News for South London Permaculture
To the left and right can be seen my latest endeavour in literary profundity. More can be said about this book but suffice to say I explore the nature of transcendence giving it a historical and psychological perspective.I delve deeply into its WEstern context and its religious and mystical background. Towards the end my writing naturally takes me up to the Second World War and its innovative period for the existentialist claims of Adolf Hitler. Soon after writing it Ukraine was invaded by Russia, a hotspot for Nazi comparitives. After the death of my mother I added an Endnote which brings the Palestinian-Israel perspective up to date when comparing it to Plato's Socratic ideals in the Republic. This is equally intriguing because when I delve into Jewish mysticism I made reference to Kabbalistic Creation cosmogony based on the spatialisation of God's engendered will and its associated salvation theories. This is very much in line with Jung's assertions for the nature of the unconscious. A copy is now available here.
"In order to facilitate this understanding, another way to view the adapted diagram is religiously and thus to imagine this femininity reversing the motion of the Fall, as such the woman can reach her spiritual zenith through the cultural “spaces” that men have rent open, and this through their unconscious femininity. Culture will always move forward regardless so that the role of the woman is made that much harder in a sexualised society. Spiritual enlightenment is the collectivist quest of the individual as the means to mutual aid, but the fact that men have taken their patriarchal dominance for granted means they have fallen foul of the material desire to oppress all that is natural. In doing so they can express a selfish mental creativity through the singular motivation for knowledge in disregard of a maternal will; they are competitive rather than cooperative in their instinct. It is a fragmentary disposition. Spirit here is not unconsciously motivated, not a zenith of divine vindication of the noumenon, but heavy in the nadir of material gain. His active fall from grace or spirit arrogates a passive role in women to play out his errant shadow side. And in this respect everything in the material world finds it easy to consolidate their motivation through sexual promiscuity and base relations when a female is submissive. Man’s will is reconfigured to bypass his femininity at the cost of his spirit and the unconscious is left to wallow in its own mud."
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Above and beautifully poised is my 2019 bike ride to the north of Poland, Gdansk. It was a thrilling journey all the way, not least for the fact that in Italy they wouldn't let me on the boat to Croatia because my passport had expired and Croatia was not a Schengen member. I was shocked, and when the customs officer told me I had to stay in Italy I gritted my teeth and flew north past Venice and into the Alps. Hence the t-shirt shows an alternative route which added about 700km, and I duly took a marker pen to the fabric, meticulously scribing the way of the tortoise. My two compatriots who left 5 days earlier from Rome continued on the original route, but of course, nothing beats the guitar and the hammock. The full blog can be read here at Destination Poland
There is a Rock (Duplicate alternative version)
Two Trees and a Monkey (Duplicate extended version)
Flyers
The olive trees and land are typically looking pristine and ecologically lush through the practice of leaving the herb to flower and set seed in order to enrich my bee activities. We have at least 4 types of olive including the renowned arbequina which makes a most delicious olive oil when eaten raw and pure. Cold-pressed and chemical-free our oil is available for sale. See also the link above for other Bum Products and this weblink Molí d'Oli Tradicional for more in-depth historical information and the location where we press for our oil.
Newsletters
If anybody has any homemade permaculture videos that they would like to share, post them on. In the future I may even be willing to offer a page for other work. They can be of any nature, festivals, music, narration, teaching sessions, even comments to the editor etc. if, for example, you have any bugbears you want to air. For any permaculturists wanting to contribute then I am willing to give free advertising here on the one condition that it is ethical and supports the greater environmental cause.
Go to the Editor page for a full listing of best articles and editorials
Newsletter Spring 2008
Newsletter Autumn 2008
Newsletter Spring 2009
Newsletter Autumn 2009
Newsletter Spring 2010
Newsletter Autumn 2010
Newsletter Spring 2011
Newsletter Autumn 2011
Newsletter April 2013
Newsletter Oct 2013
Newsletter Apr 2014
Newsletter Oct 2014
Newsletter Jan 2015
Newsletter August 2015
Newsletter December 2015
Newsletter September 2016
Newsletter November 2016
Newsletter April 2017
Newsletter October 2017
Newsletter February 2018
Newsletter August 2018
(Large file - 25MB, contact the editor for a downloadable version)
Newsletter May 2019
Newsletter July 2020(Large file - 17MB, contact the editor for a downloadable version)
The site is going through a radical change. Membership does not offer the services it previously granted due to a lack of resources. Instead all efforts are focused on the farm in Spain and the continuation of product sales and publications.
In the manner that we encourage the support of farmers to grow food and make a livelihood from it regardless of what political or philosophical association they might have, SLP remains the financial arm of Solteriologic Garden, a spiritual organisation for the purpose of developing the awareness of Providence and belief in God. Thus, future international contact will show no bias towards any particular religion or spiritual organisation. As such we have our own products for sale including olive oil, honey, biochar and carobs. I consider our very own Catalonian olive oil to be the best in the world, and I have tasted a few. All SLP products will go under the brand name of 'Bum Bum'. Go to Bum Products for a fuller description of our wares and philosophy regarding the understanding of food and why I consider it asexual for the promotion of health and good toilet habits. Alternatively email SLP for a personal explaination.
Please note, all products can be bought in bulk. Inceasingly I find that Virgin and non-Virgin oil is difficult to sell. And due to better practice it is unlikely that I will stock it in the future. Enquire within. After years of failure and bad luck, we are producing our own honey. See our sister website for a blog describing the activities on the farm. The best times both for olive and honey production are between November and May, but it can get windy and very cold at night. Volunteers are always welcome to learn.
Cold-pressed Olive Oil
Bulk orders of 5ltrs at £68/60/52 (plastic £2 refundable bottle) subject to availability.
MEMBERS of SLP will get a 15% discount in future.
Bum Bum non-certified organic Extra Virgin, Virgin, and non-Virgin, cold-pressed Olive Oil in sealed dorica 1ltr, 750ml, 500ml and 250ml bottles. (Refills also available for 1 ltr and 750ml bottles provided by the customer.)
Extra Virgin / Virgin / non-Virgin
1ltr £15 / 13 / 11 (refills only)
750ml £12 / 10.50 / 9 (refills only)
500ml £10.50 / 9.50 / 8.50 (50p refundable dorica bottle)
250ml £6 / 5.50 / 5 (50p refundable dorica bottle)
Bum Bum carob pods picked straight from the tree.
Enquire within concerning cheaper floor-collected and unwashed items, or bulk purchases. Watch this space for olive leaf tea, almond oil, wax products and honey in the future.
SLP's project facilitation. The idea was born from the work done at the Sceaux Garden Estate where the fire that caused the death of 6 innocent victims gave rise to a community voice. In particular this voice was about how to breathe life back into a community, especially since neighbours were still living within the vicinity of the buildings or even in the buildings themselves. The horror of those moments are preferred to be forgotten, but the reliving of fond memories is something a commemoration can achieve; a commemoration need not be about death. One may like to commemorate the life achievements of a friend, even an ancestor. It could be a national event like a British victory in sport. Or maybe political in which, for instance, one gains assylum.
South London Permaculture would like to thank the following organisations for their precedented support towards us during the years:
I have a personal Facebook page and a few community pages, Destination Africa, Destination Poland, El Camino de Santiago and my sister project in Catalonia, Solteriologic Garden if one would like to see what I am up to around the place. They are very graphical and include musical recordings, videos and photos of all my adventures around Europe and Africa. For photos and videos of the presentation of £250 to the Abolicao Trust at the Lambeth Country Show collected in sponsorship from the Africa journey click this Facebook link or here for the capoeira video. Most of these journeys try to raise awareness and sponsorship to fund international work. If there are any potential donors please contact the editor personally. Interestingly though, there are two further links one may like to pursue. The first was my trip to the Orkney Isles on a tandem in which I was raising money for 3 charities, Dnipro Kids, Scottish Mountain Rescue, and Doris Banham Dog Rescue. All links to make further donations can be found on this page, Destination Scotland. Meanwhile in real time one can follow me on my latest journey through Italy and beyond, again following the sad death of my mother. Please check out the page Destination Mother. This may well be my final journey now that the farm requires much more attention when there are animals on site. Having said that, this year (2023) was probably the most dynamic I had. Rest in peace mum, for you will always be an inspiration.
1ltr £17 / 15 / 13 (£1 refundable dorica bottle)
1ltr £14 / 12 / 10 (retailer's price)
750ml £14 / 12.50 / 11 (£1 refundable dorica bottle)
750ml £11.50 / 10 / 8.50 (retailer's price)
500ml £8.50 / 7.50 / 6.50 (retailer's price)
250ml £5 / 4.50 / 4 (retailer's price)
Non-certified organic 1kg bag (£5/4 Mem)
Possible areas include private as well as public spaces, and in all cases expertise will be given for the tree's maintenance in respect of permission to plant. We would welcome other potential sites and request that you contact us sooner rather than later at South London Permaculture.
Spike Community
Evelyn Community Gardens
Urban Green Fair Community Interest Company
Food Up Front
Purple Broccoli Theatre Company
Pure London Honey
Transition Town Brixton
Roots and Shoots
Woodlands Farm
Festival of Life
Oasis Urban Project
Vaidas Bicycles
Finches Emporium
Kitchen Buddy
Barcelona Botanical Gardens
Cummin' Up
These images are in honour of my late mother. The puzzle was one of five I brought over from the UK to encourage my mother back into creativity. It wasn't her thing. However, she loved her life in London and yearned to return there as she watched on. Eventually I brought her ashes to Africa and India before returning with them to the UK. The lower image depicts my exotic mother from her infancy to her last days. She was incredibly strong. RIP
This seems to be occupying most of my time as my hands grind to the stone in sunny Catalonia whilst the mornings and evenings are pleasantly tapping away on the laptop. Of note are the newsletters which rely on contributions and keep the reader informed of current affairs. They can be very political and contentious reflecting the editorial input of the founder. See the listing (left) for the full download or go to the Editor page for a selction of best articles. Because the editor is extensively busy with his international work these newsletters have terminated in their current form. It is in his interest to give over the project to another community group, one more based in London and who have the time to continue a newsletter of sorts, however different and simple. The name 'South London Permaculture' can be used broadly here, even though the organisation remains the intellectual rights of the founder.
This covers mainly my work in Africa, in particlar the Gambia, and Spain which includes the development of our sister website for my activities abroad, Solteriologic Garden, assuming the name of my former project. However, I am seeking new horizons and have now opened doors to Asia in order to expand my permaculture.
With the view that SLP is going international I will be posting updates from abroad regarding any sustainable developments, including my prior activities in Spain and the increasing possibility of developing an international market. This is all in concordance with my natural travel program of going back and forward to our land in Catalonia where we grow mainly olives among carob and almond. Of course, Catalonia offers a variety of nuts and dried fruit like hazels and figs. Maybe in 20 years time I'd like to think that I could be making a regular income from it, tax free of course. Above are the front covers of the first two volumes of my most endeavouring works entitled The Carob Pod: An Anthropological Guide to Permaculture and Petriarchy: The Law of the Land. Click on the images to read a 4,000 word preview to the first, and in the second an excerpt in journal format, broken down into 8 editions including photos and diagrams. The journal has since been terminated subject to the availability of time, which is open to contributions. Back copies will be available in due course at the Personal and Holistic page of the website or contact SLP directly. A full synopsis and (somewhat outdated) personal CV is also available for VOLUME 1 and a short précis for VOLUME 2 also. Below are the front covers of VOLUME 3, a compilation of essay-chapters describing my univeralism in politics, ecology, sustainability, science and many other genres. Both VOLUMES 2 and 3 have been serialised in our journal.
Secondly, the journals had been progressing with very good articles and contributions. These and my academic works can be found in succesive editions of my journal, Destination God. They include in edited form the serialised book of my first on-line journey, to Palestine on a bicycle, also available here at I am Augustus Caesar Merlyn Peter of the House of Elias Jacob, Son of Richard, Conqueror of the 15 nations, and Descended of Mother Earth. (Due to the Posterous platform terminating the blogsite has been uploaded to Wordpress in a rather haphazard way.) The journey to Africa, Destination Africa, has also been serialised into written form and in the future the jounal will document the other journeys including the UK tours, the Caminos de Santiago, and Poland. In the meantime these journals have been put on hold whilst I focus on other writing adventures. Incidentally, contributions are always welcome on the subject of anthropology, spirituality and permaculture. Just email me a copy ideally in Word format for revision.
As an experienced traveller a powerpoint presentation of these and other long bike rides can be made available and will cover many aspects of the journeys, including political, ecological, religious, geographical, archaeological, recreational, and survivalist. Talks and presentations would be available at £150 and £250 per day plus expenses, broken down into one and a half-hour, and three-hour discussions, respectively with illustrations and a break in between.
It all seems so long ago now, but I have achieved near 8 bike rides in 10 years. This was no mean feat. Some journeys were life threatening, others were pure joy. Of a side note, there is also a song I wrote for the Palestine journey with the same title and can be found on YouTube by clicking the video link here. Likewise, a radio broadcast with Alternative Maniax was made just before leaving and can be dug out from here Alternative Maniax. I give a background on my permaculture studied at Middlesex University, and later talk about the journey to Palestine. I play a few songs but alas, they are okay. I always get sticky fingers when I am being recorded. And I always perform better without a mike. Anyhow, enjoy.
Finally, any prospecting publishers should contact me directly here.
My dissertation title ran as follows, "If land economies are the ecological imperative of the rise of the modern environmental movement, may one find an historical precedent in the origins of Christianity?" There are extensive appedices to look over, and modern day movements like Permaculture and Transition Town get more than a welcome. Due to the mass of academic material left over from my studies much of it has found its way into my recent books. As well as revising and thoroughly improving the thesis due to the rushed nature of completing the degree program there is an extended essay (15,000 words) available from the appendix entitled "Christianity, science and technology as indicators of humanity’s changing relationship with its environment". All material is freely given now, just click on the Personal & Holistic page to view these and some workshop material. For other publications available as on-line essays see the link for AcademiaEdu
Of recent I was going through some old folders and I found this video amongst a stock of photos given to me by one of my former students, Mada. She was a superb photographer and it must have passed me by why I hadn't used it before. Anyhow, I have uploaded it to YouTube and you can play it here. Click this link Permaculture Design Course 2006/7 to view it.
Volunteer camping opportunities for one or two individuals at a time to help work the land in a beautiful part of Spain. Access to the sea and neighbouring towns, and a shared caravan. Self-catering but many benefits include trips to regional mountainous and valley beauty spots, as well as direct rail services to Valencia, Tarragona and Barcelona. Cycling is a must in this country. The project is the beginnings of an eco-settlement illustrated in the books below. The first phase building the large cistern is progressing. Other learning experiences include dry-stone walling, walking and mountaineering, olive and carob cultivation, biochar and vegetable production. Only companions of a spiritual disposition are sort. Please contact the editor for further details or go to our sister website Solteriologic Garden.
Had VOLUME 4 been any shorter it may have found itself tacked onto VOLUME 3, as such it is instead a deep introduction and psychoanalysis of gender relations towards the completion of VOLUME 5, illustrated here about. Click on the image for redacted versions of VOLUME 4. All works are freely available at my Personal & Holistic page.
