Intentional Communities with Cynthia Tina

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-06

[00:00:02]Hi everyone. I've got something very different for you today and I think you will really enjoy that. I'd like to uh welcome Cynthia Tina to the channel.

[00:00:12]Welcome Cynthia. Um I'm really excited about this conversation because Cynthia is the author of Intentional Community: Choosing Community Living for Better Housing, Health and Happiness. She calls herself a community matchmaker and she's the um founder of Eco Village Tours that we're going to be digging into. Um, and this is this is really right on time as many of you know for the astrology with Pluto and Aquarius and Uranus in Gemini that really they those transits really lend themselves to alternative living and I've mentioned in recent videos about parallel social structures are already being established and Cynthia's work is smack bang in the middle of that because it's already happening and people often say to me okay so show me new earth where is new earth well new earth is a frequency that we have to feel inside ourselves before we see it manifest. However, we are already seeing examples with Cynthia's work of what is happening in the world and actually our future society is meant to grow from the grassroots up. It's meant to grow horizontally. It's meant to grow from community. So really excited to speak with you Cynthia.

[00:01:23]>> Thank you so much Pam. Um I loved your introduction there. That's exactly what my work is focused on and I'm very grateful to be here speaking with you today.

[00:01:33]>> Fantastic. So I guess we start with a very basic simple question because I know you're in touch um with many many communities but particularly 200 um that you refer to as intentional communities. Could you explain to us what an intentional community is as a start point?

[00:01:52]>> Yeah, great. Yeah. So I have personally visited over 200 intentional communities around the world. Many diverse kinds of communities. But what they all have in common is this idea of intentionality.

[00:02:07]So a group of people living together who've come together to uh create a place that is rooted in shared values. Maybe a common vision for the future uh the world that they want to create. but can start on the microcosm of their own community, their own homes. And uh they are very diverse.

[00:02:30]You can have co-housing neighborhoods, eco villages, communities focused around sustainability or spirituality, the arts, maybe a particular identity like aging in place. Um and I'm really seeing more and more people who are looking for not just another place to live, but a different way to live. and really a place to belong.

[00:02:54]>> Yeah, that's that's really beautiful.

[00:02:57]So, you know, I've heard you previously talk about the importance of shared values when you're setting up a community. You know, that those are the foundation stones that you've all got to agree on shared values because if you don't have those, things can go a little perhaps.

[00:03:13]>> Can you talk a little more about that for us?

[00:03:15]>> Yeah.

[00:03:16]>> Yeah, absolutely.

[00:03:18]Um well to begin with like you said the new world starts from within. It's a it's a different kind of frequency that we each internally tap into. So that is a foundational piece when you have an intentional community is the individuals within that community are also living with a lot of intention in their own lives and are open to growing and learning because certainly getting a group of people together can bring up challenges. Uh I don't want to sell anyone that I'm talking about a utopia.

[00:03:51]uh these are places where we need common values and also shared uh agreements about how we make decisions, how we resolve conflicts, how we decide on who comes into the community as a new member. So those kind of core foundational pieces really can help a community thrive. And there's no one right way to do it. Communities, like I said, can look so different from one another. But the biggest thing I've seen that makes a community successful is when the people align strongly with the structure that they have created, >> that they have a good sense of these are our values. This is how we make decisions together. This is how we resolve conflicts and that those things can change and adapt and probably will with time. But that the people feel that they have ownership around what they are creating in their community. Yeah, beautiful. And is it really important, Cynthia, to have um some kind of financial or legal framework or understanding before the community really gets off the ground? How important?

[00:05:01]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:05:02]>> Yeah. Yeah. I would say that is quite important. It depends on what scale uh and also the kind of community you're wanting to create. Certainly, if you're just wanting to uh develop more community relationships with people in your existing neighborhood, which is a wonderful way to start, you know, fostering more belonging and connection with the neighbors you already have around you. But then if you want to take that next step and establish a new intentional community, maybe develop a piece of land, build housing, infrastructure, get money involved, certainly having a good uh legal framework and and clear, you know, legal agreements for how you do that, how you join the community, what happens when you leave. Yeah, certainly all of that would want to be in place.

[00:05:53]>> And do you help people with that? I mean, do you help people from scratch with helping them find the land and helping them set up legal and financial structure? Do you help them with all of that, too?

[00:06:03]>> I do. I do. It's not the main focus of my work. Um, I'm much more focused on helping people discover existing communities because I think even if you want to start a new community, the best way to learn is by going and visiting ones that already exist. And I find that people are often surprised by how many communities already exist. And it is a lot faster and easier to join one that matches what you want enough that you can join versus starting something from scratch. Um, so that's a lot of the work that I do is around community matchmaking. So helping people identify first what they really want, what's important to them, and then what communities exist that may be a match that then they can go visit, learn from, and who knows, maybe also start a new community. But the first step is uh learn from what already exists.

[00:07:01]>> Yeah. Fabulous. And do you find that the the most successful communities are where you already have a group of people who get on really well? they've known each other for a bit of time and they have shared values. Is is that generally the most successful type of community or not necessarily?

[00:07:20]>> Not necessarily. U for example, the community where I live, I live in a a small eco village in Vermont in the United States and I didn't know any of the people when I moved here. Um the community started over 15 years ago. I joined about 5 years ago and yeah, I think we we get along great and have a well functioning community. So, it's it's not necessary, but I think what you touched on this idea of of being friends or or having a shared culture, doing fun things together, you know, these are places to yes, you know, birth a new society, but also to enjoy life and the company of other people and raise children together and support each other as we get older and go through life's many milestones. So that culture piece that can come through friendships, quality time together, that is definitely important for a thriving community community culture, a healthy community. And and what do you feel some of the main reasons are, Cynthia, for people wanting to join communities and it are those reasons changing? You know, is it loneliness? Is it distrust of the system? And you know are those reasons changing in recent years would you say?

[00:08:40]>> Loneliness has become um you know it's it's quite sad how how many people are experiencing loneliness and feeling isolated feeling disconnected from those around them and even from their own sense of purpose and meaning in life. So I think that community living um whether or not you join a formal intentional community but just putting a greater emphasis on fostering those social connections and relationships. We are as a human species we are a social creature and we really need each other to feel like we're thriving in our lives. So certainly the increased prevalence of loneliness is a big contributing factor to more people wanting community right now. In addition to the other things that you mentioned, I I would say some yeah distrust or even abandonment from the system, feeling like we need to create our own support structures to take care of one another.

[00:09:46]That's a big piece as well. Um, and and for each individual, they'll feel different stressors in their own life that might be calling them towards community specifically. So, I've heard you mention that there are literally thousands of communities already all over the world. And you know that's wonderful to hear because of course you never hear about that on the news because presumably they are all independent um you know and and they're all going about their their community building very quietly and very lovingly you know there's no big fanfare so it's not surprising we're not aware of them but on the other hand they seem to be increasingly prevalent. I mean would you say the numbers are rising over time particularly over years?

[00:10:30]>> Yeah. Yeah. certainly rising at least from where I sit and I think a lot of communities do want to be discovered.

[00:10:38]They do want more people to join. Um they you know they are uh trying to have an online presence and share about their work and what they're doing. Not all some are more private. Um but I I do think you know the media as such still has a lot of skepticism around this idea of community living. There's a lot of stereotypes around communes and I think that's one of the things people are most surprised when they learn about intentional community is how um comfortable it can feel and quite natural and not this scary thing where I have to live in a big house with a bunch of strangers. But many communities can feel quite spacious and can give people a level of privacy and comfort that they may also be desiring while desiring community too.

[00:11:30]>> Yeah, it's fantastic. It's interesting you mentioned communes because we had a particular astrological aspect particularly in in the 60s 656 contraction between Uranus and Pluto and that is now blossoming. This year particularly it's blossoming. So um you know those people who were perhaps born uh at that time in the 1960s the children that they have had may be feeling this call to community. So it's interesting there's a kind of echo which is also a blossoming of what was birthed in pippy times with communes and peace and love and we don't want war. So it's fascinating to see how this is really manifesting. It's, you know, it's it's really beautiful because I know, you know, you've also mentioned you built your own house in your community.

[00:12:19]>> Yes, it's where I am right now. Yes.

[00:12:21]>> You literally built it physically yourself >> with a lot of help. I don't think anyone builds their house on their own, but yeah, my my neighbor Tomas, I'm looking at his house across the way. He helped me with the foundation. Um, family members, friends, and right now I'm I'm still working on it. I'm doing natural plastering on the interior walls. Uh so I I spend half my days nicely presentable on Zoom and the other half, you know, covered in dirt and construction. And I'm an avid gardener as well, so I'm often have my hands deep in the soil. Yeah, I love it.

[00:12:57]>> And and would you say you live more deeply in community?

[00:13:03]>> Yeah, more deeply in community. um certainly than many of my friends and relatives who don't live in intentional community. Um it's amazing to me always, you know, chatting with friends who don't live in community and just how much time and effort it takes to coordinate with people to meet up and have a lunch together or be social. And for me, I feel so blessed. I can just wander up to the garden and I'm bound to run into, especially in the summer, you know, a half a dozen neighbors and have small chat and share what's on my mind or what's going on in my life and listen to them. And then, of course, I get to come to my house and shut the door and have my quiet time, which I like as well. Uh, but yeah, it's so sweet. We also have a big shared garden. We have chickens together and we're able to pull resources, share tools and skills and be able to make projects happen that I would never be able to do living on my own. So, it's uh it's a really wonderful way to live. Not without its challenges, but certainly a great way to live for me.

[00:14:15]>> And it sounds much more joyful. I mean, you're in nature and from the way you're you're sharing, Cynthia, it's like there's a spontaneous joy of living in every day, you know, a love of life every day that you can connect to nature and and other people. And I think after after co there was a kind of boomerang that we, you know, we just yearn for human connection because so many people were living alone in a bubble, you know, during those years of lockdown. And did you notice there was a boomerang effect on your business when we came out of that, you know, 21 22. Yeah.

[00:14:50]>> Oh my goodness. Yeah. So many people just fundamentally questioning their lives and and how they're living and who they're living with and oh my goodness.

[00:15:02]Yeah. So much interest. And I would say it's been pretty consistently growing since then. I think we're still, you know, we we're we're out of the co era, but we're living with some of the impacts of it and in the meanwhile there's been new crisises and it feels like for every crisis it's like ah community that's the answer. So um yeah, it's it's been a good thing for my work certainly.

[00:15:26]>> Yeah, that's the you know the zeitgeist because you really form extended families. I would think if it's working well, you form extended families within within the community. You know, it's interesting. I've just started a two-year intensive shamanic training course and the first week was just a couple of weeks ago in France and there were 12 of us there all complete strangers that got together but of course we had shared values you know our interest in spirituality and shamanism and it was just joyful you know we were spending 12 hours a day training and also social time and it was just pure joy to share with people you could trust who were openhearted and like-minded and I could And you know, we all felt very sad to leave after the week. Of course, we're going to be going back there regularly and uh Zoom meetings etc. But there was a real sense of these people are now my family moving forwards at least for the next two years and probably forever in terms of the connections making and it felt really special and I know speaking to a lot of the people um after they got home they were really uh some of them struggling a little bit coming back to 3D life. It felt quite hollow and kind of disengaged and lonely and you know from the kind of magic bubble and not to over idealize it but it was it was the human connection and the level of trust that I really experienced and I thought you this is new earth for this week.

[00:16:53]>> This is new earth and we're all going back like lighouses to take a bit of this frequency back to our local community. So I really get what you're you're saying but you get to do it all the time. So, so >> well I I do, but I I also see that transformation on the Eco Village tours that I help run where people come to those trips. Maybe they've lived alone for a long while and it's usually only a week or two and we visit a different community each day. And it's funny like I have one woman in particular in mind and she like came with her notebook. She was so ready to see all these different communities and like documenting each one. But by the end of the trip, the thing she got the most out of it was the community that was formed among the participants.

[00:17:42]>> Yeah.

[00:17:43]>> All the, you know, sharing meals and heart circles and that that feeling of community was something she was not expecting. And um and I've seen it over and over and it's it's amazing every time. It doesn't take long for people to re remember how to be in community.

[00:17:59]>> Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful. So, let's talk about that now, Cynthia, because you were the founder of Eco Village Tours. And looking at your website, it seems that, you know, you visit um Eco Villages all and communities all over the world, you know, Europe, Costa Rica, you know, all all far-flung places, India, all over the world. So, can you tell us about how that works? How long the trips are? you know, are you literally just popping into each community for a day or two and then moving on? You know, te tell us all about Are you changing country over over the period of the tour?

[00:18:35]>> Tell us all about them.

[00:18:36]>> Yeah. Yeah. I love these trips. It really was something I developed because I felt people had to go and experience communities, not to just read about them online, but go in person, meet the people, shake their hands, share some food together. And it's now blossomed.

[00:18:57]We've run over uh 20 tours. Actually, tomorrow starts our 21st Eco Village tour, our trip in Portugal. And we've run them all around the world. They're usually between 1 to two weeks in duration and each one's a little different, but typically you are visiting a different community each day of the trip. So, it's really designed to give you a broad exposure to a diversity of community models and then later you can go back and spend more time if you want in one that resonated with you. But it's designed to efficiently give you exposure to communities that you probably would not have access to visit if you just went solo because our guides who we have leading and designing the trips, they already have relationships and are friends with the people in these communities. So you're you're really coming as a friend of a friend and getting a deep experience. While it is brief, you get to see many different types of communities. Um while of course like we talked about building community among the group that is traveling with you.

[00:20:06]>> Yeah, it's a brilliant idea actually because it's like you know it's like buying a house, isn't it? You you don't just see one house and then buy it. You see several houses before you make your decision or or your marriage partner, you know, you just don't marry the person on the first day, you know. So you've got to see a selection to have you to to help your decision making. So So all the communities you're visiting are open to new members. Is that correct?

[00:20:31]>> The vast majority. Yep. And we make that very clear on our website. We indicate if a community is open or not, but we know a lot of people are uh shopping for a community. So, we try to um only go to the ones that are open unless it's like ah it's like an incredible model and we want to showcase it. And a lot of communities even if they're full right now, who knows? They might have somebody leave and then there is a new opening available, >> right? And do you so do you travel across countries? Say you know you're on a a two-w weekek tour. Are you traveling sort of Portugal to Italy to France or are you just basically within quite a a small geography?

[00:21:12]We keep it as um compact as we can geographically to limit the amount of driving time and other logistical complications. But what we'll typically do like our Portugal trip coming up that is a oneweek trip and then following that with a few days in between is our Spain trip. So somebody we actually have several participants who are doing both trips back to back. So we'll often do something like that just to make it a little easier for folks logistically.

[00:21:41]>> That's a it's just it's a fabulous and actually it would be a lovely holiday wouldn't it? apart from anything else just a great holiday even if you weren't looking community because it would be a lovely way to meet people and actually experience um you know different different groups of people different meals different cultures it's it's a beautiful beautiful idea and I also you know living in community of course it's much more affordable isn't it because you you don't need a car for every single person in the community you don't need a lawn mower for every person in the community you know you you don't need you 20 sets of garden tools, you can share a lot of the resources. It makes it much more affordable to live there, doesn't it?

[00:22:24]>> Exactly. There's so much more we can share and then live more lightly with less stuff in our, you know, personal houses and space, less stuff we need to buy and more that we can share and often afford, like we have in our community a really nice zeroturn lawn mower that's like amazing to operate. and uh you know is is um a lot nicer than what I would probably buy on my own. So certainly that's a way to save costs. Um I think for families with children there's a lot of just impromptu kind of informal child care that can happen and that's a blessing for families. And it often works really well with folks who are in their older years and wanting community and can get, you know, the the little informal ways that you get support if you need help if you're sick and somebody can get you groceries and and maybe in turn you can bake them some muffins and just have more of this this system of sharing and exchange that helps make all of our lives a lot easier. I think it's the way I think it almost sounds like a kind of during the war and then post-war type of neighborhoods where everybody came together, you know, and shared their vegetables and their eggs and, you know, you know, there was a real sense of coming together in community and also with indigenous people. Indigenous people don't pay for child care, >> you know, it's just an extended family of sharing, isn't it? and you're sort of recapturing and remembering some of that beauty of of of living in indigenous communities as been and continue to be uh where this is. So it's it's really it's really beautiful and also >> obviously in many countries the land is going to be much cheaper to buy than in Western Europe or America or wherever you can find locations where the land is actually very cheap to buy. Mhm. Yeah.

[00:24:23]Yeah. Certainly. Yeah. I think that this way that we're living now of, you know, modern houses isolated from each other, a lot of people living alone, that's more of the new experiment. Community living is quite ancient, quite natural.

[00:24:41]So, it's a lot of returning to a more human way of living. And not to say it's a fit for everyone, but I think a lot of people who are craving that connection, belonging, um, can feel, yeah, a lot of resonance with this way of life. And it doesn't have to be in the countryside.

[00:25:02]Certainly, many communities are in rural locations, but you can find a lot of communities also in urban centers, suburban communities as well. Um, so it doesn't have to look like, oh yeah, I go into the countryside and I live off-rid and I live on a farm essentially. If you if you don't think that's a fit for you, there's still ways that you can foster more community in your own life uh without moving to the countryside.

[00:25:30]>> And how has it changed you as a person, Cynthia, doing this work?

[00:25:37]>> Well, I got into this whole world quite young. I visited my first intentional community when I was 15.

[00:25:45]>> It was a place in North Carolina called Turtle Island and it was a learning center where they were focused on um ways of living and greater connection with the land. And I had that experience but then you know coming back to high school at that time and my peers and friends who weren't into any of that stuff. Uh and so really I don't know reconciling within myself these different worlds that we live in and the more conventional way of life more mainstream and this different more alternative more meaningful more relational intentional way of life. And I see myself very much as needing to be a bridge between those those two worlds and helping other people. Yeah. Say, "Hey, there's something else out there and maybe you're curious about it and want to explore." Um because I have found a lot of joy. We've talked about that. But also, yeah, just alignment in my life.

[00:26:52]like the way I live and and the work that I do and the the people who know me and my in my neighborhood, it's it's all me and it's aligned with my values and who I want to be. Um so I'm so grateful for those experiences and the um challenges that come with community living. uh you know getting to be closer with people can sometimes mean you rub elbows with one another and you learn even more about yourself and you grow as a person. So I'm grateful for that aspect as well.

[00:27:26]>> So you have to have already set up means of conflict resolution I would guess.

[00:27:31]>> Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good thing. When you're going to visit communities you want to ask them about how they handle conflict. Conflict is inevitable in community. So you you don't want to look for communities that are avoiding it, but rather know how to handle conflict and grow from it.

[00:27:51]>> Yeah. Beautiful. And when I don't know if you ever do this, Cynthia, but do you ever visit friends in, you know, a big city or working in the corporate world or a much more conventional world? And how does that feel to you now?

[00:28:06]>> Uh yeah. Uh yeah, I have a younger sister who she lives in a city. She has a corporate job. She kind of has the life that was probably set up for me.

[00:28:16]And yeah, I I I tolerate it for a short while. It's fun to I feel like an anthropologist, you know, like, oh, that's how most people live. Okay. And um and it's um it's good it's good to um appreciate and respect those choices because like I said, I don't think this is something that oh, everyone must live in an intentional community. But for those who feel the draw and the calling, I really want to make sure they know it is an option for them >> because it it feels like a much freer, more spontaneous and joyful way of life the way you've described it.

[00:28:56]Yeah. Yeah. I think it is. I think it is. And uh I don't want to put too much of a rosy spin on it because it does have challenges as well, but I think those challenges are so worth it for the benefits.

[00:29:14]>> And do you find that people living in community learn to appreciate nature and the natural cycles more and more the longer they live there?

[00:29:23]H yeah, I love that question.

[00:29:27]I would say yes, certainly if um the community has a value around nature, which my community does. Our gardens here are beautiful and I've learned so much from my neighbors about gardening.

[00:29:43]I I thought I knew a lot coming here, but then just seeing the relationship that the people here have to this particular piece of land because every every land, every ecosystem is different. And so coming in more intimate contact with it through your neighbors who maybe have lived there longer is beautiful to experience and also to be sustained from the land. We grow a lot of our own food and so I think just again having that very intimate nourishing relationship because you're you're eating the the fruits of the land um and feeling sustained by the land can additionally help you feel that connection with nature.

[00:30:27]>> Yeah. Beautiful. So can you tell us about more of your tours that are coming up because Portugal I know has has a lot of communities doesn't it?

[00:30:38]>> Quite interesting. I've heard about quite a lot. Some of them expat, but not necessarily. Um, some of them yogic, some of them, you know, shamanic. Um, but there seem to be quite that seems to be a a country that that very much supports and encourages community. Would you say that's true?

[00:30:54]>> I would say that's true. And the country also supports a lot of expats coming to live there. They have one of the more um relaxed visa and residency policies. So I think it's becoming more and more people from around the world looking at Portugal and like oh wow that could be a interesting place to live with other people who value conscious living as well as making it a little easier on the legal side of things. Um Costa Rica is of course another global hot spot I would say with a lot of intentional communities. We actually run three trips there every year. Uh, another location that is interesting, you mentioned India. So, India is home to the world's arguably the world's largest intentional community called Oruroville.

[00:31:49]>> Oh, yes, I heard of that.

[00:31:50]>> Yeah. Yeah. Over 3,000 residents from 60 different nations, all focused on creating a center for human unity. So, it is a spiritual community as well. And this is a trip that um yeah, we actually just do in Orville. It's 2 weeks and we spend the majority of the time in there because there's so much to see. It's like many communities within one giant community.

[00:32:20]>> Wow. So it meditation has a lot of focus and spiritual practice as you go through your day.

[00:32:28]>> Yes. Yeah. In fact, the the physical and spiritual center of the community is called the Matraandir.

[00:32:36]And it is this giant temple. It looks like something from another planet.

[00:32:41]Beautiful um uh sphere shape, leaf gold on the outside, marble on the inside, and all around it are are meditation um rooms. Beautiful, beautiful design and architecture and gorgeous gardens of course surrounding it. Um, so that's that's actually the the the center of the community where many of the residents uh volunteer and spend time there in contemplation.

[00:33:09]>> Your life sounds absolutely magical, Cynthia.

[00:33:13]>> Absolutely magical. Sort of sitting here thinking, gosh, it it just sounds beautiful because it's I think at the soul level, this is what people are yearning for. You know, we've lived through a many generations where we're just encouraged to work hard at school, get a job, you know, in a big company, get a title, do well, get a big salary, get married, have children. You know, there's a been a set life pattern that we've been encouraged to follow. And what you're describing is just so different. You know, many of us might have followed that life pattern up to now, but there's there's a soul yearning, I think, to live at a deeper level right now that's really calling many of us. And I think you're in a beautiful position not only to be living it and, you know, enjoying it, but also sharing that vision with other people and making it accessible for people via your tours because where would you start? You know, how would you know about these these eco villages? where would you where would you go and how would you arrange the travel and and the invites? So, I think it is a truly brilliant idea that you've you've had.

[00:34:18]It really is. And um >> and and also the people that that lead each of the tours. I looked on your website and they seem to be kind of often experts in the local culture or something like that. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

[00:34:31]>> Yeah. Yeah, we spend a lot of time Well, first I want to say thank you for that acknowledgement that you gave. Um I yeah I feel um very grateful for the work that I do. It feels um feels like my calling and I'm I'm glad I get to speak to you and share about it. Uh but certainly yes there are other people like me around the world. People who have invested in relationships with their local communities and their culture in their language and we have found these people. We spend a lot of time looking for and vetting guides to lead the trips. I I do personally go on some of the trips. I lead the one where I live here in Vermont. But our model is to partner with people locally who are yeah relationship builders and can serve as ambassadors to help the group connect with communities in their network. And so they are they are the ones who design the trips and lead the trips. They often um like our Portugal guide, she's getting her PhD currently in rural community development. Um our uh leaders in Orville have been leading the trip there for uh decades and we've just recently partnered with them to lead an eco village tour. Um, so we really try to find incredibly knowledgeable and skillful people to be a guide, like do the logistics, but also be a a guide in a deeper sense to help people on their journey. So many of the people who come on our trips are at a moment of transition in their lives and are looking for support so that they can take the next step forward.

[00:36:16]>> Yeah, I I I imagine it could be quite quite transformative for people on your trips. It opens up a vision to a very different life that they may not have experienced before. So, you know, I can really imagine what that's it isn't just a holiday, you know, it's way it's way beyond that. So, and are you finding Cynthia that some communities are starting to invest in materials to build the h to build the homes that are kind of ecologically sensitive? I'm thinking of a there's a particular company called Geoship. They don't know I'm mentioning them. geos ship which is a kind of um dome which is very ecologically based and I think it's a material kind of combination of ceramic and bone which is very harmonious with the land and some of them I believe turn like sunflowers with the sun they're through are you aware of that >> yes uh we are a proud partner with geoship >> okay >> yeah we do a a lot of collaborations and we're big supporters of what they're doing. They are really at the leading edge, I would say, of designing homes that are healthy for humans to live in, but also affordable and eventually mass prodduced, which has kind of been the the missing piece in a lot of uh eco home design is it it takes a lot to create them and that's why these homes are so expensive. But Geoship has figured out a way to uh make it much easier and more affordable to create these homes. So yeah, certainly um in many of the communities I I live in myself, as you know, I'm I'm a passionate about building and natural building, ecological building, and I see it a lot in the communities I visit.

[00:38:04]>> So are they just based in the US?

[00:38:07]>> No, no, you have a lot there in the UK as well.

[00:38:11]>> Oh, really? Okay, that's interesting. I must explore that because I thought they were only US-based. So that's fascinating. So do they actually set up the community?

[00:38:20]>> They just provide the Okay.

[00:38:23]>> Wow.

[00:38:27]>> Yeah. Yeah. So Geoship is a company that's just getting started and they are US-based, but intentional communities of course exist in many different parts of the world.

[00:38:39]>> Right. Gosh, it's it's just beautiful.

[00:38:42]And is there any other aspect of community that you feel is very important to share with people today to give them a you know a taste in this conversation? Um and and also about some of the challenges potentially anything you can share that will give them more of a taste of perhaps why they may be interested in starting to explore community life more fully.

[00:39:08]Well, I feel like we've covered a lot in this conversation. I did recently publish the book you mentioned at the top, intentional community. I encourage people to use that as a starting point.

[00:39:20]You know, you don't have to start with a full tour. You can read the book and that'll give you a lot more sense of what exists out there. And in the book, I talk about the different types of people who I see drawn to community living and then what types of communities I often see them drawn to.

[00:39:41]Uh because there is a wide diversity of different types of communities and values that people hold. I would encourage though at the early stage for someone to get clear on what's important for them.

[00:39:57]I think so many people have an idealized vision like oh wouldn't it be nice to live in a community and la but no what's what's important to you in terms of your values in terms of where you want to live in terms of maybe what your financial situation is in terms of um purchasing a home building a home maybe renting a home in community. Write all that down and try to prioritize it because the deeper you go into this world, the more you will find that there are a lot of communities. They all look different. You might at times feel overwhelmed by the selection. And so do the do the first step which is your step. Get clear yourself on what you want in community. And that'll be your north star as then you go deeper in your exploration.

[00:40:49]>> Yeah, that's really good advice. And you have a kind of community quiz, don't you, that people have to go through and ask answer questions that that might help to guide them as well.

[00:41:00]>> Exactly. Yeah. It's a short twominut quiz. I ask um some of the Yeah. key questions that I often ask clients that I work with. And then at the end of this quiz, you get um an idea for which type of community. I have five different types. and you'll learn, oh, are you more of an eco village homesteader community person? Are you more of a co-housing person? And then I describe, well, what does that mean? And what are some examples of communities that would fit in that type? So, it is a good it's a fun fun way to start and dip your toes into the research.

[00:41:38]>> Beautiful. And do you find that there's a there's a real spectrum between the introvert and the extrovert in terms of people who are drawn to community? Is it more the extrovert?

[00:41:49]>> I'm so glad you asked this question.

[00:41:52]That's a common misconception. It is actually more of the introvert who's drawn to >> Wow, that's surprising. Yeah, >> because the introvert maybe struggles to find enough connection and default living and they want to live in an intentional community where yeah, they can open the door and have that connection time but also close the door and have their privacy. So I consider myself a social introvert and I I really enjoy this way of life. Yeah.

[00:42:24]>> Beautiful. Gosh, you painted a a really beautiful and really inspiring picture for us, Cynthia. And I just want to thank you because you are such a shining example of of the way society is going to develop in the future. If I'm following the the astrology, it's very much saying that we are no longer as we move forwards going to be living in a top-down vertical kind of power structure society with, you know, rich elite people at the top and we poor peasants at the bottom. It's going to be people choosing their values, as you say, intentionally, and we're going to grow it from the grassroots up. Lots of pockets of light springing up. Um, and they're all, you know, different defined by the individuals that make them up.

[00:43:09]But there's something that is all about sovereignty, claiming back your power to make your own choices about the kind of life you want rather than just being programmed into this is the way life is.

[00:43:24]This is the way life works. To be a success in life, you have to do ABC D.

[00:43:29]It's much more about >> tapping into your individual essence and saying as you have done Cynthia and saying no that's not the one the life I want to lead I'm going to choose to do something different that's a real expression of sovereignty I think >> yes well thank you for your work and you know looking into the stars and looking into people's lives and saying this is where we're headed and claiming it and I I completely resonate with what you've shared. I very much hope that this is the way of the future. I think we need it to be the way of the future because the old way is not working and um and I'm just so grateful that more and more people are stepping into this new world.

[00:44:15]>> Yeah. Beautiful. And you are one of the pioneers at the forefront of helping to create it. Literally physically on the ground now it's actually happening. So really encourage people to check out Cynthia's website. I'll put all of your details below so they can go to your website, check out your book, check out the quiz, etc. And I I love this conversation. It's inspired me a great deal actually. So maybe joining one of your tours in future. So you just thank you so much for your work, so much for your vision. So much for of you know, for you having the courage to live a very individual life, but which is also operating as service to others. It isn't just about your own, you know, selfish needs. It's it's actually about okay, how can I serve others with the vision that you've you've birthed yourself? And so I really thank you for your work.

[00:45:04]>> Oh, thank you so much. Oh, yeah. Really appreciate your support. Thank you.

[00:45:09]Thank you.

[00:45:09]>> I loved it. Thank you so much. And I hope all the viewers out there have really enjoyed it, too. And it's given you, you know, a lot more faith in where we're going in the future and and ideas to perhaps check out the website and and join some of the tours. So, God bless you all and thank you so much Cynthia for your time.

[00:45:27]>> Thank you.