting distinction, music vs noise. I performed a bunch of "noise music" for a while. It consisted of 60-cycle hum, tweaked oscillators, and strange aleatoric processes. Most people couldn't stand it; relatively few considered it music. But it was music; it conveyed human experience; it was intentionally performed.

Sound itself, as it occurs via the multi-processes of man and of nature, is entirely different. I think the fundamental difference is intentionality. Sound is unintentional. Clearly true when provided by mother nature. But unintentionality also applies when noise is made by man. The sounds of man--planes flying overhead, cars on the freeway, the clatter of my keyboard's keys--are not intended as noise; the noise is by-product. Whenever noise is intentional, it's generally referred to in musical terms--like the roar of the finely "tuned" muscle car. Or else, to use the same example, it refers back to an archetype, like the roar of a wild beast.

So my (temporary) conclusion about sound and archetypes is that man-made noises are either a) intentional "music" (that may have archetypal references, like the tuned roar of that top fuel dragster, the thunder of a heavy metal band, or the delicate windsong of a flute), or b) unintentional, and possibly interpretable in terms of natural, archetypal sound sources (thunder, lion roar, beating of wasp wings).

Viewed thusly I find noise and music almost equally likely to be archetypal. Sound symbols and archetypes = music symbols and archetypes. Best wishes,
Cheth Rowe

Hi Willi, Thought you may be interested in my online presence.
Were primarily biodynamic/permaculture mini farming and scripting the old stories for our times. Thanks for your online presence.

Our work in remote Australia has been to understand the needs of our children to meet the changes that will come towards them. ( My wife and I) We used the FOLK CRAFT and Paintings as a vehicle to mirror the inner intuitive leadings for our life meaning and to activate contemporary educational, environmental, self sufficiency pathways.

Many years ago I visited many ARAS libraries in USA and Europe in the Jung centres. With many years of isolated work I am now entering back into the enlivened forums such as your and the Campbell round table.

The visual arts I have frequented have the grace of unbroken continuum unique in their heritage. Folk craft and petroglyphs are but cornerstone practices to reshape our contemporary myths.

Living on a small fragile corridor of WORLD HERITAGE rainforest canopy with a permaculture fruit, medicine, fresh food plot we live in privileged reality and are entering the dynamics of producing archives and instruction from our traditional family mentors and our own intuitive and pragmatic practices.
I am researching your networks for conversations about supporting our quest.

As artists the practice alone leads the quest of the Hero's Journey.
Kind regards, Stuart Lloyd info@okkawikka.com www.okkawikka.com

Willi:yes? You have a western name and an aboriginal name Are you 2 men? from your sites:

to rebuild the folk craft as common knowledge currency into our Community.
folk craft continuum
Our "Hands on Maths" curriculum
The painting process is dynamic & hits the optic nerve.
The archetype of the collective neural system - Witnessing sight.
Rock petroglyphs give us our oldest metaphoric images that can assist us to hold our meaning.
Willi

Diana: Hi Willi, Thanks for connecting. What are you doing about Climate Change? I guess you saw the devastation caused by Global Warming in Australia the week of 9 Feb. We have a plan.
Diana Livingstone Bali, Visionary; Bali whole system design; vermiponics; bees; Livingstone's Living Earth Topsoil Production

Willi: A variety of things. Launched on LinkedIn.com: Willi Paul Studio, a Socially Responsible Media Partner, https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2421

... working a more business approach to the issues.

creative writing and eBook making:

"In-fill / Neighborhood-Scale Design Visions" - 2011 - 2016. eBook #33. By Willi Paul, Planetshifter.com. Dedicated to Mark Lakeman & City Repair.org https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2418

resilience is big here: "Resistance and Resilience" – A Proposed Schema by Willi Paul, Planetshifter.com https://www.planetshifter.com/myth/2413
- WOX

Ezinne: At Terraformers.com, we aim to preserve the Earth and reduce local hunger by making permaculture mainstream. How? By promoting edible gardens on residential lawns. We believe this creates a culture of healthy and vibrant ecosystems that inspires others to grow their own food.

We are starting here in Northern California. We established a marketplace where permaculturists can grow and teach techniques to homeowners. We didn't want to leave out restorative agriculturists and gangsta gardeners, so we called the collective group, Terraformers (just a group of people making the Earth more habitable).

Willi: Hi Ezinne - "making permaculture mainstream (on lawns)?" That's a tall order, indeed. Hasn't been done in over 30 + years.

Questions:
How do you vet your experts?
Do you pay referral fees?

Ezinne: Yes, you are right, swapping landscaping for aesthetically-pleasing edible gardens is not new. Terraformers.com is a new growing community bringing together home owners (mostly in Palo Alto for now), who want edible gardens - and aren't active participants in a community organization - with community permaculture experts.

We believe it is a humble start on our mission to preserve the Earth and make food ubiquitous on a global scale.

Good questions.

1. Currently, we vet providers based on a number of factors through interviews and prior work. Some of these factors we use include permaculture and gardening skills, strict safety standards, end-to-end insurance coverage, and previous customers.

2. We pay referral fees when a Terraformer refers others Terraformers after they have been vetted successfully.

Thank you for your interest, and please write if you have more questions.

Emil: Hello Willi, Going through PDC & Place-making courses-and volunteering in Portland metro I've noticed, that the area is changing & growing harmoniously, having enough people involved in the thriving process -.but some of us still struggling with opportunities of running own small business or owning /shearing house & land-.due high cost, overpopulation, tough competition level. Some of us has limited leadership opportunities due to "competitions" with highly experienced <> people packed in the area. Some just would want to try Permaculture applications in small town /rural areas , but don't have enough info were to begin /start from. In my own opinion -It's causing a stagnation & slowing down a permaculture spreading process. So, I would like to introduce FB public group page <> and invite you & your friends to take a quick look on it & shear the info . Community activists, organizers, artists, gardeners ,healers, place-makers , permaculture & prep. people ,Green revolutionary artisans & small scale business/farming dreamers & professionals ...we are looking for you to form together a new cluster /territory of happiness & balance in our beautiful PNW regions' rural area.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1058229610910472/ (read the description).

We are right in between Portland & Seattle ...on a road to Mt. Rainier National park...with a setup infrastructure . We need enthusiasts who want to try their skills as a community organizers, permaculturists, small business owners & creators of culture of change-.outside of metro area. We are calling for revolutionary experiment to make-.taking abandoned, poor, stubborn, conservative de-populated rural area -and converting it into a blooming small paradise , creating a cluster of happy & healthy communities based on permaculture principles & running on local economy(small business only) platform. http://www.roadtorainier.com/

Lost interest & hope in advanced/hi tech industry, and modern society (western civilization) management principles ....just became a grandpa(at 46) , spiritually connected to Mt. area (specifically Mt. Rainier) ...While traveling around PNW area was shocked about dis-balance/disproportion between progressive metro areas & absolutely degraded rural communities ....want to see & be involved in change. I see a huge potential in the area (I was talking you about) ...but wouldn't be able to move things forward by myself.

Bought a little acreage in Mineral, WA ...and slowly step by step developing a family homestead...mostly for future generations to come ....based on permaculture principles. Talked to people about my views & dreams & find out that ....it might be a lot of interest ,.... but my "accent" & financial instability (in rural areas) scared people away. Mineral is unincorporated town ....means out of local Chamber of commerce control .Morton's & Eatonville's chamber of commerce ....technically asked me how much money I have to invest in the area :)))) Bought some trees last spring ....announcing a volunteering project , but got just 1 person showed up :((((

My interest is to convert area into a cluster of small communities and possibly small farms/homestead coops/eco-villages /ethno-villages/craftsman villages ....make people (young families stay in rural areas...not moving to close metro areas with expensive life ), bring them back to old traditions to became food growers, gardeners , small local business owners, artisans, craftsmans' etc
....Your role? Based on your experience & knowledge, connections with people ....to be involved in mentoring, consulting , advertising , convert or help turn people's eyes into rural "green revolution" projects ... if you will etc.

Willi:: Seems clear that you need to put together a coalition of like-minded citizens who share your vision and passions. Do you have such a group now? If not, do you have a plan to put one together?

Emil: Oh, I'm sorry Willi....for some reason I thought you are in Portland metro ;) Great project in Minnesota ....I will look into it more seriously . No I don't have a coalition put together yet ....but I'm trying to work on pre-coalition formation ....the FB page is part of it....and GOSH it's hard with these people .......but I'm not going away.

The problem is that I'm permanently live in Sherwood OR ...and The paradise area is about 2.5-3 hrs drive time from me ...so for now WEEKENDS only. Hoping/dreaming to move permanently by next spring (2018). Interview for Planetshifter.com? Press?....I afraid...we are still far away from these actions. We need like-minded active enthusiastic skilled people on the ground.....who really understands the problem & can talk to these people's "same language". The culture of loggers & miners man...its something , if you know what I mean ? ;)

Willi Paul Studio, a Socially Responsible Media Partner, Launches on LinkedIn.com

Love the looks of your new venture: hope it gets some good response.
Bonnie Bright, DPA.com

Hi Community – Check out a new virtual contract media offering called Willi Paul Studio. To be sure, LinkedIn is a low-cost, easy customized solution that caters to a massive global employment and services market. Yes, I realize that most folks in this listserv tackle their own messaging, web sites and gardens, DIY-style. But how we can team-up to maximize your boot-strap'd budget to realize more contracts and followers?

Do you need a custom online discussion producer for an innovative project; a thought leader interview?

We all need more recommendations and referrals!

One of the reasons that I designed this virtual business is to bring sustainable values to what many call the main stream. On LinkedIn, the Transition movement is nascent, to say the least, but it's localization and energy-saving messages are breaking through every day and helping to raise consciousness.

This Studio is only the second tier of the Planetshifter.com build-out as other components are coming soon.
My tool kit is your tool kit!
Peace, Willi

"Alternatives to Capitalism: Materialism, Consumption and Waste" - Online Discussion - February 13 – 24, 2017. Co-Facilitators: Peter Ruddock and Willi Paul. Sign-up via Google Groups. Sponsored by Planetshifter.com

Thank you all for joining in this important discussion. By now, you should have received email notices concerning Peter's feedback on the Waste Topic, and my video link concerning an anti-growth strategy called "de-growth."

Note that the initial content at the site is just a catalyst for opinions and debate to come. The real work begins now as you challenge the group with your own ideas and goals.

So. Jump in. React and question. You ave a solid team behind you. Feel free to invite more people.

Link to the Google Groups site:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/alternatives-to-capitalism-materialism-consumption-and-waste

See you online,
Peter & Willi

Dear Willi, Thank you for your continued interest in McFarland, and we hope you had a wonderful holiday season as well! You're welcome to send us a revised proposal at your convenience. Please include a straightforward description of the work, a tentative table of contents, and any sample chapters you might have available. Sincerely,
Lacey Dylan Julian, Editorial Assistant
McFarland & Co., Inc., Publishers

"Prayer for the Anarchists" - by Willi Paul, Mythologist. Planetshifter.com

From east bay permaculture - 2/6/17

Interviews about the shut down of last week's Milo Yiannopoulos event at UC Berkeley with Yvette Felarca of BAMN, and John, a participant of black bloc, on A Rude Awakening with Sabrina Jacobs, February 6, 2017, on KPFA:
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=252341
Isis

thanks for the link. From what I gathered from a one-sided KPFA interview, violence will attack Fascism in future events on campus.... very scary and dis-heartening. Chaos. Hence my prayer.
WOX

As someone convinced of the effectiveness of nonviolent means over violent means, I'm grateful to the group of anarchists at UC Berkeley for the following reasons:

1. Nonviolence needs to escalate as tensions rise and people's lives become increasingly put at risk. Protest is a Phase 1 action of the Escalation Curve of nonviolence, and they've signaled to us by their "success" that it's really time to move, like now, to Phase 2: Satyagraha, nonviolent direct action. Creative and disciplined. BEYOND protest. Will we hear that signal and understand it?

2. I refuse to make nonviolence an ideology. It has to be a choice. Don't let anyone think that you are clinging to nonviolence because a. You don't care about people's lives as much as you care about property, windows, etc.; or b. You choose nonviolence out of fear or cowardice. We choose nonviolence because we are convinced it's more effective. Is it any surprise that people "understand" violent means? But this is the cycle of abuse that I want to see end. Abusive force, in families and the wider sphere, stops with us. If we say we are for nonviolence we have to show that it is dynamic and effective. Not repeating mistakes or plain imitation of former movements. Really dynamic and creative. A signal of our freedom, not an ideological constraint.

3. It's entirely un-strategic to divide ourselves against the anarchist movement. We need to find ways of working together and having common respect. We have common goals. Let's talk about those.

4. Anarchists are good organizers. As a "movement" they strategize, plan, articulate their vision, use key points for media, train, create their own media, try to live out their values, and even ask each other to learn from their actions. How can the nonviolent movement be more like the anarchist movement? How can we raise the stakes in nonviolence so we don't leave room for violence to seem necessary?

5. Nonviolence and pacifism are not the same. Nonviolence does not eschew every single act of violence, actually. Mostly in extreme and emergency situations. Sometimes using lethal force to protect someone in an emergency is the least worst choice. But in such a case it does say that we have to ask ourselves "What just happened?" and "How can we avoid violence in the future?"

6. The time for critical thinking is now. We have to think short and long-term, and be willing to listen and learn from other movements.
Stephanie - FEEL FREE TO SHARE.

Good ideas. When the anarchists are beating us, spraying us - can we use non-violence back against such a totalitarian, rogue violence-fueled regime? Love to hear more about Phase 2: Satyagraha, nonviolent direct action. Creative and disciplined. BEYOND protest. Will we hear that signal and understand it?
WOX (wants to integrate, not separate....)

I'm puzzled why you think anarchists are going to beat you, Willi. Since you say you want to integrate, not separate, it doesn't sound like you've become a neo-Nazi, so I don't think you have to worry about becoming the target of a black bloc.

Whether everyone in the black bloc that shut down Milo Yiannopoulos last week was an anarchist is impossible to know. In any case, I urge you to read up on anarchism and its history, rather than trust the misrepresentations about anarchists in the mainstream media. For starters, you can thank the anarchists who died at Chicago's Haymarket in 1886 for the 8-hour work day. While the KPFA interviews may have seemed one-sided, they only do so when you take them out of the larger, truly one-sided context of nearly every other media outlet regurgitating the same misrepresentations. These interviews on KPFA are some of the rare times that we actually hear from people who the mainstream media only spins tales about. They represent the other side of a one-sided dominant narrative.

Nonviolence is a good general policy to live by, but I also believe in self-defense.

The shut down of the Milo event was not random violence, but a response to violence perpetrated by Milo and his followers. Two months ago he outed and harassed a transwoman in Milwaukee in a room full of bigots, and a couple of weeks ago one of his supporters shot a trade unionist of the IWW outside a Milo event in Seattle. His events are recruiting rallies for the alt-right, that bring neo-fascists onto our campuses and into our neighborhoods, and endanger our communities.

Klansmen and neo-Nazis stabbed protesters in San Diego a year ago, and again in Sacramento last June. There's a massive increase in hate crimes since the election, both in the streets, and at the hands of the state. Even closer to home, in the last couple of years we've seen racist terror threats invoking the Klan at Berkeley High School. We are way past dialogue. It saddens me that anyone would feel more threatened by a black bloc than by the neo-fascists gaining power and legitimacy through the Trump administration. As a grandchild of resisters against the Nazi regime I am relieved, and grateful for all who had the courage to take direct action to shut down those fascist recruiting grounds last week.
Isis

Isis –
Most people I know are against all violent extremists and their tactics including the Neo-Nazis, the Fascists, Trump and most certainly the Black Bloc (BB). I have seen the BB pepper spray, window breaking, fires and gang fights on television.
All of these groups are using the media to promote fear, intimidation and costume to promote a cause. I support none of you. As an activist involved in transitioning to local economies and food security, my wish is for all of these radicals to come back to permaculture and build real communities, not tear us apart. Violence gets us more violence, Milo? Where does this end? Add yes, there is much to learn from this, Stephanie. This is indeed an unenlightened age. The Chaos Age. I hope you find peace. I am deeply fearful.
Much love WOX

Thank you so much for writing this. I also have been thinking about, learning about, the Black Bloc. In recent protests in Berkeley there was a very large peaceful demonstration and a much smaller group of Black Bloc. However, it seems many people think of them as if they represent everybody on the leftward end of the spectrum.
Elaine Zabloki, Eugene Permaculture

From Twitter:

if they can be disciplined anti-fascists i could stomach them
@MoonApp

Discursive reasoning has been replaced by memetic (meme-based) reasoning... Which is appropriate to fascism which is based on analogy, synthesis, mythopoieia, and dream..., rather than analysis
@AriCostello

I'd argue that mythopoeia/dream are essential, that it's foolish to expect most people most of the time to have a critical relationship to the world (even if they have an antagonistic one), and the problem is that usually only the fascists and relig right allow for an affirmative relationship to that. Dreams don't have to be wish fulfillment or confirmation, they are often upsetting, challenging, a form of introspection that leads to growth, integration, and maturity
@zona

Hi William, Thanks for all your great posts.
Les Squires - Curator, Transition in Action FB

Love to you on your journey,
Claire Darling, Portland

Thanks for all your good work!
Linda Buzzell, Huffington Post

"Permaculture? Just another Vacation in Paradise?" Article by Tobias Roberts plus Interview with Tobias and Willi Paul, Planetshifter.com

GREAT READ!
Super interesting ideas; imagine stumbling across this Craigslist ad? 3 Three-for-One: Ad, Article and Interview. Great stuff and important questions.
David Wallace, east bay permaculture

Thanks for the feedback. Stumbling aside, I use google alerts for all things permaculture.
Willi

Thanks. My first reaction to "then tell the people what they needed to do to fix their community" is to think how incredibly condescending that is. I'm glad this is being discussed in permaculture/transition circles.
Anna Ravenscroft TPA

Joseph Herbert Loves this! How to Decolonize The Permaculture Movement" tip#1 (from the article): - Stop Buying Land in Shangri-La Areas Around the World
Rethinking Permaculture FB Group

I hadn´t seen your magazine until now. Looks fantastic!
Tobias

"Meditation to Land" – Soundscape. New Myth #92 by Willi Paul, Mythologist, Planetshifter.com

Way cool! you finally made it to S.E. Asia!!! Don't forget Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and of course Pai - Thailand. Also their are some cool spots in Laos?
Matt Lawson

My name is Ziv. My wife, Yael, and I are currently working on creating a food swapping community in San Francisco. The idea is simple: people who grow food in their back yards or in community gardens and have surplus produce, or people who make certain types of homemade food – like canned and baked goods – can swap with each other. We are doing this because we believe in the power of community, and we think that a food swapping community can help improve the urban food system and reduce food waste. We started this project originally because we really appreciate homegrown and home-made food. But our vision is far beyond that. We believe that we can and should reduce carbon footprint, and we believe that local resources can and will be utilized more and more in the future. And we believe that we can and should help people connect. We used SwapEat so far to swap food with people we didn't know before. I'm glad we met them. And the stuff we got was awesome. For example I baked a whole wheat bread and exchanged it with Nicholas who gave me a bag of torpedo onions from his garden. It was really a positive experience for both of us.

Willi: Ziv - I looked for your profile at LinkedIn. Did I miss it?! Just jet-lagged back in from Hanoi, Hoi Chi Minh City and other (toxic) places and keep recalling the market systems there. "Scooter in, walk home." Really local! I am fond of writing that "technology cannot save you ... your project reminds me of this mantra. You might benefit from a scenario that excludes the internet.... And I think many in the permacultural movement would appreciate more on your values. Are you a capitalist? Back to bed. And the night market.

Ziv: Capitalism? hell no. I was born and raised in a kibbutz in Israel. We're working on creating a new type of monetary system, but with rules that won't allow you to gain capital I'll be more than happy to have you in our community. If want to check it out goto app.swapeat.com Cheers, ziv@swapeat.com

Willi, NextDoor.com has the purpose of connecting neighbors in a community together. When you join, you're expected to enter your address, and there is verification by sending a postcard to the address. Your posts are seen by other members in the vicinity, and you can only see posts from people in your vicinity. For me, my vicinity lets me see postings in Santa Clara and part of San Jose. The postings aren't just for garage sales and looking for spare boxes or people saying they have a pile of old lumber to dispose of. Sometimes the posts are community activism and issues. Santa Clara has been doing a good job posting things about the city. For example, since we (for better or for worse) have that football stadium, the city posts announcements of any special event at the stadium, to warn people of traffic problems in the area. In other words - NextDoor is a good avenue for community activism outreach on topics that should be of interest to your neighbors. For example there's a fellow I've met, Kirk Vartan, he owns the "A Slice of New York" Pizzeria, who is very interested in urban design issues. He's been pushing for saner use of some land in his neighborhood, most especially a 6 acre parcel on Winchester across from that big shopping mall at Stevens Crk and Winchester. He'd been posting stuff about the site regularly on NextDoor (and Facebook) describing meetings he'd attended or held. His efforts had some success because Santa Clara has decided on a very cool plan to build an "agrihood" on the site.
David Herron

Can anyone at Nature Sounds Society point me to anyone who has translated nature sounds to graphic or mythic symbols?

That is a truly profound question. I'd like to know as well. I am reading some prehistoric novels and wonder if the Marija Gimbutas crowd has any insights.
Lou Judson, Intuitive Audio

Of course there is the work of R. Murray Schafer which includes graphic notation of sounds in biophony, and his ritualistic environmental compositions. http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/people-and-profiles/opera-woods

jeremiah moore | SOUND | San Francisco
jmoore@northstation.net - http://jeremiahmoore.com/

Just a side whisper-I was just listening to David Abrams audio from Human-Nature conference at Pacifica Graduate Institute (mythology-big). Not sure if the Deep Ecology movement can offer ideas for your question - http://www.humansandnature.org/about-us ... aha! apologies Well, clearly if I had checked your "About" info on your web site I would have seen that you were already part of that Pacifica Univ, Joseph Campbell's camp etc-
best to all the good energy you give the planet, All the best,
Elayne (silver goose), wildgeesefly@yahoo.com

"Trump the Anti-Christ" - Foreshadow by Willi Paul
Willi, this post, and its sister post, "Trump the Antichrist" strike me as being classic examples of projection. It does not matter whether trump is actually "an Antichrist" figure or not, because you appear to be so busy projecting your own un-faced version of Trump onto Trump that you will only ever be powerless to do anything proactive in the face of any real "Antichrist". We experience that strange sense of impotence in the face of Hitler, and all such Antichrists, because there is an un-faced version of him within us, and we cannot fight on two fronts. It is only in facing the "Antichrist" in ourselves that we gain the power to deal with the Antichrists in the world around us. Until then we will only be boxing with SHADOWS (our own)
John Brusseau, LI, Jungian (Analytical) Psychology Group

"Projection" as you describe, is not something I understand. But there seems something valuable in how you say, facing the anti-christ in myself. I see more Christ in my work than the opposite! Thanks!
WOX

Well first I'd be curious why you're likening him to / against Christ. He might be more of an Anti-Buddha than Anti-Christ. I personally find the term Anti-Christ sort of ambiguous, vague, and therefore limp.

To define an anti-mythology, you have to define the first mythology: so if you want to argue he's the opposite of Christ, a breakdown would be along these lines:

• Christ as healer vs. Trump as wounder / poisoner.
• Christ as of poor origin vs. Trump as of rich origin.
• Christ as sacred vs. Trump as profane.

The thing that's tricky about this is it's really hard to compare someone's mythology off of a different mythology. Sure I could call Harry Potter the Anti-Arthur because Harry Potter is a magician while Arthur is not, but why not just liken Harry to Merlin? On that note, if you want to argue the Trump is the Anti-Christ, why focus on the term "Anti-Christ"? Why not just use Satan?

The problem I can see with this is that Satan, when looked at mythologically, becomes a sympathetic figure. The word Satan itself comes from Sheitan which originally was a type of a jinn from Persia / Arabic cultures. Unless you're willing to look at Trump sympathetically, I would argue a Satan comparison wouldn't be interesting. I think you might come up with some more meaningful associations to Trump if you sort out what his mythology actually is. You could aim for stories like The Emperor's Clothes, to the Fool King or even Don Quixote. Robert A. Johnson has a terrific book called Transformation of Masculine Consciousness which outlines Don Quixote as a symbol of 2D consciousness. There's right and wrong, and no in between. Though this mythology works much better for George W. Bush in my opinion.

The problem with Trump is that he's utilizing a confusion trance. This could be due to too much cocaine usage over the years, or it could be due to methods utilized by Russia to keep their people guessing (see Adam Curtis' documentary Hyper-Normalization). I think the real problem right now is we're all in a Don Quixote mindset. We all have our own realities, custom tailored to us. Our mythologies are floating apart like melting icebergs, being further and further away as they waste away. That's what happens when you get customized news and everyone feels safe not having to listen to opposing perspectives. We get piss poor at it. Now to be honest, I find Trump to be cringeworthy. Much of what he says, much of what he does, his amount of reversing himself. The biggest red flag I see with him is his tendency to take responsibility for things he does not deserve while at the same time blaming others for things he should take responsibility for. And so, I think he's operating from a very childish mythology. I think his internal storyline is as childish as I think the storyline of Beowulf is childish. There is simply nothing interesting to me in Beowulf. The hero is impervious to everything, can do no wrong, never has to struggle, just gets things his own way. The tip off to me about Beowulf being a child's fantasy is the moment when he grabs the giant sword to kill Grendel's mother, well that's wishing you could swing Daddy's sword. So likening Trump to a Christ like figure is sort of peculiar in my eyes. It's like calling Sarah Palin the Anti-Wonder Woman. They just don't line up, symbolically speaking because they don't have the clout at all. That's my 2 cents.

Another piece on this too, when I was a bit younger, my grandfather who had served in World War 2, strangely enough in the German army gave me a prediction. This was just after 9/11 and he was really upset about the Republicans and Neo-cons under Bush's administration. He said that they reminded him of the Nazis and he hated Nazis. (He had actually tried killing the Nazi spy in his unit in order to defect from the German army). So at this point he turned to me and he said, "You know, this country won't appreciate what it has until it elects its own Hitler to take it all away."

I agree with that statement, and you could liken Trump to Hitler too, but don't do it in a way which is predictable. For example, a lot of the high Nazis were taking a drug called Pervitin in order to Blitzkrieg. My grandfather told stories of taking it to stay up all night. Pervitin is basically methamphetamine.

So that reminds me a bit of the Tao Te Ching lines 69 and 67:

69:

"There is no greater misfortune
than underestimating your enemy.
Underestimating your enemy
means thinking that he is evil.
Thus you destroy your three treasures
and become an enemy yourself. "

67: (the three treasures reference above)

"I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world."
Richard Schwab, Mythological Consultant, richard@storyseeds.org