Self-reliance is a skill a true Bitcoiner aspires to master. We have become our own banks and enjoy financial sovereignty. But Bitcoin is only one of several keys towards freedom.

The system Bill Mollison taught the world is called Permaculture. It is a concept that he first introduced together with David Holmgren in the 1970s.

It has been designed to be resilient and decentralized and for this reason hard to regulate. It’s a low time preference system. Those are properties we also appreciate about Bitcoin.

Permaculture is not only similar to Bitcoin, but also plays an important role in becoming self-sovereign.

Permaculture For Citadels

A good place to live is a place where you feel secure. A place that can provide for all your needs. A place – you know, will be there tomorrow, next year, or potentially forever.

Wouldn’t you want your citadel to be such a place? If your answer is yes, let’s have a look on how to get there.

The 3 Pillars

Ok, I lied, it’s actually called the 3 ethics, but pillars in the context of citadels sounds much nicer.

When thinking of citadels, we often imagine “isolated gated cities” or big castles with fortified walls. Yet, real security starts with the ability to sustain oneself. If the outside world turns into a mess, citadels cannot rely on external inputs.

Earth Care

Earth care is the practice of regenerating soils and keeping water, soil and air clean. A healthy environment is the basis of sustained and abundant life. A citadel without a supportive base will wither and die over time.

People Care

Likewise people care is important to empower people to make good choices. Citizens of the citadels should be able to live well protected and healthy within a strong community. This in return will strengthen the city.

Fair Share

When we look at history, we see that it is not sustainable for a small group of people to accumulate most of the wealth in the world. This is a reason why we Bitcoin. Consequently, fair share is important. We have to put surplus back into the first two ethics (or pillars). This then creates a positive feedback loop and allows us to grow strong.

Fair share is an important aspect for us Bitcoiners. Many of us already invest our time to help, teach newcomers, and work on projects to strengthen the ecosystem.

Already a reality for some, we will face increasing wealth through hyperbitcoinization. There will come the day, when you have to part with your sats. By choosing to invest into sustainable projects, you are taking low time preference a step further and could allow your citadel and even humanity as a whole to thrive.

Permaculture Design Principles

By studying natural systems, Bill and David have formulated a set of design principles. Those principles give us guidelines for how to create abundance.

Observe & Interact

This is often neglected but very important. So many have “bought” their first bitcoin (aka holding it on an exchange) without even taking the time to understand it. Many have dismissed the vibrant community that would have been there to educate and give them support.

There’s no rush, low time preference is the key. So before you start building your citadels, take some time to look around. What is there? What is happening? Where is North and South? What path does the sun follow? How is the soil? Is there water? Wind? Fire? People?

Only when you know what you have to work with, you can proceed.

Store of Value = Store of Energy

An important aspect for Bitcoin is energy. The very ritual of forging a bitcoin block and releasing bitcoin requires great amounts of it. By stacking sats, we are not only storing value but also energy. We keep this energy secured because we know that someday we can release and put it to very good use.

A citadel without a stable source of energy cannot function long-term. Storing energy therefore is a crucial aspect of permaculture. We try to catch energy at its most potent state. When it rains, we want to hold the water at the highest spot possible. Water goes downwards on its own but you will have to work if you want to bring it back up. Biomass is another great store of energy (SoE). A forest provides us with food, fuel and building material.

Obtain a Yield

You have two choices, either you spend your precious sats on food, water and energy or you obtain a yield. When deciding what to put in a certain place, choose the option with greater yield. That is to say, choose a fruit producing plant over an ornamental one.

When designing a system, our goal is to not rely on external inputs. Once this state is reached, we can live sustainably. And only when we are able to provide for ourselves can we become truly independent.

Self-Regulation

Bitcoiners self regulate, period.

We don’t like others telling us what we can and can’t do. We are sovereign individuals and know how to make our own decisions. We learn from our mistakes. It’s precisely this attitude that can make us great permaculturists.

Self regulation also means to keep our consumption in check, it is our responsibility for the earth and for the people around us.

Value Renewable Resources

When citadels have to sustain themselves on their own, they should consider renewable resources. Vegetation and livestock will replenish when harvested moderately. Try to abstain from fossil fuels, they will eventually deplete and you risk becoming dependent on external sources.

Produce No Waste

A true bitcoin mining operation does not waste energy. Big companies are working on reducing energy consumption of the miners. Mining operations in Iceland reuse the warm air to heat homes. Miners seek locations where otherwise 'wasted' energy is available for cheap.

In permaculture there is no such thing as pollution, for every output we try to find another input. For example, we cycle water as much as we can through different systems. The grey water from the sinks and showers is used to irrigate crops. Sewage water is treated by microorganisms until it can be used to fertilize the plants. At the same time biogas is produced which we can use to cook our meals.

Design From Patterns to Details

Bitcoin has many patterns. The core design is a distributed network of nodes which keep a ledger that consists of blocks. Many patterns also appear in the form of cyclic events beginning from the 10-minute blocks, the difficulty adjustment up to the halving eras. Citadels inevitably will align to these cycles as much as to our circadian and annual rhythms. We have to keep these intervals in mind. They serve as a guideline for our designs.

Likewise, the landscape is made up of patterns. Find the contours, and from there you can elaborate the citadel design. By using them as a guide, you can maximize rainwater collection by digging up swales. Contours also guarantee that they are level which gives you easier access to other places.

Orient houses and gardens towards the sun. The sun provides a great deal of energy in the form of heat and electromagnetic waves. Unless you have a big mining operation, you can heat your houses by letting the sun in and store the warmth inside the floor and walls.

Take a look at the big picture and let existing patterns reveal and guide you. Following them instead of opposing them will make a lot of things much easier.

Integrate Rather Than Segregate

The more relationships within your system, the stronger and more productive your system becomes. The first thing a bitcoin node looks for is connection to other nodes.

For each element you implement, try to make as many connections as you can. A tree does not only provide food but also shelter for animals. It casts a shadow to provide protection from the sun for living beings.

By building relationships between people, a strong community can get much more done.

Use Small & Slow Solutions

Using and mastering Bitcoin takes patience, low time preference is key. By playing the long game, we avoid getting rekt.

Practicing permaculture is not much different. We patiently work on improving the soil. We plant trees that take years to finally bear fruit. But the payoff will be worth it.

Use & Value Diversity

Resilience through diversity: even if one part fails, another may thrive. The Bitcoin community is already highly diverse. The same level of diversity should be applied to our gardens. Monoculture can lead to disastrous famines.

Diversity does not only create resilience but can also make systems more productive. Trade between plants is just as common as trade between people.

Use Edges & Value the Marginal

Between two different mediums, edges occur. This is where the juice is at - it is where interchange happens. Two competing ideas lead both sides to work. Plants grow taller around fences. Most life can be found just where soil meets air.

Recognize edges and integrate them into your design.

Creatively Use & Respond to Change

Change is the only constant. Bitcoin undergoes certain phases. Opportunities can arise that haven’t been apparent before.

When practicing permaculture, one commonly observed example is that after applying swales and planting forests, springs show up in unexpected places.

This Is Just the Beginning

Use these principles as a starting point, each of them hold their own rabbit hole. Combine them and you (or your citadel) will drastically increase your chances of success and of unlocking true abundance.

I have a strong feeling that the next 10 years will bring drastic changes to the world. To me, Bitcoin and permaculture are a perfect match to prepare for whatever is to come.