This is the 2nd part of my conversation with Gregory Pettys. You can check back to episode 6 to tune in to Part 1 on Seed and Living in Right Relation.

In this part of the conversation with Gregory Pettys, we yarn on: • Eco Villages as Spaces of Initiation: The role of ecovillages in helping people reconnect with land, community, and ancestral wisdom. (00:05:47) • The Necessity of Soil Interaction: Why direct, daily interaction with soil is fundamental to right relation and human well-being. (00:08:56) • Mutual Indebtedness & the Gift Economy: The concept of mutual indebtedness and how gift economies sustain resilient communities. (00:18:39) • Cross-Pollination & Global Networks: How eco villages around the world are learning from each other, creating a web of shared wisdom. (00:21:15) • Rethinking Currency & Financial Sustainability: How alternative economic models within eco villages challenge mainstream financial anxieties. (00:32:35) • The Story Behind Naming His Substack Hiraeth: Post Activism in the Anthropocene: Gregory shares the meaning behind the name Hiraeth and its connection to longing, grief, and ancestral roots and the concept of 'Post-Activism' from Bayo Akomolafe’s ideas on moving beyond traditional activism and embracing new ways of being. (00:47:06) • Parenting, Ancestral Continuity & the Role of Future Generations: How Gregory’s perspective on having children shifted through his journey with land and seeds. (00:42:18) Recommendations: • Authors and Teachers: ◦ Bayo Akomolafe: Philosopher and thinker on post-activism and decoloniality. ◦ Martín Prechtel: Teacher and writer on indigenous wisdom, grief, and storytelling. ◦ Masanobu Fukuoka: Pioneer of natural farming (One Straw Revolution). • Notable Communities & Projects: ◦ Tamara (Portugal): An eco village exploring radical love and intimacy. ◦ Plum Village: A mindfulness practice center founded by Thích Nhất Hạnh. ◦ Auroville (India): A long-standing experimental township focused on sustainable living Connect with Gregory Pettys: • Substack: https://gregorypettys.substack.com/ • Pun Pun Center for Self-Reliance: www.punpunthailand.org/index8caa.html?page_id=1593 Connect with Light Forest: • Website: www.lightforest.world • Twitter: Light Forest & @devlewis18 • Instagram: @lightforestworld & @daiyisi🎶 The music for this episode was produced by me using Bandlab and original recordings of a Hapi drum

Our planet is sick.

Where do the roots of this sickness lie?

We have to start with Seed. The source of life starts with a seed.

Seeds hold within them nutrition, genetic history, ancient memory. Today we live in a world where 95% of our seed diversity has been systemically killed off by industrial farming over the past few decades.

Do we know what this means for our bodies and minds?

Most of us, city creatures of modernity, live lives severed from the land. We are disconnected, dismembered selves grasping for meaning & belonging. We’ve forgotten what it means to be in right relationship with our planet.

When was the last time your feet touched the earth? When was the last time you asked for permission before you plucked a flower? According to Gregory Pettys, who we journey with today, all our ailments in one way or another are related to our severed relationship with food and the soil that grows our food. It goes far, far deeper than just nutrition and bodily health. It goes right into the seed of the human story and our understanding of ourselves.

In this conversation with Gregory Pettys, we explore:

• Morning Rituals and Mythical Alignment: Gregory shares his daily practice of greeting the sun and how it shapes his purpose and mindset. (00:08:34) • The Sacredness of Seeds: Gregory discusses the critical loss of 95% of seed varieties, the importance of heirloom seeds, and their role in preserving memory, nutrition, and culture. (00:11:39) • Modernity and Forgetfulness: Reflections on how modernity disrupted relationships with land, culture, and ancestors, and why grief is a necessary step toward regeneration. (00:17:39) • Living in Right Relation: A deep dive into the meaning of reciprocity with Earth and understanding what it means to “love what your lover loves” as a metaphor for ecological and social harmony. (00:38:33) • Indigenous Wisdom and Mythology: How intact cultures maintain ecological balance through storytelling, rituals, and practices of reverence. (00:44:55) • Technology, Reciprocity, and Grief: The implications of technology’s extractive nature and the need to honor what has been taken. (00:53:33) • Initiation and Sacred Grief: The role of initiation in building a culture of reciprocity and intergenerational wisdom, and how grief can act as a catalyst for maturity. (00:58:11) Recommendations from Gregory: • Authors and Teachers: ◦ Martine Prechtel: teachings on myth, grief, and the sacred. ◦ Joanna Macy: deep ecology and transformative work. ◦ Gary Snyder: Poet and essayist focusing on nature and culture. ◦ Wade Davis: Anthropologist and author exploring indigenous cultures and ecological sustainability. • Books & Stories: ◦ The Lorax by Dr. Seuss: A tale about environmental destruction and corporate greed. Connect with Gregory Pettys: • Substack: https://gregorypettys.substack.com/ • Pun Pun Center for Self-Reliance: www.punpunthailand.org/index8caa.html?page_id=1593 Connect with Light Forest: • Website: www.lightforest.world • Twitter: Light Forest & @devlewis18 • Instagram: @lightforestworld & @daiyisi🎶 The music for this episode was produced by me using Bandlab and original recordings of a Hapi drum.