Two shapes: one is found all throughout nature and the other has never been observed in the organic world. One is navigable and orientable and the other is not. One is as straightforward as an apple, the other is as mind boggling as a riddle from the Sphinx. Yet these two shapes are linked. Without one the other wouldn’t exist.
The torus is a donut-shaped, self-sustaining flow of motion. It is the true shape of every living creature in the universe and quite possibly the true shape of the universe as well.
The mobius is made by twisting a strip of paper once before connecting the two ends. The result is a continuous one-sided path that is non orientable, non-navigable and straight up perplexing!
Unlike the torus, the mobius is not observed in nature. It is known as an “impossible shape.”
It is not observed in nature . But it is applied in the modern world.
Escalators, continuous recording tapes and typewriter ribbons all use the mobius in their designs to maximize efficiency and continuity of flow. The recycling logo is a mobius. It honors its principle of ‘waste not’.
The mobius is not observed in nature because in nature it is never alone. It is a part of the torus field. It is flow, which is hard to define on its own, that is, without reference to something else. The observable shape of the mobius alone only exists in its potential to be used or applied.
One may not observe a mobius in the natural world but the act observing is itself a mobius flow, especially if the object fascinates the subject.
The takeaway is this: the mobius shows the natural flow within the torus. It is continuous, non orientable and non navigable. But the torus itself is the “I” that establishes and ‘owns’ the flow. This “I” is very navigable and orientable (especially in a human being). Yet people have a strange habit of forgetting their continuity, their sense of direction and meaning in life. The “I” can sleepily ignore its need for flow experiences, deeper engaging and continuous learning.
There is a psychological equivalent for recycling that could also be aptly represented by the mobius: Bildung. It is a German word that means education from life experience. Just like recycling, it honors continuity and a steadfast principle of ‘waste not’, for all experience can be learning experience.
So there we have it: the torus and the mobius. We are these shapes. These shapes shape our lives.
I’d love to hear what you think about this! Leave a comment below.
Schedule a nature reading to learn more about your own special signatures!
nature's zodiac 
Leave a comment