All Blog Posts


Common Ground in an Uncertain World

Posted on March 7, 2012 by
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A journey through various flavors of spiritually eclectic community brings
us face to face with cursed seeds, the White Brotherhood Team, mystery,
and stardust.


Creating Spiritual Community at the Hermitage

Posted on March 7, 2012 by
2 Comments

To these communitarians, all work was holy—but overwhelmed by “the
accumulating weight of such holiness” and other disappointments, they
eventually adjust their aspirations.


Monasticism, Community, and “The Great Work”

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

The former Elderhostel coordinator at Holy Cross Monastery explores
personal and monastic history to explain her unlikely presence there.


Creative Spirituality in American Communities of the Past

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

If you haven’t heard of hollow earth theory, zig-zag-and-swirl, B-FICs, or
bathing bans, you’ve missed out on some of the more distinctive contributions
of communal spirituality.


Sharing the Path

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

Even “non-spiritual” groups can benefit through a multitude of simple practices that deepen participants’ connections with themselves, one another, and the sacred.


Creating Community Ritual

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

Ritual can connect us more deeply to place, mark the passages of our lives,
comfort us in times of grief, and link us in the pure joy of celebration. It
works best when created collectively.


Communal Studies Association Honors Communities

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

On October 1, 2011, at the banquet concluding the Communal Studies Association’s annual meeting (held this year at the historic Shaker Village at South Union, Auburn, Kentucky),Communities magazine received a big,… Read More


How Permaculture Stole My Community!

Posted on December 7, 2011 by
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After a painful period stranded in “permaculture heaven,” an Earthaven founder finds her community finally moving back towards balance with its eco-spiritual roots.


Doing It, or Are We?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

On Hawaii’s Big Island, La’akea Community explores sustainability through myriad experiments—from keeping wild pet pigs in the garden to eating 100 percent locally to mowing with sheep.


The Sharing Gardens

Posted on December 7, 2011 by
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An innovative approach to collective community gardens nurtures a culture of giving while allowing participants to feed both themselves and those in need.


Growing a Culture of Gratitude in Argentine Patagonia

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

An organic farming volunteer learns surprising new lessons from his Argentinian hosts—such as how to relax, how to enjoy practical labor, and how to contribute more sustainably by putting personal work first.


Hugelkultur on the Prairie, or Learning from Our Mistakes

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

Degraded slopes, crumbling logs, plenty of trench-digging, seven blueberry plants, and an unanticipated drought combine to teach some important lessons.


Permaculture at The Farm

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

Drawing on its long association with permaculture, The Farm in Tennessee institutes on-the-ground projects designed to provide resilience in times of climate change.


Sociocracy

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

Lost Valley Educational Center avoids collapse and reinvigorates itself by applying a new approach to governance combining the best of diverse models.


Social Permaculture

Posted on December 7, 2011 by
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While expert at understanding ecological connections, permaculturalists often founder in relating with one another. Applying permaculture principles to group dynamics can help us work together more effectively.


Permaculture 101 and Attending to Zone Zero

Posted on December 7, 2011 by
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The editor provides a refresher on our theme and suggests some new Zone Zero guidelines to help keep permaculturalists in the game for the long haul.


Unto the Second Generation

Posted on September 7, 2011 by
12 Comments

When a cohousing group’s honeymoon ends, and economic stress dictates selling units to any willing buyers, can a community’s core values and connections endure?


Buddha Being…Buddha Doing

Posted on September 7, 2011 by
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Overcoming her resistance to waking up at 5 a.m., a veteran community seeker learns transformative lessons at Deer Park Monastery.


The Lenox Place News

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

A fifth-grader takes initial steps toward right livelihood by creating a neighborhood newspaper that embodies and helps bring together her local community.


The Gift of Compost

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

To the Compostmeister at a collective house, the cycles of compost embody a new economics that focuses upon human needs and relationships.


Which Comes First, My Community or My Career?

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

Believing that the next phase in human evolution involves a return to the “local” and to community with neighbors, the author focuses his job search close to home, and includes any useful type of work.


Crowdfunding

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

A collective financial approach that allows individuals to pool their resources in support of favorite projects, crowdfunding both encourages and thrives upon community.


Remade in Edinburgh

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

In Brixton, South London, and Edinburgh, Scotland, right livelihood finds a home in innovative, resource-conserving, grassroots projects.


Work Less, Simplify More

Posted on September 7, 2011 by
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By reducing our economic impact, we can shrink our ecological footprint, while freeing up time and energy to contribute to community and a more sustainable world.


Right Lively ‘Hood

Posted on September 7, 2011 by
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Finding meaningful, socially and ecologically responsible work cannot be done in a vacuum. Right livelihood depends on networks of relationship.


A Communitarian Conundrum

Posted on June 7, 2011 by
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Despite widespread desire for community, structural and cultural obstacles to intentional community in the modern world loom large.


Fascinating Selfhood

Posted on June 7, 2011 by
1 Comment

Do you think a half-century-old book on proper “womanhood,” much of whose advice is guaranteed to cause feminists to scream out in indignation, has nothing to teach us? Think again.


The Solace of Friends in Community

Posted on June 7, 2011 by

Women’s Empowerment Circles offer community-within-community, building trust, caring, and mutual support.


Intimacy in the Village Setting

Posted on June 7, 2011 by

After a journey from nuclear family life through student coops, an ecovillager finds rich opportunities for intimacy, in many diverse forms—not just with lovers and family.


Three Perspectives on Intimacy in Community

Posted on June 7, 2011 by

A starter marriage, a spouse’s health crisis, and the small details that define each person shed light on the meaning of intimacy.