Since the release of my book, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Hippie, I’ve been sharing with as many people as possible that we are all hippies. People often turn up their nose and say emphatically, “I’m not a hippie.” I smile. Hippies were counterculture, revolutionaries who stood for peace, love and changing the world for the better. Radical for the time. Seems we are still having the same conversations five decades later.
When I first told my brother the title of my book he hesitated before he said to me, “Beverley, I don’t want to upset you but you weren’t really a hippie.” I was shocked, as of course I always saw myself as a hippie. This was a big aha moment for me, as it helped me clarify a very essential “hippie” distinction.
Hippies were known to live alternative lifestyles, (which I definitely did not do), and maybe this is why so much of the hippie legacy has to do with lifestyle choices. The “sex, drugs and rock & roll” stigma. I realized that my kind of “hippie” is less about hippie in a lifestyle sense, and more about hippie at a core value sense.
Hippie Values
Hippies stood for the key values that are currently part of our popular cultural conversation. Do you live from a place of gratitude, with music and art an important part of your life? You are a hippie. Do you see how being part of a community and of service to others, is fulfilling why we all are here? You are a hippie.
Do you meditate, do yoga and continue to do inner transformational work? You are a hippie. Are you a seeker, exploring spirituality and contributing to being a CO-creator for a conscious planet? You are a hippie. Maybe you value organic living and sustainability and are compassionate, showing reverence for all living creatures. You are a hippie. This is my kind of hippie and why I believe that at the core of who we are as human beings—we are all hippies.
Music, Art and Community
As I reflected a bit more, I remembered the famous “Summer of Love”. The 1967 convergence of 100,000 plus people on the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco is credited for having initiated a major cultural and political shift in the world.
It was a revolutionary time, with the energy and excitement of the era translated to the world in many ways, most memorably, through the music of the times. Back in the 60s, we lived sharing music and art when coming together in community. Groovy.
Revolution and Change
For me, the interesting parallel between the 60s and our current times is actually written in the heavens. Back in the mid-60s, Uranus, (planet of revolution, rebellion and sudden change), was conjunct Pluto, (planet of transformation, rebirth and breaking with tradition), igniting an inescapable time-release charge of radical transformation in both our culture and us as individuals.
Before this time, the human potential for enlightenment of “all people” had been reserved for an occasional saint or guru. Back then, this taste of expanded consciousness germinated a cultural seed, giving birth to a new kind of individual. Suddenly it became an expansive possibility for everyone. Hippies were the first to get it. Right-on.
Astrology Explains Why
In my understanding of astrology, what happened during the conjunction of Uranus and Pluto in the 60s would manifest globally when these two planets reached their first square. For those who aren’t aware of it, we’ve just emerged from a three-year period where we experienced not just one, but seven exact squares of Uranus and Pluto. It began in June of 2012, with the last of the seven exact squares in March 2015! Supercharged times of revolutionary and sudden changes at the core level of both individuals and institutions.
If Pluto is about slow and gradual upheaval, Uranus is about revolution and sudden change. We are seeing the impact of these two planets squaring each other everywhere. From social revolution on the streets, to civil rights, gender issues, ecology, political aggression and power structures. We have the opportunity to deconstruct what was and rebuild what we want our world to be. Where have you felt this in your own life?
Where Have All the Hippies Gone?
People often wonder where all the hippies have gone. There are many of us who live in big urban centres and carry the values into our daily lives. There are non-urban Hippie communities thriving across the nation as well. This fun read on 10 of America’s Hippie Hideouts, brought some unexpected smiles. From California, Arizona and Oregon, to Arkansas, Montana, New York and Vermont, hippies are alive and well. They are still influencing the planet by living both the conscious lifestyle and the value system birthed in the 1960s. As it turns out…we’re everywhere! Very cool.
Hippies became lawyers who sued for protecting air and water quality and for damages from chemical pollution. They began changing the world by starting companies that produced products that were Earth-friendly, ecologically sound, technologically advanced and socially conscious.
My trips to Portland found it as a progressive hub of this energy, with the “hippie” values alive and flourishing. And it’s spreading out into the world at gatherings of people like the World Domination Summit, which I’ve been fortunate to attend twice.
Hippie Power to the People
The hippie values continue to live on in growing communities like WDS. “Hippie” as an ideal, is for people of all ages, all ethnicities, from all backgrounds. Remember the brilliance of John Lennon, a committed peace pioneer, and how he infused the cultural consciousness through love-ins, sit-ins and peace-ins? He understood that the power is with the people.
Each of us individually can use our voice for change. The true power comes when we unite in like-hearted communities to bring this change to fruition. Maybe more so than any time in human history, we can all contribute to making a difference. The Internet, even with all its failings, is a great igniter and unifier. What ways do you see yourself as a “hippie”? Peace-Out!
Hi, I work in a long-term health care setting. When ever possible, I try to find the time to visit and try to learn something of a residents life story. I am a maintenance man and was sent to a room to try to repair a pair of broken glasses. In the room was a elderly man and woman maybe in their mid seventies and a woman of about forty. We had conversation as I worked on the glasses and I learned that the man and his wife were leaders of the grassroots party in the 70’s. They spoke of protests, war and struggles for equal rights. The older man was the uncle of the younger woman who was really impressed at what her uncle had done. I mentioned several Bob Dylan songs and the young woman pulled them up on her I phone and soon we were all flashing peace signs an singing” The times they are a changing” Both of these grassroots people were very proud of their past. I told them their work has not been forgotten by me at least. The clean rivers, air and forests are here today because of their work and so many other things. They will never be “worthless hippies” to me as they were so commonly called when I was young
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Thanks for sharing your experience and appreciation for the elders you come in contact with in your work and life! Yes, I’ve written articles about the older generation and feel they have a lot to teach us about life and living well. It sounds like you’ve had so many wonderful experiences, learning as you go and that you are open and willing to listen to them and see their worth. Many of the hippies are still doing positive work in the world, although I see many of the younger generation as taking up the same causes we were concerned about back in the 60’s and 70’s. I really appreciate sharing your thoughts and experiences here, Tom!
I’m a Hippie, the Billy Jack kind of Hippie, but still a Hippie.
Being born a tail end baby boomer, 1963, I was too young to get involved but the music and movement itself shaped my life. To this day I still refer to those values and they are a strong part of my perception of reality.
Just yesterday I shared the song Get Together, by the Young Birds with my Daughter Rain. We are so divided these days it’s heartbreaking. I tell the younger generation “You know the world has gone mad when the Conservatives are the ones holding the Flowers.”
“Get Together” Written by an Air Force Veteran; myself a Veteran of the US Army.
I believed it then and I still believe it Now. ✌️??
It’s great to hear about your kind of hippie, Shawn. It sounds like you resonate with the hippie ideals and live your life by them. I believe that hippie values, are human values and it is wonderful to know they are alive and well in your world.
It is heartbreaking how divided we are and I often see parallels between the 60’s (at the height of the hippie movement) and the times we are living in now. I do believe the young people ‘get it’ and like back then, I see them at the forefront of the changes we so desperately need in our world today. With a little support and help from older hippies like you and I. I still believe co-operation and collaboration, beat division any day too!
What a wonderful post, thank you Beverley. I love your distinction between hippy lifestyles and hippy values. Although I’ve never done the former, I’m proud to say I have a lot of the latter ^=^
Thanks so much Julia. Glad you enjoyed the distinction between lifestyle and value system, when it comes to all things hippie. Like you, I know that so many of us embody the values at the core of our humanity.
Lovely post, Beverley. It’s so interesting how viewing this topic from the perspective of “Hippie” values rather than focusing on the more surface lifestyle aspects gives a much more positive feeling to this movement. When you look at it in this way it’s quite encouraging to see how dramatically these values have influenced us all in positive ways and managed to become pretty mainstream.
You said this so beautifully Dave. When we do change our perspective, it’s easy to see how the “hippie values” are at the core of our humanity and how what was once considered revolutionary and counter-culture, are now part of the mainstream cultural conversation.
I am a total tree-hugging hippie. Like you, not so much in the sex, drugs and rock and roll aspect, but in the values: love, peace, sustainability, equality, etc. What you said about astrology is so interesting – I have seen a tremendous change in myself over the past few years, and when I lifted my head up and looked around I was astonished to see hordes of people undergoing the very same transformation in personal growth and spirituality – amazing and awe-inspiring. I can’t wait to see what’s next – I hope and pray that all this beautiful energy and raised consciousness will help outweigh all the other threads of greed, callousness, selfishness, etc., that are also weaving their way through the story of this time of the world. Blessings, Reba
I truly believe that at the core of our humanity, we are all hippies, Reba. Many people still see “hippie” as a reference to the lifestyle and yet when we look at the value system, it becomes clear that so many of us embody so many of the values that were birthed during the era. The astrology is very interesting indeed too. Almost predestined when we see how at this point in our history, we are at the midpoint to fruition of the value system that was birthed in the 60s. I am seeing it echoed in the political system, the educational system and economic system, right down to the very personal level. Transformation is happening and like you, my wish is that it is for the good and we finally see that the raised consciousness brings about revolutionary changes. xo
Hey Beverley,
It really nice to read about the era that we have missed such core value system is ‘hippie’ era.
Sex drugs & rock n roll wasn’t the par of hippie era. You have captured the essence what 60’s stood for.
Thanks for sharing!!
Glad you enjoyed this look at the hippie values, Ellie. It was an era that birthed so much of the values that we are still living in the world today.
I live in the San Francisco area. One of the things we love to do is walk down Haight Street, which undoubtedly evokes a certain 1960s nostalgia. There is live guitar music that warbles from street corners even today, tie-dyed t-shirts are still worn by some, you can smell pot and colorful peace signs adorn windows of some of its businesses.
When I was last in San Francisco my friend took me to the Haight district, as I hadn’t been there for many, many years, Rachel. It must be amazing to walk the streets and “feel” the energy of the 1960s all around you. The hippie culture lives on and it makes sense to me that this hub which was so important to it, would still evoke the spirit of the movement. Thanks for sharing your current day experiences, as it supports my belief that the values are still alive and well.
Very interesting post! I guess I do embrace most of these so-called “hippie” values, without living the actual hippie lifestyle.
Like others have said, it seems today’s world could benefit from embracing some of these values.
I believe we all embody the hippie values, Karen, even without living or having lived the lifestyle! And yes, our world really could benefit greatly from embracing and including most of these values.
Nice article, thanks Beverley. And I have some of those values but through other channels, not really hippie culture, so no, I do not feel like a hippie, that was before my time. It is nice that so many still embrace their such values though. 🙂
Just by virtue of having some of the values, I’d say there is a little bit of hippie in you, Katarina. 🙂 Which is what I believe. You don’t have to live the lifestyle to be a hippie…just carry the values and live them in your life!
HI Beverley, I never thought of myself as a hippie – as you wrote; however, I do find myself now living where I am fully present and conscious. I’ve done a lot of self development work and opened my mind up to a new way of thinking – to respond rather than react and it’s had a huge impact one me. In fact, this past week I realized one of my biggest obstacles was me not being committed to myself. I never viewed having a relationship with myself as important – and it truly is the most important one to be nurtured, cultivated and cherished. It is serving me well to remember this to move forward. I actively listen to others and empathize more now than I ever did – and it’s made a big difference in my business and with myself. Thanks for sharing this – you rock!
Thanks so much for sharing the real transformation you are experiencing, Tamara and how you doing your work, is really changing the dynamics of everything that happens around you. It starts being reflected in all your relationships. It is so amazing to have this awareness and to live it in the way you are. The idea of compassion and community, which I read in your words, were very much a part of the hippie values and the fact you are experiencing living this way brings you a little bit closer to living hippie values. Appreciate your very open and sensitive sharing and also I appreciate hearing that I rock!
Hi Beverley, I love your post. The graphics are great too! My daughter calls my fashion style “Sophisticated Hippie”…lol. I laugh because although I am in my 50’s now, I always considered myself very much a hippie. I love the reference you are making to the conversation we are having now as opposed to five decades ago. Great share and way to bring back all that is cool about being a hippie without it’s sex, drug and rock & roll stigma!
Hi Nathalie. So happy you could relate to this post and I think many of us see ourselves as some form of hippie. I love the idea of a “sophisticated hippie” and it makes a lot of sense. Hippie matured and all grown up. Glad you enjoyed the reference to the birth of the value system and the conversations we are having now, are really an extension and expansion of the counter culture conversations from back then. I appreciate you saying that I’m bringing back all the cool values of the hippies, as they do stand on their own, without the sex, drugs and rock & roll stigma!
Hi Beverley,
Very thought provoking and interesting blog. I never thought of myself as a hippie until I read your blog. Unfortunately “hippie” can have a negative connotation associated with it. However, after examining the culture, we share a lot of similarities. I pride service to others almost daily in hopes of making this world a better place. I am constantly doing inner transformational work. Thank you for giving insight on the meaning of “hippie.”
Happy to hear that by reading this post, you began to see yourself as more of a hippie than you believed you were. Yes, the values are really not restricted to the hippie era, and regardless of age, they are values we all relate to. You are definitely living many of the values with the work you do and the way you live your life, Sharise. Glad you found some new insights and I appreciate your comment!
Beverley, I wish the people in my generation would look at “hippie” the way you describe it. They either love it or hate it, just because of what they remember as kids. Shame, really; my husband used to have the worst image of the word until the last few months, just because of the experiences he had with his older sisters in their “hippie” stages.
What you’re describing really is more of a reaction to the counterculture lifestyle of the hippie era, Liz and not at all about the value system that was birthed then. I know you really get it, and when people hear that “hippie” is as much about a value system as a lifestyle, somehow it starts to make more sense. Especially as the values are truly the “human” values we all embody!
Interesting, I’ve never considered myself a hippie. Maybe it is because we married in 1961 and started living a traditional American lifestyle and raising our family with those values. According to your description I am part hippie but do not meet all the criteria. It was interesting to read your description of a hippie. I would have probably been of the opinion of your brother when approached with the name of your book.
Thanks for sharing your own experiences of the 60s Pat. I think that for all of us, we didn’t necessarily “live” the lifestyle, but embodied the values. Although my brother and you might not have seen me as a typical “hippie”, I think that when you shift the perspective to a value system, not a lifestyle, it somehow all makes sense.
Hi Beverley 🙂
Fantastic post! Though I was born in the early 60’s (1963) I was not really exposed to any of the “hippie” lifestyle as my parents were very normal and not so “free” lol
As far as the values, I have a few that I have “adopted” especially into my 50’s 😉
Thanks for sharing. Was very informative and eye-opening for me!!
Kinda wish I was a hippie 😉
Happy to hear that even though you didn’t grow up in the hippie era that you’ve adopted some of the key values that were and are such an important part of who we are as human beings. Glad you found it informative and eye-opening too, Joan. I always love it when something I write offers some new insights that apply in their own lives. 🙂
Beverley, that Love image is awesome. I am a hippie in too many ways to count, but I really like the way you have shown how most people who are currently changing the world for the better are hippies! Way to fight the stigmatism and put a different view on a motion that started for the better, and keeps working on that goal for everyone and everything. 🙂
Thanks so much Liz, glad you liked the graphics…I “found” the love image and thought it was spectacular too! I think too many people got caught up in the stigma assigned to hippies relating to their lifestyle, and somehow the value system they birthed was not given as much attention. I appreciate you seeing how I was shedding some light on all the good that came out of the era and how the values are the values we all embody as human beings.
Beverley, I love your graphics especially the love one and have pinned and shared them. Is that your own design?
Yes I am a hippies and love the values xxoo
Thanks so much Suzie! I created the top graphic…Live Hippie Values, and “found” the Love image online. It is fabulous, I agree and really speaks to the energy of the peace and love generation. Yes, you are a hippie and living the values. <3
Certainly an interesting and informative read for someone who didn’t grow up in that era or in America
Thanks for sharing that Vernelle. My sense is it doesn’t matter if someone grew up during the era or not, it is really more about the values they live their life by today. Hippie values = human values.
My parents were not hippies I’m quite young ( well not that young) but anyway. I wasn’t raised in a hippie era but reading and learning about it makes me think that my generation X missed out on a lot of loving good times that bought people together. I believe the new generation are far from this.
The good thing I might point out Magdaline, is that the hippie values are still alive and well and live in us all. Today is very different from back then and yet, we can keep the energy through the music, art and love, by spreading it to those around us. Age really doesn’t matter when it comes to living the values.
The summer of 1967, we moved from NJ to San Francisco where my dad attended Stanford and I went to my last year of high school. Talk about a culture shock! More for my parents. First day we arrived the newspaper headline was about the band Moby Grape arrested for pot. In NJ we hadn’t even heard of pot. I took it all in – the love, the music, the sun, yes a bit of the pot. I never put it together as nicely as you did – but yes the values more than anything else still are in me.
Thanks so much for sharing some of your own memories of the hippie era, Diane, especially as you were living in the heart of the movement in San Francisco. It must have been wonderful, in spite of the culture shock the move brought. Yes, the values and the energy of the times, left a lasting impression on our culture and I do believe all these values, the human values, will live on forever.
I’m originally from CA so I remember a lot of the images you describe, especially from the SFO area. When my husband and I first moved to Maui we discovered a lot of the left-over hippies had moved here and sadly the locals were NOT at all happy about it which made things pretty dicey for several years for anyone who had white skin. Thank heavens that’s history now, and it’s good to be reminded there were a lot of good things that came out of the hippie era.
Thanks for sharing some of your CA memories of the hippie era, Marquita! I believe the value system that hippies embodied are alive and well and part of our cultural conversations today. The best of humanity shines through these values. Yes, a lot of good came from the movement and the rose-coloured glass optimist in me, sees that things will continue to change and hopefully get even better thanks to this value system.
I’ve never considered myself as a hippie, but reading your post today I see I have definite hippie qualities. My lifestyle is probably way too conventional for me to claim the title though. I love your writing style Beverley. Always a good read.
Thanks for seeing your “hippie” self in this post, Clive. Although many of us did not embrace the lifestyle, I believe we all embody the values. As always, appreciate your support for my writing!
Well, I don’t know, I always thought of you as a hippie, not in a bad weed smoking kind of way… however, I could totally see you laying in a flower field writing or reading a book with your VW bug in the parking lot laughing and chilling with friends or being in peace with yourself meditating in your tie die shirt. lol You are eclectic, love music, art and that sort of thing. All good qualities
Love hearing about your impression of me, Kristen. I did wear tie die clothes and loved flowers, even wore a headband from time to time, and would love to read wherever I could. Yes, I am a big supporter of music, art, love and all things to do with the arts and culture, so I guess who I am is being “seen” in the world! Thanks for your hippie reflection, it’s fun to hear.
I wanted to be a hippie as a child, Beverley, because that was the time we were posted in New York and the musical Hair had just been released and I loved the music. My parents had the album and my sister and I kept singing Age of Aquarius because our Dad was an Aquarian. 🙂
To make it worse, we kids liked the idea of guys with long hair which was of concern to our parents and school teachers.
When I look back, I know that I am a thriving hippie, even if from a different generation. It comes down to values and how we view ourselves. Hippienism is a mindset not an external presentation.
You sound very aligned with my experiences too, Vatsala. I LOVED Hair and talk about not only seeing it in 4 or 5 cities, but auditioning for it as well when they did general casting here in Toronto. This is a big memory and a chapter I share in my book too. I adore guys with long hair and actually married one. His hair was down to his shoulders and he had a full beard.
I still love the music of Hair and found it truly revolutionary for the time, which is exactly what the period was about. I see you as a thriving hippie for sure, as you carry the values into the world through who you are and how you live. Love your last reflection too. Hippieism is definitely a mindset as much as a lifestyle.
I live nearby Portland, OR, where we’re defined by hipsters – aka modern hippies. They’re definitely still out there!
Ashland, Oregon is considered a hippie haven in the article in this piece, Ariel. And hippies are definitely everywhere, as anyone who lives the value system, is carrying the ideals out into the world. Love Portland, as you might have gathered by the reference to it in the piece.
It’s hard for those who didn’t live through those times to grasp its meaning. But, it was such a pivotal time for cultural change, and it’s hard to understand how we went from being so open and loving to so rigid and confrontational today.
The hippie era was a monumental time for upheaval and cultural change, Joyce. I like to see what is happening now as the mid point between the planting of those seeds and the deconstruction (which is happening now) to rebuild a new world based on the value system that was birthed back then. Thanks for your reflections on this too!
The Love image is absolutely amazing, the colors are so well chosen to exemplify the point of love and inclusion, Bev!
You know, people hear hippie and they close their ears because they only think about walking barefoot and singing. There’s so much more to it than that. Love the idea of community, compassion, and appreciation – these words keep staring at me.
Thanks Delia..that Love image was a great find for this article. Appreciate you noticing. And you are correct. People hear the word “hippie” and they do have a very stereotypical reaction to what that means. It is only only aspect of a much larger ideal. Happy to hear that the words community, compassion and appreciation resonate for you. They truly are at the core of the value system that made the hippie movement so great.
The information about Uranus and Pluto squaring, resulting in revolution towards reform, is my happy thought for the week., It makes all the crazy stuff going on in the world right now a little bit more positive. I love that you pointed out so many people share the core values of being a hippie – peace, love, music, art and community.
So happy you really got how the astrology of then and now makes sense in light of the turmoil and deconstruction we are seeing in the world today Tami. As I always say…as above, so below. We have always been affected by the heavens above and are in the mid-cycle where the big changes are no longer avoidable. And yes, about all the core hippie values. I’d dare to say that there aren’t too many human beings who do not embody them. It is who we are.
I was part of the subset of hippies that were called “Jesus freaks.” I was part of the “Groovy Christians of Rye, NY.” My commitment to helping people through Christ continues. So I guess I’m still a hippie, too.
My sense of you is that you live all the “hippie” values in your current life, Carol. Thanks for sharing about being part of the subset of hippies. Very interesting to hear. I’d say you are still a hippie too!
I grew up with two parents who I thought were hippies, I was the first person among my friends to actually eat sprouts and micro biotic foods. My parents meditated and my father was a yoga teacher. I see myself as a hippie in certain areas of my life, like willing to change some things that need improvement. That’s for sharing your thoughts. I never thought of myself as one, but I guess I am. 🙂
Sounds like your parents were hippies and that you carried many of the values forward with you, Sabrina. It’s fun to look at ourselves in a new way and to realize that who we are aligns more than we thought, with things we learned when we were young. Yes, I would agree that you are more of a hippie than you might have thought. 🙂
I LOVE this, Beverley! You captured the very essence of what the ’60s stood for, for many of us. And yep, while a lot of folks think: Sex, drugs, and rock’n roll, that wasn’t the core of it. The heart of the movement was living from a place of compassion, gratitude, changing the world for the better.
I just love: ” Each of us individually can use our voice for change. ”
That’s it.
Thank You!
Love that you loved this post, Susan. You lived it too and the heart of the movement was the value system, not the lifestyle. The value system is our human value system and has matured and grown. That statement you gravitated to is a big one for me too. Stand up. Speak up. Be a part of the change. Thank you! And you’re welcome.
Where have all the old hippies gone? We’re still here! We just don’t look like we did 50 years ago. Let’s sing it all together now…”Those were the days, my friend…” Except I’m not sure I remember that much about it anymore. 😉 Good read!
Somewhere within you is that hippie and all the experiences you lived, Jackie! I believe we all have carried the values forward and this is why we are seeing so many of the ideals and values that were birthed then, as becoming key points of conversation now. Glad you enjoyed the read too!
I can’t say I ever saw myself as a hippie, was born in 1960 so I missed the biggest period when “hippie” was commonly used. But as for the values, I was brought up in a home where music, art, and literature was ever present in our lives. We were encouraged to explore new things and to be kind to others; humans & non-humans alike. Is that being a hippie? I don’t know about that, I think it’s more about being considerate and caring. I’m also believer there are huge shifts happening in our world. More and more people (including body builders and athletes) are turning towards a vegan lifestyle because they either want to make a difference environmentally or to stand up for the rights of the animals that are abused daily in factory farming. Whatever it is called, I’m just glad it’s happening.
What you are describing is exactly what has to happen on our planet now, Lisa and the hippie era and its value system was the seeds that led us to where we are now. The institutions and the systems that are part of what was, are all being challenged and must change as you say. Where the hippies were considered revolutionary and counter culture back then, the beliefs and values are now part of the culture and our conversations. I do see what you described as how you were brought up and the changes you are witnessing today, as all part of the movement that was birthed back in the mid to late 60s. Thanks for weighing in as I appreciate your thoughts and experiences!
I’ve always been drawn to simple things. I have dreams of living simplistically with just myself and music, art, and love. I want to live with respect for the earth, animals, plants, and people around me.
You truly do embody the hippie values in how you live, Sonya. Living a creative life of art and music is one of the hall marks of the hippie value system. Having a reverence for the planet, plants and animals is a big one too! Thanks for reading and sharing too.
It seems a hippie resurgence is happening now – when our politics get so far removed from the will of the people. I think there’s a whole more hippie-ness out there than some believe. So many of the people I talk with are interested in thinking the hippie thoughts and living the hippie values you reference in your graphic. Incorporating hippie values into daily practice can and has changed the world. Love this post, Beverley!
You’ve really nailed the essence of the times we are living in right now, Deb. There is a resurgence of the values that were birthed back then and it is actually “written” in the heavens. Personally I don’t think they ever went away, I just think they are now part of the cultural conversations we are all involved in. We are seeing the deconstruction of many of the “systems” and the institutions that have been part of the old guard, with politics being one the biggest of them to cry for change. My wish is that the more of us who live these values and hold this ideal, the greater the chance that the changes we so desperately need, become more possible. Happy this piece resonated with you too!
I like the ‘hippie’ distinction that it is more than “drugs, sex and rock n roll’ but also a core value system. That is where I resonate. I strive everyday to be more conscious and embody what the world needs. I named my coaching business Empower The Dream because I feel that if we allow ourselves to embody the core values you mention then we have more to give out into the world. Empower others. Empower the world.
Part of what you are sharing is why I truly believe that at the core of who we are as human beings, we are all hippies and embody the values that were birthed during the hippie era. The idea of empowering others through your work, really speaks to the community ideal that was so prevalent then Teresa. Keep seeing your vision as the other of us who hold the values, the more possible it becomes to see them come to fruition in our world!
I lived in San Francisco in the 60s. Until the hard drug use became very prevalent in the Haight-Ashbury, which was near where I lived, the hippies were giving out love and flowers in Golden Gate Park. To the accompaniment of great music by groups who became famous not so long later. A magical time.
No, I am not attracted to the hippie lifestyle but the values that you listed are very admirable and I love that you have pointed out the difference and highlighted those values, Beverley.
Thanks for sharing your experience of living in San Francisco during the 60s, Beth. My one experience of San Francisco was in 1969 and the energy was still palpable. I don’t remember much other than shopping in a popular district and of course we must have visited Haight-Ashbury too. It was a very powerful period in our history and although I wasn’t personally drawn to the lifestyle, the value system speaks to us all.
Glad you enjoyed the distinction I’ve been sharing too. Hippie values yes…lifestyle…not so much.
My husband tells me that I am a progressive in conservative clothing. Well now I get it. I am a hippie in values (with the exception of astrology…don’t place my faith it in) but the rest of the values resonate with me. I just don’t live the hippie lifestyle. Thanks for clarifying. Fun to think about for me.
Happy to hear you can see how this hippie value system resonate with who you are and how others see you too, Karen. It’s too bad that “hippie” has become synonymous mostly with the sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle. The essence of the hippie movement really was and is, about their value system. Have fun thinking about it for yourself!
Ha! Never considered myself as a hippie before but clearly I am exactly that. As a business, life and relationship coach I absolutely embody all these values as you describe here, Beverley. I find the astrological perspective quite interesting as well.
My mission has been accomplished then Niquenya! I truly believe we are all hippies simply because the hippie value system, is really the human value system. It’s amazing how both younger people and those who grew up during the hippie era, realize that they are in deed hippies! The astrology is very fascinating too and as I like to say… as above, so below!
I’m so in love with the opening graphic!!!!
When I met my son in-law, he started to constantly calling me a “tree huggin’ hippie” because I meditate, do yoga, recycle, use a green bin, repurpose, only buy local produce, organic when it’s available and all that stuff. Now that he has a- log house in the country, a young family and they are living 60% off the land and will be off grid next year I can’t wait to call him the same thing 🙂
I wonder what John Lennon would say if he could see the state that this earth is in?
Thanks so much Gisele! I’ve been spreading this “hippie values” message since my book came out and glad you like the graphic I created for the post. Love hearing that your son-in-law saw you as a “tree huggin’ hippie” and that now he is actually living and embodying the value system himself!
It’s amazing how because the essence of the values are the human values, that they live on and are alive and well in all the generations that followed the “hippie” generation. I just watched the 75th birthday celebration for John Lennon and it reminded me what a committed peace pioneer he was. One can only hope that his message is reaching more and more people and that on some larger cosmic level, we are moving closer to peace. It doesn’t appear that we are most of the time, but the rose-coloured glass optimist in me, holds peace as a possibility!
I am clearly a Hippie. Older than you, I had a young child when Woodstock occurred and was fearful of large crowds, so we chose not to go. In contrast to many of our suburban neighbors our lifestyle looked hippy thru our dress, home furnishings, camped instead of the Bahamas. Our circle of friends shared similar values, music, festivals, home cooking, fun, families & a desire to make a difference.
My life may look different today on the outside, more conservative, but inwardly I am always a ‘hippie’.
Beautiful piece & proud to belong to this group of hippies.
My sense of you is that you do carry the “hippie” spirit and it shows in many ways, Roslyn. It sounds like the life you lived was very community-oriented and a lot more fun than my experience growing up. Like you though, I also carried the values within me and it just needed me to really get the distinction between the lifestyle that so many people still think is the only thing that makes someone a hippie, and the value system, that actually defines who we humans are as a species. I’m really happy this piece resonated with you and that you truly get that being a hippie is something to be proud of. Here’s to hippie values spreading out into the world forever!