My relationship to “Organic Culture”


       My initial motivation was a mix of naïve optimism combined with gritty pragmatism. I’d also say it’s a political stance, although this is unrepresented in this country. I wanted to drop out in certain ways and crucially to be able to stay dropped out, rather than simply indulging in pure hedonism to such an extent that you have to sell out / conform / compromise.
       The organic agenda suited me because it was an ongoing material expression of the best bits of the hippie / mind-expansion agenda. It is also a distinctly more tangible form of spirituality than the ( often expensive ) flaky nonsense offered by so many new-age fashions and fads. As a rational humanist, organics seemed to have a lot to contribute to the body, mind and soul of a modern person. I thought there was a future in it. My experience was so rewarding that I assumed that many more people would want these experiences.
       All my research, practical and theoretical, indicated that organics offered a multiplicity of answers to the problems of the modern world.
The wisdom of insight contained in the organic ethos accessed a realm of timeless and unavoidable ecological realities, a reference point to judge and make sense of everything.
       As an individualistic autodidact, I loved the fact that the books could only tell you so much. As an academic over-achiever in early life, I needed a vocation which required concretisation to learn and progress.
       The inherent and infinite complexity and interconnectivity of the subject also appealed to me. I’ve often felt directly connected to people, places and events which are far away geographically or historically.
       I have also enjoyed being connected to something which is original, primal and a source of all else. For me, this is a means of translating and understanding myths and religions.
       I‘ve found liberation, continuity and transcendence. I’ve had a sense of contributing and achievement on a human scale.
       I’ve avoided and minimised the sense of parasitism and dependency that are so definitive of the modern age.
I’d describe myself as “self-medicating” in relationship to the therapeutic benefits of organic horticulture. I think it offers an antidote to many of the negativities of mainstream culture. 
       Somehow, over the years, I achieved great things organically – 8 allotments, an inner-city park and a kitchen garden – and also influencing others along the way. I thought I was just being a representative member of humanity having a go at integrating the moment with the eternal. Now I’ve become a living embodiment of that organic tradition and a medium for articulating that ethos.


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