nature's zodiac

After a quick debriefing with Geo on nature’s circle of life we went to see The Wild Robot (based on Peter Brown’s book series) with some friends. Alongside a full box of sour patch kids significantly improving the wiggle-factor of a loose tooth there were other valuable takeaways. The world of predator-prey was dramatized very playfully and verged appropriately into dark humor. The scary scenes made the kids double down on their collective bravery “I’m not scared are you scared? No!”

I loved the movie. It produced in me all the feels. And I couldn’t help but marvel over how appropriate it was for the dawning of an Aquarian Age. The theme is based around instincts in conflict with executive functioning, in other words, old brain vs new brain. The animals and nature, with its tried and true ways which include the food chain, represent the old brain, rich with survival instinct and overarching connectedness.

The robot, Roz, in her innovation and lack of pesky feeling getting in the way, shows the executive functioning of the new brain, forward-moving with decisive action based on rational thought.

The film explores the unclear and ‘figure it out as you go’ way of embracing a real and dynamic whole brained perspective. This is an increasingly needed skill in a world that changes faster and faster. 

One of my favorite lines from Roz in one of her bewildered moments, “it seems that I have to override the code to complete the task”. This line gets right to the heart of nature. It is one’s intent more than one’s instinct (or programming) that reveals their true essence. Her intentions must be superior to her programming for the one creates the latter. This is the only way forward, the only path that evolution takes. In fact, evolution is intent which creates programming.

Intentionality is defined as the characteristic of consciousness to be directed towards something. In our torus-model for nature, it is one’s capacity to turn towards something. This turning gives us a trajectory. We spin around it as a planet spins around its own axis. We rev ourselves, like a gyroscope, and with this rev we stabilize ourselves in turbulent atmospheres.

When intention is authentic, rooted in the nature that you are, then the rev of animism is rich. This is the bliss of coming into alignment, of feeling the snap of integrity bring you back into working order. In many ways, I think we are best understood as wild robots. We operate best when we are intact, in ‘process’ unique to our individuality, akin to a robot doing what it is ‘supposed to do’. The forest within us is dynamic when our unique processes are in action.

One is within reach of building one’s own programming, a wave of undulation that supports their intent and brings coherence to their very being.

Have you ever felt that your intentions were in conflict with your programming? Your goals pitted against your habits? Have you ever needed a renewed surge of animal animism in a far to robotic way of living? 

Have you ever experienced a curious wave of supportive undulation, bringing a warm connectedness and coherence into your awareness and brought on simply by well-intended activity?

Until next time, go see (or read) The Wild Robot!