www.gardenringcities.com (USA)
Video on New Town in the free NEXUS lectures series
of Prof. Dr. Ralf Otterpohl:
Garden Communities
Living diversely, producing locally,
together with nature and neighbors
Ralf W. Otterpohl
Andrew C. Toth
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/garden-communities
Ralf’s experiences with dowsing, geomancy and system design
For me it is important to assess a new development comprehensively right from the start. When considering establishing a garden community and all that goes along with it, it is vital to ask the fundamental question: Is that the right direction overall? For the GC, inclusion of the hardly visible but noticeable energetic structures is important, especially when designing the landscape. It starts with the water veins, which are to sought for the construction of wells, but which should not be under bedrooms. But there are places in the landscape where people feel naturally comfortable and can find contact with nature. Experienced geomancers with solid knowledge of place and design can help you to consider these items from the start. Such an investment up front can save a lot of misfortune and illness and, despite structural interventions, bring the village more in harmony with nature and the landscape.
I have done system design work for many years and learned that it can turn a group of people into a community. There are often unexpected design aspects which come out of our design workshops. Since the formulation of quantum physics, this field of knowledge can also be explained scientifically, and we can approach these elements in a very concrete fashion. At a spiritual research workshop with several experienced geomancers, I was lucky enough to be able to demonstrate the garden ring cities concept and gather expert ideas and opinions related to it.
The open research meeting in Dornach is used to exchange experiences and to jointly examine current topics. The organizer is Thomas Mayer, who works as a meditation teacher and combines anthroposophical spiritual research with geomancy. In addition to his work as a civil rights activist, Thomas has written several books on elementary beings that can be seen as the emotional level of nature; he recorded an interview with me in one of them.24
For the garden ring concept demonstration, I laid out green sleeping pads on the floor to represent the mini-farms that make up the garden community. The nearby city was represented by a group of chairs, and a landscape planner from our circle threw a small mat into the city; we grinned at each other and I said: “Thank you, urban gardening is of course part of it!” Then the participants perceived their subjective feelings and, following a moment for silent thinking, we exchanged our impressions. One person, who had decided to initially stay in the city when the garden community was set up, said that the city now felt more free. The urban gardening symbol represented the message: “This is a fallback [that increases the city’s resilience].” In the garden community, I heard the following feedback: “I sense common ideals”; “I have gratitude for the soil”; “Coming generations are in good hands”; “I perceive a different consciousness in myself”; “I feel conflicts on the mini farm”; “You can live both [urban and rural]”; “The mini farm is a good compromise”; “I feel pride”; “I notice my ego power”; “I am supported, but the city is also okay.”; “I perceive a very deep connection to the garden, complete peace, like coming home”; and it actually came: “Country air makes you free!” Thanks for that!
Afterwards I was happy to hear the reinforcement for the garden ring city concept. A colleague said that such an exercise could also be used for future workshops on community development. Another good note for me personally: I should not present my reasoning too black and white. Something resonated with me – I, too, am always growing and learning.