The Anti-Consumerist Druid

I received a digital ARC for this book from the author.

There are two kinds of books about consumerism, those that are annoyingly preachy, making you feel like a loser for not living a completely frugal life and those that are relatable and help you see points in your own life that you could improve while still embracing life. This book was definitely one of the latter. As Katrina Townsend says, over-saturation can make you feel “bludgeoned with more things I ought to be doing” and overwhelmed as well as costing you a bundle trying to go green or frugal. You need to be mindful at take it slowly. Her interest in Druidry and spirituality helped her find focus.

From the start I was drawn in by Townsend’s friendly tone and nonjudgmental style. She showed her own failings and made it clear that it is normal to be drawn into the cycle of consumerism in our modern lives. Her story is probably at least a little familiar to most of us. Haven’t most of us been sucked in by the serotonin cycle of online shopping, especially during repeated lock-downs with little to no real human interactions to be had?

I personally fell into the consumerist trap last year. While I have always had a tendency towards spending too much on clothing, I had been inspired by the Cottagecore life so much that I thought buying some Cottagecore fast fashion would somehow make my life better. Strangely enough, it was much less satisfying than baking or enjoying nature, real Cottagecore activities. I don’t even want to count how much money I spent pursuing aspirational goals of a lifestyle that is meant to be non-consumerist and based around self-sufficiency.

Townsend makes it clear that that journey to anti-consumerism is not without setbacks. From being sucked back into buying on a bad day or getting so caught up in living a simple life that she ended up having no nice clothes, her struggles are so relatable. She has definitely inspired me to check out some more books about living a more anti-consumerist life, while still embracing the things that matter: friends, family and actual experiences. Her honesty about how shopping addiction affected her life with her family is refreshing.

Much like Townsend, I had a rural childhood, running around, climbing trees. Most of my clothes were fabulous secondhand finds. Yet when I grew older and became a part of the modern world, I was taken in by aspirational advertising. While many ads such as for appliances, kitchenware or overpriced designer items leave me cold, clothes for me have always been a source of self expression. Indeed, during lockdown, putting together outfits to wear at home helped me keep a sense of identity. The problem? I have more than enough clothes but I always think another item will somehow make my life better. How I don’t know. When I really think about it, the thing I was missing most during those lock-downs was social contact, the high of spending time with beloved friends who understand you. And shopping was really no antidote to that.

In the last few years I have used the excuse of not finding any nice plus-sized things in secondhand shops to buy everything first hand. Gone are the days I could get a garbage bag of clothes for $100, now it’s a single dress for around the same cost from a decent brand. Which is why fast fashion where you get a poorer quality item for $20 is so tempting. And yet the fabric feels awful, and then there is the hidden costs to workers and the environment. Most people are aware of the terrible sweatshops most fast fashion is made in but push it to the back of our minds when we see a cheap garment we want. Instead, we should be looking for more ethical items that last longer and we actually love to wear.

Why do we try to hard to express our identity through clothing, trying to project our quirky inner selves through our looks instead of focusing on what really makes us shine? We may look for ages for the perfect garment only to have it let us down. Townsend experienced this when she found what was seemingly the perfect t-shirt. It met the ethical and small business standards she was looking for and was “so me”. After agonising over buying it for ages, she “discussed it, I journalled about it, frankly I obsessed about it” and finally bought it. When it eventually arrived: “Neither looking nor feeling my best, I pulled on The T-Shirt, this life-changing garment, this thing I’d built up in my head as the one last touch I needed to be complete... And I was embarrassed to admit that when I looked in the mirror, there was a distinct sense of anticlimax. I still looked a bit crap and felt a bit deflated. I was just wearing a different shirt.”

It is the moments we experience and our true personalities shining through that matter. When I dress up to go out and see my friends, it is the experience of seeing them, not my outfits. When Townsend bought her wedding dress she felt like a “troll” until friends made her laugh and interact and took photos. “The laughing woman in the photos was radiant and joyful.” It is about what you do and who you are with in your clothes. True friends won’t judge you for not having a new outfit every time they see you.

Like Townsend, I am lucky to have never got into credit card debt, but groups like Afterpay do make it easy to go a little too far. I have never been into full frugality. I have no desire to dumpster dive (germaphobe here), or make a worm farm or get a compost toilet. I like having quirky clothes, piles of books (mostly discounted) and the occasional secondhand shopping spree, but I definitely could spend less. Some books make you feel like you have to be all or nothing. This is not one of those books. After reading this book I definitely thought about taking a break from spending, and decided not to get several items I had my eye on. By not being preachy, Townsend is easier to relate to.

The second part of the book about connecting with nature and magic was also something that resonated with me. It is absolutely true that while magic is innately about connecting with nature and the ethereal elements, we are sold an idea that if we buy all the right items somehow the world of magic will open up to us. Simply connecting with nature and the seasons is actually a good way to start. “There is no part of life where a Druid is not engaging with their gods, ancestors and the environment- lighting a fire in the hearth, tending the garden, caring for children, watching the sunrise.” What Do Druids Do, a Druid Network article, quoted by Townsend.

Townsend warns against the urge to simply buy your way into spirituality. She had found that “a lot of associations, groups and individuals offered mentorship or teaching for spiritual seekers, but often at astronomical prices” and “there are shops in which you can buy ingredients for every spell and potion you can think of… over time I realised, well, it’s just not very magical to shop for the entirety of your spirituality.”

Townsend uses vivid imagery to describe her mystical experiences in nature that really took me into the scene. She was also honest about her failed experiences trying to hard to push for a mystical connection instead of just letting things be, something with which I am familiar. For instance where she decided to really observe nature and “that sense of connect I had so enjoyed wavered in the face of this ferocious cataloging” or searching for Brigid at a sacred site and then realising “I had been looking in the wrong place. Brigid, it seemed, was telling me that she was not to be found in church or in any chapel… the message, I felt, was that once again, it was time for me to turn my attention back to the land, the earth, the ground under my feet.”

Townsend touches on the concept of simply stopping and enjoying life, for instance sitting in the garden with a cup of tea and enjoying a slower pace, breaking free from the feeling we must fill every minute. I have lately found that taking time to enjoy a leaf chai and read in the garden makes me feel much more at peace. She talks about how you can get too absorbed with trying to do everything, “trying to tick things off my list and level up my knowledge but at the expense of enjoyment… It was definitely time for me to take a breather, get mindful and reassess my priorities.”

One thing that really hit home for me was to create instead of consume. I think of myself as a creative person, yet often I let my anxiety distract me and just browse the internet for shopping instead of putting my time into writing, sewing, or something that makes me feel a sense of achievement. When I do these things, I feel more grounded, not just that day but the next day too.

Townsend discusses how creativity permeates every aspect of our lives and we don’t even realise it. “It could be home cooking, growing veg, painting, acting, figure skating, quilting, dance, playing the trombone, zine making, fashion design, keeping a beautiful home, soapmaking... All the unnecessary but fulfilling ways that humans have made ordinary life into something beautiful and satisfying.”

In an era where we seem to be expected to monetise our hobbies, Townsend talks about creativity as part of life not just as an identity or for profit. “I eventually realised that creativity isn't just about being an Artist (Capital-A) or a Writer (Capital-W) but a way of living.” Creativity was once something all humans did, telling stories around fireplace or singing. “We have developed some strange ideas about what creativity actually is, and there are probably a lot of people shutting themselves off from various forms of self-expression because someone told them they weren’t artistic, or talented, or ‘being realistic’, or were wasting time.” It is about enriching your own experience of this planet, and maybe those around you too.

The Anti-consumerist Druid is a book that helps identify issues and solve them in a more creative way. It reminds us “the panacea for shopping is not asceticism” and to embrace creativity and mindfulness over consumerism. To simply do creative things and embrace the everyday joys that life has to offer.

Like Townsend I find “I want to fill my life with the richness of doing, even if I’m not very good at everything I turn my hand to, rather than spending my days passively consuming what other people have made.”

Personally, I think this book has inspired me to be more mindful of what I consume and how it affects me and those around me. It has reminded me of the importance of real connection and to become the person we want  instead of just trying to build a personality through consumption and social media.

5 Stars.