What Even Is Cultural Emergence?

Listen to the Podcast here.

What if the culture you live in isn’t the one you have to keep living in?

What if you could shape something new, something life-enhancing, empowering, regenerative, not just for yourself, but for the generations to come? That’s exactly what we explore in this episode of Connection Matters Podcast.

the deep, transformative potential of Cultural Emergence.

We often assume that culture is fixed, inherited, and immovable. But what if it isn’t? What if culture is a living story we can consciously co-create—every single day?

Let me take you into this world, one that has changed how I live, lead, parent, and dream.

🎧 Listen to the podcast episode
🌿 Join our free PEACE workshop on May 6th, 6.30pm UK time

The First Time I Felt It

I still remember when I first came across Cultural Emergence through Looby Macnamara’s work. I was already immersed in permaculture and deep nature connection. But this—this was different.

You know that moment when your whole body says “yes” before your mind catches up? That was me.
This wasn’t just more information. It was a remembering. A blueprint for something I had always sensed but didn’t have language for.

It gave shape to my longing—for community, for peace, for a way of living that felt more… true.

And now, years later, I want to share it with you.

Culture Is Not Fixed—It’s Created

“Culture is the story we tell about who we are and what we value.”
That’s how Looby defines it. And when you really let that land—it’s revolutionary.

Culture isn’t just art or food or language. It’s the silent agreements we live by. What we prioritise. How we speak. What we believe is possible.

Most of us inherit these patterns unconsciously. But Cultural Emergence invites us to get conscious—to become culture creators, not just culture consumers.

Try this:
What are the invisible rules or rhythms you follow without question? What would shift if you brought curiosity and intention to just one of them today?

Vision Is the Seed of Change

You can’t grow a new world if you don’t have a vision for what it could be.

Cultural Emergence is about dreaming bold, grounded dreams—and then living them in tiny, powerful ways.

Imagine a culturally emergent day:
Waking to birdsong, stretching with gratitude, working in rhythm with nature, making decisions by consensus, grieving together, celebrating the seasons.

This isn’t utopia. This is what becomes possible when we align our inner and outer worlds.

Try this:
Take a moment to journal: What does a culturally emergent day look and feel like for me? Let your imagination lead. Let your heart answer.

Language Shapes Reality

We can’t create a new culture using the same language that built the old one.

That’s why Cultural Emergence offers tools like the Design Web, the Cultural Emergence cards, and principles like Make Connections First, or Discover Abundance

These tools aren’t just conceptual, they’re deeply practical. They support personal healing, community building, conflict transformation, and soulful leadership.

I use them in my coaching, in circle, with my family, and in how I design my own days.

Try this:
Pick one phrase that nourishes possibility, something like “What if peace begins with me?” Write it somewhere visible. Let it guide your choices this week.

The Power of Community and Practice

One of the most transformative ways I’ve experienced Cultural Emergence is through the PEACE Deep Dive Retreat at Applewood Permaculture Centre that I facilitate each year with Looby Macnamara.

A week living on the land, co-creating community, honoring ceremony, sharing meals, and visioning together. It’s profound. It’s real. It’s possible.

We’re doing it again this June, and if this resonates with you, I’d love for you to be there.
And if you want to dip your toe in first, join us for the free online PEACE workshop on May 6th. Register here.

Your Takeaways

• Culture is a living creation—and you are one of its artists.

• Vision is essential. Without it, we default to what we inherited.

• New tools and language can shape new realities.

You’re already shaping culture with every word you speak, every ritual you tend, every choice you make. So let it be conscious. Let it be connected. Let it be yours.

🎧 Ready to Go Deeper?

👉 Listen to the full episode here
🌿 Register for the FREE PEACE Workshop on May 6th
💬 I’d love to hear how this resonates. Comment below or connect with me on socials!