Intro to Permaculture

for the Herbalist’s Path

Class 1:
Ethics and Principles of Permaculture
from a Wellness Perspective

Sarah Wu
sarah@villagewitch.org
What is Permaculture?
Looking to the Past to Design for Our Future
● Founded in 1960’s by Bill Mollison
○ Who was he?
○ Globalization:
“the process by which businesses or other organizations develop
international influence or start operating on an international scale”
○ Sovereignty:
“supreme power or authority”
■ the authority of a state to govern itself or another state: national sovereignty.
■ a self-governing state.
○ Systems
■ Interconnectedness: Human and Nature Made
■ Reductionism v Holistic
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David Holmgren: Permaculture: Pathways and Principles Beyond Sustainability
The Philosopher
● Ethics & Principles
○ Core Philosophy

● Evolution of Permaculture
○ Human Settlement Design
○ Economics
○ Community Development
○ Education and Governing Systems
○ Spirituality
○ Restorative Justice: Healing Community and Land
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Herbalism: How do we define and identify ourselves? What friend’s
think we do

● Modern v. Ancient Definitions What Dr’s think we do

● What does Herbalist mean to you?

○ What thoughts and images are evoked?
○ What are are our roles and responsibilities?
As individuals and within the community? What our parents
think we do
● How do we practice?
○ Farmers, Gardeners, Wild Crafters
○ Medicine Makers and Brands
What society
○ Community Herbalist thinks we do
○ Integrated Clinician
○ Wellness Coaches
○ Advocates and Conservationists
○ Biologists, Botanists, Ethnobotanists, Naturalists
○ Intellectuals, Researchers and Writers
○ Hobbyists
What we do 4
Ethics &
Principles
● EARTH CARE
● PEOPLE CARE
● FUTURE CARE
● FAIR SHARE

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Earth Care:
● Deep Ecology
● Mindfulness of all living things, Biophilia
● Bioregionalism and Internationalization
● Regenerative Systems and Practices
● Organic, Polyculture
● Conservation, Preservation, Reforestation, Afforestation
● Sustainable

People Care:
● Service & Give Back
● Equitable social structures, schools, affordable housing and healthy food
● Purpose driven work
● Health care and healing to those in need
● Self Care - Zone 0

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Future Care:
● Design Beyond our borders and generations
● Plant trees, rehabilitate culture, learn languages and make healthy choices
● Vote with Dollars
● Share what you have learned

Fair Shair:
● Balanced distribution of food, wealth, housing, land resources, educational opportunities, equal
opportunity, health care, etc...
● Access to medicine and practitioners
● Recognizing mutually beneficial and symbiotic relationships
● Working with alternate economies, local economies, buying fair trade commodities, etc...
● Every human being, land resource, wild space and animals essential rights are met
● All systems and recognized as sentient

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REGENERATION
● ●
Bring into renewed existence; generate again
● To bring new and more vigorous life
We have to really take a look at and be willing to
change our language when dealing with global issues.
The spoken word manifests and language is the
essence of a culture and mind frame.
Sustainable is not sustainable!
Our world, our communities, our education and
health systems and our infrastructures are not
sustainable, in that we can not sustain the lifestyle
and practices we currently have in place for future
generations.
What do you do that is REGENERATIVE?
● Would you try to effect change on a macro level or do
we just keep the movement on the micro?
● Change yourself to change the world.
What can we do now for the future?
● How can we change our government and industries?
● How do we build systems outside of our government
structures?
● What kind of systems are needed and how do we use
our standing infrastructure regeneratively?
● We want to go back to the land, but with the existing
infrastructure of land ownership, taxes, etc. How do we
support people returning the land?
● What does returning to the land mean for you?
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Principles: From a Wellness Perspective
1. Prolonged/Protracted and Thoughtful Observation - The intake and follow up
2. Catch & Store Energy - Stacking Function Plants
3. Obtain a Yield - Rest, Rejuvenation, Adaptogens Tonics
4. Apply Self Regulation & Accept Feedback - Dogma does not foster wellness
5. Use Small and Slow Solutions - Simple formulations and protocol. Compliance!
6. Produce Little to No Waste - Make your own, Compost
7. Use the Edge & Value the Marginal - Focus on all communities
8. Use & Value Renewable Energy & Resources - Organically Cultivated v Wild Crafted
9. Design from Patterns to Details - Treat the Person, Not the Disease
10. Value Diversity - Explore all options
11. Integrate Rather than Segregate - Never disregard a healing modality as valid
12. Creatively Use & Respond to Change - Resilience is a state of mind first
a. The change we can effect
b. The change we can not

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 Points to Ponder
& Suggested Exercises:
INTERCONNECTED
● What is the most drastic thing you could do to change
your lifestyle to make it more regenerative?
When did we stop ● What would the simplest, least drastic, but most
belonging to impactful thing be?
● What medicinal plants or remedies do you already use
the land
that have the most diverse therapeutic action? Think
and Stacking Function.
● What does Obtaining a Yield mean to you?
when did
● What comes up for you in regards to the 12th
the land Principle of Permaculture?
start belonging to us? ● Look around your home and lifestyle for one month,
take note of what causes you the most stress because
of inefficiency, how can you remedy this?

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Up Next...
Herbalism:
An Art

A Science

The Craft

The Practice

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