I recently watched the second Avatar movie on a cross country flight. I forgot how much I love the world of Pandora. When I watched the original Avatar in 2009 it gave me an idyllic sense of what it means to live in harmony with our planet. This greatly informed and inspired my journey in feng shui because its roots in Taoist principles echo that of the Na’vi people.
On Pandora, animals, plants, natural resources, and all beings live within a cooperative ecosystem with one another. With more of planet earth being ravaged for its natural resources, thereby killing our animals, oceans, and earth, this goal seems pollyannic here most days.
And yet I experienced a moment last week that reminded me that perhaps we can create our own pandora experience.
I was hiking a popular trail near our home in Ojai, CA. I’ve been hearing reports of friends seeing snakes on the trail, including rattlesnakes. Even though I’m terribly afraid of snakes, regardless of whether they’re poisonous or not, I decided to go. I would do so during a time other hikers would be around and I would stay on the main trail.
I was almost to the end of the hike when sure enough I encountered a snake crossing my path. It wasn’t a rattlesnake, thank goodness, but it’s black and white stripes gave it an exotic look that put the fear of God in me.
My movement must have startled it because it stopped right in the middle of the pathway stretching the three feet width of the trail from head to tail. I made some shoe-to-dirt noises to try to move it along, but no luck. I backed up, thinking I could get a running start to jump over it. But all I could imagine was it whipping up in the air and biting me, after all, my jump is probably about two inches off the ground. The more I thought about my options, the more fearful I got. Of course, no other hikers were around.
I stood there for some time, me and the snake at a stalemate.
And then a blue bird came whizzing by me and flew right in the face of the snake flapping its wings. I shouted, “watch out bird!” But it knew exactly what it was doing. After getting the snake’s attention it went right to its tail and gave it a gentle peck. Sure enough, the snake moved right along slithering off the path and up the hill.
I can’t be sure, but the bird gave me a little wave as he flew off into the distant horizon. I yelled out, “Thank you!” and went on my way, free of fear and restored with faith.
It was a real life Pandora moment.
We can be as connected or disconnected as we want with nature at all times. We do this daily with the people, plants around the house, and our pets. We can have this same connection with strangers, animals, and all beings at all times.
We live in a matrix of energy with our thoughts, feelings, and actions reverberating out into the world creating cause and effect that are oftentimes unexplainable. This is synchronicity, or magic, or God, or Spirit working in tandem with us.
This the meaning of living in harmony with the earth. And it’s always available here on Earth.
p.s. Have you checked out the new Five Elements Manifesting Journal? Why would you not be in harmony with nature in accomplishing your goals!
Great Encounter -- thanks for sharing! I have friends interested in encounters from the cosmos, yet I'm more drawn to our own earthly encounters like this one... and your instant manifestation of help when needed. Snakes might remind us of 'shedding one's skin all at once.' (Like finishing the 'world of promoting Feng Shui' and summiting your next mountain of expertise:)