When did having twin basins and three toilets become the norm? As an architect who bucks the idea of bigger-is-better Jane Hilliard uses the principle of “Enoughness” as a design principle for the built environment. Its better for both the natural environment and the people around us. It allows us to be rich in ways that matter instead of buying into the idea that grandeur will make us happy.
For her 'enough' looks like going out into her backyard supermarket garden picking something and cooking it. Its also having outdoor space & quiet, unstructured time to think. Guided by the principle of “enoughness,” she manages her work load to keep her energy output within her own capacity while meeting her modest need for resources to sustain her family and business.
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Designful - Janes design agency
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Show notes
Bringing her love of arts and social justice together
Sidestepping stress and money in the architecture design world.
Ensuring sustainability isn't just an add-on rather than core to design
Why the endless pursuit of “more” and better is relentless and pointless
Asking “what is enough?” starts with your values and how you want to feel.
“I ask myself: What is enough work to sustain me, my creativity, my staff and the financial resources we need to sustain my practice.”
What "enough" looks like for her high-school age children.
“I enjoy causing a bit of a stir…not in a way that’s shaming anyone…but by pushing back on the system, not individuals.”
Working a 9 day fortnight
Small rituals like, morning coffee, starting the day outside, growing food, being present with her children.
Normalising messy, lived in homes which change with the seasons and as its occupants get older.
Why central heating has loosened family ties
Living in a smaller space with less resources helps us develop negotiation skills and foster connections.
Simplify life by starting with one thing.
How much are you packing into your week, or your year?
“The more work I take on, the less time and energy I have for all the other projects we have already, and I’ll enjoy them a little less too.”
"We have everything we need to go forward into the future. It's not about gaining new knowledge or new skills or new technology or new tools. It's about stripping things back and getting rid of a lot of stuff."
We need to be grateful for how much the earth gives us and not to take too much.
Our culture is dominated by growth and seeking opportunity. The desire for more can be part of our status and identity.
People are trying to meet their needs with things instead of meaning.
A mentality that “I’ve worked hard and I deserve it” is a strong focus for Jane's clients.
Just because "you've worked hard and deserve it" doesn’t mean you should aim for the biggest and shiniest.
"We stay in tents and shacks when we go away, why can’t we bring this spirit into our own house? How about an outdoor kitchen…why not?"
Helena Norberg-Hodge is a writer, filmmaker, international speaker and leader of the global localisation movement.
She’s been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than 40 years, and is one of the world’s most treasured environmentalists and visionaries.
Today Helena pulls up an apple crate at the Futuresteading campfire to share stories from Ladakh, lament the madness of globalization and light the way back (and forward) to oneness.
We discuss the true wealth of traditional societies, the dangers of scale and tech solutions, pressure to conform to a consumer monoculture, and the real economy of Mother Gaia.
Oh, she’s brilliant folks. We’re so excited to welcome you into this conversation.
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We Talked About
Summary
Akin to a cuppa while flicking through photo albums, this conversation is rich with stories of her lived experiences across every continent & through many decades. This wisdom holder has offered her life in service by knowledge sharing. A much respected permaculture educator, her foundation is science based, heart felt & relational in every way. Her practical generosity has contributed to refugee camps in war torn countries and her commitment to empowering communities without becoming a guru is refreshing.
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The Earth Restorers Guide - Rosemary Morrow
Earth Users Guide - Rosemary Morrow
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We Talked about
Adaptation principles - Observe carefully, backup functions, seeing solutions, being prepared to make change & noticing
Is water more destructive than drought?
Creating a culture where people are comfortable to listen to their intuition
The critical value of eco literacy - taught in childhood but forgotten in adulthood
Building confidence in ourselves to enact change
Operating as a community rather than individuals who are side by side
Looking for change outside of ‘lobby groups’
The power of the collective rather than individual leaders
Intuition is when you know something from a prior sensory input but haven't made it conscious yet - this relies on eco literacy and enables us to come up with solutions
Her Vietnamese experience - connecting traditional knowledge with permaculture principles using the pyramid approach of community teaching
Removing guru’ism by teaching locally and inbuilding principles that ensure the original teacher is no longer needed because the knowledge is in the community
Her scientific background has ensured she is less inclined towards whims, rather its focussed on critical thought
Making people eco literate by starting with a focus on the fundamentals
Why permaculture is not western middle class - it is adaptable to traditional knowledge?
The role of traditional ritual and custom in building community - the Songs of Community
Singing to recognise climate, topography, people, direction, acknowledging the power and might of the natural over humans - keeps us small and in a sense of wonder
Reading plants as secular or sacred
Ritual is acknowledge of our small scope, observation and awe
Seeing permaculture as a jigsaw where we can take the pieces we need for the places we are in
Permaculture is not an armchair discipline - it’s a discipline of service through knowledge sharing
We are all as poor as the poorest person
The power of permaculture in giving individuals agency and the ability to bring change
We know that Western culture lives excessively, endlessly seeking the newest and shiniest new thing. Its shocking that 40% of our food goes to waste, one third of our building materials are never even used. But this way of life will be short lived and thankfully being wasteful is now on the nose and cool cats like Joost are making waves by making junk UBER COOL. What can we do to create a new way forward in what he describes as the most exciting time in human history?
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We Talked About
Keeping family as number one
Keeping it real with family to ensure they are present
His journey through waste which began using other peoples junk
Spending his spare time in junkyards collecting and using other peoples waste
Even the poster boy doesn't get everything right - examples of things that haven't worked
For every project that gets up there are 3 or 4 which didn't - that’s having a go! And through the Process we discover a new way forward
Attracting like minded people to build a community and deliver amazing projects
Showcasing the innovation and vast knowledge that exists in this country
Creating binless hospitality businesses
Curating the message for living waste free so that people understand it.
Considering materials based on their ability to be recycled
Living in the most exciting time in human history
Getting creative to find solutions that allow us to continue our existing lives with minimal compromise
There's something mentally wrong with us when we endlessly chase the next, new, shiny, big thing.
Being properly nourished and connected to the outdoors satiated our desires and replace our desire for STUFF.
Using plants to support our sleep
Reverting to primitive practices to reconnect to ourselves
Starting our day with simple, natural world practices
If we’ve got 3 hours to be on social media, surely we’ve got time to make our everyday actions more intentional.
We feel great after gardening not just because its sensorially beautiful but because you are breathing in microbiomes
Observation is a lost trait we need to rebuild
His fascination with the perfect sized branch for birds
All his buildings are covered in 8 mil rio mesh because it's perfect for the birds
If you really want to understand why he makes the decisions he does then check out his instagram pages
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This homeschooling mum of three spends her days foraging, growing, swapping & upskilling all in the name of continuing to live her version of normal in an abnormal world where we've lost touch with our food, medicine & the natural world.
After taking her time with her families transition to this way of life, her newfound confidence & conviction ensures she won't be told what to do by big business or have her opinions changed by corporations. Although not all plain sailing-she shares valuable insights into the bumpy but ultimately rewarding path she's been on.
"Living in a cushioned culture is limiting in our ability to share skills & share knowledge"
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We Talked About
Eating meat that you’ve met - being responsible for the whole life cycle
Stepping stones to this way of life - starting small, with what you’ve got
Learning from failure as you scale
The fallacy of being self sufficient
Foraging, bartering & selling excess of what you do grow to access the things you don’t grow
Why being dogmatic isn't always the answer to the long game
Homeschooling - learning happens everywhere, everyday
Being led by kids & their natural interest areas
Building a family rhythm around the personal needs of everyone in the family
Rebuilding normal
Why it’s difficult to be a people pleaser but stay true to yourself
Learning to trust your honesty will be supported & not knocked
It’s hard to live your normal in an abnormal world - the way we eat, shop treat people
Education of self is the first step in shifting towards taking agency
Why food was her on-ramp to understanding how to make her own decisions
Accepting that a shift in our lives will take time - we each need to take it as we are ready
Transitioning via new skills & a new mindset
Letting this way of living be a lifetime of work
Learning one skill and mastering it each year
Using herbs to heal now and in the future
Learning to get used to people not agreeing with how she lives her life
Making mistakes in safe places while you learn
Learning how to manage microclimates
Building an annual seasonal rhythm to ensure balance
450sq m of intensive growing space for a family of five
300 sq metres managed by the kids
Water bath canning, dehydration
Collecting food waste every week by salvaging food from mainstream supermarkets to supplement her families food
Why she is opting for a house cow not a house goat
There’s always next year…..
Learning to forgive your short comings
Connecting without belonging
How not going to a school was a disadvantage
While she feels at home she doesn't feel like she belongs
Defying the odds of ‘surviving this life’ & thriving
Finding ways to connect with people who have different ideals
The value of relying on your neighbours - creating a sense of place by calling on your neighbours
Things only move at the speed of trust & a willingness to push through the awkward.
Sta
Described as 'all striving no arriving…' Sarah thrives in the early stages of a movement - feeling her way into the zeitgeist of now & unpacks in ways that resonate with reality. Ultimately driven by curiosity & shunning growth, she talks about Wild Activism as a responsibility of the current age with agency in tact.
Having less fucks to give about speaking her mind & with a bipolar superpower, she shares how she is unlearning & returning to humanity to navigate out of a spiritual PTSD, simultaneously saving but living the fuck out of life’, and why she is off to Paris
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Show notes
Fire has long been a revered force, respected for its ceremonial holding, practical contribution to feeding, sterilising, warming, lighting and yarning around. These days though, few of us interact with fire regularly despite it connecting us to our ancestors and gently reminding us of what it means to be human.
Off the back of tragic circumstances when he was just 16, todays guest Cade Mcconnell, intentionally side stepped the drug fuelled, party filled scene that often lures late teens early 20 year men and instead went in search of what it meant to be a man. He found instead, ceremonial fires, yoga, men's circles, his feelings and what it means to operate in an intentional and sacred way.
He’s built his life around this way of being and in todays conversation we scratch below the mere mention of things like vision quests and sacred weddings and really unpack what it is to move through the world like this.
For Cade - much of this begins with food, where it was grown it, how its prepared, who shares it and he says that by giving himself the git of making food intentional, it has rewritten his story and the rhythm of his life.
As a retreat caterer, who uses claypots for his cooking Cade says this way of preparing food is fundamentally about being in relationship with plants, clay and fire which is also the name of his book.
His mission is to bring a little earth into every kitchen.
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We talked about:
Rites of passage for young men
Claypot cooking
Creating more ceremony in our life
Holding our loved ones to account
Giving ourselves permission to take the time needed to create nourishing, love filled food
Mens circles and how they impact our living patterns
Building sacred communities
The impact of suicide
The value of counselling pre marriage
Why its important to build a strong foundation of trust and love for yourself before you offer this to another in marriage
"Living as modern humans we are disconnected, out of place and don't belong in the same way as other species"
"If you're feeling called to do something larger than you - you should follow that"
Summary
Todays guest Elspeth Hay experienced a rewriting of all she had known when when one day she was grappling with the frustration that the area she calls home didn't have the ability to create more small scale, localised food systems because they were landlocked by the ocean and surrounded by established Oak forests. Until one day her belief and her story was challenged when she learned that we can eat acorns. From there stories she’d believed her whole life began to unravel. Not just about acorns but about the way humans have pattered ourselves to our current day reality.
This process led her to write a book titled feed us with trees. The journey of the book creation took her on an ancestral tour from New England USA to the UK, introduced her to indigenous wisdom keepers, gave her the courage to challenge the system we know to be true and hold empathy for the courageous wisdom knowledge holders that have kept nature based skills and interaction alive.
Elspeth is a is a wonderful story teller and with this skill alone I'm sure she is one of those humans who we need as the bridge to wherever it is we are headed.
"Our story is totally made up & doesn't follow any natural laws so we can look to other influences to rewrite it'
Loved this? Try these
Pod ep: Osprey Oriel Lake - the story is in our bones
Pod ep: Hillary Giovale -becoming a good relative
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We talked about:
“We’ve lived fantastic lives because we’ve taken for granted the ecological damage we’ve done. Now we owe a debt"
Well respected ecologist Simon Mustoe has written a new book How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature. In its pages there's a definite sense of encouragement because ultimately Simon believes we are already seeing indicators of monumentally important shifts in our relationship with earth.
In todays conversation we tackle the dichotomy between wisdom & knowledge, deciding that “It doesn't necessarily mean how much you know - if you don't have the wisdom to interpret it & you can’t do anything worthwhile with it.
We discover the economic value of a whale when we really unpack what it does for the world & we conclude that the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is one of the most important conservation books of all time.
“Ecosystem complexity makes it abundantly clear that we will NEVER understand everything completely.”
Loved this, try another: Digby Hall or Satyajit Das
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We talked about:
Have you ever had that moment where you question - but there MUST be another way?
Well in this conversation, Hayley and Matt Defina explore the journey of finding purpose and reprogramming our outdated ways or patterns to reach a more meaningful way of living.
Matt shares the importance of emotional expression in mental health and his personal experiences that led him to create Another Way, a company focused on intentional living. They discuss the societal pressures surrounding purpose, the impact of environment, and the need for self-care amidst life's demands. The conversation emphasises that purpose is not a destination but a continuous process of growth and connection with oneself and the community.
In this conversation, Matthew Defina and Hayley explore the intricate relationship between love, fear, and personal growth. They discuss the importance of confronting inner fears, the balance between being and doing, and the necessity of community in fostering individual growth.
Find Matt Defina:
https://www.instagram.com/mattdefina_/
https://themancave.life/
More Like This:
Nic Warner ep
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We talked about:
Do you fancy the idea of growing your own medicinal herbs for tinctures & tea Todays guest Elle from Australian Medicinal Herbs took the plunge following a career sidestep when she was diagnosed with PTSD & replaced a 17 year career in the police force with a seed to packet business that slowly but surely healed her trauma, engaged her girls & now helps people all over Australia. Today she shares her unfolding story & offers practical guidance & wizened encouragement to get growing in order to take agency of your own health through the potency of healing herbs.
“Life is change - all the small steps you take lead you to another door or another window”
"Herbal medicine is slow medicine & our bodies have adapted to this for generations. Our bodies have certain responses to plants that they don’t to other medicines but we need to be connected & not detached"
More Like This:
Jane Stevens Futuresteading ep
Carolyn Parker Futuresteading ep
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We talked about:
Rarely in life do you meet someone who moves through the world in complete service of others, filling their cup through small but regular actions that offer the world gifts of time, seeds, toilet paper, knowledge. Todays guest is just this person, intrinsically generous…even going so far as to say she stores her excess yields in other humans which in turn proliferates the generosity bug & reap returning acts of kindness as gifted lemon slice & moving boxes.
Today we get to the bottom of what it looks like to blend permaculture principles into your life as a lifelong renter & we talk in earnest about the challenges of this prospect too & why its only getting harder to break the housing realities of so many in Australia, UK & the US.
We dive into why its so important to advocate for yourself when you are - in her words ‘neuro spicy’ & of course no conversation with the urban Nanna would be complete without a thorough rundown on all things foraging!!!
This chat coincides with the launch of Annas newly released book “Everyday Permaculture” which might well become one of those books that you find on the shelf in every household - it definitely SHOULD Be!
“Being so deeply steeped in capitalism makes it hard to ask people to become a permie not a consumer”
“I never expect any member of community to be doing better than others - everyone brings something to the table & we need to value that diversity to see all of us thrive”
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Loved this, try another:
Anna the Urban Nanna previously
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We talked about-
"We live in a society where uninitiated men grow up"
In this conversation, Hayley and Nick Warner explore the profound themes of transformation, relationships, and the importance of rites of passage in personal growth. They discuss the challenges of authenticity, the journey back to self, and the cost of inauthenticity in life and relationships. Nick shares insights on the significance of responsibility in relationships, the role of fatherhood as a rite of passage, and the necessity of returning to the heart in a society driven by the mind. The dialogue emphasises the importance of community, mentorship, and the healing power of facing one's pain and fears.
Nic Warner is a father, a mentor, a rites of passage facilitator, and an expert in personal growth, he has helped countless individuals unlock their potential, navigate change, and create lives of purpose and fulfillment across the globe. He focuses on work for both the masculine and feminine, a tantric approach, with a particular passion for helping men break through their masks and step into their truest essence.
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We talked about
Follow Nic Warner- https://www.nicwarner.com/
"What would it mean for us to start asking questions via embodied feelings rather than spreadsheets & rational outcomes…turn off our head and turn on our belly."
“You don’t build communities you build relationships - communities build themselves”
Adrian Black is fresh off the plane from 5 weeks of living in an intentional community - a program designed to create a transformative culture. He shares his experience of transferring from being a series of individuals operating in cohesion of each other to operating as a whole via emotional release ceremonies with tears, grief, joy, laughter & dancing.
He normalises 'cortisol crying' - metabolising to release deep emotions & reminds us that we have just two needs: belonging & authenticity. He has learnt to avoid ‘happiness’ & ‘perfectionism’- which are colonial constructs that set us up to fail and he is now focussed on actively bringing people together to celebrate with people, give gratitude & take the energy of the world to focus on something beautiful and worthwhile.
His final advice is to check in regularly on three things - how are your thoughts, your feelings & your body.
References
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Loved this ep, try this one - Charlie Showers
We chatted about:
“Those who have descended from the colonisers, we carry privilege but we also suffer the need to apologise”
Landscapes can etch into your very being & create a remembering. Making us feel whole & reminding us that we are just a thread in the complex web of the natural world. While somewhat insignificant your thread has a role to play as a relative to the threads it lies next too. The way we all interact with each other - both human and other than human, will be our making or our undoing.
Hilary Giovale, author of “becoming a good relative” is based in the ponderosa pine forests of Arizona, opposite a reservation & lives next to the sacred mountain of kinship which she now considers to be her most important teacher. This feels like an important conversation to have had - as two white women without indigenous heritage - it feels uncomfortable to have, and we will forever be learning, but Hilary (a 9th generation settler in the United States) begins the process of unpacking what it means to be in right relationship with the people & place that we each call home - pushing past the burden of white fragility to build pathways of robust healing & reconnection to our landscapes - to reconciliation with first peoples.
She shares what it means to create ancestral alters & how to connect with these elders who’s stories she tells us, are still unfolding.
She reminds us that while the work we have to do is exceptionally confronting, grief won’t kill us & that the time to heal in the bosom of natural landscapes is now.
"Elders are always identified by the community, never by the individual - they are usually unwilling but always shows up for the community, is wise, is generous, is funny, is humble, Our communities can guide us to where the elders are."
Loved this? Try another: Indira Naidoo
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We talked about
Being fed a whitewashed mythology that was a narrative constructed to serve the cultivation of industrialisation.
Realising she had been segregated from the truth of her countries culture
Intergenerational task of building right relations - backwards with her parents & forwards with her children
Creating ancestral alters
Eldership
Healing rituals/programs - ritualised apology & forgiveness
The history of settler colonialism has created trauma, damage, theft of knowledge, land & culture.
“Grief won’t kill you”
The relief of grief through letting tears flow
Common threads of wisdom which runs through indigenous cultures regardless of the continent
Going to the land in a reciprocal & respectful way & asking permission to be guided
Asking “how if at all can I help” informs how to be in right relationship
“How we raise our children is facilitating a denaturing of our human-ness. The opportunity is to be centred within & rebuild our culture”
Dan Kittridge is the bare footed gent who coined the term Nutrient density off the back of his dao-ist strategy to create a life that afforded him the time & space to be at home with his young family, living simply with just 10k per year on the land.
Over the next 20 years he became clear that his role was simply to serve & that it's not his job to know what he's doing or attempt to implement a plan rather to be sensitive to what's shown to him & respond in a way that was lead by love enabling him to get out of his head, get out of the ‘shoulds’ & get into the heart, asking instead, what flows.
The result has been the creation of the bionutrient institute, a global speaking profile & a life long commitment to renaturing which he says sits at the centre of solving the poly-crises we face.
“Having the right to land to provide adequate housing & food for every family should be a foundational right. The land cannot be sold but you have access to it sufficient for a simple life.”
"As long as we engage with a colonised mind of separation/fear/division, we will not be able to engage with an indigenous mind of love/flow & unity"
“As long as the structure of our lives require us to work jobs for money that are separating us from nature, we are paddling upstream. It becomes difficult to tune into the flow of nature.”
Loved this? Try these:
Manda Scott - Becoming accidental gods
Damon Gameau - A call to arms for storytellers
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We talked about:
“We are not the body we are carrying around we are effectively individual consciousness that has physical attributes. Accepting this changes the way we interact with each other.”
What is a soul - is it ecological? Or is it transcendent love?
Getting ourselves into right relationship requires a serious restructure of our way of being
Beginning to decolonise starts during early childhood
The money vs time equation
The rule of law is a paradox of control that can be equally exasperating & supportive
Understanding that there is a greater order & you don't have to control everything - you just have to be receptive to what is shown to you.
Using nature to model ourselves- symbiosis. Be your own brilliant unique system & then add mycelium to connect others brilliance
The role that feelings have in the way we make decisions
We dont need to KNOW anything - we are already wired with the knowledge we need
If we just work with nature - we will remember who we are and what we are supposed to do.
"I could live a lifetime here and still be learning - it’s a relationship - the greatest relationship of my life"
Alice Irene Whitaker lives in a small cabin in the woods, is a mother of three, an author of the book “Homing" and host of the 'Reseed podcast, which is about rebuilding our relationship with nature.
Surrounded by creek, meadow, and forest, Alice Irene began a new lifelong journey of repairing her fractured relationship with both herself and the natural world. Dismantling a history of anorexia, obsessiveness, and workaholism, she decided to stop taking and start caretaking.
She shares how taking the leap to a life in a small cabin in the woods where seasons are apparent, repetition is a daily mantra and a shedding of her previous identity onto the forest floor has given her an opportunity to live a lifetime in her new landscape and still be learning from the outside world every day - she sees her surrounds as a relationship-the greatest relationship of her life.
Loved this? Try another one:
Ep 122 Nat Wilmott - Living her dream
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We talked about:
Shifting from an extractive life to a regenerative one
Falling in love with a landscape & experiencing the feeling of every cell in her body opening up.
Seeking treescapes
Acknowledging her body is built for creativity, rest & beauty not just output.
Listening to our own stories above the noise of the modern world
Rewriting our stories in the presence of the natural world rather than the presence of accolades, work & job promotions
Being a baby on her journey towards humanity
Justifying working like a machine because you are doing “burnout for good”
The paradox of finding rest despite being needed for the cause
When you take your growth mindset into the “for purpose” space - needing to unpack this.
Creating care and caretakers in our world.
Why care is not soft” and easy to dismiss but is as important as the wheels of industry
Motherhood transformation - the drama of opening up & cracking open to the idea of what is kept and what is left behind
Being oriented on suffering of others or peace for us all. Children have helped her enjoy the act of love & making it personal and care
Quote - “we are all mothers here” it’s not just about giving birth but is needed for all of us and mother earth
What does it mean to go beyond the mothering of our own small household and relate this to
The power of repetition and observing the things which change and the things that stay the same.
Building relationships with both humans and non-human
Becoming child like when you sit & observe moss
Building networks of people who are interested in your niche areas of interest.
Natural world muse.
Being inspired by the tiny hummingbird
"We need to cultivate a culture of listening in society." But what does it truly mean to listen?
In this episode, we delve into the profound impact that sound can have on our lives as we speak with renowned sound recordist Andrew Skeoch. With his expertise in capturing the essence of nature through sound, Andrew shares his journey of deep listening, the importance of empathetic listening, and how it connects us to the natural world and one another.
Andrew, the author of Deep Listening, records breathtaking natural habitats from across the globe which have gained worldwide attention, with albums that attract tens of thousands of weekly streams on Spotify. His work has also featured in major films like Rabbit Proof Fence, The Jungle Book (2016), and the upcoming Force of Nature starring Eric Bana.
Our conversation delves into the evolution of a heart-centered society that values cooperation over unhealthy competition. Andrew highlights the importance of understanding nature as an ongoing process and discusses how human sensitivity plays a crucial role in shaping our societal values.
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Andrew's Website: https://listeningearth.com/andrewskeoch/
We talked about:
Claire is a multi generational Scottish beef farmer who says 'Ag has potency and potential to be a catalyst on the front line of climate catastrophe'.
As a Nuffield scholar 'exploring the scrutiny being placed on agriculture and how perceptions are changing', she embarked on a world research tour. While travelling, she fell in love with an Australian lad & now finds herself living in rural NSW. So after establishing a strong journalism career steeped in trust & long held relationships on home turf, she now finds herself on this wide brown land in the heat of summer without her networks & a need to rebuild a new life with people who she tells us are more laid back, more inclined to use humour dripping in sarcasm to navigate hard things & are exceptionally resilient.
“Leave judgements at the door & come without bias in order to communicate which is both talking but equally listening, we’ve all got to be prepared to change our mindsets”
“First gen farmers are more daring to have hard conversations & to really listen - they can be brave."
"For progress we need to think outside ag - and not just speak to ourselves."
"When will people other than farmers step into the food system & support the much needed potential for farming to be the potent ecological change making piece it is . Farmers cannot be all the things, they are best to be the land stewards but others need to take up the roles of advocating, supply chain development, consumer education, policy change & story telling"
Links You'll Love
Claire Taylor Linked in
Loved this? Try these:
Gab Chan - building political clout for ag
Helen Rebanks - in honor of the farmers wife
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Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs
Code for Discount: future5
We talked about:
The politics of agriculture - overshadowed by a growing disconnect between politicians in the cities & farmers in the country
Echo chambers are one of the biggest challenges in Ag. Its so important to look up & out to glean perspective on what's happening
We need more patience and understanding in ag because there are deep cultural beliefs & values that will need to shift before practice change can occur
Why its time for farmers to build trust for those who are telling their stories & playing other roles in the food system so we can broaden the scope for support
Ripping the bandaid off & beginning a new life in another country.
Settling her body into a new landscape]
Learning how to say yes to invitations
Learning to be vulnerable with new families and friends
Asking a new friend on a date - you’ll have different friendships at differnt times
The things we do for love - taken in by the boss’s girlfriend
"Creativity is a life force - the universe is inherently creative - once we realise it's not ours - it takes the ego out of it & encourages all of us to utilise it as a gift for the greater good"
Fleur Chambers is a best selling author, mama, philanthropist & of course a master meditator. Actually she is the creator of the free meditation app: The Happy Habit.
Her post partum experience was the catalyst for seeking another way of being in the world & now she positions meditation as something much larger than just supporting the individuals need as a circuit breaker & asks us to get curious about leaning into an emergent way of being & exploring our intentions without a sense of control and striving. We unpack the deep wisdoms of the inner voice - the voice of nature, of the earth, of our body.
We chat about the potency of parenting as an endless source of learning -importantly the value of dropping the expectation on everyone and replacing it with the essence of presence, learning to trust our own inner voice, opening the door on our potential & realising that growth is not about adding on but about peeling back & letting go.
She shares her theory that Creativity is an energy that doesn’t belong to us and is simply a gift to the world at that moment in time
In this conversation she encourages us to unlearn & relearn towards a new story...
"Its time for a new story - where self esteem & confidence is no longer a patriarchal, corporate, growth dominated paradigm…instead the ease comes from learning to listen, acknowledging traumas, shared humanity, cherish, protect & preserve"'
Links You'll Love
All things Fleur Chambers: books, courses
Nate Hagens and Bill Plotkin podcast
Loved this ep, try another:
Ep 83 - Naturally Well with Jo
Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs
Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Books - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters
"The deepest trauma is disconnection from country."
What does it truly mean to heal? How can we reclaim our ancestral wisdom and break free from patterns of diseased thinking?
In this episode, we sit down with Valerie Ringland, a powerful voice in the world of Indigenous healing and restorative justice. Born on traditional Shawnee land in the U.S. and now living on Yuin Country in far southern NSW, Valerie brings a unique blend of Indigenous knowledge, and Western healing practices to her work. She’s the author of the transformative book "Healing Through Indigenous Wisdom," which offers 52 weeks of profound exercises designed to help us reconnect with ourselves, our land, and our lineage.
Valerie challenges us to reimagine cultural expression, confront our wounds head on, and see trauma not as a life sentence but as a spiritual calling. She invites us to explore shame, grief, and belonging as essential parts of our journey toward wholeness.
In this episode you will learn:
- The role of rituals, ceremonies, and ancestral connection in emotional well-being
- How Indigenous wisdom offers powerful tools for self-discovery and community healing
- And why "never enoughness" is a modern disease—and how to break free from it
Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation that will challenge your perspectives, touch the deepest parts of your heart, and inspire you to reconnect with your true essence.
Connect with Valerie:
🌍 Website: Earth Ethos
📘 Facebook: Valerie Ringland
▶️ YouTube: Earth Ethos
Join Valerie at Her Upcoming Events (March 2025):
📍 Retreat Series | Far South Coast, NSW (Yuin Country)
March 28 @ 5PM | Tilba, NSW
📍 Author Talks – International Women's Day (Melbourne, VIC):
🗓️ March 8 @ 11AM | Qi Crystals, Caulfield
🗓️ March 8 @ 3:30PM | Theosophical Society, Melbourne
📍 Author Talks – Far South Coast, NSW:
📖 March 13 @ 3-4PM | Tura Marrang Library, Tura Beach
📖 March 24 @ 10:30AM | Bermagui Library, Bermagui
💫 If today's episode resonates with you, explore Valerie's retreats and author talks through her website Earth Ethos.
Megan has made it her life work to bring the voice of the feminine into our stories, workplaces, communities & ultimately our culture. Ensuring they are heard & have agency to do what we do so well - be women with feminine traits which are celebrated & valued. You'll be delighted to hear its not about minimising the power of men but allowing women to meet them in a place that they have long relished and together they can create a world no longer dominated by the patriachy.
Navigating a hard fought journey of finding her purpose & then having the courage to lean into it, Megan, now in her early 50s is committed to a life that enables women to rise. Author, single mum, business owner & now completing her PHD in women's spirituality - she is taking her leadership role to new heights.
In this conversation she talks about the seasons of life & places the idea that 'what is for you will never pass you'. She shares why change comes from the ground up in democratic environments, she offers tools for male allyship and insights into how & why women are rising. For such a powerhouse, it's reassuring to hear that her 'Enough' is what it is - and having peace in that.
Links you’ll love
Loved this ep? Try this one:
Ep 84 - Naturally well with Jo - being an intuitive generalist and being real about what is possible
Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Books - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters, Huddle - Creating a tomorrow of togetherness
Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs
Its not every day you talk with a flaming locked, beard faced wizard. This one sees through the illusions of modernity & revels in an oscillating state of making progress through decay while genuinely attuning to the living systems in order to see our dire reality.
He attempts to embody our meta crises & seeks insights outside of mere numbers by going into the woods to 'just be'...and perhaps along the way he will experience a physiological quickening that offers hope.
He sees an undercurrent of people returning to ambiguity - warm provocations with room for textured, life filling conversation & he is building a relationship with dusk where in the liminal, he opens himself up to other intelligences & wisdoms, animacy & more than the human world.
He laments our loss of seasonal attunement & encourages us all to re-member (become a member of the earth) to reignite our presence & acuity to notice the small, more than the rational.
This wizard is indeed a wise orator & his words dance through the conversation like twinkling lights, sprinkling provocation that you may need to hear more than once.
Links You'll Love
Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Books - Futuresteading & Huddle
Pod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs
Loved it? Try this:
We talked about:
Meet Hayley - the whizz who usually sits in the editing suite of the Futuresteading pod is in the hot seat today...and a few other days actually...todays episode is the chance to get to know the voice behind a mini series within this season of the futuresteading pod we are calling Stories from the heart. Hayley has been the producer on the pod for the last 6 seasons and now we are introducing her to this side of mic. You'll love her!
From remote Alaskan cottages to inner city haunts, Hayley Jessup has been learning to live from the heart. Her journey has been visceral, gut led and has tapped a curiosity from deep inside her that she unpacks in todays conversation. It’s not just about earth shattering love, it’s about sliding into a comfortable place that stays true to you, your reason to be here and being sure of the work that is yours to do. Because you can and its right.
Loved this? Try these:
Ep 104 Tanya Massy - Can love create unison of head, hands and heart
Ep 69 Lisa Wells - Making a life at the end of the world
Ep 51 Brooke McAlary on the farce of multitasking and the power of slow
Support the Show
Casual Support - Buy Me A Coffee
Regular Support - Patreon
Buy the Book - Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters
We talked about:
Living life in transition
her experience as a naturally curious question asker
Making decisions by intuition
Learning to be heart led
Giving yourself space to be who you need to be.
Her experience living in a remote Alaskan cottage
Her plans for the mini series "from the heart" in this seasons pod.
Tyson Yunkaporta is an Apalech man who is an academic, researcher arts critic & father. He is also the author of Sand Talk, an extraordinary reading experience. Like many of Australia’s First Peoples, he has a complex identity and history but it's this that gives him authority to write and speak in a way which connects the wisdom of the past to the needs of the future.
The way he thinks demands a longer term perspective. He is both philosophical and practical, compassionate yet realistic. He is filled with an other-worldly understanding of humanity. In this conversation he urges us to consider the non linear complexity of the world.
He challenges our expectations, points out cultural shortcomings and invites us to recognise indigenous concepts and their history. Importantly he shows how these patterns have the potential to be incorporated into our non indigenous thinking which builds hope and possibility to benefit us all.
“I don’t have answers but I know that stories connect us to country. Country knows the answers. Notice it and be a custodian".
Episode Summary
Minimising abstractions between lore and land
The illusion of the environment which is hidden by siloed systems
Let’s look like dickheads for a minute while we work out the path forward
Looking for seasonal signs and responding to them
Lore carries recipes for how to live our lives with story and pattern
Coming back into rhythm with the natural world
Running out of time - the time to reconnect with country is now
The dominating authoritarianism in the western world demands people are disconnected from the landscape
Mutual aid activism - not about throwing bombs but making sure everyone is fed.
Self determination being thwarted by authoritarianism
Stop looking at things and look at structures, systems and patterns instead
Quietly getting on with it - syndicate your neighbourhood with the next neighbourhood
The bullshit of nation building is key in the decimation of connection to country.
Activism is an industry
Positive and negative feedback loops to understand how symbioses interlock with others
Story, ceremony and ritual for real thinking and real meaning making
Until art became capital it was something that every human did every day to understand their place in the world
How do we find a way of storytelling without reducing it to words
"Image, dance, song - can all portray story but they have no depth of meaning if they don't have place"
The lore is in the land
"Leave those who are pecking over the carcass of the earth to their dying beliefs and the rest of us can get on with rebuilding relationships, stories, knowledge and place. Quietly and with people"
Why we need to stop self flagellating acknowledgments of country and start building relationships
References
Viktor Stefanson - fire country management
Sand Talk - Tyson Yunkaporta
The other others - podcast.
Thanks to our podcast partners:
Buy the Book
Futuresteading - Live Like tomorrow matters
Shout out to the rockstars who smooth the sound Open Door Studios