The Importance of a Strong and Positive Vision

Voices From Transition Chester

November 2008

An astrologer predicted the world would end on the middle Tuesday of October. He was wrong. However, that was the week of extreme turmoil on the financial markets, events that have jolted the certainties of many. Presently, I keep meeting people who are reassessing what is important to them. I like to think that he was right, that our choices today are shaping a new world.

In traditional Japan, the New Year’s holiday was 3 months long. Down on the allotment today, I could sense how the energy of nature had gone quiet, how it seemed to be taking a break after another season of growing. Perhaps the old timers were copying the natural rhythm. I would gladly swap the regular rhythm of bills and the 5 day week for something earthy.

In this issue, articles have been submitted by different people. We have:  The Story of Stuff  Finding Our Roots  Changing the Dream Symposium  Share Tips from the Trading Floor  The Transition Chester Wiki  News from Transition Chester  Events for your Diary- starting next week!

1 Please forward the newsletter to your friends

[email protected] or 07717 828819. The Transition Library Wanted: I.T. enthusiast to help A funding application has been maintain our wiki completed for a collection of books and DVDs that inspire the  Love I.T.? change to a sustainable society. If  Want to support the great successful, the titles will be kept transition in Chester? together to make it a browser’s  Got a (very) little time to delight. You might go to learn spare? about keeping chickens in your backyard, but also be thrilled to Members of the Coordinating find out how to make sour dough Group admit to being I.T. bread. challenged. If there’s anyone out there with enough IT skills to sex up our wiki and help keep it up to Transition Chester go online! date, we’d love to hear from you. As far as we can work out, once Our wiki site on the Transition you know what you’re doing, it Towns website is now up and won’t take up too much of your running. Check in to time. We just don’t know what http://transitiontowns.org/Cheste we’re doing! r/Chester for regular updates on what’s happening with the Trees for Chester different working groups, We are working hard on our vision Transition Chester events and to have fruit and nut trees growing other local groups. It’s about as in the city. Bags of plump sweet low tech as you can get, but it’s chestnuts, hazlenuts and monkey enough to keep the lines of puzzle nuts have been collected. communication open and start a They all taste great. We will plant dialogue. the remainder and give the saplings away for free. Also, we The site is meant to be used and are applying for funding so we can meant to be interactive, so if you plant mulberries, medlars, walnuts, have any events you would like to goji berries, edible fuschias, that advertise, would like a link to your sort of thing, on suitable land. local group or business, or have Finding land is proving challenging ideas for new pages for the site, work, but we are confident. please get in touch –

2 A list of useful trees and shrubs alternative energy schemes and will appear on the wiki before local currencies. Ed) Christmas. Donations, help and enthusiasm would be greatly “ I think the time of LONG TERM received. investment in stocks has come and gone..

The Story of Stuff the printing presses are running, I urge you to check out the creating more and more dollars internet film ‘The Story of Stuff’ that are worth NOTHING. It is all based on illusion and good faith. This short 20 minute film takes What happens when it falls, which the viewer on a provocative tour of it will! What will have real value our consumer driven culture. It’s a are the basic things that really rapid fire, fact filled look at the create abundance: Food, Energy, underside of our production and Shelter, Water. These are the consumption patterns. sectors to invest in. Inflation is going to get worse and Annie Leonard’s narration you need to ensure you are not complements some simple but losing in this hidden tax. highly effective visuals that I heard it best last night when a expose the connections between a comedian said, "Can you believe huge number of environmental and that the broke people are now social issues. bailing out the rich people.” If anything, this economy has caused The film taught me things, made a wake up to some people. I will me laugh and definitely changed tell you, I feel quite different the way I view my ‘stuff’ about the USA than I used to. I

think we Americans have been Join the 4 million viewers that asleep at the wheel while our have already caught the film. wealth has been stolen by greedy www.storyofstuff.com politicians, CEOs and bankers. ”

A professional trader chooses the hot sectors that will provide Did you know? 1 steak has the the best returns. Vince also tells same CO2 footprint as driving 19 you what will bomb. Sign him up for miles in a 4x4? the transition movement. (it is an edited version so the argument is Or that transportation accounts not coherent. It does get me for only 11% of food’s CO2 thinking of community-owned emissions?

3 Finding our roots - The Heart and our communities here in and Soul of transition Chester to their foundations. The In these times of change, as the very fact of modern life means news gets gloomier by the day, I that a scant few of us have stable have often had cause to reflect on foundations to shake: notice what the ancient Hermetic wisdom has happened to the world As above, so below economy in the past few months As within, so without and how it has affected our lives in In essence, this tells us that the this country. outer world we see around us is a reflection of our inner state of The world wasn’t always this way. consciousness. From this point of Speaking of the contrast between view, our current society, of indigenous and modern Western industrial estates, road rage and cultures, Don Enrique Salmon, a ASBOs is simply the manifestation Mexican-American medicine man of something deep within the observed: “If a big storm comes collective consciousness. along, Native Americans’ roots are deep into the earth. But for a lot As I navigate through Chester’s of Anglos, there aren’t many roots. traffic jams and supermarket The next storm comes along and queues, I have come to understand they would all be blown off the this ‘something’ to be a universe.” fundamental disconnection with our natural environment and our I believe that the Transition Town real needs as human beings. When movement offers a way out of this we lead our lives in this modern predicament. Sure it’s an way, we often feel stressed out experiment, but I do know that by and unhappy or dissatisfied at simply coming together in some level. This in turn further collective endeavour, while holding disconnects us from our a strong positive vision of the environment, numbing us to our future, we are already fulfilling a natural rhythms and real needs, deep-seated human need – that of and so the outer world obliges by mutually beneficial and nurturing reflecting our pain back to us, with relationships within a supportive more stress and more ugliness. community - surely a recipe for greater personal and collective Why is this relevant to transition? happiness? As we achieve small It is relevant because the successes, so our inner map also combination of peak oil, climate begins to change to reflect a more change and economic unrest is, in positive and empowered world my view, going to shake our society view. The first half of the saying I

4 began with reminds us that we have the capacity to create our Are you passionate about own heaven, right here on earth. change? We would love to hear from you. Peak oil will ultimately force us let go of our addiction to the material ‘stuff’ that somehow seems so Clothing with a Conscience fundamental to our quality of life invite you to join them for at this time. But, as we learn to Christmas with a Conscience live more simply, we also liberate At Wesley Methodist Church, space and time to enjoy priceless Chester pleasures, like learning to create objects of real practical value and If you are tired of the of beauty, growing our own food, commercialism of Christmas then or spending time with people we this could be an evening for you. love. Thus, by stages, we are They will be modelling fairly reconnected back to the web of traded clothes and gifts, giving life, and with the place we call demonstrations and giving you the home. opportunity to make your own Christmas cards and decorations. If you are interested in exploring Transition Chester will run a stall these and other related issues there with: a display about over a cup of tea and a slice of transition towns and what’s been cake, the Heart and Soul group run happening in Chester, sample monthly open space gatherings. So “Morsbags”, a slideshow, a mini far, we’ve been sharing things that Freeconomy giveaway, Wompom have inspired us, celebrating the cards, with profits to Trees for good things and building the group Chester, plus Laurence will be energy through simple meditation making natural Christmas exercises. Please join us, and bring decorations. your own point of view to the circle. The next meeting is on 26th Where on Earth are we going? November, in Handbridge. Contact And what can we do about it? me if you would like to know more – 07717 828819 / These are two of the questions [email protected]. that are at the heart of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium.

transitionchester@ The Symposium is an unusual and yahoo.co.uk engaging inquiry into a bold vision: to bring forth an environmentally

5 sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, If you would like to become more and socially just human presence confident when speaking in public, on Earth. The Symposium then this event is for you. No originated in the US and has experience needed. FREE spread across the globe with the help of volunteer facilitators and * Christmas with a Conscience enthusiastic promoters. Using th sometimes beautiful and 20 November, 7.30pm sometimes moving video images Wesley Methodist Church, St along with well researched expert John’s Street. opinion, our local facilitators will Tickets are available from the help the gathering to explore four Chester Fair Trade shop at Wesley key questions: or on the door £3, to include refreshments 1. Where are we? 2. How did we get here? * Bag-making stall 3. What is possible for the 20th November, 7.30pm future? Wesley Methodist Church, St 4. Where do we go from here? John’s Street Does this vision and these Some of TC will be there with questions intrigue you? Are you sewing machines and patterns, ready to explore what this means making shopping bags to give away for you? Do you yearn for the for free to unsuspecting members opportunity to create an inspiring of the public. (See future? If so, we warmly invite you www.morsbags.com for more to attend the Symposium on information about the concept Sunday 18 January 2009. behind it). Come along to help or learn new skills. Email us for times.

EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY – all welcome! * TC Social – riverside walk

rd * Toastmaster Training with Jane Sunday the 23 of November, and Tom 1.30pm at the entrance to the Duke’s Drive. 19th November, 7–8.30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frodsham Street. We are meeting for a walk. Please come and join us. We would love to meet you. Starting at 1.30pm at the top of Duke's Drive, we will

6 walk to Eccleston and follow the Transition Chester are hosting an river back to Chester, where will evening of storytelling, drumming warm up in the Bear and Billet. and ceremony with a traditional Bring a mug and a mince pie/snack. medicine man from South Africa. We will brew a cuppa en route with This event will start with a our Kelly Kettle. communal supper. 20% of profit to Trees for Chester. £10 on the Heart and Soul door (£5 unwage/low wage). Contact Rebecca for more info – th 26 November, 7.30-9pm, [email protected] Handbridge Transition Group Meeting There are lots of exciting possibilities for taking this group Our next meeting will be Thursday forward. Come along and join us 8th January at 7.30pm in the for our third open space gathering. Cross Keys. Brian has also prepared a presentation on our relationship New faces are very welcome. with nature, on which he would like feedback. Contact Rebecca if you Awakening the Dreamer,Changing would like to know more – 07717 the Dream Symposium 828819 [email protected]. Sunday 18 January 2009, 1.30pm - 5.30pm at Wesley Methodist Church Hall, St John’s Street, Rhythm of the Heart – an evening Chester. Warming refreshments with John Lockley will be served. To book your place phone 01244.323037 4th December,,6.30-9.30pm Quaker Meeting House