“In ancient Greek ecological thought, vegetality is the most basic ground of life.”
I found this line in a paper of Environmental Philosophy titled, “Poetry, Vegetality, Relief from Being” by Mark Payne. Mere moments before, I had listened to a presentation by Michael Marder, professor of philosophy and one of the founding voices of critical plant studies, where he used the same word, vegetality, in a very unexpected way.
In essence, both Payne and Marder flip Aristotle’s archaic Scala Naturae where vegetal beings are thought of as alive, but not conscious. Aristotle saw plants as little more than nutritious rocks.
He conditioned the world to believe kin have no ability to think or feel, which as you know is far from the truth. In his scale, everything under the human is banal, simply there to support human superiority.
Ugh… look where that superiority has gotten us!
Luckily, a new world paradigm is taking shape, and we desperately need it. Marder and co. open minds to the realization that plants are not at the bottom of the scale because they are inert, but because they form the foundational base from which our living essences emerges.
To sum it up more simply: WE ARE ALL PART PLANT; we are all vegetality.
We are also part rock and probably part non-physical beings, but we’ll leave that exploration for when we talk again about the Damanhur Mystery School.
As such, the hierarchical Scala Naturae crumbles like the Tower card in a tarot deck. No wonder we are seeing so much global change and upheaval. It may look like destruction and chaos at times, but rest assured that thoughts are expanding, language is shifting, and through your everyday actions, the world as we know it evolves into what we’ve dreamed of living in.
It was a breath of fresh air to hear scholarly discussions conclude that reconnecting to and nurturing your innate vegetality, AKA plantness, is fundamental to positive human health and discovering purpose.
HALLELUAH… they are finally getting it—the PLANT REAWAKENING has taken off!
Why is this so significant?
Look, we are individuals living together in a shared ecosphere. Each one of us, including you, has been bestowed with an array of talents and passions necessary to offer a unique contribution to the world. Without your piece, we cannot complete the puzzle of Life. We need you.
In the wake of falling paradigms and shifting definitions, it’s easy to feel lost—lonely even with all those thoughts swimming around seemingly in disarray. Now, more than ever, is a time to tune into your plantness to understand the threads that tie them together.
No plant grows alone.
Even in a pot, a plant finds the nutrients needed in the soil, from the air, and in collaborations with the surrounding plant and non-plant beings—that means you, human! In the ecosystem created together, Life evolves and beauty is embodied.
So, what are you doing to reconnect to your plantness/vegetality and find the nourishing ecosystem needed to effortlessly share your gifts and complete your life’s calling?
I want to know…. all of us in NCC want to know! Leave a comment or reply to this email.
And if you’re struggling, I am here for you. All you have to do is ask.
Whatever you do, Resist the Urge to Hold Back Your Evolving Green Brilliance.