As in the Heart, So in the Earth: Reversing the Desertification of the Soul and the Soil

As in the Heart, So in the Earth: Reversing the Desertification of the Soul and the Soil

The world’s leading expert on reversing soil desertification shows how ecology can flourish only when spiritual elements are present • Uses a parable from the African oral tradition to provide a living testimony of what has been lost with the rise of modern technology • Provides a vital account of the strong relationship between soil and soul and how this relationship can be restored As in the Heart, So in the Earth is a strong indictment of a civilization that, while seeking domination over the earth, mutilates, tortures, and desacralizes it. For Pierre Rabhi ecology is inseparable from spirituality. He shows how the growing desertification of North Africa is a reflection of the “desert” that is claiming the hearts and souls of the inhabitants of the Western world--how dead soil is mirrored in our deadened souls--and how reconciliation with Mother Earth must be accompanied by relearning our ancestors’ reverence for the soil. Using a traditional African parable grounded in the very wisdom of the earth, Pierre Rabhi seeks to initiate the reader into a time when the people that dwelled on this planet did so harmoniously and could converse easily with the land. Village elder Tyemoro recounts the gradual destruction of his village’s culture and all that has sustained it as the miracles promised by modern technology brought more harm than good. This same drama is recurring throughout the world, where indigenous value systems that have endured for millennia are torn apart by contact with modern civilization. Yet Rahbi offers hope--if those in the modern world will stop to hear the words of their ancestors who worked the land, for our destiny is linked irrevocably to that of the earth. “Pierre Rabhi is calling us urgently towards an act of reconciliation with the Earth and his own life is an exemplary model of it.” ― Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, conductor, and winner of the Nehru Peace Prize "From the moment we were told that we were to have dominion over the Earth, we have done nothing but destroy it. Pierre Rabhi superbly shows how this is also mirrored in our souls." ― Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide magazine, Nov/Dec 2007 ECOLOGY / SPIRITUALITY "Pierre Rabhi is calling us urgently toward an act of reconciliation with the earth, and his own life is an exemplary model of it." --Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, conductor, and winner of the Nehru Peace Prize As in the Heart, So in the Earth is a strong indictment of a civilization that, while seeking domination over the earth, mutilates, tortures, and desacralizes it. For Pierre Rabhi, ecology is inseparable from spirituality. He explains how the growing desertification of North Africa is a reflection of the "desert" that is claiming the hearts and souls of the inhabitants of the Western world--how dead soil is mirrored in our deadened souls--and how reconciliation with Mother Earth must be accompanied by relearning our ancestors' reverence for the soil. Using a traditional African parable grounded in the very wisdom of the earth, Pierre Rabhi seeks to initiate the reader into a time when people dwelled in harmony with the planet and conversed easily with the land. Village elder Tyemoro recounts the gradual destruction of the culture of his village and all that has sustained it as the miracles promised by modern technology brought more harm than good. This same drama is recurring throughout the world, wherever indigenous value systems that have endured for millennia are subsumed by contact with modern civilization. Yet Rabhi offers hope, if those in the modern world will stop to hear the words of their ancestors who worked the land, for our destiny is linked irrevocably to that of the earth. PIERRE RABHI was born in Kenadsa, an oasis in southern Algeria, and grew up in France. He is an agro-ecology consultant for many international organizations, including the World Bank, and is a specialist in reversing the process of desertification. The author of several books, As in the Heart, So in the Earth is his first to appear in English. He lives and farms in the Ardeche region of France. Pierre Rabhi (1938–2021) was born in Kenadsa, an oasis in southern Algeria, and grew up in France. He was a consultant on agroecology for many international organizations, including the World Bank, and was a specialist in reversing the process of desertification. The author of several books, As in the Heart, So in the Earth is his first to appear in English. from Chapter Three Tyemoro's Memory The very next day I made my first formal visit to Tyemoro. He immediately noted this, pointing out that I was carrying my "word trap," as he called my cassette recorder. He led me into his room, for the heat and the flies were unbearable outside. I spoke first: "Tyemoro, my friend, I have come now to ask you to speak of your land. I know that things today are not the way they were before. Why have so many young people left? Why has the village shrunk so much so that mostly old people are left?