The Story of the Animati Astra Terram
(This excerpt is from the Regenerative Poems, Short Stories and Recipes for the Soul chapter of my soon to be published book Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table)
Each moment is an unrepeatable gift, each breath an unfathomable miracle of celestial mathematics woven into a web of reciprocal relationships spanning eons of time and lightyears of space. It took eons of tireless work for the stage to be set for you to live here, now, in this life. Mother Earth has nurtured and built a paradise and a sanctuary for you to experience, co-create in and share.
Our bodies (and even the Earth herself) are made of stardust. Ancient stellar matter that was cast out from the core of a dying star in a blinding flash of cosmic light (a cosmic event that apparently is memorialized in each of our eyes, as stellar explosions often look very much like the human iris).
This enriched stellar dust was (over time) guided to come together to become a young solar system of spinning spheres of rock and gas. Cooling down over countless centuries, one of these spheres became what we now call the Earth.
The Earth was imbued with a spirit by Creator, making her a living, feeling, tending being. Eons of time passed as various processes unfolded in order to make way for the beings that would one day call this living planet home. For millions of years molten rock flowed in abundance on the surface of the Earth (still holding the memory of the birth of the solar system and the planet in the form of thermal energy). Over time these memories faded allowing the bones of the landscape to harden and one day invite life to take hold. The brave pioneering kingdom of bacteria and wise alchemists of the queendom of fungi were the first to be invited to call this Earth home. These noble beings strove to weave a fabric that would cradle all life that would come after them. This matrix and fabric which would serve as a nexus for all complex lifeforms is called Soil. It allowed for the unfolding of photosynthetic organisms and creatures of endless diversity to begin the sacred work of building complex eco-systems. The atmosphere, the rains, and even the ancient stones which made up the bones of the earth were changed.
Our most recent scientific evidence is telling us that the modern human being came to be approximately 200,000 years ago in a very strange concurrence of events that resulted in what we are now, being set apart from the existing primates. The DNA evidence shows that a fusion of two chromosomes took place which resulted in several emergent features becoming manifest. One, a brain 50% larger than that of our nearest primate relative, the chimpanzee. Two, the upright posture and advanced manual dexterity of a human. Three, the capacity for advanced language, and Four, an extended neural network that allows for extraordinary capabilities, such as deep intuition, and access to heart-based wisdom on demand. The fossil and DNA evidence says that this "fusion" of two chromosomes into one, did not occur gradually, but suddenly.
Swiss mathematician and physicist Marcel Golay calculated that the existence of even the common DNA molecule coming to be via a combination of random natural occurrences (as many current dominant institutions proffer) is 1 in 10 (to the six hundred). Just so you can get an idea of what that probability looks like, that is a 10 with 600 zeroes after it. English astronomer and astrologist Sir Fred Hoyle aptly describes these outrageous statistics as the equivalent of a tornado sweeping through a junkyard and assembling a Boeing 747 jetliner from scattered debris.
The miracle of what makes our human experience possible is amplified 1000 fold when one takes a closer look at the engines inside our cells (mitochondria) that make our brain and bodily functions possible. The mitochondrion was once an independent bacterium, until a host cell (an archaeon or descendant of one) decided to become a permanent symbiotic partner. Fast forward to the their role inside mammals (such as humans) and you have a situation where cells and mitochondria abandoned their ancient predator and prey beginnings to unite and become the building blocks and energy generators for complex organisms such as we (homosapiens). Within you is the fire forged by that ancient alliance and it still burns brightly. I speak of the “fire” that is burning in the “engines” of our cells where our mitochondria generate heat up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
In other words, what was required to make it possible for you to live this life was a convergence of the light of the cosmos, the fire from volcanos of Mother Earth, the lifeforce of soil and a symbiotic alliance forged between two ancient organisms that would become the engines that power the cells within you now . As human beings, every one of us is capable of absorbing the cosmic light and elemental fire that resulted in the creation of these bodies for our own vitality. One pathway we can experience it is through conversion of that energy in our food. Plants and fungi are nourished by the light of the cosmos, the fire of the heart of the earth and the living soils of the forests. When we ingest them our mitochondria carry the torch. Each human cell has as many as 2,000 mitochondria within it. Therefore we are beings that are intrinsically linked to the light of the stars and the beating heart of the living planet Earth.
In light of these facts, the saying “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” takes on new meaning and invites us to cherish each moment we are gifted from a new found perspective of awe, reverence and humility.
Dr. Zach Bush describes the incredibly unlikely manifestation of the being that is you by saying
“Your life is powered, quite literally, by the energy of the stars of the milky way.
You are a quantum miracle, a physical manifestation born from the dance of solar radiation and light energy, water, and your unique DNA antenna.
So how exactly does food become a delivery system of star energy into our bodies?
Active soil on the planet breathes in this energy in the form of salts. That energy is then placed into bacteria, which breaks the nutrients down and creates carbohydrates that are constructed of large carbon chains. These carbohydrates are then broken back down by the bacteria and, once consumed, it’s inserted into our bloodstream. From there, it’s transmitted inside of a human cell to a bacteria called mitochondria.
Working synergistically with the microbiome within our bodies, these populations of mitochondria utilize fats and carbohydrate to produce energy, converting both fuel sources to a single molecule, Acetyl-CoA. Finally, they put it through the Krebs cycle, which breaks the carbon bonds of these fuels to release energy in the form of electrons. These can then catalyze the production of ATP - effectively the battery storage for our food energy.
Your body is radiating solar energy. The higher the energy potential of your food, the brighter you light up the world around you.
Food, not pharmacy is the foundation and future of human health and health care.”
We are living a life that is made possible by a symphony of miracles aligned in perfect harmony. Human beings are born of the merging of stardust, starlight, spirit, the lifeblood of Mother Earth and the symbiotic alliance of ancient organisms (that dwell within us even now).
We are living an experience which represents an incredible gift in which we can align all the forces that brought us into being in a way that allows us to be the best version of ourselves. When we cultivate crops in our garden, create in the kitchen and give back to the living soil through composting what we are really doing is acknowledging that we are not here by accident. Through nurturing the Earth and our bodies we are engaging in a sort of prayer that transcends all religiosity.
I feel it is best for each of us to discover the nature of the intelligence behind the conscious act that made us who and what we are, for ourselves. Not only is the math and most up to date scientific evidence telling us that our origin is the result of a conscious and intentional act, but if you search your heart of hearts you too may find that you also know and feel it to be true.
It was my wife that helped me to look inward to realize that these bodies and human brains were created in such a way that they would be capable of housing and acting as a conduit for non- physical beings which originate from beyond this vibrational plane of existence (the third dimension). These highly advanced vehicles (human bodies) were intentionally created so they could properly accommodate (and co-exist with) immensely complex and beautiful beings not native to this physical plane.
We are more than the sum of our parts, we are capable of deep unconditional love, swift and precise intuitive knowing, self-healing and mind blowing creativity. I speak now of what I call the 'spiritus autem stellam particulas' (the spirit of the star pieces). I speak now of your soul. That essence of Self that resides and glows in your core, before thought and in direct connection with that which is beyond this physical third dimension.
We are cosmic beings.. made of star dust (animated by spirit).. receivers and transmitters of light, illuminating the leading edge of creation with our faith, hopes and dreams.
We (what you may call "the soul" or "spirit") exist on a higher dimensional plane, we come into these amazing bodies (bio-mechanical electromagnetic molecular machines) and operate these “vehicles” to engage in ‘Life on Earth’. We explore the rich depths of human emotion, savor the unique poetry in sounds, colors, tastes, aromas, and sensations of the senses. Our path sometimes delves into the illusions of fear due to the proclivity of the ego (a part of the human host body/mind) to accept that manifestation of the mind which is prevalent on earth.
This human experience is about a marriage of “spirit” (non-temporal higher dimensional consciousness) with the physical. The relationship is mutually beneficial, a kind of cosmic symbiosis. We come to inhabit these magnificent bodies as they allow us to navigate through the 3rd dimension and experience its beauty through the 5 senses. And the benefit to the physical human being, is we open up gateways to joy and peace unattainable by the ‘ego’ and its body alone, windows into higher complexity and richness of creativity as well as the deep serenity and bliss that comes from the Love we imbue into these lives on earth. The brain is the operating system for these advanced molecular machines (human bodies) that we use to explore and interact on this physical plane.
Knowing all of this comes with a great responsibility. You are in the position to experience, create, and share that which has never been before (and will never be in exactly the same way again).
Everything that it took to make your body, this life, this Earth... this confluence of events from millions and billions of years ago that led you to be who and what you are now... has never happened before and will never happen again. Each time you look through your eyes at this world and those you share it with you are experiencing this world through your own unique 'kaleidoscope of consciousness (which is the result of the blending of your eternal Self and your earthly host). Looking through this unique lens means that you are experiencing and creating things that will only happen once in exactly the way they are happening now.
Each thought and emotion you choose is charting your course as you pioneer on this leading edge of creation in the physical universe. Choose your thoughts well, for they are more powerful than you know. Choose your actions in the knowing that each act leaves a mark on your heart... one that can never be erased. When you leave this place and leave the body you now inhabit, you will take the memories of your heart with you, the choices you made, and how they affected those you share your experience with.
We can choose whether or not we want to nurture life, be humble, and be loving, but whatever we choose, we will never get these moments, this particular perspective nor the opportunities it offers back. In choosing to nurture life unto its highest potential we align with the innate nature of our eternal Self and unfold spiritually into ever-higher levels of richness in experience, understanding, joy and peace. We can be co-creators of a wondrous world, a world of abundance, integrity, equality, joy, truth, discovery, kindness and peace. Each of us came here with the ability to create this together. It is always a choice.
This is the story of the Animati Astra Terram. This story of the animated star-dust... this is the story of you.
We now enter into the chapter of human history where we will leave planetary adolescence and move into Cosmic Adulthood. We can heal this world through learning from and teaming up with Mother Earth. To achieve these goals, we can choose to look and act through holistic lenses of perception such a permaculture.
We can make this world a place of wonder, abundance, peace, creativity and symbiosis... and one day, when we are ready... we can reach out in the spirit of peace and collaboration to connect with the thriving interstellar community of conscious beings that are all around us. The path to these potentials begins with each of our choices in the here and now.
Will you choose to be a passive observer and passenger in this co-creative process, Or will you choose to co-author the story?
Thank you for an interesting and illuminating article.
I love the essay. Yes we are made of stars and are a part of the Earth's continuum peace Claire