What a glorious morning! Lavender in full bloom. We just finished this retainer wall from uncut natural stone for stabilizing and nourishing this olive tree and to better keep the humidity on the slope. Not the worst spot to sit with a view either. #freedom #offgrid #olives #naturalstonewall #farmstr #gm #sparta

A lovely visitor this morning :))

This is such a good podcast with Matias de Stefano. Once again, in podcasts he can somehow express complex wisdom in simple words and examples, often giving it a perspective I hadn't seen before. I love how leisurely he describes the function of pyramids and how time & space travel can actually work (sorry Elon, no rockets). Being deep in the Bitcoin rabbit hole, I frowned hard at times during the section about money 😆 But the significance of sound money in spiritual development becomes clear. Money is a tool for energy exchange. And while stacking and hodling Bitcoin makes perfect sense during that huuuge transition phase in monetary systems we are in, in the end the idea that for our personal well-being money better flows to power life is something to think about. #Bitcoin #spirituality #consciousnessraising #hermeticprinciples #ancientegypt

It used to be, in the post WWII era, that the burden of proof for why granted freedoms can be restricted lay with the restricting authority. The executive government needed to provide paramount evidence to the legislative and judicial branch for why the restriction is justified. Arguably since the early 2000s this public perception was slowly but surely reversed. In more and more cases today, the burden of proof for why their fundamental rights should not be restricted lies with the citizens. Think of financial transactions, private communication, free speech. This development didn't require any changes in the constitutions of major democratic countries, because the scope of the justifications such as 'national security', 'public health', 'public safety' and 'environment protection' are stretched to such an extent by all state authorities without significant public protest that the declared fundamental rights lose their strength. So then, what does freedom really mean? Where does freedom come from? And in the long run, can legally declared fundamental rights alone really grant us freedom? - adopted in 1948, three years after the human catastrophe of WWII #freedom #fundamentalrights #awareness #consciousnessraising #philosophy #spirituality

An end-stage fiat money story I heard first-hand from a caring grandma: She wanted to support her grandchild who lives in a foreign country with some fiat for a family trip to the sea. It was a minor amount worth a family restaurant visit. She used a cross-border fintech banking service. But the transaction was blocked and she received a message from the company that they can't forward the payment due to a risk of money laundering or terrorist activity. She was asked to provide more details about the purpose of the payment and where the fiat comes from. As she always considered herself a decent citizen, the caring grandma readily provided the information and wrote a long explanatory message to the company explaining that she earned the money herself and that it's for her grandchild and the young family. Yet, this wasn't enough for the company and they wanted supporting documents such as ID, birth certificates etc. This was finally too much for her and she declined the request for these document, saying that it's only a humble payment for her family and she refuses to be treated as a potential criminal. At the time I learned about the story, her money was not yet returned nor forwarded to her grandchild. This is the future we are headed to ... NO, the future we are already in! It is and will also be reality for ALL fiat payments, not just cross-border, but for buying your car and your local coffee. Father corporation in unity with stepfather government wants to know where & why you head out for dinner, who you meet and when you come back home. These are the examples that make people understand the value of Bitcoin and free communication. Let's make people we care for aware of it, so they don't have to stumble into a situation such as grandma before they believe it. Because then it is already too late to change to freedom without violence. Let's use the chance we still have to simply opt out with #Bitcoin and #Nostr now - by living a peaceful life building the new society based on a real understanding of freedom. #freedom #consciousnessraising

We easily talk about 'freedom of speech' and other fundamental rights granted to us by law. But what is freedom really? "The majority of people (...) manifest very little freedom. They are swayed by the opinions, customs and thoughts of the outside world, and also by their emotions, feelings, moods, etc. (...) They would indignantly repudiate this assertion saying, 'I certainly am free to act and do as I please - I do just what I want to do'. But they fail to explain when arises the 'want to' and 'as I please'. What makes them 'want to' do one thing in preference to another? What makes them 'please' to do this, and not do that? (...) The master can change these 'pleases' and 'wants' into others (...) He is able to 'will to will' instead of to will because some feeling, mood, emotion or environmental suggestion arouses a tendency or desire within him to do so." - The Kybalion, Hermetic Philosophy Real freedom comes from within. This is what spirituality is about ... the exploration of spirit beyond mind and matter, the freeing quest to 'know thyself'. #freedom #spirituality #consciousnessraising #awareness #hermes #thoth #hermeticprinciples #ancientwisdom #knowthyself

So, we met a couple of Bitcoiners living on Madeira island, who: - are in the process of building an alternative schooling and community project with sustainable housing options, floor-heated by Bitcoin miners - are giving yoga & sound healing courses / retreats in amazing facilities - grow organic vegetables and fruits in their own gardens, and - are mostly leading a freelance or free entrepreneural lifestyle. As they say, the future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed yet. #Madeira #Bitcoin #freedom #foodstr #consciousnessraising #spirituality #future

With Signal's new update you can now use a username and no longer have to share your phone number to freely communicate. This is great news in times of universal pushing of 'know-your-customer' (KYC) regulations! Use your freedom!

Signal Messenger

Signal Messenger: Speak Freely

Say "hello" to a different messaging experience. An unexpected focus on privacy, combined with all of the features you expect.

#freedom #signal #nokyc

👀 "Could the ancient wisdom of Hermes, the great religions and stoicism all be pointing to the very same thing that our growing understanding of physics, science and technology are pointing towards? Islands of knowledge, seemingly different but actually connected - through each of us and our actions." Human consciousness expansion found its way on the main stage of Bitcoin Atlantis. How fitting. Much more to come. Thank you @Jeff Booth and others 🙏🏻

Emphasized take-away from Bitcoin Atlantis Day 1: Nostr is a gift of freedom, surfacing right when we need it most. Just like #Bitcoin did in 2009. The developing activity on Nostr is amazing! I loved when @jack stressed on main stage that: - any centrally run platform with a single point of failure can by definition in the longer run not be "free speech" and - that using Nostr (and getting zapped directly by your audience for your content) is simply a matter of personal choice. So, do it! Remember, freedom is essential for human thriving. #freedom #nostr #BitcoinAtlantis #madeira #freespeech

Jiddu Krishnamurti is one of my most influential guides and teachers in life. So, when he says: "Freedom is the first and last step." What does he mean by that? Very simply put he means, for - our well-being, clarity & happiness - our creativity & shining, - our path towards a deeper understanding of what life is all about, - heck, human thriving as a whole, Freedom is the very foundation. If we are not free from the start, we will err through life with a lid on, and in the worst of cases fool ourselves into a concept of freedom that's the very opposite. Once we are on the path of real freedom we will discover ever more freedom along the way. We will experience the joy of limitlessness, the bliss of endless opportunity -> union & love. That's why if we care to live our full human potential, freedom is the first and the last step.

What would you do with a piece of land directly by the sea in a quiet pine forest? Exactly.

Weil das Thema "CBDCs" in Europa gerade überaus wichtig ist, hier die deutsche Übersetzung einer meiner Favoriten-Posts von @StackHodler "Jede Regierung, die ihre Bürger daran hindert unmittelbar und ohne Überwachung miteinander Handel zu treiben ist unrechtmäßig. Und jede Regierung, die sich für eine solche Welt einsetzt, verdient es als die tyrannischen Clowns lächerlich gemacht zu werden, die sie sind. Elizabeth Warren (amerikanische Senatorin der Demokraten) ist an der Spitze dieser Liste. Zur Erinnerung ... Politiker stehen in UNSEREN Diensten. Wir zahlen ihre Gehälter. Sie existieren aufgrund unseres Wohlwollens. In vielen Regionen ist die "Regierung" nur eine Gruppe von Menschen, die wissen wie man sich Wählerstimmen erkauft und dann ihre erlangten Wählerstimmen an den Meistbietenden verkauft. Das sind keine beeindruckenden Menschen. Die meisten Politiker verdienen nicht länger den Respekt, den ihnen ihr Amt verleiht. Es ist gestohlener Glanz. Zentralbankwährungen (CBDCs) sind Anti-Mensch Technologie. Stell Dir vor Du kannst Deinen lokalen Bauern nicht mehr Angesicht-zu-Angesicht für Lebensmittel bezahlen, ohne dass die Regierung Deiner Zahlung zustimmt. Das ist Unsinn. Jeder Politiker, der sich ernsthaft für Zentralbankwährungen einsetzt und gegen das transparente, quelloffene Bitcoin, sagt Dir alles, was Du über sie wissen musst. Sie sind gegen persönliche Grundfreiheiten und sollten eiligst aus ihrem Amt entfernt werden. Jedenfalls, guten Morgen." --

X (formerly Twitter)

Stack Hodler (@stackhodler) on X

Any government that prevents citizens from transacting peer-to-peer without surveillance is illegitimate. And any politician that advocates for su...

-- "Any government that prevents citizens from transacting peer-to-peer without surveillance is illegitimate. And any politician that advocates for such a world deserves to be ridiculed as the tyrannical clown that they are. Elizabeth Warren is at the top of the list 🤡 Remember... Politicians are OUR servants. We the people pay their salary. They exist by our good grace. In many places, "the government" is just a group of people who know how to buy votes and sell their vote to the highest bidder. These are not impressive people. Most politicians no longer deserve the respect that their office affords them. It's stolen valor. CBDCs are anti-human tech. Imagine not being able to pay a farmer for produce face to face without the government approving the transaction. It's nonsense. Any politician seriously advocating for CBDCs while campaigning against open-source, transparent #Bitcoin is telling you everything you need to know about them. They are against basic personal liberty and should be removed from office with haste. Anyway, good morning."

Off to a Vipassana retreat. Much love everyone!