I'm one of the "masses" who have fully caught on. I've followed and dabbled in your collapse series since you started, but to be honest I've been too scared to read and take it in properly. Over the past few weeks I've consumed the Wild collapse series and finally given myself space to take it in.
While I still can't fathom it, it gives words to what I've been feeling about the world for a long time.
The message from you, and those like Meg Wheatley,about this now being the time to show up withI'm one of the "masses" who have fully caught on. I've followed and dabbled in your collapse series since you started, but to be honest I've been too scared to read and take it in properly. Over the past few weeks I've consumed the Wild collapse series and finally given myself space to take it in.
While I still can't fathom it, it gives words to what I've been feeling about the world for a long time.
The message from you, and those like Meg Wheatley, about this now being the time to show up, connect and serve with the skills and kindness that you have.
I am a farmer and a psychologist. I sometimes hesitate showing up in these spaces, because we are not regenerative farmers. We farm in very marginal country in South Australia, and like you say, we absolutely are at the face of climate change. But as I've watched my 10 year old son work through the heat over the past few days, I've realised that what we do is vital. Food production is going to get harder, and less comfortable - although everyone is working to make it more comfortable - so those that can slog it through the discomfort are vital.
I'm also a psychologist, and I'm passionate about farming mental health and wellbeing. As farmers, I don't think we will be able to make any of the changes and adaptation we need to make if we aren't taking care of our wellbeing and emotional resilience. Your work has reaffirmed for me, the importance of my work. And of community, and big-hearted courage, and the work for all of us in learning how to really be human.
Steph, thank you so much for sharing this. I'm not sure I have a response, other than I hear your honesty and your courage. You are at the coal face as a farmer and parent... I applaud your bravery. Be sturdy and gentle, dear friend x
Hi Steph, thanks for sharing your raw stepping into the space. I’m a farmer too and have found a safe ground in the ‘farmers footprint’ Australian group. I’m also starting a small group of likeminded farmers to begin a community to help each other out. I think farming will be so important in the coming change. (I still have trouble saying collapse because somewhere in my head collapse seems so final and I see the future as a change that has to occur, but we will still need to grow, and sell food for humans. Welcome and all the best x
Oh gosh Sarah, yes I felt it exactly as you articulated. I’m no longer ‘Mad Mother’ the pattern recognition and ability to see outside this system has been hard to live with. It’s never been about being right, but prepared and ready to be of service. Why would it be any other way, for gentle, intelligent people? I can feel my kids respect, no longer swayed by the old capitalist narrative. There is a dramatic shift and I feel calm, ready and rested. Thanks for your wisdom and leadership, I’ll continue my hiking and challenge my caffeine addiction. The memes are brilliant!
Welcome back Sarah, I have thought of you so often over the break. So glad you are feeling rested and ready for the fuckery that is already here.
I’m an Aussie living in Toronto and my oldest is studying in the States. He came home for Christmas ready to discuss the memes, oligarchy, the metacrisis, all of it.. it’s been a lot but so real, so
grounding, a moment to discuss and reaffirm our values as a family, how we are going to support each other through this new year and beyond, what we are going to focus on, unsubscribing, protecting our mental health, where we’re getting our news and information. Sure I tried to bring a lot of these things up before but the eye rolls have largely gone as shit is undeniable.
The vibe shift is palpable, the change of language has been so swift it’s enough to give a person whiplash
However, I like you choose to be an island of sanity, I want to be able to hold space for those around me (and back home) who are finally beginning this journey or allowing themselves to acknowledge what they’ve probably known for awhile but haven’t wanted to face. I am prioritising my health, I want to be strong and robust in body and spirit, I want to be of service
I have so much gratitude for you Sarah, seeing you wrestling with it all here in real time, grappling, pushing through despair and past hope has been so galvanising for me..my heart has also been cracked open, my mind has been changed, it isn’t so clouded by outrage and anxiety anymore, sure I still have daily What fresh hell is this moments but I don’t live there, I simply can’t if I want to stay sane
Thankyou for introducing me to workers in this sphere like Nate Hagens, Meg Wheatley, Vanessa Andreotti et al ..many a repeat listen to their podcast episodes has occurred
I feel like I’ve found my tribe here and we are here to support you through to the completion of the book and beyond x
Yes, I’ve noticed the vibe shift! The fires are some sort of tipping point. I’m seeing less “praying for you” more “this system doesn’t work” and more “community is the only thing that will save us”.
I’m receiving less DMs saying WTAF and more saying “what are we going to do?”. Instead of giving ideas, I’ve been responding with “LESS HATING MORE IDEATING” or “what do YOU reckon we should do?” because I’m trying to educate people that the risk of coming up with ideas and implementing them cannot be born by a few people who are willing to speak up - it’s not fair, it’s a big burden to carry and it doesn’t work!
I’ve changed tack. Instead of talking about the future as dystopian, I’m telling everyone how BORING it’s going to be. Because it is. AI art? YAWN. This seems to be hitting a nerve.
During BLM I thought all problems are class and inequality problems. But I didn’t really realise it or integrate it. Do you know what I mean? I’m shocked at myself. Yep, It’s taking collective validation through memes for it to truly sink in.
Sarah, god your timing is always just spot on. I needed to hear the part about vigilantly resting nerves. Thanks for narrating the times!
I totally know what you mean re the integration. I'm reckoning with my own seductive ways of keeping things academic and righteous, of noticing only what suits me. A healthy amount of shame must be part of this.
Yes! Thanks for saying this! Shame is brilliant! It’s one of those things that when experienced individually is deadly, but as a community it only has barbed edges - when one person feels shame we are truly all responsible. So we distribute the risk but we also have more ideas to prevent it happening in the future.
It’s funny I was just thinking that old Greek people can sometimes view shame a bit differently to the current definition (which I think feels a bit more like, you should be embarrassed). They sometimes give it a broader, softer definition - they tutt tutt tutt “shame” “how did this happen?” They understand that sometimes the root is beyond them. Anyway I don’t want to romanticise it too much. Loving this convo! 💗
Oh, amazing thoughts. Thanks so much for posting these thoughts and anecdotes. I’d not thought of shame this way before and I’m enlightened by these concepts.
Until people start killing the billionaires nothing will change. Nobody wants to admit this. Sure all of us are awake but most of America is still asleep. Wonder what its going to take to wake them up.
Definitely noticed the vibe shift! More people in my real life seem to be opening their eyes, if only for a moment. More willing to engage in the conversations I try to have when I mention collapse being the cause of something they are complaining about or correlations realised.
Outside of that - funnily (?),the first thing most noticeable to me was this desperation to *do something* about it has resulted in the majority of people in my online sphere independently committing to a ‘no buy’ year…
Humans are endlessly fascinating. This year will be a lot, and I’m steadying myself in preparation. Thanks for the post, as always x
I'm inspired by the "no buy" year idea, and I'm curious about whether there are parameters suggested, or whether it is what works for your own life?
At first blush it sounds like an austerity measure, but I don't want to assume that austerity is the spirit of the movement. Is it about finding abundance in one's humanity, in others, and in creation, and orienting purchasing choices from there? I'd so much rather ask someone now and have a conversation than google it! The reason I ask is that I read your comment here the same day a friend recommended Emily Nagoski's podcast Come As You Are, specifically the one about pleasure and abundance where she talks with Adrienne Marie Brown. They weave in Audre Lorde's work about pleasure being the deepest sense of aliveness and presence to the animating force within us, and how eroticism isn't purely a sexual thing (as current economic and social systems would have us believe), but flows out of being deeply connected with our whole selves to life. Open to life, vulnerable in its hands, and allowing what animates life to convict us that joy for joy's self is a noble goal. And that this deep connection, this union that we have and practice with our souls, minds, and bodies the life force within us liberates us from systems that seek to enslave and hold a person captive in scarcity and unmet longing. These women are geniuses. Brown talks about how pleasure is a daily practice for her, which means consuming art, music, poetry, etc. amidst other things that she finds liberate her to dwell in that place of life's abundance.
So, I'm guessing that "buy nothing" doesn't mean don't buy the art, books, poetry, music, food, etc. that can be so life-giving (and support someone's livelihood!) but be abundantly conscious of what we are buying and the purpose it serves in our lives: ie asking does it reverence the earth? Does it bring pleasure? Does it help me embody and experience joy "despite the facts" as Wendell Berry writes, so that my joy is a shelter of kindness and respite, or a fountain pouring forth from my spirit to quench thirst for kindness, truth-telling, and love? That either slakes or completely bypasses the endless longing for more, more, more that capitalism convinces people will never be satisfied (or lies about that longing being satisfied with the next new product that promises transformation or happiness in some capacity). Does it mean that purchasing this person's art that brings me deep rumbling joy about being alive allows them to eat and support themselves? Case in point: I ordered a new copy of Elizabeth Oldfield's "Fully Alive" this morning, because I know I will learn something, it will challenge me and bring intellectual satisfaction, and it will also bring me joy. I want to live in alignment with others in a life-giving movement that subverts the principalities and powers at hand, and buying nothing seems like a gorgeous one. Not gonna lie; it also helps me rationalize that buying art and paying the fee for a dance class to learn how to shuffle instead of replacing our 25 year old dishwasher that is about to die is a noble thing 😅. I hope that this makes sense to others and is not just endless rambling.
I love this Madeleine and I think that is exactly the goal of no buy. Not stop buying everything but stop the unconscious and hungry buying to feed the instant gratification dopamine hits that people have found themselves chasing, fed by the mindless social media scrolling that constantly puts stuff we don't need in our immediate path. It's saying no to all that and yes to things that bring us actual happiness, connection and knowledge. Like live music, art, comedy and writing. But also time with others over things.
Wow Madeleine, this is definitely next level for me! I have wholeheartedly been practicing buying minimally and prioritising the provenance of the things I purchase for about 20 years or so. However I never really looked at the philosophy of how we get addicted to this consumerist culture and the (significant) role that our own sense of "lack" plays in this addiction, which is usually the result of dysfunctional family systems.
Back to practicalities, I believe that provenance is the key here. Instead of just popping into the shops when we "need" something we need to shift our mindset to question where it came from. I am also a big fan of "buy local", not only are you supporting someone in your community but it also limits transport costs. The questions we need to ask ourselves whenever we buy anything is: who grows it, where was it grown, what processing occurred and where, were the people in the supply chain adequately remunerated for their services, what resources were involved in production and where did they come from (unethical sources?)... and so on. I think overall that Europe has a much more decentralised model for food distribution than either the US or Australia and the quality (and flavour) is often higher as well as the supply chain is much shorter.
As well as "buy nothing" groups there are also many gardening/homesteading groups where swapping produce and sharing knowledge and skills is standard.
Another big thing is beauty and cleaning products. The clever marketing systems would have you believe that you need a particular product for every different thing. You don't! There are many simple things in your pantry that you can use for effective cleaning and for your "beauty" routine and the bonus is you don't have any of those horrid chemical perfumes. Eg I've been making my own moisturiser (4-6 ingredients) and a gorgeous facial spray (from my own roses) for many years.
Sorry, I've turned this into a bit of a lecture but I get a bit passionate about these things when I get started. I'm very happy to share more if anyone has questions.
Back to your question about art Madeleine. I think art (including books, music and dance) are essential to our overall wellbeing and are a wise investment. I have quite a few art pieces that sing to me from the many talented local artists in our community, so I'm actually supporting the work of creative people I know... win, win 🥰
For those interested in more information here we go @peaceparade @hayleybb
https://mommypotamus.com This website is really useful and informative. Heather is really good at explaining things simply. She explains why she uses particular ingredients and why and has links to further info. My only caveat is that US tablespoon measures are 15ml, not 20ml as in Australia (and maybe elsewhere).
It sounds more complicated than I remember but then I've been making it for a while. I just boil the kettle rather than use another saucepan and use a pyrex jug to mix all the ingredients. NOTE: don't lift your blender off the bottom of the jug until the mixture thickens. I did once and it was extremely messy 😳
My suggestions for a more sustainable and less toxic lifestyle (in no particular order):
1. pick one and start NOW, add more when you can!
2. Switch to Non-perfumed Cleaning/Washing Products – most mass produced products contain chemical perfumes (called volatile organic compounds or VOCs) which contribute significantly to indoor pollution. You will also find most perfumes are chemical compounds! You can even make your own cleaning/beauty products – it’s actually really easy with a few staple ingredients (see above links). The biggest shift required is the one in your head!
3. Grow Some Food - start with your favourite herbs or even sprouts, most grow well in pots. If you’re a newbie find a local social media group to join for advice, I’ve found them especially friendly and useful. Beware though, it can be addictive =P
4. Reduce Consumption by only buying what you need. Buy second hand where you can as it's often much better quality (especially clothes). Research beforehand for bigger items and buy good quality rather than cheap stuff that breaks and ends up in land fill before you know it.
5. Buy Local where you can, excess transport contributes to CO2 emissions. Farmers markets are a great place to buy veggies and produce, you get to meet the people who grow them and your dollar goes in their pocket. There’s also a bunch of seasonal veggie box deliveries available if time is an issue, ask friends/neighbours for recommendations or search online.
6. Read Labels, especially when buying food. My rule of thumb is that more than five ingredients (or unpronouncable ones) usually indicates that it isn’t nourishing food. Many labels are misleading and the reality is hidden in the fine print. Eg “organic” or “earth” is sometimes used in the brand name to imply that the contents are grown organically or sustainably!
7. Gluten Sensitive? you may just be sensitive to the chemicals that are sprayed on wheat to deter the bugs. Try organic bread and wheat products for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. Proper sourdough also helps with breaking down some of the enzymes in wheat that can also be problematic for sensitive digestion systems.
8. Food Scraps can Feed Animals and the Soil – don’t throw them in the bin!
- get a bokashi bin
- or a worm farm
- find a neighbour that composts or has chooks and offer your scraps
- if you have a garden with crappy soil dig a trench, add food scraps and cover with about 10cm of soil. Do this until the trench is filled and dig another. In no time you will have earthworms and volunteer veggies if you water it occasionally.
- better still, start a compost bin of your own – great for adding nutrients to the soil in your garden and potted plants
9. Question Everything You Throw in the Bin – did you really need it, could I use something more sustainable/reusable, can I use less of it, can someone else make use of it, can it be repurposed for something else?
10. What is the Most Sustainable *insert product*? – it's usually the one you already have. Don’t buy more until you’ve finished what you already have, the idea is to reduce your waste.
I'd also like to know more. And Madeleine that's a great question. I'm literally only in fb for buy nothing and to find second hand local items if I really need something. I do my best to ignore the rest of the platform but it still distracts me sometimes. I'd really prefer to just have nothing to do with it.
Yes, me too! We have an incredible swap page in my neighbourhood on FB and I’ve gotten most of my clothes there in the past 5 years. That’s would be the only reason to stay.
Please lecture! These are tangible deliverables that I can grasp onto so that concepts become embodied practices. Would you share your process for making moisturizer?
I've come to the conclusion that I have to quit social media with the announcement of Meta platforms removing misinformation guardrails. Does anyone know of any other apps that include swap/buy nothing groups?
I started reading the recent hype about the "change" in meta policing guidelines but I'd already witnessed on many occasions how ineffective and biased it was anyway. Probably using basic AI with no human discernment for obvious scam profiles, posts etc. On balance, fakebook provides me with useful connections, despite all the crap, so for the time being I'll be staying, mostly for the homesteading and buy nothing groups. However if a viable alternative presents itself I'm all for it!
Everyone I follow is doing it a little bit differently! Majority of it is centred around fashion (reducing or eliminating excessive purchasing). I’ve seen a lot of people committing to the Rule of 5, an anti-consumption movement created by Tiffanie Darkie (https://substack.com/@tiffaniedarke?r=9rxj2&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile). I assume the Netflix doco Buy Now! has done for this generation what The True Cost did in 2015!
Others I have followed on YouTube for a while have come to apply this more broadly in life. Lots of crossover with the minimalism movement obviously, but the increase I’ve seen has definitely extended well beyond that community. Super inspiring to me too!
I love your querying around the balance between ‘buy nothing’ and life’s pleasure. Come As You Are is a fantastic read but I would have never connected that abundance here! Thank you for your interrogation and expanding my thinking with this. By default, I resist purchasing books if I can borrow them from the library - but similarly, if there are works that I know will add value and pleasure to my life, I would not think twice. I also value supporting authors, artists, makers and creators far more than replacing a dishwasher (or in my case, washing machine 😂).
All we can do is live more and more in alignment with our values, lead by example and hope that others are watching…
Thanks so much for your reply. I was so struck by Emily Nagoski’s use of Audre Lorde’s thinking around scarcity and abundance and to encounter the buy nothing movement on the same day was super thought provoking. I will look up Tiffany!
I tried to stop buying last year . Didn’t succeed but made a fair dint in it! This year I will try only buying food, drink, “body products” only made locally & experiences. Treats can be really nice good food. Just finished writing a college essay on degrowth. Think it has helped.
I am so relieved to read that others are catching on to the no buy philosophy. I'm constantly dismayed and how this seems to be a missing part of the "what can we do" conversations that happen in my daily life, and also in the media and public conversations. Sure, get solar panels etc. etc. etc. but how about sacrificing what we think we need for what really matters. The best part of making a commitment like this is that your mind shifts, and it just becomes so easy to not buy. There is joy in making do with what you have.
This is my first comment here Sarah. I just want to thank you. Without your work, I would not be coping. Your reminder to us of our role to be deeply human, to connect and to love during these times and as things descend further gives me clarity, reassurance and a path forward. I can’t change much, but I can do those things. So thank you again for being a beacon to us as the dark clouds roll in.
Welcome Joysee! Thanks for the care in writing this. We can most certainly do these things (love, connect etc), and this experience (collapse) has nudged us (shoved us) to this truth.
Of course it’s the entire system. And it’s way more complex than we can ever truly understand . Most things are. Thinking we know much about something is a human way of trying to gain agency & control over something we don’t have much control over.
We were born into it & have to become slaves to it in order to function, to survive.
The very process of being human and the fact that you are alive means you are going to negatively affective the planet in some way as you’ll need to use its resources.
Try using your phone, computer, going to the shops, even taking medication without supporting a system that has used slaves and environmental degradation to get you that phone or meds. You literally can’t.
Capitalism is woven into everyday existence.
I have spoken to many “everyday” people who have deep suspicions about the elite power structures/people that rule the world.
In fact, I’ve noticed, in my experience that the everyday tradie, average joe or those from difficult & less educated backgrounds learn this much sooner as they grew up harshly and are forced to develop street smarts.
They may not have the fancy language or education to explain eloquently how it works - but they KNOW . It tends to be the better educated, naive middle to upper class who take longer to come to this observation.
You just have to do your best, be conscious & intentional question things, and not blame 99% of humans who are stuck in this. The question becomes how you can survive with joy and happiness amongst this. Nurture your inner world so it becomes a safe space and refuge.
As a side note: my Aunt went to Church on Xmas Day (as she does every year, having grown up Catholic), but this year - for the first time in her 69 years of life - 90% of the church was empty!
All the extra seating they had put out, and bring out every year (as Xmas brings in every stray) were empty. It was akin to a Tuesday evening weekday mass service during the school year . She was so shocked she sent me a video - on her iPhone none the less.
I agree re tradies et al. It's the same with Indigenous people. They have watched the system from the periphery, or from below. In the case of the former, many have been sucked into dangerous conspiracy pipelines...but I get why.
Welcome back Sarah and all the brave nodders in this community. I hope everyone had an opportunity to decompress during the break ☺️
Like Racheal I did not experience this shift either, in fact quite the opposite! However I did a lot more socialising than normal and I find the mindless gift exchange at this time of year quite challenging, despite my efforts to lead by example. Everything excessive seems so intensified!
Today I'm finding it difficult to hold the extremes of everything. It’s almost like there’s an urgency “to party hard and consume everything before it’s all over”.
I have to admit my response yesterday to the headline “celebrities lose multi-million dollar homes” was almost one of disgust rather than any compassion for their loss, as I’m sure they all have multiple dwellings. I usually just skim headlines to keep abreast of what’s happening but maybe I need to follow my own advice and stay off mainstream media?
On a lighter note, I read Gina Chick’s biography during the break and can thoroughly recommend it. It’s a lyrical love song to life and all its beautiful, messy, amazing, excruciating experiences. BTW Gina also believes that dancing is crucial 😉
Our discussion over dinner tonight included the LA fires and then I realised that in the aftermath of those fires it will make LA look a lot like Gaza right now.
Speaking of.. a news snippet this morning quoted "a Pacific Palisades resident born in Israel" talking of the loss of his home in the fires. That was a wtf moment for me
Once again, you’ve captured the sentiment accurately and compassionately, Sarah – thank you! I’ve been looking forward to your return.
I’ve definitely felt a shift, online at least, not so much in the real world – mainly because I tend to avoid people. My partner and I are on the same page, but I don’t see friends that often, and when I do, the topic rarely arises.
I’ve been sharing many a meme, for no other reason than to communicate where I stand on these issues. To signpost my pro-humanity, pro-planet, anti-capitalist radicalisation. Beyond that, I feel fairly impotent – and scared.
I’ve noticed some cartoonists for mainstream newspapers (well, The Guardian, namely) have upped the ante on collapse/poly-crisis themes. They’re using the collapse language, which I find heartening.
At the same time, I’m rattled by the sense that the more people catch on, the more the ruling class and anti-social types are bristling and wanting to seize/maintain control. Elon’s unravelling gets more dangerous, and that Tate creature launching his own political party in the UK? I mean, JFC!! The class/gender/everything else war will be cataclysmic…
I’m also keeping my social accounts for now. Begrudgingly. I’ve stayed on Twitter because a lot of collapse experts are on there, but I’m slowly shifting to Bluesky – for what that’s worth. Only on Facebook for the writing and music groups. Instagram is my main one and is still tolerable for now.
Curious why you’ve put the one year deadline on it, Sarah – is it because that’s the rough timeline for Zuckerberg rolling out the end of fact-checking (in Australia, at least, so I read)?
I agree too that the online space needs counter views – more and more!
Yes, I've questioned why I share the memes...but it is, as you say, to merely signpost humanity. Our resistance counts.
I share your fear, too. I'm hoping the vibe shift is a trickle for now....enough to make people wary.
The one-year deadline - correlates with my writing projects which still require SM amplification. It's about leveraging the last gasps out of the service for my bigger ends.
Ah, yes that makes sense re social media to get the message out for your upcoming works. I need to take a leaf out of your book and plan ahead. I’m more of a ‘pantser’ - in everything!
Yes, there are more people in my sphere waking up, too. There is a deep sobriety in conversations about the future. I'm so grateful for your gift of articulating the present times and making me smile with your humour and wryness, even through my tears of grief and sorrow. Of sharing the creative wisdom inherent in your personality as you describe such painful things -- it makes this process feel like sitting around in a pub with friends and discovering that we all know and can sing the same song. And of finding permission here to hold both joy and grief in the complexity of what it means to be human right now.
I have held pain about the world this past year in ways that have contributed to a physical illness, and I've had to seek medical help -- an outcome of which is wearing a vibrating mechanism on my sternum sometimes in order to calm my vagal nerve (I was skeptical, but it works!). I'm not sure if being crushed physically and spiritually has allowed me to rise, but enduring the pain has opened me to the kinds of beauty and love that cannot be taken away. Yesterday my husband and I walked our dog after the sun had set, and the moon shone so bright, and the stars and planets were out, and the snow sparkled, and kids on the sledding hill laughed in the distance, and our hearts swelled with the experience of the beauty that was gifted to us. I find myself turning to my nearest and dearest with a deep invitatory love that is also sheltering me. At coffee with a friend, I had tears come to my eyes at the realization that the holiness I seek is found in shadows and deep personal connections, and that I want to orient my whole self to an honest and sturdy kind of love with parameters different than I've had up to now. I want to rediscover so much with the gift of age related wisdom -- like the elevating moment of experiencing wonder and marvel in my soul and senses. And how the gift of starting my 50's brings an intellectual sweetness of how moments of wonder at this world connect me to humans across time who have written down or painted or composed the glorious enchantment or weight and heft of the life that they've known. I'm going to start telling my friends how much I love them, not just the ones who I know will say it back. I want to be tilled by life so that the roots of what might grow from my life after I die go deep, and so that my kids and hubs and friends feel me in the places they also feel light shining in themselves.
Life is, and has been, such gift. This place online is such a gift. My girl https://substack.com/@missnataliemarie, where U at? You have such wisdom about these things; so looking forward to what you have to say as well. You and Sarah both have this crazy gift of being able to write about things that could potentially create existential dread, but that direct the reader towards an experience of pleasure. It's nuts, and so wonderful! I'm here for it.
Sorry to hear you're experiencing physical manifestations of the world's pain, Madeleine! Mind you, my teeth grinding during sleep is in overdrive, which I attribute to existential stress...
Good to hear that vibrating device works. My psychologist recommended something similar, so I might invest in one.
And what a beautiful sentiment you express here:
"I want to be tilled by life so that the roots of what might grow from my life after I die go deep, and so that my kids and hubs and friends feel me in them in the places they also feel light shining in themselves."
Hi All, I'm not sure I'm too late to the teeth grinding discussion. I have ground out 4 molars and have tried everything, including botox in the mandible (it just made my jawline drop). One thing that does work for me and it's almost free - I tape my mouth with a small strip of medical tape each night. I use the very light paper tape you get for a few dollars at the pharmacy. It works!
Yikes, that's some serious grinding - you and Ellen both! Hmm, I'm even less inclined to try botox now. An occupational therapist recommended mouth taping, but I've been too scared to try it. My catastrophising brain imagines all the bad 'what ifs' that could happen. I'm sure I mouth breathe in my sleep cos I so often wake up with a scratchy throat and post-nasal drip, so mouth taping makes sense - if I can get past the fear.
I totally get your fear response Virginia. I have difficulty with anything covering my mouth or hindering my breath in any way.
Would it help to fold the ends of the tape over itself so you have one or two "easy to grab" tabs? Maybe even do a few practice runs while you're awake so your body becomes familiar with the process?
Thanks for sharing your experience with botox Sarah. It reinforces my intuitive reaction to the idea and my saggy jawline doesn't need any encouragement!
I remember reading about your tape tip elsewhere and definitely need to give it a go now I know why you recommend it.
Seems like there's some shared traits in this community of nodders and grinders 😜
And your observation about clenched jaws is so true. There have been moments where I feel like if I let out a scream that I will never stop. That image of a clenched jaw from having to keep one's mouth shut reminds me of something my midwife said during labour: for women to let the deepest groan from the very center of who they are to flow throughout contractions and to embrace it body and soul and not fear it, because it opens everything up and allows life to come. Seems a fitting image for releasing the grief and gratitude that are crying out to be born/articulated.
Thanks, that’s so interesting - and not surprising! I’ve been grinding for decades and I’m onto my 3rd mouth splint/night guard. 😆 I’ve found infra red light and massage help relax the jaw muscles too, but nothing has stopped the grinding so far. Gotta go deeper into the psyche for that. 🙂
Aah, me too Virginia. I've trashed all my bottom molars over the last few decades (despite the splint/s) and in the last few months my jaw has spit the dummy (ha ha, pardon the pun) and reminding me I need to do something (more). My GP suggested botox to relax the jaw and interrupt the habit... me, not so sure ATM. Thanks for the reminder about the infra red, I'll up the ante on that in the short term while I keep plodding away at healing my nervous system (but that's a very slow process).
Maybe I (and you) need to follow Madeleine's suggestion and go somewhere to roar and unleash some of the emotions we stashed deep down in our bodies all those years ago!
I was amazed at how allowing that deep groan to come from my core made Liam's delivery relatively effortless compared to my first experience with labour. It made me realize how conditioned we are to silence it in order to be compliant with what is expected of us in daily life. Which is not necessarily a bad thing entirely -- but it sure does cost the body in some ways.
Ha! Sending you a grinder’s jaw grimace in solidarity, Ellen - it’s my attempt at smiling these days. 😉
My dentist also suggested Botox, but my neurologist said try acupuncture again. Both are too much $$ for me right now. Yeah, I’ll stick with the infra red, massage and therapy. Sometimes belting out angry songs at karaoke (or home) helps too, as does screaming into a pillow. But a primal roar, somewhere in nature, along the lines of Madeleine’s idea sounds wonderful!
There are some great jaw release meditations online too.
Thanks for this message ❤️. I hope that you are able to experience peace and respite too, in the ways that you need. I work in a profession where tuning in to the world's pain, transmuting it, and creating a message of hope and courage is part of the job description, and I think that the weight of it, and a few things that were happening personally, tipped the balance into starting from square one with recovering from a neurological injury from Covid. I couldn't manufacture hope to encourage others when I felt buried by the world's pain. Considering that it is truth we must practice, rather than hope, (edited to add: per the first few chapters of the serialization) legitimated what I was feeling inside and gave me permission to exhale and trust that I could remain intact and inhale again, metaphorically.
Oh! Sounds like you've been dealing with a lot. Also sounds like meaningful work you do, but yes, I can see it would take its toll on you.
Thanks for the Sensate link - that's the brand my old psych recommended! Yes, quite pricey. That's so very generous of you to share the loophole, thank you. I've started with a new psych (previous one retired) and I feel drawn to explore some therapies with her first. So, if you know someone else with a more urgent need for a Sensate, please share it with them.
This is beautifully written, as always. I feel that there are many of us "canaries" who are feeling the world's collective disease through our own bodies. I myself have been to many doctors and therapists over the past two years, and know that the more research I do into the myriad issues/problems, the worse my symptoms can become. Sarah's space is one of healing for me on so many levels.
Also, I truly hope that the things you are experiencing in your body diminish as you move forward; that you experience more and more healing of the things that cause discomfort and trouble. And that you are able to keep doing such beautiful work academically that is pure gift and truth telling.
Thank you, Madeleine! I think we all have to figure out how to navigate all of this without internalizing it too much. Find a way to digest it, so to speak, which is taking spiritual/mental acclimating that can manifest in physical symptoms. I'm learning to adapt!
I’m so sorry to hear of your physical pain but grateful that you have some solutions and your “I want to orient my whole self to an honest and sturdy kind of love with parameters different than I've had up to now …” gosh yes. I’m feeling that as I have been confronted with some issues that has led me to dig deep and go with love and truth. As always thank you for your eloquent words.
Thank you, Dianne. I wonder if this is a phenomenon that arrives in mid-life? I'm bewildered that I am supposed to fight aging, according to our economic systems. I love getting older; the acceptance and wisdom born out of suffering and joy brings a kind of peace that nothing else can give.
When I read your thinking that 'the masses are catching on' I was surprised by this as this hasn't been my experience over the break. Sadly, in my circles, I don't see anything changing at all. I still had a cousin gushing about how she bought the latest fast fashion item for only $12.50 from Shien. When I mentioned to my hairdresser (white male who's super into conspiracy theories about the moon landing and pyramids) about the govt fining a company for breaking the law, he responded with "yeah, but what are the govt getting out of it? They should be giving that money back to the people", and I was like um, they do, hence roads, hospitals and schools and don't you want the govt to fine companies for doing the wrong thing?! Whenever politics came up at family Xmas events it was about who people liked more (Albo or Dutton) and never about actual policies. And I still can't believe that Trump was voted in on the understanding that he and all his billionaire mates in charge are working for the struggling middle class in middle America. How could so many millions of Americans believed this ridiculous notion? If things were starting to change how can all this be? Then I looked at your comments and saw that many people agree with you, which is heartening.
I really commend you for staying so calm and not being cross with people. Your point about 'we kept buying iphones' for example. I don't know how not to be cross at the people who buy iPhones. I've always had 2nd hand one and many versions behind. If no one brought them brand new and so there were never any 2nd hand ones, I'd be cool with that. I've just had a baby and everything we have is 2nd hand from friends, family, the salvos and FB Marketplace. Yet I was listening to a couple going through everything they bought brand new from Baby Bunting like all that stuff just popped out of thin air and the earth wasn't plundered and polluted to make it all. I'm finding it hard to get past the feeling that I've been trying so hard to do what I can to help for so long now and it's all for nothing, because most people have not been trying and don't know or care. I know I need to find a way to move past this.
Anyway, I will be defiant with you Sarah. 2025, let's go!
Racheal, one way to “move past this”: Know that you are living your values AND know you create a ripple effect well beyond what you can see. Hang in there and know your actions matter.
Yep and yep. Finally more are paying attention. Still the world wedges itself more tightly into the hands of right wing conservatives … conserving what ??? Their money and power of course… are the rest of us capable of using our collective power to build the momentum to unwedge us? We shall see but.. yes… It’s gonna get ugly. Like you, I’m feeling calmer and steady after a break. My resolve is to take a break every 6 weeks so I can remain grounded and helpful. So good to have you back, rested and clear, Sarah.
I’m aligning my 6 weekly rests with the ‘sabbath’ , solstice, equinox and midpoints as indigenous people have. Connection and noticing our Earth turnings
I love this and leaning into living this way too. Returning to our natural cycles and seasons feels like the safest and most certain refuge in all of this.
I've recently become very interested in rituals, natural rhythms, marking seasonal changes etc. I'm currently reading "Rewilding the Urban Soul" by Claire Dunn (highly recommend), so for me this interest has been in the context of radically connecting with nature, slowing down, learning to pause, and notice, and go deep in my relationships with others and the earth.
I like the idea of also using cycles to rest and recharge for the purpose of staying "okay" amongst the chaos.
It’s been quite the start has 2025, friends. Welcome back dear Sarah (and happy belated). As a brilliant mentor instilled in me over the last year, there is no more room for keeping myself - ourselves - small. It’s big, brave, sturdy, relentlessly welcoming or…well….bust probably. Anyone else noticing the onslaught of newsletters in their Substack feed trying to make sense of the f*ckery that can no longer be ignored or explained away? Exhibit A to the thesis of this post!
I’m pretty tired tbh, but clear eyes and feeling spectacularly nonplussed at distraction. Making plans, learning skills, defining my sphere of influence. I might need a fresh notebook. I hope everyone here is safe and as ok as they can muster. K ☺️
I have SO noticed the onslaught, particularly among heterodox writers! I wrote about it a month or two ago. i've unsubscribed from most of them now. I find it too painful to watch...I somehow expect more from bright writers.
PS thanks for reporting that odd comment...I sorted it.
Welcome back Sarah and glad to hear you have given your nervous system some decompression and recovery time. Wishing you and the everyone here strength, courage, resourcefulness and community to face whatever the year ahead brings to us all and to be able to remain compassionate to ourselves (thus when to know when our own nervous systems need to decompress too) and (most) others and to still find joy in simple things when given the opportunity.
Sarah, I am really encouraged by this post that you see more people recognising the reality.
After all the years of studying collapse, I now see that it’s actually demolition that is going on and most of that is deliberate demolition. Gaza is the shop window, for those who reign misery, violence and suffering on those who get in their way of grabbing land and resources.
We are being warned of what could come…thats I why love that you are setting an example in fortifying yourself and managing your boundaries , values and humanity 💖
The bulk of humans are creating, dreaming and living as best they can. Who do you know personally thats tearing things down ?
I have now come to believe the tearing it down, is the deliberate dismantling of our societies, family’s, , food supply’s, financial and most of the infrastructure that we rely on. The chaos, collapse and alienation caused can then be replaced by a technocracy/ techno fascism , centralised control.
This is too strong for most and I hope I am wrong.
My concern is that the bulk of people will be seduced by the bright shiny technology , the marketing and hype. Volunteering to lose their freedoms , privacy and agency to the tech bros and the plan for one world governance..
This initially sounded like conspiracy theories to me , but there is lots of evidence to back this up..especially from the World Economic Forum, hiding in plain sight.
Collapse is inevitable in any civilisations life cycle, knowing this means competition and resources going to what comes next and who will be in power. This is what is happening on the geo political stage now.
I'm one of the "masses" who have fully caught on. I've followed and dabbled in your collapse series since you started, but to be honest I've been too scared to read and take it in properly. Over the past few weeks I've consumed the Wild collapse series and finally given myself space to take it in.
While I still can't fathom it, it gives words to what I've been feeling about the world for a long time.
The message from you, and those like Meg Wheatley,about this now being the time to show up withI'm one of the "masses" who have fully caught on. I've followed and dabbled in your collapse series since you started, but to be honest I've been too scared to read and take it in properly. Over the past few weeks I've consumed the Wild collapse series and finally given myself space to take it in.
While I still can't fathom it, it gives words to what I've been feeling about the world for a long time.
The message from you, and those like Meg Wheatley, about this now being the time to show up, connect and serve with the skills and kindness that you have.
I am a farmer and a psychologist. I sometimes hesitate showing up in these spaces, because we are not regenerative farmers. We farm in very marginal country in South Australia, and like you say, we absolutely are at the face of climate change. But as I've watched my 10 year old son work through the heat over the past few days, I've realised that what we do is vital. Food production is going to get harder, and less comfortable - although everyone is working to make it more comfortable - so those that can slog it through the discomfort are vital.
I'm also a psychologist, and I'm passionate about farming mental health and wellbeing. As farmers, I don't think we will be able to make any of the changes and adaptation we need to make if we aren't taking care of our wellbeing and emotional resilience. Your work has reaffirmed for me, the importance of my work. And of community, and big-hearted courage, and the work for all of us in learning how to really be human.
So, thank you.
Steph, thank you so much for sharing this. I'm not sure I have a response, other than I hear your honesty and your courage. You are at the coal face as a farmer and parent... I applaud your bravery. Be sturdy and gentle, dear friend x
Thank you Sarah, I truly appreciate it
Hi Steph, thanks for sharing your raw stepping into the space. I’m a farmer too and have found a safe ground in the ‘farmers footprint’ Australian group. I’m also starting a small group of likeminded farmers to begin a community to help each other out. I think farming will be so important in the coming change. (I still have trouble saying collapse because somewhere in my head collapse seems so final and I see the future as a change that has to occur, but we will still need to grow, and sell food for humans. Welcome and all the best x
Oh gosh Sarah, yes I felt it exactly as you articulated. I’m no longer ‘Mad Mother’ the pattern recognition and ability to see outside this system has been hard to live with. It’s never been about being right, but prepared and ready to be of service. Why would it be any other way, for gentle, intelligent people? I can feel my kids respect, no longer swayed by the old capitalist narrative. There is a dramatic shift and I feel calm, ready and rested. Thanks for your wisdom and leadership, I’ll continue my hiking and challenge my caffeine addiction. The memes are brilliant!
We must hold this calm as long as we can. We must hold.
This! 💗💗💗
Welcome back Sarah, I have thought of you so often over the break. So glad you are feeling rested and ready for the fuckery that is already here.
I’m an Aussie living in Toronto and my oldest is studying in the States. He came home for Christmas ready to discuss the memes, oligarchy, the metacrisis, all of it.. it’s been a lot but so real, so
grounding, a moment to discuss and reaffirm our values as a family, how we are going to support each other through this new year and beyond, what we are going to focus on, unsubscribing, protecting our mental health, where we’re getting our news and information. Sure I tried to bring a lot of these things up before but the eye rolls have largely gone as shit is undeniable.
The vibe shift is palpable, the change of language has been so swift it’s enough to give a person whiplash
However, I like you choose to be an island of sanity, I want to be able to hold space for those around me (and back home) who are finally beginning this journey or allowing themselves to acknowledge what they’ve probably known for awhile but haven’t wanted to face. I am prioritising my health, I want to be strong and robust in body and spirit, I want to be of service
I have so much gratitude for you Sarah, seeing you wrestling with it all here in real time, grappling, pushing through despair and past hope has been so galvanising for me..my heart has also been cracked open, my mind has been changed, it isn’t so clouded by outrage and anxiety anymore, sure I still have daily What fresh hell is this moments but I don’t live there, I simply can’t if I want to stay sane
Thankyou for introducing me to workers in this sphere like Nate Hagens, Meg Wheatley, Vanessa Andreotti et al ..many a repeat listen to their podcast episodes has occurred
I feel like I’ve found my tribe here and we are here to support you through to the completion of the book and beyond x
Jane, this means the world to me. Reaffirming values as a family, as a community, this really just hit me.
Ditto!!!
Yes, I’ve noticed the vibe shift! The fires are some sort of tipping point. I’m seeing less “praying for you” more “this system doesn’t work” and more “community is the only thing that will save us”.
I’m receiving less DMs saying WTAF and more saying “what are we going to do?”. Instead of giving ideas, I’ve been responding with “LESS HATING MORE IDEATING” or “what do YOU reckon we should do?” because I’m trying to educate people that the risk of coming up with ideas and implementing them cannot be born by a few people who are willing to speak up - it’s not fair, it’s a big burden to carry and it doesn’t work!
I’ve changed tack. Instead of talking about the future as dystopian, I’m telling everyone how BORING it’s going to be. Because it is. AI art? YAWN. This seems to be hitting a nerve.
During BLM I thought all problems are class and inequality problems. But I didn’t really realise it or integrate it. Do you know what I mean? I’m shocked at myself. Yep, It’s taking collective validation through memes for it to truly sink in.
Sarah, god your timing is always just spot on. I needed to hear the part about vigilantly resting nerves. Thanks for narrating the times!
I totally know what you mean re the integration. I'm reckoning with my own seductive ways of keeping things academic and righteous, of noticing only what suits me. A healthy amount of shame must be part of this.
Yes! Thanks for saying this! Shame is brilliant! It’s one of those things that when experienced individually is deadly, but as a community it only has barbed edges - when one person feels shame we are truly all responsible. So we distribute the risk but we also have more ideas to prevent it happening in the future.
It’s funny I was just thinking that old Greek people can sometimes view shame a bit differently to the current definition (which I think feels a bit more like, you should be embarrassed). They sometimes give it a broader, softer definition - they tutt tutt tutt “shame” “how did this happen?” They understand that sometimes the root is beyond them. Anyway I don’t want to romanticise it too much. Loving this convo! 💗
That Greek take is so intriguing. I'm not surprised that there is an ease and forgiveness for collective shame in the Greek culture.
Oh, amazing thoughts. Thanks so much for posting these thoughts and anecdotes. I’d not thought of shame this way before and I’m enlightened by these concepts.
Until people start killing the billionaires nothing will change. Nobody wants to admit this. Sure all of us are awake but most of America is still asleep. Wonder what its going to take to wake them up.
Definitely noticed the vibe shift! More people in my real life seem to be opening their eyes, if only for a moment. More willing to engage in the conversations I try to have when I mention collapse being the cause of something they are complaining about or correlations realised.
Outside of that - funnily (?),the first thing most noticeable to me was this desperation to *do something* about it has resulted in the majority of people in my online sphere independently committing to a ‘no buy’ year…
Humans are endlessly fascinating. This year will be a lot, and I’m steadying myself in preparation. Thanks for the post, as always x
Not buying anything is a bloody encouraging sign.
I'm inspired by the "no buy" year idea, and I'm curious about whether there are parameters suggested, or whether it is what works for your own life?
At first blush it sounds like an austerity measure, but I don't want to assume that austerity is the spirit of the movement. Is it about finding abundance in one's humanity, in others, and in creation, and orienting purchasing choices from there? I'd so much rather ask someone now and have a conversation than google it! The reason I ask is that I read your comment here the same day a friend recommended Emily Nagoski's podcast Come As You Are, specifically the one about pleasure and abundance where she talks with Adrienne Marie Brown. They weave in Audre Lorde's work about pleasure being the deepest sense of aliveness and presence to the animating force within us, and how eroticism isn't purely a sexual thing (as current economic and social systems would have us believe), but flows out of being deeply connected with our whole selves to life. Open to life, vulnerable in its hands, and allowing what animates life to convict us that joy for joy's self is a noble goal. And that this deep connection, this union that we have and practice with our souls, minds, and bodies the life force within us liberates us from systems that seek to enslave and hold a person captive in scarcity and unmet longing. These women are geniuses. Brown talks about how pleasure is a daily practice for her, which means consuming art, music, poetry, etc. amidst other things that she finds liberate her to dwell in that place of life's abundance.
So, I'm guessing that "buy nothing" doesn't mean don't buy the art, books, poetry, music, food, etc. that can be so life-giving (and support someone's livelihood!) but be abundantly conscious of what we are buying and the purpose it serves in our lives: ie asking does it reverence the earth? Does it bring pleasure? Does it help me embody and experience joy "despite the facts" as Wendell Berry writes, so that my joy is a shelter of kindness and respite, or a fountain pouring forth from my spirit to quench thirst for kindness, truth-telling, and love? That either slakes or completely bypasses the endless longing for more, more, more that capitalism convinces people will never be satisfied (or lies about that longing being satisfied with the next new product that promises transformation or happiness in some capacity). Does it mean that purchasing this person's art that brings me deep rumbling joy about being alive allows them to eat and support themselves? Case in point: I ordered a new copy of Elizabeth Oldfield's "Fully Alive" this morning, because I know I will learn something, it will challenge me and bring intellectual satisfaction, and it will also bring me joy. I want to live in alignment with others in a life-giving movement that subverts the principalities and powers at hand, and buying nothing seems like a gorgeous one. Not gonna lie; it also helps me rationalize that buying art and paying the fee for a dance class to learn how to shuffle instead of replacing our 25 year old dishwasher that is about to die is a noble thing 😅. I hope that this makes sense to others and is not just endless rambling.
I love this Madeleine and I think that is exactly the goal of no buy. Not stop buying everything but stop the unconscious and hungry buying to feed the instant gratification dopamine hits that people have found themselves chasing, fed by the mindless social media scrolling that constantly puts stuff we don't need in our immediate path. It's saying no to all that and yes to things that bring us actual happiness, connection and knowledge. Like live music, art, comedy and writing. But also time with others over things.
Yes! People over things.
Wow Madeleine, this is definitely next level for me! I have wholeheartedly been practicing buying minimally and prioritising the provenance of the things I purchase for about 20 years or so. However I never really looked at the philosophy of how we get addicted to this consumerist culture and the (significant) role that our own sense of "lack" plays in this addiction, which is usually the result of dysfunctional family systems.
Back to practicalities, I believe that provenance is the key here. Instead of just popping into the shops when we "need" something we need to shift our mindset to question where it came from. I am also a big fan of "buy local", not only are you supporting someone in your community but it also limits transport costs. The questions we need to ask ourselves whenever we buy anything is: who grows it, where was it grown, what processing occurred and where, were the people in the supply chain adequately remunerated for their services, what resources were involved in production and where did they come from (unethical sources?)... and so on. I think overall that Europe has a much more decentralised model for food distribution than either the US or Australia and the quality (and flavour) is often higher as well as the supply chain is much shorter.
As well as "buy nothing" groups there are also many gardening/homesteading groups where swapping produce and sharing knowledge and skills is standard.
Another big thing is beauty and cleaning products. The clever marketing systems would have you believe that you need a particular product for every different thing. You don't! There are many simple things in your pantry that you can use for effective cleaning and for your "beauty" routine and the bonus is you don't have any of those horrid chemical perfumes. Eg I've been making my own moisturiser (4-6 ingredients) and a gorgeous facial spray (from my own roses) for many years.
Sorry, I've turned this into a bit of a lecture but I get a bit passionate about these things when I get started. I'm very happy to share more if anyone has questions.
Back to your question about art Madeleine. I think art (including books, music and dance) are essential to our overall wellbeing and are a wise investment. I have quite a few art pieces that sing to me from the many talented local artists in our community, so I'm actually supporting the work of creative people I know... win, win 🥰
For those interested in more information here we go @peaceparade @hayleybb
https://mommypotamus.com This website is really useful and informative. Heather is really good at explaining things simply. She explains why she uses particular ingredients and why and has links to further info. My only caveat is that US tablespoon measures are 15ml, not 20ml as in Australia (and maybe elsewhere).
The moisturiser I make is here https://mommypotamus.com/homemade-lotion-recipe/
It sounds more complicated than I remember but then I've been making it for a while. I just boil the kettle rather than use another saucepan and use a pyrex jug to mix all the ingredients. NOTE: don't lift your blender off the bottom of the jug until the mixture thickens. I did once and it was extremely messy 😳
This is another (Australian) website that I use which is good for recipes https://bloomingmandala.com.au
My suggestions for a more sustainable and less toxic lifestyle (in no particular order):
1. pick one and start NOW, add more when you can!
2. Switch to Non-perfumed Cleaning/Washing Products – most mass produced products contain chemical perfumes (called volatile organic compounds or VOCs) which contribute significantly to indoor pollution. You will also find most perfumes are chemical compounds! You can even make your own cleaning/beauty products – it’s actually really easy with a few staple ingredients (see above links). The biggest shift required is the one in your head!
3. Grow Some Food - start with your favourite herbs or even sprouts, most grow well in pots. If you’re a newbie find a local social media group to join for advice, I’ve found them especially friendly and useful. Beware though, it can be addictive =P
4. Reduce Consumption by only buying what you need. Buy second hand where you can as it's often much better quality (especially clothes). Research beforehand for bigger items and buy good quality rather than cheap stuff that breaks and ends up in land fill before you know it.
5. Buy Local where you can, excess transport contributes to CO2 emissions. Farmers markets are a great place to buy veggies and produce, you get to meet the people who grow them and your dollar goes in their pocket. There’s also a bunch of seasonal veggie box deliveries available if time is an issue, ask friends/neighbours for recommendations or search online.
6. Read Labels, especially when buying food. My rule of thumb is that more than five ingredients (or unpronouncable ones) usually indicates that it isn’t nourishing food. Many labels are misleading and the reality is hidden in the fine print. Eg “organic” or “earth” is sometimes used in the brand name to imply that the contents are grown organically or sustainably!
7. Gluten Sensitive? you may just be sensitive to the chemicals that are sprayed on wheat to deter the bugs. Try organic bread and wheat products for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. Proper sourdough also helps with breaking down some of the enzymes in wheat that can also be problematic for sensitive digestion systems.
8. Food Scraps can Feed Animals and the Soil – don’t throw them in the bin!
- get a bokashi bin
- or a worm farm
- find a neighbour that composts or has chooks and offer your scraps
- if you have a garden with crappy soil dig a trench, add food scraps and cover with about 10cm of soil. Do this until the trench is filled and dig another. In no time you will have earthworms and volunteer veggies if you water it occasionally.
- better still, start a compost bin of your own – great for adding nutrients to the soil in your garden and potted plants
9. Question Everything You Throw in the Bin – did you really need it, could I use something more sustainable/reusable, can I use less of it, can someone else make use of it, can it be repurposed for something else?
10. What is the Most Sustainable *insert product*? – it's usually the one you already have. Don’t buy more until you’ve finished what you already have, the idea is to reduce your waste.
Good luck and feel free to ask more questions 🥰
This is a wonderfully helpful summary, thank you so much Ellen!
Thanks Ellen! Looking forward to some spare time to dig into all of this.
I'd also like to know more. And Madeleine that's a great question. I'm literally only in fb for buy nothing and to find second hand local items if I really need something. I do my best to ignore the rest of the platform but it still distracts me sometimes. I'd really prefer to just have nothing to do with it.
Yes, me too! We have an incredible swap page in my neighbourhood on FB and I’ve gotten most of my clothes there in the past 5 years. That’s would be the only reason to stay.
Please lecture! These are tangible deliverables that I can grasp onto so that concepts become embodied practices. Would you share your process for making moisturizer?
I've come to the conclusion that I have to quit social media with the announcement of Meta platforms removing misinformation guardrails. Does anyone know of any other apps that include swap/buy nothing groups?
I started reading the recent hype about the "change" in meta policing guidelines but I'd already witnessed on many occasions how ineffective and biased it was anyway. Probably using basic AI with no human discernment for obvious scam profiles, posts etc. On balance, fakebook provides me with useful connections, despite all the crap, so for the time being I'll be staying, mostly for the homesteading and buy nothing groups. However if a viable alternative presents itself I'm all for it!
Yes! I think it all can all come down to “ conscious buying”. That can be the guide
Everyone I follow is doing it a little bit differently! Majority of it is centred around fashion (reducing or eliminating excessive purchasing). I’ve seen a lot of people committing to the Rule of 5, an anti-consumption movement created by Tiffanie Darkie (https://substack.com/@tiffaniedarke?r=9rxj2&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile). I assume the Netflix doco Buy Now! has done for this generation what The True Cost did in 2015!
Others I have followed on YouTube for a while have come to apply this more broadly in life. Lots of crossover with the minimalism movement obviously, but the increase I’ve seen has definitely extended well beyond that community. Super inspiring to me too!
I love your querying around the balance between ‘buy nothing’ and life’s pleasure. Come As You Are is a fantastic read but I would have never connected that abundance here! Thank you for your interrogation and expanding my thinking with this. By default, I resist purchasing books if I can borrow them from the library - but similarly, if there are works that I know will add value and pleasure to my life, I would not think twice. I also value supporting authors, artists, makers and creators far more than replacing a dishwasher (or in my case, washing machine 😂).
All we can do is live more and more in alignment with our values, lead by example and hope that others are watching…
Thanks so much for your reply. I was so struck by Emily Nagoski’s use of Audre Lorde’s thinking around scarcity and abundance and to encounter the buy nothing movement on the same day was super thought provoking. I will look up Tiffany!
I tried to stop buying last year . Didn’t succeed but made a fair dint in it! This year I will try only buying food, drink, “body products” only made locally & experiences. Treats can be really nice good food. Just finished writing a college essay on degrowth. Think it has helped.
I am so relieved to read that others are catching on to the no buy philosophy. I'm constantly dismayed and how this seems to be a missing part of the "what can we do" conversations that happen in my daily life, and also in the media and public conversations. Sure, get solar panels etc. etc. etc. but how about sacrificing what we think we need for what really matters. The best part of making a commitment like this is that your mind shifts, and it just becomes so easy to not buy. There is joy in making do with what you have.
There is so much joy in making do with what you have - it genuinely feels like a little game, a challenge, and I definitely get a thrill from it!
This is my first comment here Sarah. I just want to thank you. Without your work, I would not be coping. Your reminder to us of our role to be deeply human, to connect and to love during these times and as things descend further gives me clarity, reassurance and a path forward. I can’t change much, but I can do those things. So thank you again for being a beacon to us as the dark clouds roll in.
Welcome Joysee! Thanks for the care in writing this. We can most certainly do these things (love, connect etc), and this experience (collapse) has nudged us (shoved us) to this truth.
Of course it’s the entire system. And it’s way more complex than we can ever truly understand . Most things are. Thinking we know much about something is a human way of trying to gain agency & control over something we don’t have much control over.
We were born into it & have to become slaves to it in order to function, to survive.
The very process of being human and the fact that you are alive means you are going to negatively affective the planet in some way as you’ll need to use its resources.
Try using your phone, computer, going to the shops, even taking medication without supporting a system that has used slaves and environmental degradation to get you that phone or meds. You literally can’t.
Capitalism is woven into everyday existence.
I have spoken to many “everyday” people who have deep suspicions about the elite power structures/people that rule the world.
In fact, I’ve noticed, in my experience that the everyday tradie, average joe or those from difficult & less educated backgrounds learn this much sooner as they grew up harshly and are forced to develop street smarts.
They may not have the fancy language or education to explain eloquently how it works - but they KNOW . It tends to be the better educated, naive middle to upper class who take longer to come to this observation.
You just have to do your best, be conscious & intentional question things, and not blame 99% of humans who are stuck in this. The question becomes how you can survive with joy and happiness amongst this. Nurture your inner world so it becomes a safe space and refuge.
As a side note: my Aunt went to Church on Xmas Day (as she does every year, having grown up Catholic), but this year - for the first time in her 69 years of life - 90% of the church was empty!
All the extra seating they had put out, and bring out every year (as Xmas brings in every stray) were empty. It was akin to a Tuesday evening weekday mass service during the school year . She was so shocked she sent me a video - on her iPhone none the less.
I'm sad for your Aunt and her church experience.
I agree re tradies et al. It's the same with Indigenous people. They have watched the system from the periphery, or from below. In the case of the former, many have been sucked into dangerous conspiracy pipelines...but I get why.
Those theories have some truth in them. It’s just a matter of how much. Yes very understandable.
Welcome back Sarah and all the brave nodders in this community. I hope everyone had an opportunity to decompress during the break ☺️
Like Racheal I did not experience this shift either, in fact quite the opposite! However I did a lot more socialising than normal and I find the mindless gift exchange at this time of year quite challenging, despite my efforts to lead by example. Everything excessive seems so intensified!
Today I'm finding it difficult to hold the extremes of everything. It’s almost like there’s an urgency “to party hard and consume everything before it’s all over”.
I have to admit my response yesterday to the headline “celebrities lose multi-million dollar homes” was almost one of disgust rather than any compassion for their loss, as I’m sure they all have multiple dwellings. I usually just skim headlines to keep abreast of what’s happening but maybe I need to follow my own advice and stay off mainstream media?
On a lighter note, I read Gina Chick’s biography during the break and can thoroughly recommend it. It’s a lyrical love song to life and all its beautiful, messy, amazing, excruciating experiences. BTW Gina also believes that dancing is crucial 😉
Gina is a gift.
I'm watching McDonalds stores and strip malls burning on the news and I'm having conflicting feelings, too. The symbolism grabs me.
You and Gina have a lot in common, Sarah.
Our discussion over dinner tonight included the LA fires and then I realised that in the aftermath of those fires it will make LA look a lot like Gaza right now.
Oh the irony!
Speaking of.. a news snippet this morning quoted "a Pacific Palisades resident born in Israel" talking of the loss of his home in the fires. That was a wtf moment for me
Yeah wow!
I'd like to think this recent catastrophe would help instil a bit of compassion for those less fortunate, but I'm not pinning my hopes on it.
Once again, you’ve captured the sentiment accurately and compassionately, Sarah – thank you! I’ve been looking forward to your return.
I’ve definitely felt a shift, online at least, not so much in the real world – mainly because I tend to avoid people. My partner and I are on the same page, but I don’t see friends that often, and when I do, the topic rarely arises.
I’ve been sharing many a meme, for no other reason than to communicate where I stand on these issues. To signpost my pro-humanity, pro-planet, anti-capitalist radicalisation. Beyond that, I feel fairly impotent – and scared.
I’ve noticed some cartoonists for mainstream newspapers (well, The Guardian, namely) have upped the ante on collapse/poly-crisis themes. They’re using the collapse language, which I find heartening.
At the same time, I’m rattled by the sense that the more people catch on, the more the ruling class and anti-social types are bristling and wanting to seize/maintain control. Elon’s unravelling gets more dangerous, and that Tate creature launching his own political party in the UK? I mean, JFC!! The class/gender/everything else war will be cataclysmic…
I’m also keeping my social accounts for now. Begrudgingly. I’ve stayed on Twitter because a lot of collapse experts are on there, but I’m slowly shifting to Bluesky – for what that’s worth. Only on Facebook for the writing and music groups. Instagram is my main one and is still tolerable for now.
Curious why you’ve put the one year deadline on it, Sarah – is it because that’s the rough timeline for Zuckerberg rolling out the end of fact-checking (in Australia, at least, so I read)?
I agree too that the online space needs counter views – more and more!
So grateful for this space you’ve created.
Yes, I've questioned why I share the memes...but it is, as you say, to merely signpost humanity. Our resistance counts.
I share your fear, too. I'm hoping the vibe shift is a trickle for now....enough to make people wary.
The one-year deadline - correlates with my writing projects which still require SM amplification. It's about leveraging the last gasps out of the service for my bigger ends.
Ah, yes that makes sense re social media to get the message out for your upcoming works. I need to take a leaf out of your book and plan ahead. I’m more of a ‘pantser’ - in everything!
Yes, there are more people in my sphere waking up, too. There is a deep sobriety in conversations about the future. I'm so grateful for your gift of articulating the present times and making me smile with your humour and wryness, even through my tears of grief and sorrow. Of sharing the creative wisdom inherent in your personality as you describe such painful things -- it makes this process feel like sitting around in a pub with friends and discovering that we all know and can sing the same song. And of finding permission here to hold both joy and grief in the complexity of what it means to be human right now.
I have held pain about the world this past year in ways that have contributed to a physical illness, and I've had to seek medical help -- an outcome of which is wearing a vibrating mechanism on my sternum sometimes in order to calm my vagal nerve (I was skeptical, but it works!). I'm not sure if being crushed physically and spiritually has allowed me to rise, but enduring the pain has opened me to the kinds of beauty and love that cannot be taken away. Yesterday my husband and I walked our dog after the sun had set, and the moon shone so bright, and the stars and planets were out, and the snow sparkled, and kids on the sledding hill laughed in the distance, and our hearts swelled with the experience of the beauty that was gifted to us. I find myself turning to my nearest and dearest with a deep invitatory love that is also sheltering me. At coffee with a friend, I had tears come to my eyes at the realization that the holiness I seek is found in shadows and deep personal connections, and that I want to orient my whole self to an honest and sturdy kind of love with parameters different than I've had up to now. I want to rediscover so much with the gift of age related wisdom -- like the elevating moment of experiencing wonder and marvel in my soul and senses. And how the gift of starting my 50's brings an intellectual sweetness of how moments of wonder at this world connect me to humans across time who have written down or painted or composed the glorious enchantment or weight and heft of the life that they've known. I'm going to start telling my friends how much I love them, not just the ones who I know will say it back. I want to be tilled by life so that the roots of what might grow from my life after I die go deep, and so that my kids and hubs and friends feel me in the places they also feel light shining in themselves.
Life is, and has been, such gift. This place online is such a gift. My girl https://substack.com/@missnataliemarie, where U at? You have such wisdom about these things; so looking forward to what you have to say as well. You and Sarah both have this crazy gift of being able to write about things that could potentially create existential dread, but that direct the reader towards an experience of pleasure. It's nuts, and so wonderful! I'm here for it.
Sorry to hear you're experiencing physical manifestations of the world's pain, Madeleine! Mind you, my teeth grinding during sleep is in overdrive, which I attribute to existential stress...
Good to hear that vibrating device works. My psychologist recommended something similar, so I might invest in one.
And what a beautiful sentiment you express here:
"I want to be tilled by life so that the roots of what might grow from my life after I die go deep, and so that my kids and hubs and friends feel me in them in the places they also feel light shining in themselves."
Hi All, I'm not sure I'm too late to the teeth grinding discussion. I have ground out 4 molars and have tried everything, including botox in the mandible (it just made my jawline drop). One thing that does work for me and it's almost free - I tape my mouth with a small strip of medical tape each night. I use the very light paper tape you get for a few dollars at the pharmacy. It works!
Yikes, that's some serious grinding - you and Ellen both! Hmm, I'm even less inclined to try botox now. An occupational therapist recommended mouth taping, but I've been too scared to try it. My catastrophising brain imagines all the bad 'what ifs' that could happen. I'm sure I mouth breathe in my sleep cos I so often wake up with a scratchy throat and post-nasal drip, so mouth taping makes sense - if I can get past the fear.
I totally get your fear response Virginia. I have difficulty with anything covering my mouth or hindering my breath in any way.
Would it help to fold the ends of the tape over itself so you have one or two "easy to grab" tabs? Maybe even do a few practice runs while you're awake so your body becomes familiar with the process?
Good luck if you decide to give it a try.
Thanks for sharing your experience with botox Sarah. It reinforces my intuitive reaction to the idea and my saggy jawline doesn't need any encouragement!
I remember reading about your tape tip elsewhere and definitely need to give it a go now I know why you recommend it.
Seems like there's some shared traits in this community of nodders and grinders 😜
Dentists have had a field day since covid
W all the teeth grinding and jaw trouble
Jaw=anger=having to keep our mouths shut
Such a travesty
And this sets off the sympathetic NS..more fright flight
A night guard helps
And your observation about clenched jaws is so true. There have been moments where I feel like if I let out a scream that I will never stop. That image of a clenched jaw from having to keep one's mouth shut reminds me of something my midwife said during labour: for women to let the deepest groan from the very center of who they are to flow throughout contractions and to embrace it body and soul and not fear it, because it opens everything up and allows life to come. Seems a fitting image for releasing the grief and gratitude that are crying out to be born/articulated.
Thanks, that’s so interesting - and not surprising! I’ve been grinding for decades and I’m onto my 3rd mouth splint/night guard. 😆 I’ve found infra red light and massage help relax the jaw muscles too, but nothing has stopped the grinding so far. Gotta go deeper into the psyche for that. 🙂
Aah, me too Virginia. I've trashed all my bottom molars over the last few decades (despite the splint/s) and in the last few months my jaw has spit the dummy (ha ha, pardon the pun) and reminding me I need to do something (more). My GP suggested botox to relax the jaw and interrupt the habit... me, not so sure ATM. Thanks for the reminder about the infra red, I'll up the ante on that in the short term while I keep plodding away at healing my nervous system (but that's a very slow process).
Maybe I (and you) need to follow Madeleine's suggestion and go somewhere to roar and unleash some of the emotions we stashed deep down in our bodies all those years ago!
I was amazed at how allowing that deep groan to come from my core made Liam's delivery relatively effortless compared to my first experience with labour. It made me realize how conditioned we are to silence it in order to be compliant with what is expected of us in daily life. Which is not necessarily a bad thing entirely -- but it sure does cost the body in some ways.
Ha! Sending you a grinder’s jaw grimace in solidarity, Ellen - it’s my attempt at smiling these days. 😉
My dentist also suggested Botox, but my neurologist said try acupuncture again. Both are too much $$ for me right now. Yeah, I’ll stick with the infra red, massage and therapy. Sometimes belting out angry songs at karaoke (or home) helps too, as does screaming into a pillow. But a primal roar, somewhere in nature, along the lines of Madeleine’s idea sounds wonderful!
There are some great jaw release meditations online too.
Best wishes on your jaw release journey. 😬
Do you have favourite karaoke songs that you belt out?
I dearly hope you can find relief from the grinding in ways that don't break the bank.
Also, and for https://substack.com/profile/133911789-ellen?utm_source=feed too: I happened upon this article this morning! https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/07/20/esther-sternberg-balance-within-stress-emotion/
Check out the Maurice Sendak illustration about screaming songs!!! I'm going to print it off and put it on my fridge.
I imagine that you have a deep understanding of the relatedness of inner physiological systems, and how they impact one another ❤️
Yep, I have cracked more than one tooth over all of this!
Thanks for this message ❤️. I hope that you are able to experience peace and respite too, in the ways that you need. I work in a profession where tuning in to the world's pain, transmuting it, and creating a message of hope and courage is part of the job description, and I think that the weight of it, and a few things that were happening personally, tipped the balance into starting from square one with recovering from a neurological injury from Covid. I couldn't manufacture hope to encourage others when I felt buried by the world's pain. Considering that it is truth we must practice, rather than hope, (edited to add: per the first few chapters of the serialization) legitimated what I was feeling inside and gave me permission to exhale and trust that I could remain intact and inhale again, metaphorically.
The device I have is a Sensate; they are astronomical in price but there's a wee loophole in financing one that the company provides that I'd be happy to share. I was able to purchase one for much less than the sticker price. If you would like that info please feel free to DM me. https://www.getsensate.com/en-ca?srsltid=AfmBOorHlg5SlBza9hYB0k_T2OON4bRd0RWYU1uQnexnjkSu4IDpb76V&variant=40503515250777
Oh! Sounds like you've been dealing with a lot. Also sounds like meaningful work you do, but yes, I can see it would take its toll on you.
Thanks for the Sensate link - that's the brand my old psych recommended! Yes, quite pricey. That's so very generous of you to share the loophole, thank you. I've started with a new psych (previous one retired) and I feel drawn to explore some therapies with her first. So, if you know someone else with a more urgent need for a Sensate, please share it with them.
Many thanks again, though! That's so kind of you!
Feeling all the hope and heart-will towards you experiencing what you need, when you need it as you move forward in your healing ❤️
Thank you for your words - they’re like a balm. 🙂 I hope you find comfort in your moments of distress, and continue to heal physically.
This is beautifully written, as always. I feel that there are many of us "canaries" who are feeling the world's collective disease through our own bodies. I myself have been to many doctors and therapists over the past two years, and know that the more research I do into the myriad issues/problems, the worse my symptoms can become. Sarah's space is one of healing for me on so many levels.
Also, I truly hope that the things you are experiencing in your body diminish as you move forward; that you experience more and more healing of the things that cause discomfort and trouble. And that you are able to keep doing such beautiful work academically that is pure gift and truth telling.
Thank you, Madeleine! I think we all have to figure out how to navigate all of this without internalizing it too much. Find a way to digest it, so to speak, which is taking spiritual/mental acclimating that can manifest in physical symptoms. I'm learning to adapt!
Me too ❤️. It's a place of reverencing life and of practicing an embodied gratitude.
Also, that image of the pub is spot on!
I’m so sorry to hear of your physical pain but grateful that you have some solutions and your “I want to orient my whole self to an honest and sturdy kind of love with parameters different than I've had up to now …” gosh yes. I’m feeling that as I have been confronted with some issues that has led me to dig deep and go with love and truth. As always thank you for your eloquent words.
Thank you, Dianne. I wonder if this is a phenomenon that arrives in mid-life? I'm bewildered that I am supposed to fight aging, according to our economic systems. I love getting older; the acceptance and wisdom born out of suffering and joy brings a kind of peace that nothing else can give.
YES!!!!
Welcome back Sarah.
When I read your thinking that 'the masses are catching on' I was surprised by this as this hasn't been my experience over the break. Sadly, in my circles, I don't see anything changing at all. I still had a cousin gushing about how she bought the latest fast fashion item for only $12.50 from Shien. When I mentioned to my hairdresser (white male who's super into conspiracy theories about the moon landing and pyramids) about the govt fining a company for breaking the law, he responded with "yeah, but what are the govt getting out of it? They should be giving that money back to the people", and I was like um, they do, hence roads, hospitals and schools and don't you want the govt to fine companies for doing the wrong thing?! Whenever politics came up at family Xmas events it was about who people liked more (Albo or Dutton) and never about actual policies. And I still can't believe that Trump was voted in on the understanding that he and all his billionaire mates in charge are working for the struggling middle class in middle America. How could so many millions of Americans believed this ridiculous notion? If things were starting to change how can all this be? Then I looked at your comments and saw that many people agree with you, which is heartening.
I really commend you for staying so calm and not being cross with people. Your point about 'we kept buying iphones' for example. I don't know how not to be cross at the people who buy iPhones. I've always had 2nd hand one and many versions behind. If no one brought them brand new and so there were never any 2nd hand ones, I'd be cool with that. I've just had a baby and everything we have is 2nd hand from friends, family, the salvos and FB Marketplace. Yet I was listening to a couple going through everything they bought brand new from Baby Bunting like all that stuff just popped out of thin air and the earth wasn't plundered and polluted to make it all. I'm finding it hard to get past the feeling that I've been trying so hard to do what I can to help for so long now and it's all for nothing, because most people have not been trying and don't know or care. I know I need to find a way to move past this.
Anyway, I will be defiant with you Sarah. 2025, let's go!
Racheal, one way to “move past this”: Know that you are living your values AND know you create a ripple effect well beyond what you can see. Hang in there and know your actions matter.
Thankyou Marcella
Yep and yep. Finally more are paying attention. Still the world wedges itself more tightly into the hands of right wing conservatives … conserving what ??? Their money and power of course… are the rest of us capable of using our collective power to build the momentum to unwedge us? We shall see but.. yes… It’s gonna get ugly. Like you, I’m feeling calmer and steady after a break. My resolve is to take a break every 6 weeks so I can remain grounded and helpful. So good to have you back, rested and clear, Sarah.
I’m aligning my 6 weekly rests with the ‘sabbath’ , solstice, equinox and midpoints as indigenous people have. Connection and noticing our Earth turnings
I love this and leaning into living this way too. Returning to our natural cycles and seasons feels like the safest and most certain refuge in all of this.
That is vigilant and wise. Do you follow Katharine May ...she practices this.
Yeah, I will need to book in times as well, I think. Bill Gates did an hour a day, a day a week, a week a year....to reflect.
I've recently become very interested in rituals, natural rhythms, marking seasonal changes etc. I'm currently reading "Rewilding the Urban Soul" by Claire Dunn (highly recommend), so for me this interest has been in the context of radically connecting with nature, slowing down, learning to pause, and notice, and go deep in my relationships with others and the earth.
I like the idea of also using cycles to rest and recharge for the purpose of staying "okay" amongst the chaos.
Also deeply feeling the pull to ritual. I’ve been tinkering in the edges for years but they feel increasingly vital!
I just listened to a conversation with Claire Dunn and keen to read her book.
It’s been quite the start has 2025, friends. Welcome back dear Sarah (and happy belated). As a brilliant mentor instilled in me over the last year, there is no more room for keeping myself - ourselves - small. It’s big, brave, sturdy, relentlessly welcoming or…well….bust probably. Anyone else noticing the onslaught of newsletters in their Substack feed trying to make sense of the f*ckery that can no longer be ignored or explained away? Exhibit A to the thesis of this post!
I’m pretty tired tbh, but clear eyes and feeling spectacularly nonplussed at distraction. Making plans, learning skills, defining my sphere of influence. I might need a fresh notebook. I hope everyone here is safe and as ok as they can muster. K ☺️
I have SO noticed the onslaught, particularly among heterodox writers! I wrote about it a month or two ago. i've unsubscribed from most of them now. I find it too painful to watch...I somehow expect more from bright writers.
PS thanks for reporting that odd comment...I sorted it.
Welcome back Sarah and glad to hear you have given your nervous system some decompression and recovery time. Wishing you and the everyone here strength, courage, resourcefulness and community to face whatever the year ahead brings to us all and to be able to remain compassionate to ourselves (thus when to know when our own nervous systems need to decompress too) and (most) others and to still find joy in simple things when given the opportunity.
Welcome back Sarah x
Sarah, I am really encouraged by this post that you see more people recognising the reality.
After all the years of studying collapse, I now see that it’s actually demolition that is going on and most of that is deliberate demolition. Gaza is the shop window, for those who reign misery, violence and suffering on those who get in their way of grabbing land and resources.
We are being warned of what could come…thats I why love that you are setting an example in fortifying yourself and managing your boundaries , values and humanity 💖
Thanks Susan. I agree, we seem to be entering some sort of "tear it all down" phase. I hope the bulk of humans don't descend into this.
The bulk of humans are creating, dreaming and living as best they can. Who do you know personally thats tearing things down ?
I have now come to believe the tearing it down, is the deliberate dismantling of our societies, family’s, , food supply’s, financial and most of the infrastructure that we rely on. The chaos, collapse and alienation caused can then be replaced by a technocracy/ techno fascism , centralised control.
This is too strong for most and I hope I am wrong.
My concern is that the bulk of people will be seduced by the bright shiny technology , the marketing and hype. Volunteering to lose their freedoms , privacy and agency to the tech bros and the plan for one world governance..
This initially sounded like conspiracy theories to me , but there is lots of evidence to back this up..especially from the World Economic Forum, hiding in plain sight.
Collapse is inevitable in any civilisations life cycle, knowing this means competition and resources going to what comes next and who will be in power. This is what is happening on the geo political stage now.