Basically, community. It's what's needed and what the majority of us are lacking most. But also I'd like to add that foraging is another useful knowledge. It's another survival skill to add.
There's definitely an entire movement of reviving skills like foraging, herbal medicine, sruvivalist skills, and more. My focus is how we do this when a) we might not have the resources available to homestead of go offgrid entirely b) that might not be our preference.
This year myself and a friend have food security in mind and the wish to remove the power of cash from the connection with mother nature's abundance so we are collecting excess fruit and veg from homes in the local community, usually left rotting in gardens and green houses and we plan to create free markets where anyone can come and take home food gifted from nature rather than exchanging cash. Be the change you want to see in the world.....
We have abundance around us when we pull together and stop thinking "mine, mine, mine" . A shift in Outlook is necessary to survive collectively.
I love your mission to emphasize the abundance of food the earth produces. There's absolutely no reason that anyone should be left hungry. We'll always have more together than apart. Keep sharing food <3
Very good points. Every resource comes from Earth. Yup... the human element will be the biggest hurdle. And as you implied, "language" is another. The difference between "power" & "function" is one of hundreds of potential conflicts. It seems like "everyone" is operating on theories these days. It will be a long road. We suspect that 4 parts won't be enough. Cheers & best wishes. (Fam & Fram have already started with what you have suggested.)
There is a long list of what we need to do to divest fully from the machine. But hopefully, if we simplify the giant task at hand, it will be more manageable and we'll end up further along than being paralyzed in hopelessness
This is a fascinating piece on many levels. However, whenever I read similar pieces, there’s always questions that I can’t help ignore…what about people with disabilities who can’t physically do the labour to grow their own food? Or who are unable to work, or work in high enough paying roles, to build the level of capital you mention? And what about those with relational trauma or social disabilities which impact their ability to build any relationship, let alone a high trust one, safely? I’m not asking these questions to poke holes, I’m genuinely curious if you, or any others, have any solutions or existing examples you can share?
I'll definitely be writing into this topic more, as my sister is mentally disabled from working, and my mother is physically disabled from working. The general assumption is that there will always be inequality, but these people struggling by themselves, whether to find money to survive or close friendships to float them through tough times, is exactly the problem. People separated and without growing up with the skills or context to build high trust relationships and other people still being too ashamed to need anything... There's a lot to change to get to where we want to go, but right now these people are left out. They are the ones who slip through society's cracks. I want to change this with the village model, I just haven't figured out how. I'll write my thoughts out in a future article.
There are communities designed with these setbacks in mind, for these people explicitly, or just compensating so that more people have equal access.
I’m glad that you’re writing about this and I’m curious to see more.
If there are communities that are designed, or already exist, with this in mind, I would truly love to see it as I haven’t come across any, anywhere, and believe me when I say I’ve looked hard.
I would just pick up on one aspect of your comment; the people I mentioned with the difficulties aren’t the sole problem, even if/when we do ask for help, when we do try to rely on those around us that we’ve invested our limited psychosocial energy in, we seldom get it. It’s an established phenomenon within disability communities that our able bodied friends, families and even partners, either physically, financially, emotionally or energetically abandon us when we need them. It’s to do with how capitalism has socialised us all, and very few people have done the work to deconstruct it. So, it’s not a problem with not being able to ask for help, it’s that we don’t get it when we do.
Really enjoyed this - one additional thing I wanted to point out that I see missing from conversations is that we all live (in the US) on state, tribal, or territorial land. Not federal. The federal government is a construct agreed upon by 13 colonies to replace monarchy with self government by a few. Importantly here, it is a framework to govern at an interstate or federal level. The states, tribal nations, and territories have full and independent sovereignty and that is where we all live in communities together. So we should all be involved in applying these principles at our neighborhood, local, county, and state or tribal levels where ALL of the decisions about resources, state laws and constitutions,, ordinances, governance, and community building actually happen. Looking forward to reading more!
Katharine, you're so spot on! And if we're organized more at these levels, we would be less mortified by what happens at the federal level, which is almost never in the interest of the people, no matter what party they belong to. Good examples are like when Chicago decided to organize its own bus systems because its civic infrastructure was under-funded.
I have long agreed with the promise of collective living, but I have found, just like your PhD friend that, "I always ended up being the one who pulled the most weight," in a group living situation. You address the statement as if he(?) is the one with the deficient cultural conditioning, but in fact it is the vast majority of other people whose conditioning tells them that someone else will take care of everything that is not their specific raison d'etre. If you have found people who pull their own weight in the collective, then consider yourself extremely fortunate. We live in a self-centered society, and every precious minute a person spends cleaning a toilet or mopping a floor, is a minute they are not devoting to living their best life.
A truth that I'm coming to terms with is that there will always be imbalance in commmunity and society. There will always be people who care more, want to be more involved, are more ambitious, and seek to control more than be controlled.
In my experience, pulling more than my weight was easier than confronting another person to contribute or inviting them to do it with me in a social way. So I would just bitterly shoulder it all.
It's so uncomfortable to have to have these conversations!
Because while we don't grow up being modeled the skills for true sharing, we also don't learn the ability to navigate those tough conversations of "hey, you aren't showing up in the same capacity, how are you going to change your behavior, or how can the system change to empower your contributions?"
For you, it would be deciding up to what point you're willing to share (and understanding if your reservations are fear or real discernment about the other people). Then learning the skills to navigate that sticky feeling we've learned to totally avoid.
That's just the thing, though. Coexistence is messy, but there are so many more benefits to it than being an isolated, anti-social society.
Every time I’m reminded of this comment I realize I sound bitter and unhappy (No comment). The thing I’ve been learning (with family, group living is a thing of the past for me) is the worst thats gonna happen is you start a fight. Oh well!
Thanks for the response and good luck with it. It sounds like a dream if you can make it work.
We are 5 people, old man old woman two young women 1 little girl on 2 farms (28 & 40 acres) 5 miles apart. I once owned both farms, gave one of them to the girl's mother, currently largely fund the whole operation. We have horse power, donkey power, and the skills and tools to use them. This is the culmination of my life's work (I'm the old man) and I can't express how much hope it gives me.
I'm wondering if there's some way I can buy another small farm hereabouts.
That's incredible, keep up the land sovreignty. I don't deal in real estate like that, but I bet there are many people who would co-buy land with you to expand.
Firstly, I want to tell you that I admire and respect your endeavours to help people re-member the importance of giving our loyalty to local communities of people we actually know and depend on (as opposed to statist regimes).
Secondly, I wanted to ask your opinion on how these two essays / articles I published below would fit into your vision for sovereign communities of human beings (assuming they are compatible in your opinion).
Nicole, thank you for bringing the rhythm as a basic resource! It's really underrated.
Actually it won’t be your own rhythms — it will be rhythms that are better aligned with sun/moon and seasons cycles, with your body’s natural needs for better recovering and with people who are your cultural and practical neighborhood.
So instead of following the ‘drums’ and speed of industrial and post-industrial societies and economies you’ll have much better orientation both in everyday life and in making important decisions.
Totally on point, and I could have dove into that more -- just celebrating the new year and the fake calendar without its 13th month, these arbitrary rhythms of productivity that annihilate our nervous systems...all of it! But I feel that autonomy from the rhythms forced on us has a lot more to do with work and controlling means of production and wealth than just our ability to collectively own land. Although! I love living in places that don't insist on keeping all the lights on for safety, or have all these urban noises disturbing my sleep,
So glad to have found your work. Your depth of thought and experience on this shows.
This sort of thing has been a desire for decades but has yet to pan out. Several dabbles but never stuck. More due to complications from THE MACHINE factors than participants.
Long ago I thought a nomadic tribe concept would be ideal. Now, with the great Canadian real estate bubble and that here one never really owns the land the nomadic idea is becoming more appealing.
I have a sweet 4.5 acres (and access to 15 more) in Copper Center Alaska but not finding folks that want to live there.
Also planning on travelling next winter, Hawaii, SW USA, Baja are our present targets. Any suggestions on places to check out?
Very good strategies. My vague idea for a personal escape is something like - buy some land, create a homestay cum organic farm kind of setup and live with extended family in modest closely located dwellings, if not under one roof.
You know what I find the most amazing positive thing I have learned from our shared life experience. It amazes me how many women are recognizing this moment for what it is, seeing more clearly what needs to be done, and are doing whatever they can wherever they are. Most of all, my brother was a Christian nationalist racist misogynistic militia member, passed away a while ago, and I am so grateful you all prove him wrong every day.. But you are also proving my Mother and Father right.
I left the States more than 30 years ago and never looked back. Not in flames, not in protest—by stepping sideways. What I learned is that empire feeds on legibility. It needs you named, tracked, optimized, predictable. Exit isn’t rebellion; it’s becoming harder to read. Different economies. Different clocks. Fewer abstractions, more relationships. Systems don’t collapse when you denounce them—they weaken when you stop fitting their forms. The aim isn’t invisibility, but uninterestingness: a life organized around land, care, and mutual obligation instead of metrics. Exit isn’t escape. It’s choosing a life the map can’t fully capture.
I live in Alaska, and the heating oil for my Toyo Stove ran out overnight. I woke up chilly, but calm. Flicked my lighter and lit the propane heater my landlord brought over the day before when the electric grid went down in our neighborhood. Having people nearby who care about my warmth and survival (and rent money too, I suppose) is essential. Great read!!
Comparing the world population with the available land suitable for subsistence agriculture (particularly if we retain the few remaining natural ecosystems) I suspect that our best strategy is to support the empire.
When I refer to land, it's not just raw stretches of rural land suitable for agirculture. I am posing that community real estate is what can break the monopolies that corporations have over essential services like housing and environment. Reclaiming ownership of real estate, and moving it into land trusts, prevents future speculation on land and gouging of people just to exist on this earth
I am not an ecovillager (not because I am against it, simply haven't thought about it to a large extent); however, your posts have been landing on my Substack feed. It is truly mesmerizing (and reaffirming) to read that we are all noticing the fall of empires. I released a post about this same feeling precisely one day before you released your own. I am glad you mentioned the manufactured dependency that we feel on the system, because the system is only as powerful as we allow it to be. It doesn't have to be that way. However, when I talk to my friends, I see how hard it is for them to imagine an alternative world. Thank you for this post and for the practical steps. Renting a community garden has been on my list for a while, this just gave me the green light I needed haha
Basically, community. It's what's needed and what the majority of us are lacking most. But also I'd like to add that foraging is another useful knowledge. It's another survival skill to add.
There's definitely an entire movement of reviving skills like foraging, herbal medicine, sruvivalist skills, and more. My focus is how we do this when a) we might not have the resources available to homestead of go offgrid entirely b) that might not be our preference.
I would go foraging with you <3
This year myself and a friend have food security in mind and the wish to remove the power of cash from the connection with mother nature's abundance so we are collecting excess fruit and veg from homes in the local community, usually left rotting in gardens and green houses and we plan to create free markets where anyone can come and take home food gifted from nature rather than exchanging cash. Be the change you want to see in the world.....
We have abundance around us when we pull together and stop thinking "mine, mine, mine" . A shift in Outlook is necessary to survive collectively.
I love your mission to emphasize the abundance of food the earth produces. There's absolutely no reason that anyone should be left hungry. We'll always have more together than apart. Keep sharing food <3
Very good points. Every resource comes from Earth. Yup... the human element will be the biggest hurdle. And as you implied, "language" is another. The difference between "power" & "function" is one of hundreds of potential conflicts. It seems like "everyone" is operating on theories these days. It will be a long road. We suspect that 4 parts won't be enough. Cheers & best wishes. (Fam & Fram have already started with what you have suggested.)
There is a long list of what we need to do to divest fully from the machine. But hopefully, if we simplify the giant task at hand, it will be more manageable and we'll end up further along than being paralyzed in hopelessness
That’s for sure. From mind to mettle. Generations deep. Cheers.
Language or “hermanetics” is the new definition of psychology.
If psychology can be redefined can it even be real?
PS; Thanks for that new word too, it’s exactly what we’re doing here.
Liked this before I even read it because the fact someone is writing about it made me feel the change.
This is a fascinating piece on many levels. However, whenever I read similar pieces, there’s always questions that I can’t help ignore…what about people with disabilities who can’t physically do the labour to grow their own food? Or who are unable to work, or work in high enough paying roles, to build the level of capital you mention? And what about those with relational trauma or social disabilities which impact their ability to build any relationship, let alone a high trust one, safely? I’m not asking these questions to poke holes, I’m genuinely curious if you, or any others, have any solutions or existing examples you can share?
I'll definitely be writing into this topic more, as my sister is mentally disabled from working, and my mother is physically disabled from working. The general assumption is that there will always be inequality, but these people struggling by themselves, whether to find money to survive or close friendships to float them through tough times, is exactly the problem. People separated and without growing up with the skills or context to build high trust relationships and other people still being too ashamed to need anything... There's a lot to change to get to where we want to go, but right now these people are left out. They are the ones who slip through society's cracks. I want to change this with the village model, I just haven't figured out how. I'll write my thoughts out in a future article.
There are communities designed with these setbacks in mind, for these people explicitly, or just compensating so that more people have equal access.
I’m glad that you’re writing about this and I’m curious to see more.
If there are communities that are designed, or already exist, with this in mind, I would truly love to see it as I haven’t come across any, anywhere, and believe me when I say I’ve looked hard.
I would just pick up on one aspect of your comment; the people I mentioned with the difficulties aren’t the sole problem, even if/when we do ask for help, when we do try to rely on those around us that we’ve invested our limited psychosocial energy in, we seldom get it. It’s an established phenomenon within disability communities that our able bodied friends, families and even partners, either physically, financially, emotionally or energetically abandon us when we need them. It’s to do with how capitalism has socialised us all, and very few people have done the work to deconstruct it. So, it’s not a problem with not being able to ask for help, it’s that we don’t get it when we do.
Really enjoyed this - one additional thing I wanted to point out that I see missing from conversations is that we all live (in the US) on state, tribal, or territorial land. Not federal. The federal government is a construct agreed upon by 13 colonies to replace monarchy with self government by a few. Importantly here, it is a framework to govern at an interstate or federal level. The states, tribal nations, and territories have full and independent sovereignty and that is where we all live in communities together. So we should all be involved in applying these principles at our neighborhood, local, county, and state or tribal levels where ALL of the decisions about resources, state laws and constitutions,, ordinances, governance, and community building actually happen. Looking forward to reading more!
Katharine, you're so spot on! And if we're organized more at these levels, we would be less mortified by what happens at the federal level, which is almost never in the interest of the people, no matter what party they belong to. Good examples are like when Chicago decided to organize its own bus systems because its civic infrastructure was under-funded.
I have long agreed with the promise of collective living, but I have found, just like your PhD friend that, "I always ended up being the one who pulled the most weight," in a group living situation. You address the statement as if he(?) is the one with the deficient cultural conditioning, but in fact it is the vast majority of other people whose conditioning tells them that someone else will take care of everything that is not their specific raison d'etre. If you have found people who pull their own weight in the collective, then consider yourself extremely fortunate. We live in a self-centered society, and every precious minute a person spends cleaning a toilet or mopping a floor, is a minute they are not devoting to living their best life.
A truth that I'm coming to terms with is that there will always be imbalance in commmunity and society. There will always be people who care more, want to be more involved, are more ambitious, and seek to control more than be controlled.
In my experience, pulling more than my weight was easier than confronting another person to contribute or inviting them to do it with me in a social way. So I would just bitterly shoulder it all.
It's so uncomfortable to have to have these conversations!
Because while we don't grow up being modeled the skills for true sharing, we also don't learn the ability to navigate those tough conversations of "hey, you aren't showing up in the same capacity, how are you going to change your behavior, or how can the system change to empower your contributions?"
For you, it would be deciding up to what point you're willing to share (and understanding if your reservations are fear or real discernment about the other people). Then learning the skills to navigate that sticky feeling we've learned to totally avoid.
That's just the thing, though. Coexistence is messy, but there are so many more benefits to it than being an isolated, anti-social society.
Every time I’m reminded of this comment I realize I sound bitter and unhappy (No comment). The thing I’ve been learning (with family, group living is a thing of the past for me) is the worst thats gonna happen is you start a fight. Oh well!
Thanks for the response and good luck with it. It sounds like a dream if you can make it work.
We are 5 people, old man old woman two young women 1 little girl on 2 farms (28 & 40 acres) 5 miles apart. I once owned both farms, gave one of them to the girl's mother, currently largely fund the whole operation. We have horse power, donkey power, and the skills and tools to use them. This is the culmination of my life's work (I'm the old man) and I can't express how much hope it gives me.
I'm wondering if there's some way I can buy another small farm hereabouts.
That's incredible, keep up the land sovreignty. I don't deal in real estate like that, but I bet there are many people who would co-buy land with you to expand.
Greetings Nicole,
Firstly, I want to tell you that I admire and respect your endeavours to help people re-member the importance of giving our loyalty to local communities of people we actually know and depend on (as opposed to statist regimes).
Secondly, I wanted to ask your opinion on how these two essays / articles I published below would fit into your vision for sovereign communities of human beings (assuming they are compatible in your opinion).
Firstly, my article on animism :
https://open.substack.com/pub/gavinmounsey/p/applied-animism-rooting-culture-earth?r=q2yay&utm_medium=ios
Secondly, my article on the rise of anthropocentrism:
https://open.substack.com/pub/gavinmounsey/p/the-rise-of-anthropocentrism-bright?r=q2yay&utm_medium=ios
Thank you for your time and thank you for leading by example in encouraging people to grow their own food and boycott corrupt institutions.
Nicole, thank you for bringing the rhythm as a basic resource! It's really underrated.
Actually it won’t be your own rhythms — it will be rhythms that are better aligned with sun/moon and seasons cycles, with your body’s natural needs for better recovering and with people who are your cultural and practical neighborhood.
So instead of following the ‘drums’ and speed of industrial and post-industrial societies and economies you’ll have much better orientation both in everyday life and in making important decisions.
Totally on point, and I could have dove into that more -- just celebrating the new year and the fake calendar without its 13th month, these arbitrary rhythms of productivity that annihilate our nervous systems...all of it! But I feel that autonomy from the rhythms forced on us has a lot more to do with work and controlling means of production and wealth than just our ability to collectively own land. Although! I love living in places that don't insist on keeping all the lights on for safety, or have all these urban noises disturbing my sleep,
I've dove into that a bit here https://sergeydmitriev.substack.com/p/rhythms-to-hear-yourself-and-imagination
also mentioning that what you describe as 'Live in clusters, not islands' we can name revillaging to have one word for the larger concept.
So glad to have found your work. Your depth of thought and experience on this shows.
This sort of thing has been a desire for decades but has yet to pan out. Several dabbles but never stuck. More due to complications from THE MACHINE factors than participants.
Long ago I thought a nomadic tribe concept would be ideal. Now, with the great Canadian real estate bubble and that here one never really owns the land the nomadic idea is becoming more appealing.
I have a sweet 4.5 acres (and access to 15 more) in Copper Center Alaska but not finding folks that want to live there.
Also planning on travelling next winter, Hawaii, SW USA, Baja are our present targets. Any suggestions on places to check out?
Anyway, thanks.
Very good strategies. My vague idea for a personal escape is something like - buy some land, create a homestay cum organic farm kind of setup and live with extended family in modest closely located dwellings, if not under one roof.
You know what I find the most amazing positive thing I have learned from our shared life experience. It amazes me how many women are recognizing this moment for what it is, seeing more clearly what needs to be done, and are doing whatever they can wherever they are. Most of all, my brother was a Christian nationalist racist misogynistic militia member, passed away a while ago, and I am so grateful you all prove him wrong every day.. But you are also proving my Mother and Father right.
Namaste
I left the States more than 30 years ago and never looked back. Not in flames, not in protest—by stepping sideways. What I learned is that empire feeds on legibility. It needs you named, tracked, optimized, predictable. Exit isn’t rebellion; it’s becoming harder to read. Different economies. Different clocks. Fewer abstractions, more relationships. Systems don’t collapse when you denounce them—they weaken when you stop fitting their forms. The aim isn’t invisibility, but uninterestingness: a life organized around land, care, and mutual obligation instead of metrics. Exit isn’t escape. It’s choosing a life the map can’t fully capture.
I live in Alaska, and the heating oil for my Toyo Stove ran out overnight. I woke up chilly, but calm. Flicked my lighter and lit the propane heater my landlord brought over the day before when the electric grid went down in our neighborhood. Having people nearby who care about my warmth and survival (and rent money too, I suppose) is essential. Great read!!
Comparing the world population with the available land suitable for subsistence agriculture (particularly if we retain the few remaining natural ecosystems) I suspect that our best strategy is to support the empire.
When I refer to land, it's not just raw stretches of rural land suitable for agirculture. I am posing that community real estate is what can break the monopolies that corporations have over essential services like housing and environment. Reclaiming ownership of real estate, and moving it into land trusts, prevents future speculation on land and gouging of people just to exist on this earth
I am not an ecovillager (not because I am against it, simply haven't thought about it to a large extent); however, your posts have been landing on my Substack feed. It is truly mesmerizing (and reaffirming) to read that we are all noticing the fall of empires. I released a post about this same feeling precisely one day before you released your own. I am glad you mentioned the manufactured dependency that we feel on the system, because the system is only as powerful as we allow it to be. It doesn't have to be that way. However, when I talk to my friends, I see how hard it is for them to imagine an alternative world. Thank you for this post and for the practical steps. Renting a community garden has been on my list for a while, this just gave me the green light I needed haha
"The system is only as powerful as we allow it to be."
The lack of alternatives to what we have now is what restricts our imagination, and by extension our reality.
We need a stronger vision for things working out, and our success in building a better world. We're getting there.
It starts with a community garden and it grows into a garden of communities