So many truths here, thank you, Farasha. I will read Klages. Reading you, I'm reminded of an essay by Northbourne on flowers, in Looking back on Progress, which I think you'd probably like. As for trees, a childhood favourite chestnut, utterly magnificent, was recently felled to make way for a criminal road. Words can't even begin to describe...
I have always liked Northbourne. He was the first traditionalist who really resonated with me. Lawrence had an extended correspondence with Rolf Gardiner, who, I believe, was friends with Lord Northbourne. I can't prove it, but my hunch is that Lawrence may have indirectly influenced Northbourne through Gardiner (who he greatly influenced, and who claimed "The Plumed Serpent" as the greatest work of our times). My condolences regarding the chestnut: the utter stupidity of man is sometimes the only thing that seems boundless.
Gardiner and Northbourne were members of Kinship for Husbandry, one of the important rural revivalist groups out of which emerged the Soil Association. The best treatment of this is Philip Conford's superb book, The Emergence of the Organic Movement. Not least, it brings out the religious impulse behind the early rural/organic initiatives. I don't know if Northbourne was influenced by DHL; he was certainly influenced by Rudolf Steiner but I think he always was, and he certainly became, a devout Christian. The family established Northbourne Court (Christian) prep school, which exists to this day. The organic movement went on to become thoroughly secular, with Schumacher's religious writings of the 1970's becoming a source of embarrassment.
Thank you for that helpful and enlightening information.
Certainly the organic, environmental, vegan,... movements of today that largely had religious foundations are today not only secular, but largely irreligious.
So many truths here, thank you, Farasha. I will read Klages. Reading you, I'm reminded of an essay by Northbourne on flowers, in Looking back on Progress, which I think you'd probably like. As for trees, a childhood favourite chestnut, utterly magnificent, was recently felled to make way for a criminal road. Words can't even begin to describe...
I have always liked Northbourne. He was the first traditionalist who really resonated with me. Lawrence had an extended correspondence with Rolf Gardiner, who, I believe, was friends with Lord Northbourne. I can't prove it, but my hunch is that Lawrence may have indirectly influenced Northbourne through Gardiner (who he greatly influenced, and who claimed "The Plumed Serpent" as the greatest work of our times). My condolences regarding the chestnut: the utter stupidity of man is sometimes the only thing that seems boundless.
Gardiner and Northbourne were members of Kinship for Husbandry, one of the important rural revivalist groups out of which emerged the Soil Association. The best treatment of this is Philip Conford's superb book, The Emergence of the Organic Movement. Not least, it brings out the religious impulse behind the early rural/organic initiatives. I don't know if Northbourne was influenced by DHL; he was certainly influenced by Rudolf Steiner but I think he always was, and he certainly became, a devout Christian. The family established Northbourne Court (Christian) prep school, which exists to this day. The organic movement went on to become thoroughly secular, with Schumacher's religious writings of the 1970's becoming a source of embarrassment.
Thank you for that helpful and enlightening information.
Certainly the organic, environmental, vegan,... movements of today that largely had religious foundations are today not only secular, but largely irreligious.