"The course FAR exceeded my expectations. I underestimated the power in magic, teacher interaction, and group energy to bring about transformation. It's phenomenal! Transformative! Heart-changing! Ego-altering!"

Cynthia Cornell Novak
Agoura, California
January 2004 EAT

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"I LOVE to chat with anyone about how AMAZING this course was for me. The weaving of permaculture and spirit helped me embody the teachings, and since then I have gone on to learn herbal medicine, natural building in Thailand, biodiesel making, and to work with Planet Organic in New Zealand.

Chanti Smith
San Francisco, California
January 2002 EAT

"You can't beat the blend of knowledge and spirituality and action!"

Tiffin Brough, Tree Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
January 2006 EAT

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"I wanted to learn how to maintain my optimism in the face of so much fear and negativity, and I wanted to learn general PC principles. I did! Not only did I learn to maintain my optimism, I feel even MORE positive and empowered than ever. I wholeheartedly, enthusiastically recommend this course. The best, most inspirational, informative, empowering class I've ever attended."

Laura Holland Belk, activist
Sierraville, California
January 2004 EAT

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"' The well-structured Earth Activist Training curriculum gave me the knowledge and tools necessary to understand how I can make effective contributions to Gaia and our culture. With this new foundation of understanding my life feels richer and more purposeful. I am forever grateful to the wonderful instructors.' ...Mer, these words are very true and I really want you, Star, Erik, and Charles to know that the Backyard Abundance campaign, and most of what I do in life now, are a direct result of EAT. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It was the best experience of my life!"

Fred Meyer, founder of Backyard Abundance campaign
Iowa City
September 2005 EAT

"I'm constantly raving about how EAT has changed my life to anyone who will listen. In the past year, [my partner] Phil and I have reduced our electricity and natural gas consumption by 50%, planted over 13 fruit trees and many edible shrubs, started keeping bees, put a greywater system on the house, and reduced our water consumption by over 50% (we're using less than 30% of the Albuquerque household average while growing a significant amount of our own food and medicine). In March we hosted a solar roof raising party installing a photovoltaic grid inter-tie system on the house. I could also go on about the many esoteric changes I've experienced, but I'll leave it at this. Star and Penny, I can't thank you and all of the other course teachers enough. I am so grateful."

Mary Lou Singleton, midwife
Albuquerque, New Mexico
January 2002 EAT

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'Amazing, life-altering experience. We all grow and learn so much during this short time. The safe, supportive environment really facilitates people opening up, feeling empowered, and coming into their true potential. We each find our place and voice here, and are able to carry a piece of that back with us into our work. As Tara said, it's as much about the inspiration, the community, and empowerment as it is about the information."

Brenda Whitney
Aurora, Illinois
May 2001 and September 2005 EAT

"My attendance at EAT opened wider and deepened my spiritual connections. The demonstrated practical methods of creating a life-honoring society are inspirational. I suggest people plan attendance with friends for more support, especially for bringing it home. EAT has been a life changing experience. I would strongly recommend doing what it takes to attend."

Scott McCandless, green builder
Berkeley, California
May 2001 EAT

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"It is impossible to put into words how great the EAT was and how it affects me. It was an incredible learning experience that immediately began to permeate every aspect of my life. I will think of my life 'Before Permaculture' and 'After Permaculture.' I am a pollinator and so I bring precious pollen — spiritual gifts and information— from one place and community to others."

April Cotte, outdoor educator/wilderness trek leader
Pacifica, California
April/May 2003 EAT

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"Just writing to let you know I've been hired to work on the revitalization of [heavily polluted] Onondaga Creek.... I'm amused by how much my EAT training has helped with being already familiar with key concepts. I just read a case study paper from the restoration of Nine Mile Run in Pittsburgh, about the use of swales to reduce the amount of stormwater entering the sewer system... I attended a Working Group meeting last night where they arrived at the decision to hold the community forums using a charette process to solicit public input ... and one of our project partners has a brochure it's circulating about "Rain Gardens" — and the setup they describe is very reminiscent of the work we did for Black Mountain Preserve's kitchen garden!"

Lindsay Speer
Manlius, New York
January 2005 EAT

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"I had gone to school for so many years, receiving a BA, an MA, and a PhD, and Starhawk was right — I had never even learned the basics of how to clean water. I now want to spend the bulk of my life-energy living and working on the solutions to the problems all of us on this planet face, and I now have the skills to start right here in my own community. The training gave me hope for a viable future in a way nothing else ever has."

Wind Euler, anthropologist
Prescott, Arizona
April/May 2003

"I've never eaten so well in my life. For real. Amen. Hallelujah. Those sweet potatoes made me wanna praise God."

EmmaLeigh Stickney
Ashville, North Carolina
September 2005 EAT

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"[Penny and Starhawk,] the 2 of you gave us an amazing amount of possibilities in 2 weeks. There are threads there for anyone who wants one. I went through my notes and got excited all over again. There are more excited people here too. So we'll see where this goes. Anyway, THANK YOU both. It was difficult and oh so worth it."

Merlin Beltain
BC, Canada
January 2002 EAT

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"I wanted to connect with Earth, and I have. I hope we all bring this experience home and train others— with ongoing energy, building for the future. ... [The food was] best ever — eating gourmet, healthy, organic food for two weeks has brought my body into balance."

Nyx
Chicago, Illinois
January 2004 EAT

"A truly life changing experience! Thank you!"

Shawn Peters
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
January 2004 EAT

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"EAT was a transformative two weeks of inspiration! I feel blessed and privileged to have been a part of it. I feel love for everyone I've met here, and hope to maintain these heart connections."

Linda Helland
Ukiah, California
September 2005 EAT

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"An awesome, integrating experience within a tribal/community context."

Wind Pope
Denman Island, BC, Canada
January 2006 EAT

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"I believe that the seed of HOPE in my heart has sprouted! Gratitude beyond words to all of you."

Jewel Adams
Taos, New Mexico
September 2005 EAT

"Thank you, permie prophets of EAT, for reminding me and my fellow EATers what it truly means to be open, loving, compassionate, hopeful, and fully activated human beings. Your intensive program is a unique and utterly transformative experience that deftly integrates permaculture, global justice, and earth-based spirituality into a bold, seamless whole. The result is a powerful and inspiring new synthesis. I have never experienced such a profound sense of belonging to the Earth and all her beautiful critters, both human and non-human. I strongly urge anyone who is considering this training to take the plunge and do it....the time is now, the future is here, you have everything to gain. Peace and swales."

Cullen McCormick
Redwood City, CA
May 2006 EAT

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"Thanks for creating such a marvelous event for everyone! I have returned to Portland deeply inspired and renewed; the Earth Activist Training was a very profound and enjoyable experience.... And by the way, after the EAT training I now feel so freakin' super-charged! This going to be such a huge year."

Mark Lakeman, co-founder of City Repair
Portland, Oregon
December 2002 EAT

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"It was more wonderful than I could have imagined. I will carry all that I have learned here with me always. This has been an incredible transformative experience and I am so grateful to have had it."

Maggie Anderson
Medford, Oregon
January 2004 EAT

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"The EAT training changed my life and has allowed me to hold a positive vision of the future. After the EAT training in January 2002, a fellow EATer Abi and I converted an '82 diesel VW van to run on veggie oil and traveled all throughout the US and Canada talking about permaculture and alternative fuel. The Earth Activist Training is a training like no other."

Jamie Gooley
Sonoma County, California
January 2002 EAT

"I had a wonderful time at EAT and would easily say it changed my life! This experience has changed my overall perception of the world and how I can participate in making changes."

Isobel Alexander, photographer
January 2004 EAT
Seattle, Washington

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"We created some energy I had never quite felt before—that of positive, inspired ritual. Our collective power. I feel more empowered than ever to design, to create, to build. I am FOR a positive vision, rather than primarily AGAINST the current political state-of-things. We all need to come alive and recognize our collective potential; the need is urgent. I highly recommend the Earth Activist Training."

Adam Hurter
Windsor, Connecticut
April/May 2003 EAT

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"The EAT training taught me how to sustainably change and nourish my being, my community, and my world."

Kevin Kunzler
New Orleans
January 2004 EAT

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"Somebody recently told me I had a very 'permaculture' way of looking at things, of connecting them up. I felt really proud to hear this — and genuinely thankful for the EAT course and all the amazing people I got to know there. Since September 2004, when I spent two weeks in the beautiful Cazadero hills, I've been noticing and building connections in a diversity of ways.... The EAT course was one of the bridges into a different kind of life than the one I led before. A life more on the edge of things, and wealthier because of that."

Katie Smith, rebel clown
London, England
September 2004 EAT

"Thank you for your beautifully grounded handling of all and sundry crises and organisational stuff, you made it all very smooth and for those of us traveling, it was really well handled."

Chris Ireland, pharmacist
Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
September 2005 EAT

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"Awesome, one-of-a-kind melding of so many threads of my life. So often the spiritual component is missing in eco-circles, or the social justice thread, or what-have-you. This was a rare and wonderful gift to have all these fundamental elements move together. Bravo!"

Clara Lindstrom, pastry chef
San Francisco, California
January 2006 EAT

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"I wanted to learn more about 'gardening' and sharpen magical skills. You blew me out of the water. I have been able to release some old baggage and move into a more powerful active role. I feel I got a good foundation from which to choose special pieces to build on, as opportunities present themselves."

Jeannie Ramsey
Los Alamos, New Mexico
January 2004 EAT

"A beautiful group of teachers sharing vital living skills to a beautiful group of students. Elemental Ecstasy. I would most definitely recommend EAT to my friends. I would tell them to get their shit together (and then learn how to compost it)."

Natalie Krueger
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
September 2005 EAT

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"Life changing, inspiring, and deeply moving. Just the right combo of spirituality, permaculture, and activism. Thank for enriching my life in such an important way. I am now inspired enough to go out and be more active in my community and learn more about the questions I have."

Joseph Seda Saine
Seattle, Washington
April/May 2003 EAT

"With course material, you pushed us hard in a rather relaxed way. Congratulations! I'm amazed at how much you fit in by stacking functions. This is true 'school.'"

Stephen Nelson
Portland, Maine
September 2005 EAT

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"I want to take this into my every moment, to walk this Earth in awareness and listening."

Brian Hannagan
Portland, Oregon
January 2004 EAT

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"A magical, transformational experience that has changed me forever! I'm so grateful to you Starhawk and team for making it possible."

Iris Strand
Boulder, Colorado
September 2005 EAT

"The teachers were ALL really energetic, warm, earthy, committed, and vital. The quality of their experience and knowledge was remarkable. The overall tone of good humor, welcome, getting a lot done, staying on agenda, AND being flexible had a marvelous synergy. There was also a real sense of social interaction, participation, and quality. Lots of work and lots of action. Excellent!"

Maraiah Lynn Nadeau
Port Townsend, Washington
September 2005 EAT

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"You [teachers] both were articulate, funny, and very professional. You stuck to the material and didn't let discussion wander too far. I was impress by your knowledge and moved by your excitement. Everything had real world application, and you stressed how important these skills will be needed in the future."

Brian Albers
Lafayette, Colorado
January 2006 EAT