Prediction and preparedness are useful tools in the apocalypse, but are the prophecies worth it? In Margaret Atwood’s The Year of The Flood, the God’s Gardeners preached of a “waterless flood” which would wipe the human population. Many of their rituals were survivalist and conservationist, so they felt like a community ready for the end. Through the perspective of two ex-gardeners, Toby and Ren, Atwood wrote their survival of an extremely deadly pandemic. After watching the world collapse around them, both girls escape solitude and use both their gardener lessons and outside experiences to survive.
Even though they have a good purpose, The God’s Gardeners immediately set off red flags to me. It might be the strong religious references, or my friend groups ridiculous obsession with Midsommar, but the cult vibes came through. In a class discussion, most people agreed with the vibes. Thankfully, there was no human sacrifice to verify this, but the signs were still there. Adam One, the group’s leader, preached about environmentalism, prophesied the oncoming pandemic, and had ceremonies for many saints. All of which aren’t harmful, until he began keeping secrets, controlling language, and enforcing rules on members. Adam One and the gardeners meet several warning signs of unsafe behavior according to the Cult Education Institute. Especially “unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions,” from the warning signs of an unsafe leader list. https://culteducation.com/warningsigns.html
Just because they have cult-like behaviors, they could be the better of evils. They were a safe spot for vulnerable and taught both Toby and Ren skills they needed to survive. They became resourceful and had a strong mindset to fall back on. Toby, even though she was not quite a true believer, still used Adam’s words as guidance throughout her time. A large group of gardeners ended up surviving and finding each other by the end of The Year of The Flood. This tells that the work of Adam One may have been helpful enough to go through the cult rituals. Outside of the apocalypse, the lifestyle is dangerous, but when you have nothing left, the community may be the push you need.
Personally, one of the most interesting cult experiences is the Jonestown Massacre. Jim Jones convinced almost 900 people to take cyanide through punch. He used similar techniques as Adam One to draw followers. The blend of Christian influences and a promise of apocalypse made him an excellent leader. You can read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/an-apocalyptic-cult-900-dead-remembering-the-jonestown-massacre-40-years-on
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