The sixties, peace, music, mental explorations and free love. Being a hippie must have been an exhilarating experience at the time. Today, not many people share this lifestyle but, if you want to make an intent, here are some tips to… be groovy!
Steps
Step 1. Get into the groove
Listen to the music that has marked an entire generation, especially with Woodstock in mind. Get used records (you can find them in a local store, on eBay, or in your parents' collection).
- Hear Jimi Hendrix and his version of the US national anthem, Joe Cocker and Country Joe and the Fish's "Fish Cheer".
- Relive Woodstock listening to his music in the rain, among mud and friends.
- The music of this era, however, is not represented only by Woodstock:
- Bob Dylan. Here we are faced with a dichotomy that you will have to resolve on your own. Do you prefer the Acoustic Bob or the Electric Bob? Whichever type you choose, Mr. Dylan is a key ingredient in any self-respecting hippie's repertoire.
- The Beatles, especially during their psychedelic period, when they went from "She Loves You (Yeah Yeah Yeah)" to "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds".
- Jefferson Airplane. Before the glossy Jefferson Starship, this band took us down the rabbit hole and taught us that we need someone to love.
- The Grateful Dead. If you don't know them, you don't really know the meaning of the word "hippie". These guys gave birth to an entire genre known as "jam bands", exemplified by bands such as Phish, String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic.
- Janis Joplin. If there is an archetypal "hippie girl", it would be Janis, with her hair, her unconventional manner, her voice and her seduction.
- Hippie bands and singers are plenty to make a complete list, but must-haves include Crosby, Stills and Nash (with and without Neil Young), Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Sly and the Family Stone, Doors, Donovan, Who, Stones, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and, arguably, Frank Zappa.
Step 2. Music, at the time, was exactly what a generation needed
But time passes and today it is possible to hear bands and singers who have taken up themes such as peace, love and understanding. Being hippie means being able to open up and embrace what is good… maybe to the rhythm of music.
Step 3. Learn about the culture of the 1960s and 1970s to understand how the hippie subculture was formed
Find out what united these people, what their values were and where they came from.
- On the internet you will find a lot of information. Also check out the original Woodstock movie, “Celebration at Big Sur”, “Monterey Pop” and so on.
- Avoid a History Channel lineup! Read the words of the poets and authors to give your own definition of the movement:
- Ken Kesey's “Electric Kool Aid Acid Test” is a must-read, and when you're done, you'll know if you'll be on board or not.
- Read Allen Ginsberg's poems. Although this author predates hippie culture, his works have ignited the creative spirit of icons such as Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan, among others.
- Don't forget to laugh. One of the greatest comedians of the time was George Carlin, who fought for his ideals throughout his life.
Step 4. What year are we in?
Try to understand that being hippie today is not the same as being hippie in the sixties and seventies, also because the world has changed since then. The current hippie generation lives by the same ideals of the time, but the Vietnam War is over and the battle of Martin Luther King Jr. has been successful. In short, adopt the basis of thinking about what you are experiencing.
If a member of your family lived through those days, ask a lot of questions - these stories might surprise you. Perhaps, you will find that your parents were staunch supporters of peace and love and that they lived wildly in the face of a persistent existential threat
Step 5. Follow hippie ideals consistently
Help fight pollution. Hippies love Mother Nature and do everything they can not to destroy it. Buy clothes and recyclable products that are good for the environment.
Volunteer and Try Bartering: Hippies, in the 1960s, believed it was better than paying by cash
Step 6. Learn the words that belonged to the hippie vocabulary:
- "1-A", similar to the "Draft Card". This document determined the call to arms in Vietnam, unless one could enter the National Guard (difficult), obtain conscientious objector status (more difficult), or move to Canada.
- "Babe, baby, chick, old lady": these were the affectionate appellations towards women, wives and girlfriends.
- "Bag": something you may like or not.
- "Blow your mind": being impressed by something incredible.
- "Bogart": do not share a joint.
- "Bummer": what a pity!
- "Bread": money.
- "Cat": trendy hippie.
- "Cop out": avoid responsibility and choose the easy way out.
- "Dig": to understand or love something.
- "Your thing": something you usually do and know how to do.
- "Far out": fantastic.
- "Gone": more than fantastic.
- "Flashback": unexpectedly reliving an experience similar to being on drugs, but without drugs.
- "Freak flag": long hair.
- "Fuzz": police, also called "pigs", "cops" or "the man".
- "Grok": to appreciate. Term coined by Robert Heinlein in "Stranger in a Strange Land".
- "Grooving": really enjoying something.
- "Groovy": very cool.
- "Head": someone who likes drugs.
- "High": drug addict.
- "If something makes you feel good, do it", "Make love, not war", "Give peace a chance": hippie mantra.
- "Joint": spinel.
- "Killer": excellent.
- "Rap": chat.
- "Split": to leave.
- "Wow": wow.
Step 7. Dress like a hippie, or not
Clothing is optional for hippies and it doesn't matter what you wear. It's all about attitude, not fashion. So don't go eBay looking for John Lennon-style glasses or flared pants. Go for a comfortable and colorful style.
- Wear clothes made from natural raw materials, especially hemp. Add colorful ponchos to your wardrobe.
- Find vintage pieces in flea markets and thrift stores. Sew your clothes.
- Hippies are known for their knot-dyed clothing, Native American-like jewelry, gypsy-style shirts, and flared pants. Men leave their hair and beard long; some prefer the goatee or mustache.
- The women wore no bra or made up. The image of the barefoot hippie is true, but sandals, soft boots, moccasins and tennis shoes were just as popular. Hippies weren't immune to weather conditions.
Step 8. Do your part to make the world a better place
Proclaim against wars and fight for a more liberal society that respects the rights of all.
Most hippies think that drug prohibition causes more problems than drug use itself
Step 9. Grow your hair and don't go to the hairdresser often
Dreadlocks are also popular with hippies. Use organic hygiene products.
Step 10. Hippies are famous for using soft drugs like marijuana and psychedelics (mushrooms and LSD)
Recently, ecstasy has also made its appearance on the hippie scene. Legal? Not at all. Dangerous? A consensus was not reached. The choice is yours, God forbid. But remember that you can be hippie and get carried away by her experience even without drugs. Music is enough. Surely hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin have nothing to do with the hippie culture, on the contrary, historically their diffusion has helped to destroy it.
You don't have to take drugs to be a hippie! Remember that many of them, like Frank Zappa, avoided drugs and preferred to go high naturally through meditation, music, colored lights, dance, backpacking and other healthy activities. Also, taking drugs can cause legal problems
Step 11. Become a vegetarian
Some hippies only eat organic vegetables and vegan food. In the 1960s, these eating habits were not widespread. Most hippies were too poor to be picky about what they could eat.
Today, organic is very common among hippies and the offer of products of this type abounds
Advice
- Do not pollute.
- Being hippie is not restrictive. This guide collects general advice deriving from the customs of past generations. So you can adapt the lifestyle to your needs.
- Wear colorful clothes.
- Stay true to yourself. Being a hippie does not imply following certain rules.
- Be open and liberal.
- Listen to hippie music.
- Let your hair grow and keep it natural.
- Protest against violence, guns, racism, unjust laws and discrimination against minorities.
- Be organic.
- Always choose the path of peace. Be a mediator between people by listening to them and giving them advice.
- Smoking marijuana is neither an obligation nor a way to better understand hippie culture. In addition to causing physical problems, it is prohibited in many places. You could be arrested by The Man.
- Learn a martial art like tai chi but remember to also delve into the oriental philosophy that underlies it.
Warnings
- Don't try to impose your lifestyle on others. Everyone lives the way they want, so don't give unsolicited advice.
- Experimenting with drugs can be dangerous and illegal. If you really have to try, don't abuse it and be moderate. Side effects can be persistent. Marijuana, for example, can induce a psychotic state for life and the bad trips that cause other drugs are not to be underestimated.
- If you are attending a demonstration, be respectful.
- Being a hippie is a personal decision. Nobody can really tell you how to live. If you reflect yourself in what you have read so far, perhaps this is the lifestyle for you, but remember that it does not necessarily have to be absolute: you can adapt it to your current existence.
- Many people aren't exactly hippie fans, but you go your own way with your head held high.
