From: joann@ariadne.SLAC.Stanford.EDU (Jo Ann Malina)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Forward from group alt.co-evolution
Date: 13 Aug 92 06:36:39 GMT
Reply-To: joann@unixhub.slac.stanford.edu
Organization: SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center)

I thought people might enjoy this article about paganish-sounding methods
of gardening.

+From: toma@hyperion.gsfc.nasa.gov (Tom Atwater)
+Subject: Re: Perelandra ( was Re: a newsgroup for Whole Earth...)
+Message-ID: <1992Aug11.124209.24704@nsisrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>
+Date: 11 Aug 92 12:42:09 GMT
+Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

+In article <1992Aug11.050814.17138@samba.oit.unc.edu> Lawrence.London@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Lawrence London) writes:
+ >I'm very interested in their [Findhorn's] organic gardening methods.
+ >I am an organic market farmer building an extensive system of raised beds
+ >on my six acres... [more very impressive stuff]

+ Well, we are sort of at opposite ends of the spectrum :-). I live in a
+ townhouse in the DC suburbs. My wife and I have a garden of about 60 sq ft,
+ consisting of a few tomatoes, cukes, beans, broccoli, peppers and assorted herbs.

+ > >There is a place in Virginia called Perelandra that is similar.

+ >I've heard of it and seen 2 books on it. One is "Behaving As If the
+ >God In All Life Mattered" A New Age Ecology, by Machelle Small Wright.
+ >1987, Perelandra Ltd., P.O. Box 3603, Warrenton, Va., 22186, $9.95; 
+ >the other is an organic gardening primer.

+ We have been using the ideas in Wright's "Perelandra Gardening Workbook I"
+ to develop our garden this year.

+ For those unfamiliar with Wright's work, she runs a center for research into
+ cooperation with nature spirits and devas, or beings (if you prefer that term)
+ that provide the non-physical intent and essence behind vegetable and flower
+ gardens. It is like Findhorn, except that it is essentially a one-woman
+ operation, whereas Findhorn is a community.

+ In the co-creation of our garden, we followed the deva's advice in matters
+ like what to plant, where to plant it, and what fertilizers to use (e.g. bone
+ meal, dried blood, etc.). Our method of communication is a Ouija board, through
+ which the answers to our questions come through very clearly.

+ The results have been very good. For the first time in our experience, we grew
+ good heads of broccoli. Some of the cukes were very large, and the tomatoes are
+ good-tasting. The most important result to me, though, has been the good
+ feeling I get from doing this. I just know it's the right thing to do. My wife
+ is somewhat more skeptical than I, but she has kept an open mind about it,
+ which is all anyone can ask for.  We will be attending Wright's annual open
+ house, and a few of her workshops.

+ So how do you feel about all this? Ever feel that you are in touch with
+ something deeper while gardening? Could be just a nagging feeling, or an
+ impulse you can't ascribe to your conscious mind, or something. Any thoughts?

*) *) *) *) *) *) *) *) *) *) *)!(* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (*
Jo Ann Malina, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Neither Stanford nor the DOE would be caught dead with these opinions.
Nor do they consult me when formulating theirs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                 "I have looked into the abyss,
                  and the abyss has looked into me.
                  Neither of us liked what we saw."
                                -- Brother Theodore
Newsgroups: alt.pagan