Hi friend, happy Taurus new moon 🌑 I've been leaning into the wisdom of nature and taking mindful actions to create a new chapter of my life. I'd like to invite you to create some space for yourself to slow down and tend to the root and foundation of your life. Happy reading! With love and gratitude, Bonnie
I have lost count of how many pictures and videos of baby animals hatching shown by friends and the social media algorithm this month. Baby chicken. Baby ducks. Baby tortoises. Baby penguins. It’s fascinating to watch these tiny creatures pipping and zipping the shell slowly and pausing often in-between. They follow their cellular instinct, break through barriers, roll through dirt and debris, and eventually waddle into the outside world. It can take hours and even days from the first pip to fully hatching! Their soft animal bodies look so fragile and vulnerable. Yet when I observe closer, I am captivated by the glittering light and energy radiating through their skin.
Watching the hatching process has made me wonder: How do these animals know it’s time to come out? How do they know what needs to be done? What do they know about themselves, their place in the world, and the precariousness of life? Chuckling at my random thoughts, I doubt any of the animals would think much about their identity, purpose, and mortality.
Everything in nature – animals, plants, microbes, water, soil, air, etcetera. – senses, adapts, creates and evolves together with ever-changing conditions organically. No over-thinking. No constant calculation. No judgement. Each and every living entity focuses on being their best possible self and serving the ecosystem by giving and sharing their gifts and resources generously, without expecting anything in return.
This reminds me of what Nora Bateson shared recently at the Wisdom and Action Forum, “Nature never does one thing at a time. But nature is not really multi-tasking either,” and she used the deer’s antlers as an example.
For the deer, their antlers are for survival and attracting mates. These antlers – shed annually and are rich in minerals – become a source of nutrients for the broader ecosystem. Small mammals such as squirrels and rodents, insects and microorganisms feed on these antlers, and in turn, produce by-products and excrements to enrich the soil for vegetation and forests, which provide shelter and nutrients for other living beings.
Nature operates in self-regulation and harmony to maintain equilibrium and cycles of all lives. Nothing is deemed separated, broken, or problematic in nature. Everything plays an invaluable part in supporting the flourishing of the collective whole.
Yet somehow humans have shifted to operate in the opposite way in modern history. Many have been conditioned to believe that humans are so smart and superior that we can bend and consume the world to our wills and desires. Some have become so attached to the idea of supremacy and resorted to controlling people and resources with force, manipulation, distraction, or addiction.
In the name of advancement, the fabric of complex, nuanced contexts that defines humanity has been pulled apart, extracted and reduced into single data points, linear pathways, and outcome optimisation. The web of rich, deep and miraculous interrelationships that make and connect us all has been fragmented and segregated by imaginary boundaries and abstract categorisations.
Collectively, our human minds get trapped in the illusion of separation, thinking we are unworthy of love and belonging, have nothing of value and impact to contribute, and that we must do life on our own (or otherwise we are failures).
We have forgotten that we are nature.
I resonate deeply with what Ben Goldsmith said at the Wisdom and Action Forum, “Our love for the non-human world is very deep…and our connection with nature is very real. We are mammals. There is this creature-ness in us that yearns for nature [and want to reweave] ourselves back into the miracle of life.”
No wonder a growing body of research have consistently showed how spending time in nature has profound benefits on human health. Reducing stress. Boosting mood. Strengthening immune functions. Lowering blood pressure. Improving cognitive functions. Cultivating a sense of connection. Our body, mind and soul know when we are truly home – safe and sound – when we return to the embrace of mother nature.
One thing I love about living in Melbourne is the abundance of trees and green spaces around the city. When I go out, I would look to all the trees and calm my nervous system down in resonance with their grounded presence. When I notice my blood glucose level lingering around the higher range, I would go and sit under a tree and watch my blood glucose level return to normal within minutes. When I worry about something, I always seem to be able to receive answers simply by pay attention to the blooming flowers, rustling leaves, or ragged roots. Nature is the unexpected healer that has helped restore my physical health for the past seven months.
What about those random videos of baby animals hatching? To me, they are messages from the Universe, telling me that creation requires breakages, vulnerability, and patience. Because I am in the middle of hatching, too.
Not long ago, I decided to let go of my pharmacy registration and chart a new path in health coaching. This was one of the hardest choices I had ever made. Pharmacy had been so deeply woven into, not just my identity and self-worth, but also my love and loyalty to my late father. Walking away felt like abandonment and betrayal, making me guilty, exposed and vulnerable.
Yet deep down, I knew I had wandered so far away from my old life that the time had come to take risks, destroy things, and find the courage to step fully into my own becoming.
Since making this pledge to walk tenderly toward the life I dream of, I have noticed within constant waves of energetic shift and recalibration.
Physically, the body is wanting to walk faster, lift heavier, and do more.
Mentally, the head is lighting up with sparks of creative and business ideas.
Emotionally, some fear has surfaced, sitting between my throat and collar bones like a terracotta brick and waiting for my attention patiently.
Spiritually, my vision has become crystal clear. Already I can see the totality of me, including the lesser known or hidden parts, coming out and facing the world – raw and naked – for the first time. Already I can feel every fibre of my being untangling, stretching and expanding – with old skin being pulled apart, broken down and turned into compost for new creation. Already I can smell the sweet air of freedom and taste the umami and spiciness of a wholesome and purpose-led life.
Just like baby animals hatching, I release the need to know and control all the details and anchor myself in deep faith, devotion and reverence for here and now.
Keep trusting the Universe. Keep paying attention to nature. Keep following the lead of my body. Keep listening to my soul. Keep mastering my mind. Keep believing in my mission and my abilities. Keep serving the highest good. Keep loving life, the world and all. Keep going.
Love this Bonnie, I always wondered how the hatchlings, not being in a mammas belly, know when it’s time to break out 🤍
This is a beautiful reminder of the lifecycle within and without our being. Did you deliberately begin with the egg and end with leaving your original career?
I'm also reminded of how much I want to be in nature and spend more offline time. (Hence, my absence!) Life has been all about face to face experiences lately and enjoying little moments in nature. xo