The Free Radical

We are standing now outside of the Predictability Zone…

(Author of Confusion by Neal Morse from his 2004 album One)

Chaos is encroaching on our shores. It is Evolution’s dishevelled friend… a necessary houseguest. When whole worlds are involved, the evolutionary bifurcation point can last an impossibly long time. Bifurcation points are characterized by increasing chaos. If the system as a whole can effectively shunt chaos (entropy) outside of itself, then a higher order will spontaneously emerge– evolution. If entropy cannot be adequately diverted, chaos triumphs and there is total systemic collapse. This is basic modern evolutionary theory… beyond Darwin’s quaint notions. (Ilya Prigogine)

Quick visitors are popping in and out of our little forest reality. And even they do not seem quite as self-assured as normal.

Evidence of the Dutch Creek wolf pack has cropped up. As I was photographing this deposit, Sitka was busy nearby ‘sampling’ another identical deposit. And in that pause, we heard the half-howl of a canine not too far distant. Fortunately, the dogs’ typical reaction is to stick close.

And then as we were approaching the first lookout, we were enthusiastically accompanied by Raven. Raven alighted from treetop to treetop above us, chattering incessantly. He seemed to kind of gargle as he croaked, making a very odd vocal disturbance as we sidled up to the lookout above Dutch Creek.

Just as we arrived, Hawk flew westward from a treetop at the lookout. Raven and Hawk together can only mean that the awakening of the sacred tale of the Ancient Sorcerers is nigh. (Raven has historically been the keeper of the tales of the Ancient StoryKeepers… who later transformed into the Ancient Sorcerers; Hawk will eventually tell their tale.)

As we looked out across the river, it became immediately apparent that there was a light smoky haze in the air today. The source was further westward as we gazed across. My assumption is that Forestry was conducting slash burning up and around Brewer Creek. I assured Raven that there was no cause for concern, and Raven seemed immediately satisfied.

The past is burning down around us. If we get caught up in being reactionary– coming from a place rooted solely in the past, we will fail to shunt entropy adequately. As we respond to the challenges of the moment by preserving the possibilities of a very different– but more equitable– future, we will prevent ourselves from actively engaging with entropy, simply allowing all that which is unsustainable to fall away naturally.

Don’t miss out; evolve!