Hard rain. Torrential rain. Rain that drums on the roof like it wants to get in. Accompanying gale force winds. Whipping through the trees, whistling and howling. Change has come to the weather. The last week of ice and frost with its pleasant, expansive open blue skies has given way to a pent up storm. Unleashing its ire across the United Kingdom.
Twitter (X?) is already awash with memes about trampolines taking off and roofers rubbing their hands with glee at the money to be made in the coming weeks. Yet, I’m pondering potential larger scale changes. I am trying to reconcile the notion that change is a constant with the observation that we only notice abrupt changes. We struggle to perceive gradual change, even when the impact is equally monumental.
Is a big change coming?
I have been watching a fair bit of TikTok recently. About half-an-hour a day. I think this is a conservative amount of time to spend on the platform. Yesterday, while staying up to rescue my other half who was on a broken down train just east of Reading, TikTok pushed me a lot of astrology videos.
They all mentioned how significant the date 20th Jan 2024 was as Pluto transits into Aquarius. This is apparently a reference to ‘a period where themes of transformation and regeneration (a la Pluto) are expected to manifest in areas related to innovation, societal change, and individuality (drawn from Aquarius)’.
This transit is (I gather) anticipated to bring significant shifts in social structures, technology, and how we view freedom and individual rights. All very vague I know. I for one certainly don’t believe in astrology. My view was that most of the posts are effectively word salads. That people change their destinies every day. And that there’s never an unsignificant period of history to live through. Crazy/important stuff happens every day. Just probably not to you.
The world is not as bad as people think it is
Over the festive period I read a book called Factfulness by Hans Rosling, and this reaffirmed a lot of my previous thoughts concerning misconceptions about the wider world that people hold. Basically, I have come back to thinking that most events in the news are anomalies. They are ‘newsworthy’ due to the very fact that they buck the trend of normality. Yet, we witness a conveyer belt of these anomalous events so come to perceive the abnormal as normal.
That’s an ‘Explain Like I’m 5’ explanation for why many people think the world is more messed up than it is. People refuse to believe in progress. A case in point (and one I believe made in the book) is that there is a perception that weather events are getting deadlier. However, year after year the number of fatalities from extreme weather events goes down. That’s not a comment on Global Warming by the way which is happening in the background.
The contrast between the vague predictions of astrology and the fact-based insights of Factfulness underscores a profound aspect of our human experience: our perception of reality and the future. While astrology offers a mystical and ambiguous vision of transformative epochs, it echoes a deeper, more Zen-like understanding of the impermanence and constant evolution in our lives.
This notion aligns with Rosling’s perspective, which challenges us to see beyond sensationalized anomalies in the news. Both views, though seemingly at odds, actually converge on a critical point: our understanding of the world and events are often clouded by our interpretation. Although, while astrology asks us to embrace the potential for societal and personal transformation, Factfulness urges us to ground our perceptions in what is actually happening.
Small words and rallying others
This reflection on the fluidity of perception and the nature of reality reminds me of the power of our minds, our consequent actions, and the effect on the world around us. I saw on social media somewhere the recording artist Post Malone was referenced as saying: “touching someone’s feelings is like throwing a stone into the ocean. You know what you did but you don’t know how deep the stone went”.
The comment was originally referring to hurting feelings, as a warning not to be careless with actions. Yet it is equally attributable to positivity. You don’t know how far your small acts of kindness help people on their journeys through life. The realization of our individual influence and mindfulness in our actions naturally leads to interconnectedness. Furthermore to the concept of collective awakening. The collective subconscious is an idea to discuss on a different day, but needless to say there is a role each of us plays in the communal consciousness.
This idea is vividly illustrated in the Zen text, ‘Ten Bulls,’ which describes the journey towards higher awareness. The last stage involves going to the market place. Whilst there the author enlightens fellow countrymen with a single glance. This metaphorical journey mirrors a dream I once had, where I transformed into a (weirdly vampiric) figure rallying others to a cause. I was chased and harassed by some groups and adored by others. The dream, while fantastical, symbolizes the potential each of us has to inspire and lead. It sure is possible for each of us to create ripples of change that extend far beyond our immediate perception.
Final thought
Through the subtle impact of our daily interactions, each of us plays a role in the planet-wide project of human experience. This happens via larger societal processes. As anticipated by certain belief structures, or as observed by academics, there is continuous change and enlightenment. This is Zen. It is when we acknowledge our part, we realize the importance of our own mindfulness and intention in every act, be it grand-scale or everyday.