RE: https://mastodon.social/@RubhaPhoil/115584328410593933

#natureconnection #permaculture #rubhaphoil #regenerativeliving #intentionalcommunity

Hi folks! This is our new social media account for Peaceful Village Raw Vegan Healing Community, as we will be closing our Facebook and Instagram accounts on gregorian calendar jan 30th. The main reason we are doing this is to boycott large corporations who want to steal people's information and use it for not so harmonious purposes, and track us. Let's go free and open-sourced, encrypt all private messages and emails. Be vegan anarchist. #anarchy #peacefulvillage #intentionalcommunity #vegan

What a Washing Machine Revealed About Community

About six weeks after I moved off the land project in Arizona, I got a text message telling us the community washer we used was broken and that we owed money for repairs. Not a conversation. Not a check-in. A bill. Here’s what it said (redacted):

“The washer you used is broken. It will be repaired and per our agreement you pay if you break it. We’ll let you know the cost.”

What struck me first was the tone. It framed the situation as a transaction, not a relationship.
A bill, not a conversation. And for the record, there was no such “agreement.”

Our last community in Ojai went through seven washers in seven years, so nothing about a machine breaking surprised me. What did surprise me was being held responsible for a community-donated washer six weeks after we’d already left. (Also—how does one even “break” a washing machine? You push the Start button and… broken?)

But it was never about the money.
It wasn’t even about the washing machine.
It was the shift—from trust to accusation, from community to contract, from relational living to transactional living. And transactional living is the quiet death of any community.

Welcome vs. Keep Out

I’ve lived in places where “Welcome” is more than a word—it’s an ethic.
Boulder Gardens is one of them.

Most private properties in this part of the desert are covered in No Trespassing, Private Property, and Keep Out signs (often justified as “liability”). But Boulder Gardens is different. Just today a friendly bicyclist rolled up and said:

“Yours is the only private land anywhere around here with positive signage. Everywhere else it’s warnings.”

He’s right. As you enter Boulder Gardens you see:
“Welcome to Boulder Gardens.”
Soft colors. Friendly lettering.
No gates. No threats. No barbed wire.
Just welcome.

Where people talk about trust but behave like” land-lords”, you begin to realize some places use the word “community” to describe what is essentially a work camp wrapped in spiritual vocabulary

A Sanctuary Built on Service, Not Ownership

Garth’s Boulder Gardens is a square mile of desert that slowly became a sanctuary because people showed up with generosity instead of rules. Garth didn’t believe in rent.

There are stories from the early days when he offered food, shelter, a place to wander, and a stocked communal fridge—and what he asked in return was presence, kindness, and maybe a little help around the fire pit.

And here’s a story that says more about leadership than any spiritual discourse ever could:

Once a week Garth would make his rounds across the property, stopping at every cabin, trailer, and tent. He collected everyone’s dirty laundry—ten people scattered across a square mile of desert—and hauled it all to the laundromat in town. He paid for every load himself with a pile of quarters, waited through the cycles, dried it, and returned it to each doorstep. Pickup and delivery. No charge, no fanfare. His generosity didn’t stop at the property line.

I once watched him in a supermarket when a stranger approached and said, “Garth, do you remember me? I need a little help for food.” Garth didn’t try to recall his face or make him prove anything. He simply reached into his pocket, pulled out the first bill his fingers touched—maybe $1, maybe $20, maybe $100—and handed it over without looking. Whatever it was, it was enough. Garth died with $202 in his bank account.

That is what leadership looks like in a real sanctuary:
service, not power;
humility, not hierarchy;
open hands instead of clenched fists.

Meanwhile, Back in Arizona…

Our deeper purpose on that Arizona land had been to help create a desert Sanctuary but quickly the current shifted, and we began to feel more like unpaid helpers or free labor. Our presence was needed, but our purpose wasn’t seen. When the washer message came, it didn’t begin anything—it confirmed everything.

I responded gently and clearly with a two-page letter. I explained the washer had been donated, that we’d repaired it several times already, and that we’d been gone for over a month with no communication. I said we wouldn’t be paying for repairs now that we were no longer living there.

When Worlds Collide

Community only works when everyone involved is living by the same principles.
If one person believes “shared” means collective stewardship and another believes “shared” means “use my stuff but pay me if anything goes wrong,” then you already have two different worlds trying to occupy the same land.

Eventually the truth comes out—in a washing machine, a torn-up garden bed, a disagreement about labor, or the quiet realization that you’re trying to build a sanctuary while someone else is building a fiefdom. Sometimes the whole truth arrives in a short message about a broken machine.

Communities reveal themselves in the signs they put out—
whether those signs hang on a fence
or arrive as a text message.

intentionalcommunity #gifteconomy #relationalnottransactional #bouldergardens #sanctuary #alternativeLiving #simpleliving #communityliving #degrowth #antiwork

https://redecker.vivaldi.net/2025/12/02/welcome-signs-and-warning-signs/

#Sanctuary #AlternativeLiving #antiwork #bouldergardens #CommunityLiving #degrowth #gifteconomy #IntentionalCommunity #relationalnottransactional #SimpleLiving

Okay, so this is gonna sound really goddamn silly, but ever since I've moved into this co-op, I've felt like a villager in a city-building/maintaining sim.

Like, okay, you've added me to your community, here's my stat block, here are my skills, how do you want to use me...

Oh, yeah, I guess I can do that, but I'm not optimized for the that task. *Tool tip pop up: This villager has ADHD and is ill-suited to that organization task. Task will be completed, but slowly. This villager has basic skills in: Wood working, welding, mechanics, electronics, general repair: Provide space and resources for a tinkerer's shop to let this villager gain XP and give you access to level-upped perks!

#IntentionalCommunity

Tip for future community builders:
Start with people, not land.
Shared values, emotional maturity, and clear agreements create more stability than any perfect property ever will.
This principle is central to the project we are developing.
#IntentionalCommunity #CommunityTips

Imagine villages designed around soil health, human well-being, shared ownership, and conscious culture — not consumption and burnout.

Regenerative communities are not utopia.
They are prototypes of a saner society.

If you’re building or dreaming of one, let’s connect.
#IntentionalCommunity #Permaculture #Decentralization

In a time of #polycrisis and of vast wealth #inequality, what is the best investment strategy you can pursue?

#Investing in the market means voting for the expansion of the status quo. Is there a better option?

https://integrationcenter.org/investment/

#Permaculture #IntentionalCommunity #Investment

Just started @pluralistic's Walkaway 📚

#Solarpunk #IntentionalCommunity #Enshittification #Communes #Utopia #Dystopia #NowReading #Reading

Careful where you end up

I’ve had a situation recently where I thought I was entering a sanctuary — a place of peace, healing, and connection — in reality, it turned out to be a glorified work camp. The experience was enlightening, in a dark kind of way.

I really love the idea of a sanctuary, a refuge from the insanity of our modern capitalist world. There are all kinds of sanctuaries. Some are totally natural, an others maybe following a specific spiritual path. Either way, it’s nice to have a place that’s far removed from employment, technology, and the rat race. There is something about just being with natural rhythms that is better

Sanctuary is a place set apart as a refuge of safety, peace, and renewal. At its root, the word means “sacred space”– originally the innermost part of a temple where one could encounter the divine, and later a place where people could seek shelter and protection..

One of my favorites is Garths Boulder Gardens, near Joshua Tree in Landers, California. It’s 640 acres — an entire square mile — of desert boulders, caves, and gardens. People have lived there in a relatively free and creative way for decades. I spent a year there myself, so I know it well.

Garth would occasionally say that if people could put in a couple of hours of work a day, that would be enough to take care of the place, but he would never really ask people directly to work. He would always leave it as a possibility or suggestion. Many visitors didn’t contribute much at all, but others worked out of self-motivation, planting gardens, building new spaces, cooking meals, or caring for others. My own contribution was to build one new cob structure every month. Over twelve months I finished twelve projects — my favorites being the Frog Oven and the Boulder Cave, both of which were used often for years afterward. Other residents had their own projects too — gardens, caregiving, cooking, smoothie-making, whatever!

Boulder Gardens is pretty remote, but people worldwide came to visit, sometimes a day, sometimes a week, and sometimes a year (as in my case). The fridges were usually full and “free game” because short-term visitors would leave behind so much food, so there was always something to eat for the seven to ten of us long term residents. Days were magical. I remember early-morning coffee and movie nights with Garth, who gave the place its soul. Garth has since passed on, but my understanding is that the mission has been to keep things as close as possible to the way he intended.

So Boulder Gardens is a true sanctuary. because of the voluntary contributions and minimal obligations, it truly a unique kind of place. It honors creative energy, not forced labor. A place where people can rest, heal, and also express themselves.

But there’s a darker side. There are other places that call themselves sanctuaries but operate more like work camps. In those places you’re not really invited to rest or heal — you’re expected to put in hours of unpaid labor. The work is often presented as necessary and critical, but in reality it’s a shift away from the true spirit of sanctuary and into productivity.

I was at one of these “sanctuaries” recently, traveling there about five times in total over a couple of months. It was an absolutely beautiful location, and one of the most remote places I’ve ever been. While there, I helped out a lot. My partner and I completely cleaned out one house, then a second as well. We scrubbed and sterilized kitchens and bathrooms full of rat droppings. We moved mulch and put protective cages around trees. A front door was repaired here, a wall repaired there. Chickens were fed, goats were milked, gardens were watered — plus hours of travel time, the cost of gasoline, and even spare tires. We jumped to every request made of us.

But it wasn’t for me. The vibe of the place was made crystal clear when I got an email today saying (and these are the property owner’s actual words):

“I am a laborer on this land and anyone else that comes out here also has to wear that hat as well. This is get-your-hands-dirty hard work…. This is not going to be a good fit for you.”

So basically, if you go there you are not a guest — you’re expected to take on the same physical burdens as the landholder. Infrastructure projects are the focus. There is no invitation into silence, spirit, or rest, only into labor. Interestingly, this landlord has a PhD in Theology.

Finally, in the process of helping, I injured myself badly enough to need six stitches in my knee. And then that email came today, which quite literally added insult to injury.

A while back I read Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Written in the 1990s, it imagined what California might be like in 2025, (now!) I actually wish I had never read the book because it is such a depressing novel. People were just evil. Work camps were the norm, resembling the Russian gulags. People were dying left and right, and others were enslaved with electronic collars they couldn’t remove, collars that would shock them into submission. A Trump-like figure was fanning the flames of Christian extremism.

In the midst of it all, the protagonist, Lauren Olamina, is trying to create a spiritual philosophy called Earthseed. Its central belief is “God is Change.” Out of this vision, she and her followers eventually establish a community on farmland in Northern California — a sanctuary among the collapse of a moral society, one that she hopes will carry humanity to the stars, and beyond.

I identify with her because I, along with quite a few others I know, am also trying to create sanctuary in the midst of all this chaos. I think this is what people mean when they say “this is a spiritual war against good and evil”. Though we are not in complete social collapse yet, I do see the declining trend here. I think it take maybe another generation. But Butler has positive words also, which echo across time:

“Kindness eases Change. Love quiets fear.” — Parable of the Talents

The heart of sanctuary isn’t labor camps or forced productivity, but kindness, love, and the space to rest and grow. I think it’s a vision worth holding onto, even in a world that often pushes the opposite.

https://bookwyrm.social/book/175137/s/octavia-e-butlers-parable-of-the-sower

#OctaviaButler #ParableOfTheSower #Earthseed #SpiritualGrowth #Sanctuary #WorkCamp #EcoSpirituality #SpiritualRefuge #IntentionalCommunity #AlternativeLiving #BoulderGardens

https://redecker.vivaldi.net/2025/09/25/spiritual-sanctuary-or-spiritual-work-camp/

#Sanctuary #AlternativeLiving #bouldergardens #Earthseed #EcoSpirituality #garthsbouldergardens #IntentionalCommunity #JoshuaTree #OctaviaButler #ParableOfTheSower #SpiritualGrowth #spirituality #SpiritualRefuge #spiritualretreat #WorkCamp

Exploratory toot:
Adjacent to #turtleBower planning locally, people from other areas are also starting to scheme collective/shared housing. Co-living for lil niche groups like spoonies or neurodivergents.
I wonder about a #getFediHoused tag or something as a marketplace for folks looking to start something up, or find roommates, share resources, find local connections, etc.

Chime in if you have ideas!
#coliving #housing #intentionalCommunity #sharedHousing

I just had a series of conversations where I learned Home Economics classes are apparently not a universal experience for my peers. I think maybe it's part of why I've had such a hard time living with folks, because I thought we all had the same education on basic life-skills, and I was the only one who gave enough of a rip to wash the dishes the right way.

I also didn't know it was considered regressive (when it was considered at all), as I thought it was part of an initiative to make sure folks knew how to do basic life-skills, regardless of gender.

This video definitely was educational for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUOdT4c3fQ8

#HomeEconomics #HomeEcon #IntentionalCommunity #communityhousing #DIY #Makers #Mending #VisibleMending #TextileArts #Crafts #Cooking #Baking #Sewing

Floating an exploratory balloon here. If #turtleBower needed to raise $30-$50k for a deposit on this current building, would you kick in? It's based in Ontario Canada, but if we pull this off it can be a template for other housing all over the world.
https://turtlebower.org/

Boosts appreciated!
#intentionalCommunity #coliving #housing #spoonies #longCovid #actuallyAutistic #disabilityJustice #cohousing #hopePunk #burnout

🌿Amazing new channel I found similar to Project Kamp ✨

• Off grid, organic homestead in Sardinia, Italy 📍

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLRCdEfezDNxDBPGUMf3kOA

#projectkamp #alternativeliving #offgrid #homestead
#ecovillage #intentionalcommunity #italy #sardinia
#selfsufficiency #selfreliance #anarchism

🌻Pun Pun Ecovillage/Community 🍀

📍Thailand

• Started by Jon Jandai an advocate of sustainable living.

• Pun Pun Website - http://www.punpunthailand.org/index027d.html?page_id=34

• Find more such communities to join, here ⬇️ https://tradelessearth.wordpress.com/communities/

#Freeeconomy #resourcebasedeconomy #rbe #ubi #gifteconomy #openaccesseconomy #freeworld #eattherich #tradelesssociety #moneylesssociety #selfsufficientcommunities #selfsufficiency #diylife #selfreliance #offgrid #ecovillages #ecovillage #anarchism #anarchocommunism #communism #socialism #libertarianism #leftism #intentionalcommunity
#climatechange #intentionalcommunities
#antiAuthoritarianism #antiauthoritarian #antiwork #Donatetimenotmoney #volunteering
#humanity #simpleliving #sustainableliving
#solarpunk

🏞️ Self-sufficient Ecovillage - FREE AND REAL 🌿

• Volunteer (with food and accommodation provided as read on website)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bqjt-xrlqk
(Recommend using invidious)

Website - https://freeandreal.org/

#greece #Freeeconomy #resourcebasedeconomy #rbe #ubi #gifteconomy #openaccesseconomy #freeworld #eattherich #tradelesssociety #moneylesssociety #selfsufficientcommunities #selfsufficiency #diylife #selfreliance #offgrid #ecovillages #ecovillage #anarchism #anarchocommunism #communism #socialism #libertarianism #leftism #intentionalcommunity
#climatechange #intentionalcommunities
#antiAuthoritarianism #antiauthoritarian #antiwork #Donatetimenotmoney #volunteering
#humanity #simpleliving #sustainableliving
#solarpunk

Build community!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g39bpqtBcE0

#Freeeconomy #resourcebasedeconomy #rbe #ubi #gifteconomy #openaccesseconomy #freeworld #eattherich #tradelesssociety #moneylesssociety #selfsufficientcommunities #selfsufficiency #diylife #selfreliance #offgrid #ecovillages #ecovillage #anarchism #anarchocommunism #communism #socialism #libertarianism #leftism #intentionalcommunity
#climatechange #intentionalcommunities
#antiAuthoritarianism #antiauthoritarian #antiwork #Donatetimenotmoney #volunteering
#humanity #simpleliving #sustainableliving
#solarpunk

My Co-Op has vacancies opening, and I'm pushing hard to find sustainability-minded folks to join! Bonus points if you got that bike bug!

https://malt.coop/housing/
#housing #communityhousing #CoOp #CooperativeLiving #IntentionalCommunity #LeftistPrepping #BikeToot

Join our Simplex group for discussions and networking for Anti-war , Climate change , Equality , Mutual aid, Sharing ways to progress in fight against fascism.

:anarchismred: :antifa_100: :xr:

Click this link or scan the QR.

https://smp8.simplex.im/g#-gSD7Bx-QhrDKp05yV8eggEt4DQdQpOGqx_CghC6qKg

#Freeeconomy #resourcebasedeconomy #rbe #ubi #gifteconomy #openaccesseconomy #freeworld #eattherich #tradelesssociety #moneylesssociety #selfsufficientcommunities #selfsufficiency #diylife #selfreliance #offgrid #ecovillages #ecovillage #anarchism #anarchocommunism #communism #socialism #libertarianism #leftism #intentionalcommunity
#climatechange #intentionalcommunities
#antiAuthoritarianism #antiauthoritarian #antiwork #Donatetimenotmoney #volunteering
#humanity #simpleliving #sustainableliving
#solarpunk

@midtsveen

Thank you for the pointers !

#Christiania #Anarchism #IntentionalCommunity #Anarchism #MutualAid #DirectAction