The Subtle Way Manual
This is the
simplest of practical manuals.
It is unique because it provides information that is essential for
survival in the times that are now upon us and into the future. For
anyone staying abreast of the overwhelming severity and crisis facing
our world in the beginning of the 21st century, it should be obvious
that we must learn to reevaluate our present lifestyles. Not only must
we learn to adapt to global warming and its effects on weather, food
production and carbon emissions, we must face the inevitable demise of
civilization as we know it.
The continuous escalation of human population, along
with the destruction of the wildness of nature, is causing irrevocable
stress and damage to the world's delicate eco-systems. The demand that
increased population places on clean air and water, fuel, food, shelter,
sanitation and health care means that there will be untold suffering in
the years to come if we don't confront and rethink our basic ideas,
values as well as individual lifestyles.
This manual contains vital information
on how to create a sustainable lifestyle whenever the infrastructure of
modern society has begun to erode and we find ourselves limited to a
certain location. No matter where we find ourselves, whether in the city
or in a rural area, the information contained in the following pages
gives us a clear outline of the basic skills necessary for maintaining
health and comfort.
It is important to consider what life will be like when
there is a disruption in basic utilities and supplies, such as little or
no electrical power, running water, fuel or food. (Just remember what
happened to the people affected in recent years by hurricanes,
earthquakes, tsunami, floods, droughts, etc.) If you had to survive a
few days or weeks without the basic infrastructure of modern
civilization do you know what to do? How will you eat, how will you stay
warm, provide shelter and keep your spirits high? And what if the people
around you start to become fearful and panic, can you maintain your
composure and be helpful, or will you too become lost in the whirlwind
of anxiety? Don't believe you can rely on the government. Remember
Hurricane Katrina?
Personally, I have always believed that a simple life
was the best way to achieve vital health, physical and emotional
strength, financial security and peace of mind. Yet few of us are able
to recognize this and fewer still fortunate enough to work it out and
earn enough money to be able to achieve it. Sadly there are many young
people who simply do not have the money it takes to purchase a piece of
land, build a shelter or purchase tools and store supplies. Their lives
are perhaps trapped in a web of "surviving in the present
system," that is, paying rent, keeping a car running, keeping a job
in order to maintain health insurance, daycare costs, paying off student
loans, and credit card debt. Many
are merely waiting and wishing for the world to collapse so they can
squat on a piece of land and be free.
Then there are those who recognize the value of
voluntary simplicity too late in life. These are the ones who are
suffering the ill effects of a lifestyle of poor diet, health problems
or prescription drug addiction, only to end up struggling financially to
keep their heads above water. Often they are unable to implement the
changes that are needed because of failing health, lack of
self-discipline or financial resources.
There may be little hope for such people being able to
retreat to a rural area in order to set up an alternative lifestyle. But
this should never matter! What is most important is simply learning
the basic skills that will give us the very best advantage and
implementing them now as part of our ordinary life.
These skills are powerful and can be accomplished no matter where we
are. As long as we possess determination, willingness, vision and
self-discipline, there is no reason why positive improvements cannot be
made.
For what is truly essential in life?
It is really quite simple. It is what the ancient masters taught
and revered. It is the sacred life-force energy of the universe, the
Living Current of Life. Survival means nothing if one lives only to
experience stress and anxiety. Man exists to evolve, create and achieve
something profound. He is here to learn to feel and channel in his body
the biogenic (life generating) energy of the planet. Then he moves
beyond survival into the realm of co-creation with all life. The
essential skills enable one to become self-reliant and healthy, which
are the tools to reach and sustain this experience.
In our personal study of the ancient Essene teachings as well as
our decision to choose to live a modern Essene lifestyle (living what is
essential to man's physical and spiritual evolution), Donna and I have
realized that there are 10 basic skills necessary for successfully
living such a lifestyle. This manual is a brief outline of each one of
these important elements so that an individual can become familiar with
them and study, practice and live them now.
It is wise to learn these skills while there is still
time to prepare and improve ones health. For the day may soon come when
it will prove more difficult to acquire the tools, health care and
resources needed to make an easy transition. Please find a list of basic
supplies and tools in Section 2 entitled, The
10 Basic Essential Skills. We strongly recommend that you acquire
these as soon as possible.
We are often asked, "what's the point in living
the way you do...are you just trying to escape society?" And the
answer is this: the point of living the simple life - for us - is to get
our living expenses down to the level where we don't have to work more
than necessary. We only want to earn money for what we really need. It's
about getting our lives in harmony with natural, organic life and using
money only to supplement and help supply our basic needs. In other
words, we want to use money, not be used by it. We've often said that
the only real freedom is in the minimum of needs. And that is something
each person must eventually define for himself.
And what exactly is freedom - true freedom? How free
are we in this country? We think we are free, but it is an illusion in
modern society. Many people live in little boxes - isolated, tidy,
immaculate, scrubbed, odor-free, predictable, and insulated from nature.
If and when it ever happens that there is no more food in the
super-supermarkets of our cities (and it is, in time, going to happen),
who is going to feed us? If we haven't grown or bought sufficient food,
what sort of freedom is that! Who is going to give us a handout?
Freedom is in intelligent preparation, working
cooperatively with the earth and obeying the forces of nature. Those who
seek to be in alignment with it must work to free their minds from
ignorance and false values. Those who are meek are always prepared. They
store up provisions, not because they are anticipating great calamity,
but because they love themselves and others enough to live sovereign,
never wanting to be dependent on anyone else.
Nature is the wild, free, ever-moving life-force. Only
nature exhibits complete freedom for all life. Modern society exhibits
complete enslavement and a disregard for natural life processes,
depending upon the system of commerce and exchange. Survival and
preparation does not promote fear. The ant or bee does not add to fear.
It adds to the harmony of the natural world because it is in alignment
with what it innately knows to be the truth.
Earth changes will always be with us.
We must understand that the earth's environment is a living
system and the more that human society continues to mess around with
that system, upsetting the delicate balance, the more important it is
for conscious and concerned individuals to learn how to become
self-reliant. Many people may not like hearing what I am saying in this
manual, but experts agree and have been warning humanity for several
years about the things we will be facing in the coming years. (See the
article on our website entitled "Scientists Warning to Humanity.")
Droughts, famine, disease, plagues, environmental disasters, wars,
economic hardship and floods are happening right now, and these things
will only get worse unless mankind changes his present course quickly.
There won't be a balanced system if we keep consuming natural resources
and dumping our pollutants and cutting down old growth forests. The
stock market cannot support the world's population with hefty annual
returns. We can't all live in cities and live excessive materialistic
lifestyles. For everything we take from nature, someone else down the
line has to do without. The earth's resources are finite.
The good news is that surviving need not be a hardship.
When you are in flow with nature, you never have to struggle to survive,
because you are just "in the flow." You may still need money
to survive at this level - that's true - but do you know how much money
is enough? Do you really know? How much money and how much time must you
put into working for others in order to provide yourself with the simple
basics? That is the question we all have to ask and confront, because
wanting more than the simple basics of life leads you toward further
deviation away from the easy, basic laws of nature. When you're in the
flow and your mind fully understands the laws of nature, then "your
yoke is easy and your burden is light."
The way back to harmony with real life - natural life -
is not to make more and more money - it is about needing less and less,
and providing for yourself through cooperation with the earth. (Eating a
natural vegetarian diet is an important starting point as well.) If you
have to keep paying someone else to provide you with what you need, when
will it ever end? How secure is that? Nature freely gives to us
abundantly. But we don't value what she offers - we want more and more
and more. Most of our desires are totally unrealistic (huge houses,
boats, new vehicles, diamonds, gold, expensive techno-gadgets,
servants...there is no end to it). As with everything, it takes
education, but that doesn't necessarily mean school education.
For example, I completed two years of college and
another year and a half in trade school and I ended up not even knowing
what wheat looks like, how to plant it, how to separate it from the
chaff, or how to bake it into bread. That was the result of 16 years of
20th century public school education. But what I did learn to do was get
a job and sell my labor to someone else in order to earn some money so I
could purchase bread that someone else baked! Instead of learning how to
work directly for primary reinforcement (the stuff I need to survive), I
was taught how to sell myself to earn secondary reinforcement (money) to
buy what I need. I think that's quite an inefficient model.
Now when we look at the conclusion of all the ancient
cultures and sacred philosophies of the world, it is consistent - we
must go back to the wilderness and align ourselves with the natural
rhythms of life and the cosmic order. For it is there that we discover
contentment, a sense of purpose and all we need to be healthy and
happy... your Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother already know what you
need.
Going against nature is never going to work. In the
end, everything that is out of alignment with the cosmic / natural order
will eventually crumble and destroy itself. Our present society is
already doomed to fail because the system that supports the world
economy is short-sited and not sustainable. That is the simple fact.
It's not a criticism or moral judgment; it's just the way it is.
If you study the history of ancient Persia
(modern Iraq) and look at the area known as the "cradle of
civilization", the once fertile land between the Tigris and the
Euphrates Rivers, you will see the most shocking site imaginable. Today
it is a barren wasteland of rock, sand and rubble, and the 5000-year-old
remains of several great cities. They are all gone. The horizon spreads
out for miles without a single blade of grass, not a single tree or bush
in the landscape. This land is now totally useless because it was
over-farmed by growing wheat and other grains in order to feed the large
populations which migrated and gathered in certain areas (ancient
cities), in order to create commerce, businesses to make money, and the
trading and selling of goods.
The same thing happened in the region of what is now
known as the Sahara desert in Africa, which was once an abundant fertile
land. It was destroyed by years of growing wheat to supply the Roman
Empire in the height of its years of world domination. During that time,
nothing was done to cooperate with the land and to care for it with
sustainable methods of agriculture.
Similarly, in America it happened during the era known
as the dust bowl. Settlers came in and cleared the land in order to
raise wheat and nothing was done to rebuild the topsoil. Soon after
that, the U.S. Government started to advocate the use of chemical
fertilizers. Crops grew, but they weren't healthy crops. That brought an
over-abundance of insects, naturally programmed to wipe out diseased
plants, so then we started using pesticides and herbicides...but still,
nothing was done to rebuild the topsoil. It took the earth millions of
years to create that level of fertility, and now we've almost completely
wiped it out in 3 generations!
These desert lands are a warning of what is happening
to America. If not for chemical fertilizers and pesticide poisons,
modern agriculture would not be able to sustain huge cities. And all we
have done is put off the inevitable demise. There is no topsoil left in
this country. It has been gone for many years. The rich abundance that
we see in supermarkets is due to chemical usage and agri-business. But
the sad reality is that it takes more and more chemicals each year to
produce the same amount as the previous year. This escalation of
chemicals is reaching a critical mass effect, destroying the health of
the planet. And what isn't good for the planet is always worse for
terrestrial and oceanic lifeforms, even including man himself.
Is this a fearsome truth? Is it doom and gloom? How
could nature be doom and gloom? How could it be anything but admirably
beautiful? But if we fight against it we will not win, because Nature
knows it is forever, while we are still fragile and insecure when we
remain in ignorance about the cosmic and terrestrial laws of life.
To prepare is a wise thing to do. If a person has even
a small piece of land, he can grow his Staff
of Life, and he can learn to preserve that which he grows. That will
carry him through even the most difficult circumstances. Then he is
free. But most people today are not free! When a drought comes and the
baker doesn't bake the bread because there isn't any wheat, because the
wheat didn't grow, because the rains weren't there, how are they going
to have bread? Will they even know how to bake it? Will they even know
how to grow the wheat and separate it from the chaff? Many don't know
because they are no longer in love with the land. Instead, they love
only modern conveniences.
It has been said that the meek will inherit the earth.
It is not going to be the intellectual. It is not going to be those who
love complexities. It is the meek, the simple people, those who are
humble within their hearts, who are close to the earth and work
harmoniously with it. They are the ones who are in alignment with it.
Droughts are already happening. The water table is
dropping drastically in the midwestern states and California's water
supply is drying up as well. The grain belt is being hit the hardest,
with lower yields than ever before. Always store up some wheat or grain!
The planet's temperature is rising (causing moisture
levels to decrease: 1-degree rise in global temperature means 10% less
average rainfall). Glaciers are melting which adds too much fresh water,
thus reducing salt levels in the oceans. This action slows down the heat
transfer in the Gulf Stream and is believed to trigger ice ages.
The food supply in America is threatened because we
keep feeding the world, making other nations dependent on artificial
fast food, instead of encouraging native foods and sustainable
agriculture. Genetic modification of seeds and animal life is not going
to work because it is short sited and profit driven. The argument that
we need genetic bio-technology or hydroponic chemical farming to
maintain a growing population is false. How are the world's poor going
to pay for these kinds of technologies? Where are they going to get the
money for chemical fertilizers and pesticides? The only real,
sustainable answer is earth-friendly, bio-intensive organic gardening
and farming, utilizing mulching, recycling organic materials and smarter
use of water. And that is something that more and more people are going
to have to do on their own. Large corporations and governments simply
won't do it because these easy methods do not produce profit.
Cities are seductive and many people want to live
there. They love the big city lights, traffic, shops, theaters,
restaurants and shopping malls. But what is the major disadvantage to
living there? When you think about it and apply common sense, the answer
is clear. There are no fertile fields, only parking lots, freeways and
buildings piled up on top of one another. There is little room to grow
anything but baskets of flowers. Where does their food come from? When
we reason it out it makes perfect sense that it is not advantageous to
live in a city. Cities are death traps. They are going to be the first
to spew forth diseases and plagues simply because there will be no fresh
water and not enough food. Where will all the human wastes go when there
isn't enough water to flush it away? This is just simple fact and it is
very obvious. (See our article entitled, "Humanure
Composting").
The model America is following is not working. There
has to be another way, an approach that will begin to liberate mankind,
heal its people and bring peace to the world. Trying to create a
business to make money, to be independent, to be free, to be happy and
fulfilled is not the way anymore. Consumerism and commerce are not
natural systems. Trading goods and products is good, certainly, but
trying to generate money (secondary reinforcement) has become
restrictive and inefficient, especially for the working poor. But most
of all, the system is not sustainable and cannot keep going on at its
present rate. Something is going to give sooner or later. For every
thing we sell as a product, produced from natural resources, someone
else has to do without it. When a natural system is followed, when
people take responsibility for their own primary reinforcement first,
then their works and efforts are efficient and harmonious. In other
words, it's better to produce your own food to eat yourself than it
is to grow more food than you need in order to sell it for money to buy
other stuff that you don't really need (or to pay government fees,
taxes, permits costs, etc).
Every time we expand too big and desire more than what
is basic or easily obtained from our immediate environment, we waste
precious resources and human energy. And we take these resources out of
the hands of the poor. You see, it is our desire for more and more that
causes us so many consequences and takes away our power and peace. The
less we want, the more content we are; the more we have, the less
satisfied we feel. It's the iron law of cause and effect governed by
natural / cosmic law.
Trading what we produce is far better, and less able to
be regulated. It empowers communities and creates trust. But of course
it's not always easy to do, so we have to earn some amount of money.
Often we have to sell some of our goods and services and that is
perfectly okay. There's nothing wrong with that. But it isn't necessary
to create a business to fulfill some dream in order to be happy.
Creating a business is often a real nightmare; especially with all the
restrictive government regulations, taxes, licenses, etc.
Donna and I tried to create a business with our
sourdough bread baking. In fact, almost everyone we knew encouraged us
to do so. "It would be great," they said, "you'll make a
fortune...everybody needs that bread!" We quickly realized,
however, how stupid and complicated the whole system has become. We
wanted to supplement our income and decided it would be fun to try and
sell just a few loaves at a weekly farmer's market. So we went through
all the proper and legal procedures and checked with the local health
department, the department of agriculture and the local government
office to see what was required. The bottom line is this...they are
completely insane! We discovered that for us to bake only 20-30 loaves
of bread a week it would cost us $1100 a year in fees to the government
agencies and the local farmer's market committee. To cover that cost
would mean we would have to sell 50 extra loaves a week. So now, to make
a little bit of cash selling 30 loaves of handmade sourdough bread each
week, we'd have to bake 80 loaves a week. Now of course, we cannot
physically do that by hand so we would have to purchase an electric
grain grinder ($600), a mixer ($3000) and a bigger oven ($4000) and
upgrade to get a certified kitchen, add a bathroom, install 3 sinks,
large freezer and refrigerator, cover marketing costs, packaging, labels
(and the associated permits for each product), additional equipment,
possibly hire some help...now we're up to $20,000, and by this time it's
not the same quality handmade bread anymore because we're using machines
to produce it.
Gone are the days of the local village baker happily
supplying his relatives, friends and neighbors without interference from
local and federal agencies. Though the present system has been designed
to "protect" us from unsanitary health conditions, more often
than not it has only tied our hands and caused unnecessary hardship to
those who want only to honestly generate a modest income. You see the
system isn't designed to work. It's easier to bake the bread for
ourselves and trade a few extra loaves for apples or seeds or whatever
else we find that others may want to offer.
The idea of creating a business to be financially free
is not simple anymore. It's far better to sell or trade your services,
labor or expertise to earn a little money and spend the rest of your
energy and time providing for your basic needs and improving your
consciousness, developing art and studying ancient wisdom. In other
words, go out and use the system as minimally as possible, and then take
the money and run! Run back to your safe, sane and humble hovels, which
you have created, where you can live simple and peaceful lives, in
cooperation with the forces of nature. Starting a business at home,
though it seems like the American ideal dream of success (like winning
the lottery), often requires going into debt.
Donna and I have a simple goal to earn and live
abundantly on only the amount of money that will keep us below the
poverty level (less than $18,000 a year). In this way we minimize the
taxes we pay and do not contribute financially to a government that is
hell-bent on war mongering, the insane production of military expansion,
bombs and nuclear weapons. What we've sought to demonstrate at EarthStar
is that simplicity means valuing you and your family's life above
everything else, especially profit and money. Making a “legal”
business trying to bake bread would do nothing to empower other people
and it would only enslave me. I'm more than happy to freely share my
information with others. More people should bake their own bread anyway
(real bread doesn't exist in a supermarket, see our article entitled “Facts
About Naturally Fermented Bread").
Valuing our health and relationship with the Earthly
Mother is far more satisfying than getting involved in complex,
antiquated strategies. For some people a business works fine. They have
the skill and determination to make it work. Good for them! But not for
me. There are entrepreneurs, who have the financial resources and guts
to become highly successful business people, but it's almost always at
the expense of someone else and it threatens the limited resources of
the planet. And also, they are at the mercy of customers that have to
spend some money.
In summary, to be a conscious consumer is the first
step. That is why we teach others to make smart food choices right away.
Our food choices affect all the other aspects of our lives and set us
free on the path back to the natural laws of life. (See our article
entitled "Eating for
Freedom"). It also contributes to sustainable agriculture and
good health for us as well as the environment. Living in a large town or
city, eating out in restaurants and shopping at Wal-Mart cannot be the
answer for everyone. It is a system that cannot sustain large
populations without robbing valuable resources from others. Eventually
large cities will have to dismantle; those who don't get out may
possibly perish. Sustainable agriculture is the only real foundation of
a successful community. It is not technology, factories, nor medical
institutions...sustainable agriculture is the only real answer.
Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People.
This is a formula for success! If anyone is really
interested in further study of this subject please read Professor
Szekely's book "Cosmos, Man & Society". The following quote, from
page 127 is one of my favorite passages, and it inspires me every time I
read it.
"We must
lead mankind back from the great towns to the country, just as the
peoples of the Bible were lead out of Egypt. Disease and death and
destruction are close at hand, and the new society can only be
constructed if the fundamental equilibrium of human society is
re-established and seventy-five percent of people return to the
fundamental occupations of a simple, natural life, to a natural
agriculture, to freedom, and to harmony with the natural laws and
natural forces."
If you are a person who has the wisdom and the
necessary pre-conditions to live a life of spiritual and ecological
integrity, consider this wise and independent model of living. You will
gain freedom, superior health, and practical knowledge by studying the
open book of nature and you will deepen your connection with the unseen
life-force.
Here are ten basic life skills that are needed in order
to live happily in a small apartment, Essene Hermitage or cabin. Learn
them, practice them and make them an essential part of your life as soon
as possible. And even if you cannot afford a piece of property in the
country and must remain in the city to earn money, many of these things
can be implemented into your life right now. The
Subtle Way is a life of preparedness. Whenever there is a collapse
in the basic infrastructure or political and social unrest, you will
have already worked out what to do to survive no matter where you are.
1.
Humanure
composting
2.
Organic
gardening
3.
Biogenic
nutrition & indoor gardening
4.
Cosmotherapy
5.
Minimize
reliance on the electrical grid
6.
Catching
rainwater
7.
Simple
living & shelter
8.
Self-discipline
& financial independence
9.
Simple
carpentry & other self-reliant skills
10.
Using
wood for heating and cooking
1.
Humanure composting
This skill is one of the most important. Even if you
can’t use this information right now, it may come in handy some day if
you find yourself without enough water to flush the toilet.
We must understand that Humanure is not a waste
product, but a valuable resource, especially during times of economic
depression brought about by earth changes, severe weather conditions and
so forth. It is the answer to drought and famine. When water is in short
supply it will prove unwise to flush it away. Remember this information.
It may mean the difference between life-threatening unsanitary
conditions and sound environmental stewardship.
We have been composting this way for several years and
would never go back to using a water-wasting toilet. Humanure composting
is as easy as constructing a wooden box to hold a five-gallon plastic
bucket and adding a toilet seat or purchasing a portable bucket potty
from a camping store. To
use the potty, simply make your deposit and then cover it over with a
layer of rotted sawdust, leaf mould or peat moss. That's it! No black
water septic system to maintain, no wasted water for flushing, no
clogged pipes, no smell and best of all, no need to buy fertilizer for
your garden. The potty bucket requires emptying about 2 or 3 times a
week for two people. And it only takes about 3 minutes to dump the
bucket onto the compost pile, cover with hay and then rinse out the
bucket. I prefer rotating between two different buckets, letting the
previous one air out in the sun.
The benefits to using this system are the tremendous
reduction of water waste and ground pollution, rebuilding your soil,
reducing your food bill, improving your health, as well as saving the
planet. All this from simply dropping your load in a bucket! There are
of course companies that sell composting toilets, but they are quite
expensive and require a venting system and a significant amount of room
to install. The sawdust-bucket method costs next to nothing.
Donna did an interesting experiment when she was living
in a garage apartment in the landlord’s back yard.
She got permission to make a small compost bin behind her
apartment and began doing humanure composting, telling no one about her
“secret ingredient”. She emptied her bucket when no one was around,
carefully covered it with hay and leaves and no one ever knew what she
was doing. She grew a beautiful little raised-bed garden and used her
“special” compost.
As we said before, humanure is a valuable resource. The
reason people become fecophobic
and are turned off by the whole idea of composting their body-wastes is
simply because they don't consider it a resource, which is why they call
it "waste." But on the contrary, humanure is a superior,
valuable amendment for your organic garden. As long as it is properly
covered in the compost bins with carbonaceous material such as hay,
grass clippings, pine needles or leaves, there is absolutely no smell!
Simply build your compost pile for one year and then
leave it to cook for another year. This way, there is never a need to
turn the pile over. After this long period of breaking down (known as thermophilic
composting), the humanure will be perfectly cured and safe to use
around trees and plants. Thermophilic
composting has been proven to neutralize the effects of some
radioactive materials too. This is a workable, realistic answer for
helping to heal the planet. But we must educate all the fecofobes
first. On the other hand, maybe fecophobia
can be used to your advantage to prevent your garden from getting robbed
during hard times. Just put a sign next to your garden that reads:
"This garden is fertilized with humanure!"
Kitchen scraps can be collected on a daily basis to put
on the compost pile. We
keep a gallon-sized plastic paint bucket in our kitchen for this purpose
and collect about a bucket of scraps each day.
Everything can go in your compost pile, except dog and cat feces
(which can contain parasites), cooked meat scraps or bones. If you want
more information on humanure composting, simply look up Joe Jenkins
invaluable, highly readable, informative and well-researched book on the
subject, entitled, "The Humanure Handbook." (This entire book is on the
Internet for free.)
We have been using only humanure in our garden and have
added no other fertilizers of any kind. The soil is now black and spongy
and filled with earthworms and each year the plants have become
healthier and more disease and insect resistant.
We have proven for ourselves that humanure fertilizer has all the
necessary amendments needed to grow nourishing food.
It is a completely self-reliant method of growing a garden.
2.
Organic Gardening (2 hours a day)
Starting an organic garden is a lot of work, but the
rewards are well worth the effort. The initial set up is the most
difficult part and after a few years it practically grows itself. Donna
and I had no idea how to begin. The only advice available to us was from
people who used the antiquated method of plowing the soil into rows,
using chemical fertilizers and herbicides for the weeds. That model of
gardening is inefficient, costly and a lot of hard work, especially if
you don't own large equipment. Furthermore, it is dependent on
petroleum-based chemical products and is not sustainable. There are
easier, much more efficient ways to garden. But what is important right
from the start is a little investment in good tools, such as a shovel,
hoe, rake, and a pickax (a small tiller is very useful too.)
To start your garden, find a suitable spot that gets at
least 6-7 hours of full sun. If
you live in the country, build a six-foot fence around your garden (if
you can afford it) or it might become the favorite all-you-can eat
restaurant for the local critters in the area such as raccoons, possum,
rabbits and deer. Good watchdogs are also a wonderful help to keep
unwanted diners away.
After many years of experimenting, we’ve come up with
a simple, efficient method of gardening. After choosing a spot for your
garden, cover the area with black plastic sheeting and leave it in place
for two to four months. The black plastic will kill all the grass
underneath and you can then begin to dig or till the soil. (With the
method we use, you only have to till and chop the soil the first year.)
After removing the plastic, till the area with a shovel and hoe (a
tiller is nice if you have one) and then mix in the compost from one of
your compost bins, use well rotted cow, rabbit or chicken manure or buy
some if you don’t have any. Then cover the entire garden area with
thick layers of leaves, hay, rotted sawdust, or whatever you have. When ready to plant, simply pull the mulch aside and plant
the seeds or vegetable plants. For example, to plant corn, we pull the
mulch aside in 18 inch circles and plant 6 corn seeds in each circle.
You can just plant whatever you want all over the garden in your
“crop circles”. We keep adding compost and layers of leaves and hay
to our garden on a continual basis. We have never tilled again because the garden stays under a
heavy mulch year around and the soil stays fairly loose and moist.
A little loosening of the soil with a trowel in each “crop
circle” and the addition of a shovel-full of our humanure compost is
all that is necessary to plant seeds or plants. The earthworms come and
the ever-rotting layers of mulch and added compost continuously improve
the soil as the years go by. (Two excellent books on mulch gardening are
Lasagna Gardening by Patricia
Lanza and How
to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back, by Ruth Stout.)
It
will take a little experimenting with the kind of soil you have in your
area to see what works best. For
example, the Lasagna Gardening book
does not tell you to pre-kill the grass like we do and says that the
initial tilling is not necessary. But
our soil is very dry and compacted and needed the step of tilling first
before adding the layers of mulch.
We learned that in order to become self-sufficient, we
needed to purchase non-hybrid, open-pollinated seeds in order to save
our own seeds from year to year. This
eliminates having to purchase costly seeds each year. Non-hybrid seeds
will adapt to your climate and soil as the years go by.
Seed saving is also important because corporate
agribusiness has been busy promoting hybrid laboratory manufactured
seeds for years. It is their intention to eventually patent and own each
and every species of plant on earth. The rise in GMO (genetically
modified organisms) foods, bio-tech research and cloning all stem from
the point of view that the life systems on this planet are best
controlled through manipulation and science rather than for mankind to
cooperate with nature.
In wintertime, several weeks before the arrival of
spring is generally the best time to start seedlings to plant out in the
early spring. A good way to grow these seedlings is in a cold-frame box,
which you can build yourself. The cold-frame has a sloped, hinged lid
that is covered with translucent plastic sheeting, Plexiglas or even old
window glass. It allows sunlight to warm the baby seedlings and keeps
them safe from freezing temperatures at night. It is really just a mini
greenhouse and is an excellent way to get your seeds off to a great
start. The hinged lid allows you the opportunity to adjust the
temperature by venting the box to different heights. I built one for
Donna out of scrap 1x 6 boards and placed it on the south side of the
shed. Starting a few weeks before spring planting time, she is able to
begin sprouting seeds indoors and transplanting them into pots without
fear of losing them to freezing temperatures. During freezing
temperatures we place a heat lamp in the box, close the lid and they
survive perfectly well.
Gardening also includes arboriculture (the care and
maintenance of trees.) Trees are the brothers of man. That is why we
should continuously propagate and take care of them. They are essential
to our survival on this planet. Even if we don’t own land to plant
trees, we can at least spend time around them. We can appreciate their
beauty and work to protect them. There is no greater gift to offer a
child than a small piece of property with several fruit and nut trees.
Imagine a world where every child received such a gift when they reached
the age of 18. They would already be a step closer to freedom and
independence.
3.
Biogenic Nutrition & Indoor Gardening
Biogenic nutrition is an ancient science, also known as
the "Chemistry of
Youth," and is described in detail in Section 14 of our free
on-line book, The Subtle Way &
Its’ Power. It is a vegetarian diet: raw vegetables, soaked
nuts and seeds, fermented foods, simple breads or other grains, sprouts
and soups. (If you wish to eat meat, 15% of your diet can be organically
grown meat, seafood or wild game.) It would be wise to study the
information and integrate it into your life. The time may come when
medical treatment will not be available or out of your financial reach.
Cultivating superior health and being drug-free is necessary for
self-reliance.
The most important part of this skill is learning about
biogenic foods (sprouts, indoor greens, soaked seeds and nuts) and
bioactive foods (fresh, organic raw fruits and vegetables and wild
edible weeds). These are the healing foods that can help us survive our
toxic environment. Please see the article on our website entitled, “The
Starburst of Life: Biogenic Foods: Growing Sprouts & Indoor
Gardening,” for more information about the importance of these
foods.
During times of famine, natural disasters, pandemics,
quarantines and wars, the
grocery stores may run short of supplies and Biogenic foods could mean
the difference between life and death. They are the most valuable and
important foodstuffs on the planet. The vast majority of people in the
world do not know this. These foods are cleansing, packed with superior
nutrition, incredibly inexpensive and the seeds can be stored easily for
several months. Also, eating homegrown Biogenic foods eliminates the
need for expensive supplements.
Even if a person cannot plant a garden,
everyone can produce healthy food supplements for themselves by
practicing indoor gardening. By using a few gallon size pots or
containers as well as a few quart jars, it is possible to grow enough
food to survive during periods of drought or famine.
4.
Cosmotherapy
(the healing forces of nature)
It has been said, "Man
is the measure of all things." Each one of us is an intricate
part of the natural world, influenced and sustained by the cosmic and
terrestrial forces of life. Therefore, cosmotherapy is the simple method
of using these forces of nature to strengthen the mind and body. If we
want to be whole and complete (mentally, physically and emotionally), we
must connect with nature each day. Throughout human history, mankind has
always turned toward nature for comfort and healing, but in recent
times, and especially in modern society, there has been a continuous
reduction of these practices. Instead of embracing the natural world, we
are taught to insulate ourselves from it. The ancient knowledge is all
about cultivating and sustaining vital biogenic energy in the body.
These practices lead to vibrant health, emotional security and
happiness. To survive into the 21st century and beyond, it is imperative
that we learn to apply the wisdom of cosmotherapy in our lives.
These are:
·
Sunbaths (heliotherapy
for the nerves),
·
Air-baths (aerotherapy
for the lungs),
·
Water baths (hydrotherapy
using alternating hot and cold water for healing muscles and pain).
·
Mud and clay
compresses (geotherapy) can
actually help pull toxins out of the body.
·
Joy through movement
exercise (dynamo-therapy)
dancing, running, martial arts, etc.
·
Occasional fasting or
the Art of Sobriety (cellulotherapy)
·
Biogenic Nutrition (vitiminotherapy)
live, raw foods.
5.
Minimize reliance on the electrical grid
Consider what you would do if there were no more
electrical power. How would you stay warm or cool? How would you prepare
food? Wash Clothes? Pump water? How would you stay informed? What about
lighting? Think ahead about your options. Don't wait until there is a
crisis to figure it all out. Stock up on basic survival supplies and
think about using some of the time proven low-tech methods; chopping
wood, oil lamps, candles, hand tools, wind-up radio, as well as
alternative power sources wherever possible (solar / wind generators,
propane, etc.) Freedom is a daily process of reducing your reliance on
things that are inefficient and costly. A wise person lives in a state
of preparation at all times.
Unless you own a DC powered refrigerator, a standard
unit can cost up to 35% or more of your electric bill. Therefore, it is
helpful to learn how to reduce this kind of energy waste by choosing a
small under-the-counter refrigerator or small freezer instead of larger
models. And if you are eating a Biogenic diet (eating directly from your
indoor or outdoor garden, dehydrating fruit and vegetables, whole
grains, etc.) then it will be easier to greatly reduce or even possibly
eliminate the use of refrigeration, especially as the cost of
electricity continues to rise. The use of large refrigerators has
developed to accommodate the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) purchased
from the Super-Markets.
During a two-week power outage in our area, we
witnessed most of our neighbors in a state of panic because the food in
their refrigerators began to spoil. They simply didn’t know any other
way to store food. Many were scrambling to get gasoline for generators
and trying to keep their lives from being disrupted. But what would they
have done if it had been an even longer disruption of services? If we
don’t work these things out now, it will be impossible to deal with
when it happens. Therefore, the best foods to store are grains, beans,
seeds, nuts, dried fruit, salt, powdered milk, honey and drinking water.
Don’t waste your money or risk your health on the poor nutrition of
canned foods or MRE’s (ready-to-eat military meals).
6.
Catching rainwater (install dug well or cistern)
Water is critical to everyone's health, especially in a
survival situation. Dehydration is deadly. Even for a short period of
time, the slightest lack of water can cause body and brain damage. And
water is important no matter what time of the year, summer or winter. It
is possible to die of dehydration at any time. People tend to avoid
drinking water in winter because they don't want to sip cold water.
These days it is very difficult to find a source of
safe drinking water. It is not uncommon, even in the wilderness, for
water to be either biologically or chemically polluted. Since it is not
always possible to determine if it is polluted or not, all drinking
water, no matter how clear it looks, should be treated or purified in
some way.
Boiling
is perhaps the easiest method. Simply boil water for about five minutes.
This will kill all or almost all the biological pollutants. However,
boiling has little effect on chemical pollutants, except that it may
help evaporate off any chemical pollutants that have a lower boiling
point than the water itself. It is always a good idea to boil any
rainwater that you collect.
Filtering water will rid both biological and chemical
pollutants to some extent. Yet if you are in the wilderness and the only
water you can find is muddy or debris-laden, you can allow the collected
water to stand for several hours, which will settle the heavier
particles. Then pour the clearer water off the top into another
container and pour it slowly through a piece of white cotton cloth, or a
piece of your cotton shirt. This should filter out a lot of the
suspended particles. Repeat the process several times if the first pass
doesn't clarify the water. If you are in an emergency situation and have
no suitable cloth, a tightly bound bundle of fine grasses will make an
excellent filter. Filtering may clarify the water but will not remove
the pollutants. Only the modern filters can do this. Always store
several gravity-type drip filters.
Distillation, using either fire or solar heat is an
easy way to purify water. It will usually remove most of the biological
pollutants and many of the chemical ones too. Distillation is one of the
most effective water purification techniques of all. There are simple
methods that work, though no homemade distillation process is going to
produce a lot of clean water very fast. There are companies that
manufacture distillers that can be used on a stove or open fire.
In a survival situation, perhaps the easiest method of
all is collecting early morning dew from the leaves of plants. It
usually needs no purification at all, not unless the dew is being
collected from poisonous plants or those that have been sprayed with
chemical pesticides or other poisonous substances. Be aware of this if
you are collecting dew near roadways or from farmland. These are areas
that can contain high concentrations of chemical pollutants. Be careful
in forested areas as well because sometimes timber companies spray the
lands to control undesirable plant growth. To collect the dew, either
lick it off the plant directly or wipe it with a clean rag and wring the
water into your mouth or a container.
Remember that the climate is changing in many areas all
over the planet. No matter where we live, each one of us will inevitably
find ourselves subjected to some form of unexpected, extended disruption
in basic utilities, water, food supply, etc. Therefore, it may become
critical to look for alternative sources of water. Unless you are
located near a stream or pond, catching rainwater may be your only
alternative. Decide now how you can collect rainwater, either by
creating a dug well (4' wide x 12' long x 3' deep, lined with plastic
and covered with boards) or installing a water tank, cistern or using
buckets.
The water can be used for cooking and cleaning. You can
either take bowl baths or Sumerian baths (sun and shallow water baths),
sweat lodges, or use an outdoor cold tub in summer or bucket shower. Be
sure to practice recycling all your graywater to keep your plants and
trees watered.
Rainwater is a wonderful resource. It is a great backup
alternative for anyone, whether relying on a well or city water. There
are times when our rural water supply is shut down for several hours,
but we still have a source of water all the time. Our neighbors have
wells on their property, but they are completely dependent upon
electricity to pump the water out. When the power gets disrupted, (which
seems to happen more frequently than ever before), they have to deal
with a few hours of inconvenience. Also, a hand pump will not work on a
well that is deeper than 25 feet due to the weight of the water.
Catching rainwater is a very efficient, safe and
cost-effective system. Any good food grade plastic tank or barrel will
probably work, even a 55-gallon pickle barrel. Try to take advantage of
catching even a little rainwater and get used to the practice of making
it part of your life. You can wash clothes with rainwater, shower and
even cook with it.
Finally, if you are in a survival situation and water
is scarce, you may have to make do with whatever water you have stored
or catch rainwater. If this is the case, you should carefully consider
how to save every bit of water you use so that it can be recycled for
plants. If hard times require that you ration water for daily use,
figure on at least two gallons per day, per person or about 120 gallons
for two people per month. You'll need about a quart of water to drink
and a gallon for bathing. The rest can be used for general clean-up and
washing. Used wash water should be carefully collected and put on plants
and trees.
Here is a word about hot water.
An enormous amount of energy is wasted every day just to keep
water hot in a gas or electric hot water heater. This can account for up
to 25% of one's energy bill. Keeping water hot all day while you are
away at work is very inefficient and wasteful. There have been many
improvements in hot water technology, so it may be worthwhile learning
about some of these.
For example, instead of running a hot water heater 24
hours a day, install a timer on it. They can be found at most hardware
stores and only cost about $35. That way you can have the heater kick on
for an hour, heat up the tank and then shut off. The water will stay hot
for several hours. By putting a little thought into how much and when
you need hot water, you can set the timer to come on to accommodate the
need. This is probably the least expensive solution for most people. We
use a timer on our electric heater, which allows it to run only one hour
a day. With our 20 gallon
heater, leaving it on for one hour a day gives us enough for one shower
each and one sink of water for dishwashing. By installing the timer in a
convenient place, it's really easy to flip the switch whenever you need
some additional hot water. The point is, most people use more hot water
than they need just because it is instantly available. The timer is a
simple solution that can save a significant amount of money in wasted
fuel costs as you learn to minimize your need for hot water.
Another idea is an instantaneous hot water heater.
There are models that run on gas or electricity. These are still quite
expensive (about $500), but they don't require any fuel until you turn
the hot water on. It will instantaneously raise the temperature of the
water about 60 degrees F. So depending on what the water temperature is
before it enters the heater will determine the temperature on the way
out. Many large hotels and restaurants use instantaneous hot water
heaters and they've been used in Europe for many years.
The ideal solution for creating hot water with little
or no cost is by rigging up a solar hot water heater. There are many
different designs that accomplish this quite efficiently. Just think
about how hot the water is in a garden hose when it is left in the sun.
Solar hot water can be as easy as encasing a pressurized water tank in
an insulated wooden box, painting the inside black, installing a glass
lid and then placing it in a location where it will be exposed to the
sun for several hours. The solar rays heat the water and the insulated
tank holds the heat until you turn on the faucet and use it. A solar hot
water heater is an ingenious invention and almost anyone can construct
one from salvaged parts.
An even easier way is simply to purchase 100 feet or
more of black plastic hosepipe. Don't unwind it, just leave it rolled up
and place it on the roof of your house. Then attach one end of the roll
to your garden hose and run another hose from the roll of pipe back down
to the ground. Add a valve on the receiving end, allow the hose to fill
with water, and wait until the sun heats it all up and you'll have hot
water for free!
These simple practices can make a big difference in
one's life. It cultivates a
healthy respect and appreciation for the lifeblood of the planet. There
are areas all over the earth where the water table is drastically going
down because of chemical agribusiness farming practices and the
excessive demand for water in cities that don't have enough water
locally. Many areas in America are suffering tremendous water shortages
and every drop of precious, untainted water is a gift that we should be
grateful for. If we don't stop wasting and fowling up our water supply
on this planet and flushing clean, potable water down our toilets, we
may very well face serious consequences sometime in the 21st century.
Only about 1% of the water on this planet is suitable
for drinking, and as population increases, more and more people are
going to be forced to do without adequate, safe drinking water. A
dangerous situation is brewing. Each one of us must change our attitude
about water and do everything we can to preserve it and use it
efficiently.
7.
Simple Living &
Shelter
Some of the happiest people are those who live
comfortably in a simple, small home. A modest, comfortable home
shouldn't have to cost a small fortune. There are so many creative ideas
for alternative shelters these days such as straw-bale houses,
cob-building, earth ships, or even a simple 12' x 12' cabin made from
recycled wood or pine logs and a tin roof. These earth-friendly shelters can help us achieve a life that
is in harmony with the environment and save us a ton of money over the
cost of a traditional dwelling. An extreme example is the Greek
philosopher Diogenes, who
lived in a barrel. He would roll it along the road until he found a
place near trees to stop, eat fruit and sunbathe! Actually, he probably
only used the barrel during bad weather.
It doesn't matter what we live in as long as our
essential needs are met. The less we need the more freedom we will
experience. It is always wise to think small. And yet this is the
greatest challenge, especially in the modern world where there seems to
be a tremendous push for bigger and better, more expensive, more, more,
more. This is totally unnecessary. A young couple can live quite
comfortably in 500 square feet or even less. For example, I lived
happily for a year in a little 10'x12' cabin that I built myself, and it
only cost me $3,600.
The biggest problem most people face when they want to
move toward a life of simplicity and independent freedom is that they
think too big. They always seem to want a shelter that is more than they
really need, which increases the cost of labor, materials, time,
maintenance and interest paid. In hindsight, they generally end up
admitting that they expanded too much. In the beginning of our path
toward simplicity, the same thing happened to us. We kept dreaming up a
house plan that was too large until we finally realized that the bigger
the house, the more maintenance, insurance and expense.
It's
important to think small and practical. The soaring prices of building
materials and rising costs of transportation must be considered. Over
the next several years it is going to become even more imperative that
you discover creative solutions for shelter.
Realize that it is always unwise to get too deep in debt or pay
rent over the long term. This is a waste of one's life-energy. Working
to support a large dream house or paying rent and living paycheck to
paycheck is a very inefficient lifestyle that will become less and less
fulfilling as time goes on. It is so important for personal peace of
mind to move towards independence and self-reliance. Freedom from debt,
owning a small house and a little piece of land where one can grow some
food is all one needs to feel secure and safe. And unfortunately, these
are often the three things most poor people have difficulty obtaining.
In truth, a young married couple can accommodate 2 or 3
kids very well with a modest house. For example, children don't all have
to have their own room. A
nice comfortable loft or an empty bedroom spread with thick mats for
sleeping is perfect. When it is bedtime, the kids simply grab a
comforter or thick blanket and pillow from the closet and curl up on the
mats. How simple. And mom
and dad could join them if they cared to. Then provide another room for
clothes, books and toys. This encourages simplicity and community.
A practical, efficient kitchen is a wonderful asset to
good health and family activity. Parents can make simple meals, such as
whole grain pasta, vegetables and salad, simple soups or perhaps a meal
of fresh fruit and yogurt, or maybe just some vegetable juice made fresh
in their own juicer, extracted from locally grown organic produce. A
glass of fresh juice and slices of whole grain sourdough bread with
fresh butter is a nutritious, delicious delight. Meals should be a time
when everyone participates in some way so kids can learn how to eat a
proper, healthy diet.
The living room can be a spacious and nearly empty
gathering place, without an excess of lavish and impractical décor. It should be a place to relax, lay around and spend time
together, talking, playing games, listening to soft music and doing
practical things like shelling peas and mending clothes.
This way the kids can learn how to calmly exercise their
creativity instead of zoning out on techno-gadgets. They can reserve
rough and tumble play when they're outside in the fresh air and
sunshine.
We must realize that man was meant to live in close
contact with the forces of nature. Don't seek to insulate yourself from
these forces. Work with them. Design a shelter that is efficient, but
try to balance utility, functionality and simple artistic expression.
The cheapest way, of course, is to build your own
shelter if at all possible. Building your own simple shelter gives you a
feeling of accomplishment and it saves you a tremendous amount of money
(life-energy). If you live in a cold climate, build a shelter close to
the earth and use natural insulating material, such as earth or straw.
Utilize passive solar as much as possible. Burning wood in a wood heater
can be a cost effective, easy and satisfying alternative to relying on
fossil fuels or coal. If the home is small enough, it will be efficient
and easy to maintain.
Many people with high paying jobs, who appear to be
affluent, are really only one or two paychecks away from bankruptcy.
They're mortgaged to the hilt, stressed, exhausted, probably paying long
term mortgage interest, homeowners insurance, high maintenance costs,
wasting fuel and spending up to 75% of the time away from home just to
pay for it. They're not really affluent at all. They are demonstrating
that their life-energy is not very important to them. Personally, rather
than paying rent or a house mortgage, I would prefer to live in a teepee
or a small cabin.
Unfortunately, there seems to be an evil spell cast
upon society today. Many young people have little or no patience,
discipline or delayed gratification skills; they are encouraged to
become members of the materialistic cult of our society.
Because of loan institutions, they are willing and eager to sign
whatever it takes to get it all now. Eventually the bottom is going to
drop out. Many people are
going to have to rethink what is valuable in life and make lifestyle
changes that might be hard to accept. So if you are really serious about
downsizing your life and if you see the value in what I am talking about
in this manual, then seriously get a handle on your finances (See Step
8) and look into alternative ways of living. Think small; try to live in
a shelter that accomplishes the primary functions necessary for basic
comfort and experience the peace and freedom of a small, debt-free home.
8.
Self-discipline & Financial Independence
My favorite cartoon depicts a poor monk with a begging
bowl sitting in a cave with his teacher and the caption reads, "After deep meditation I realize that there is no inner peace
without financial security."
When I saw that for the first time I felt a deep knowing that it
was true. Given the way the world operates, each one of us must confront
this issue at some point in our lives or we will never gain mastery over
the influence of the money system.
Self-discipline is essential to being free and
independent, especially concerning money and handling personal finances
intelligently. One should learn to be content with a frugal lifestyle,
not addicted to spending money on unnecessary things. Also, it may be
necessary to be alone or isolated for certain lengths of time, but one
should also be capable of cooperating with like-minded community. The
secret, however, is personal self-discipline, simple living and the
ability to improvise and adapt to the changes of the times.
It cannot be said enough in this modern age, "Get
out of debt as soon as possible!" You must realize that if you
don't get control of credit card debt, huge mortgages or perpetual car
notes, you will be unable to experience real freedom and peace in your
life. Debt means bondage to the lender.
It always comes down to the issue of personal
lifestyle. The simple answer is the same as it is when dealing with
overeating - stop consuming so much - stop spending money that you don't
have. Just stop doing it. Decide and Act. The belief today that
one must establish good credit in order to achieve happiness and
security is one of the most misleading popular myths in our society. The
fact is with only a little self-discipline and intelligent planning,
almost anyone can get debt free, save enough money for emergencies, as
well as secure a home for themselves and live without credit cards.
Here
is a proven seven-step strategy that will bring you to greater financial
freedom and peace of mind. This is exactly the way we did it. Most
families can completely get out of debt in about 3 -7 years by
faithfully applying these principles. Post these on your mirror, work
with them and do not skip even one step:
1.
Downsize
your lifestyle and live within your means. Live a simple life. Income is
a tool for building wealth, so be wise with your life-energy and
resources. Get rid of stuff
and give away or sell what you don’t need. Until you can achieve
financial, debt-free independence, get rid of expensive luxuries such as
cell phones, cable TV and Internet. (You can get them again later, if
you still feel you must have them.)
2.
Write
down in a notebook a realistic budget and put “savings” on the top
of your list. Pay yourself a “savings” at the first of each month.
How about 10%? You have to do this before you pay any other bill or it
will never happen. An easy way to stay within your budget, especially
for things you have the most trouble overspending on (such as food,
utilities, gas, etc.) is by simply labeling separate envelopes for each
one. Put the amount of money (in cash) you have budgeted for that
category in each envelope and use the money only for that purpose. If
you run out of money before the end of the month, do without if
possible. This will help you develop discipline and resourcefulness and
your skill at this will improve each month.
3.
Pay
cash or use a debit card only (don’t use credit cards – ever!).
Carry a little notepad with you and write down every penny that comes in
and goes out of your life. No kidding! This is a great exercise for
developing mindfulness. Then at the end of the month transfer those
entries onto a sheet of paper that lists your various categories.
(Example: income, savings, groceries, eating out, clothes, utilities,
debt payments, gasoline, rent, etc.). Total the categories at the end of
the month and adjust your budget accordingly for the next month. Keep
modifying and downsizing as best you can. (For additional information on
this technique I highly recommend the book entitled, “Your Money or Your Life,” by Joe Dominguez and Vickie Robin.
This book saved our lives. It is a must read!)
4.
Start
paying off all outstanding debts (starting with the smallest ones first
helps you see progress). If the debt is too much, consider filing for
bankruptcy immediately. Unfortunately, the laws are changing and it may
already be too late. Life does not end with ruined credit. Credit is
what ruins life.
5.
Cut
up all your credit cards immediately and cancel the accounts when you
have paid them off. Then put aside at least $1000 cash for emergencies.
This will be your personal insurance for unexpected things that happen.
It will soothe your fear in not having a credit card to rely on when
needs arise.
6.
Put
aside the money you have been saving each month into a money market
account or some Certificates of Deposit that will only be used for
unforeseen events, such as illness, accidents, car repairs, loss of
employment, etc. It’s wise to have 3 – 6 months of backup money. It
may take a couple of years to achieve this but keep at it. In the end
you will be out of debt and have a nest egg saved.
This may take years, but your freedom and peace of mind are worth
it.
7.
Stop
borrowing money. (The only exception is borrowing money to purchase a
vehicle or land.) Paying interest is a losing game. Liberate yourself
from the myth that “establishing good credit” is important. It
isn’t. That is a lie that has been perpetuated by loan
institutions! In time, by following the previous steps you’ll have
saved some cash to invest. Get on the right side of compounding
interest. Learn to diversify and avoid high-risk investments (stay with
Treasury bonds, Certificates of Deposits, gold, silver or other precious
metals, etc.)
This is the only way that works. Gambling, get rich
schemes and multi-level marketing doesn't work. So study each step
carefully and start making the necessary adjustments so you can get
free. You must look at your finances openly and work intelligently and
logically to improve your situation
9.
Simple carpentry & other self-reliant skills
Learning how to do things is what makes a person feel
empowered and useful. There are so many wonderful things to learn such
as pottery, bread baking, furniture building, sewing, plumbing, and
gardening. Building a
shelter is a great skill that leads one toward self-reliance. It is
necessary to know at least something about basic construction, doing
simple repairs, maintenance, rustic furniture, fence building, etc.
Learning carpentry isn't as hard as you may think. If you can’t learn
from someone, teach yourself. Get a good book on the subject with lots
of illustrations. Or maybe you could apprentice yourself a few hours a
week with a carpenter. How
about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and acquiring experience
with building a home?
One of the easiest and most cost-effective building
methods that I've found is called "post and beam"
construction. Straw bale construction, log building and cordwood methods
and teepee assembly is good also. You never know when you will have to
put together a shelter.
10.
Use wood for heating and cooking
If
and when one can move to the country, using wood for heating and cooking
is a simple and valuable skill. Besides
cutting trees for firewood, there is usually an abundance of dead and
fallen limbs on your own or surrounding property.
Many people in rural areas give away free firewood in exchange
for the work of removing a fallen tree from their property.
Baking sourdough bread in an outdoor oven is a good
skill to know, as well as cooking simple meals from fresh ingredients.
We promote and teach how to bake whole-grain sourdough bread because
wheat is so nutritious, satisfying, cheap and easy to store.
An outdoor mud or brick oven can be used for other
things as well, such as baking beans, making soup, dehydrating herbs,
fruit, vegetables, etc. (See Build
Your Own Earth Oven by
Kiko Denzer.) Get a nice,
well-seasoned cast iron skillet and a cast iron bean pot or learn to
make primitive clay cooking pots.
Cook simple meals from scratch and always avoid
pre-packaged foods, frozen dinners, canned foods and so forth. These
will only destroy your health and pocketbook. The simpler the meal the
more satisfying (a true pleasure) and it is much better for your
digestion too.
It is a wise investment to have a few
basic supplies on hand at all times. Do not neglect to do this. When
there is a natural disaster or emergency, it is difficult to get what
you need, especially when everyone else is trying to do the same. Don't
be caught off guard. Prepare now! Live in a state of readiness at all
times.
Here are a few things to consider
getting as finances permit. Be prepared to spend at least $300 - $500
dollars. There is no better use for money than purchasing things you
need to survive. Real wealth is perishable!
·
Minimum food
supplies to have on hand at all times: 25 pounds wheat berries or other grain, 10 pounds dried corn, 10 pounds
rice, 10 pounds dried beans, 10 pounds unbleached flour, 5 pounds Celtic
Sea salt, 5 pounds sugar, 1 gallon olive oil, 1 gallon honey, powdered
milk, baking soda, dried herbs, spices, and of course, vegetable seeds
for gardening, 2 pounds of sprouting seeds for indoor gardening. (Any
stored food should be rotated continuously by using and replacing it.)
This will last two people about 12 weeks.
·
Tools:
shovel, rake, gardening hoe, good knife, axe, splitting maul, pick-axe,
pitch fork, post hole digger, pruning saw, carpenter saw, hammer, nails,
level, chain saw (oil and gasoline) and a sharpening stone.
·
Other Supplies:
Always keep on hand at least $500 cash in small bills (and a few pieces
of gold and silver if possible). Whenever there is a disruption in the
power grid, electronic transactions will not work. People will revert to
cash and later they will begin trading. Consider purchasing Carla
Emery’s classic book: The
Encyclopedia of Country Living. Also secure some of these useful
items: manual grain grinder, sprouting jars and lids, several 5-gallon
poly-buckets with tight fitting lids for storing water and food, cast
iron skillet & other outdoor cooking utensils, tarps, twine,
magnesium fire starters, matches, drip-type gravity water purifier and
extra filters, .22 rifle and shells (while you can still purchase them),
emergency candles, oil lamps, lots of soap, 1 pound of diatomaceous
earth (for preserving and protecting your grain from pests) and toilet
paper.
I am certainly not a gifted psychic and I can’t see the future, but I am aware of what is going on in the world and try to stay informed about current events and what’s new in science and technology. By paying close attention to the events in the world, I have been able to make intelligent personal decisions in my own life. It doesn’t take a prophet or genius to realize what is going to happen over the next several years and into the future. Anyone who is willing to open their eyes and investigate the facts can read the signs just as clearly.
Human beings are on a collision course with nature. Modern industrial society is too dependent on petroleum based products. Our dependency extends deep and wide, everything from transportation, fuel for energy, manufacturing, plastics, agriculture, chemical fertilizers, medicine, body care products, you name it, its probably got something to do with petroleum. Future generations will one day look back and refer to this as the “age of the hydrocarbon man.”
The earth holds a finite supply of oil. The flood of crude from fields around the world will eventually top out, then dwindle. It