Principles of Nature

By Ridge Makavelli

You embody an element of nature.
You are nature in a different form.

Beyond the curtain presented to people in modern times is the natural arena that has allowed organic life to thrive. Although society is bombarded with modern ideas of existence, one critical element to remember is that everyone is connected to nature in some way.
In his first book Transformation, Ridge Makavelli explored the elements and principles derived from nature through his practical opinion on change and growth. In Principles of nature, he supplements those observations with the cherry on the cake – analysing certain principles connecting organic life.
He draws analogies from as diverse a spectrum as possible – including philosophy, farming and natural observations – to analyse nature’s dynamics as well as some elements readily available in nature as principles.
Beyond principles of the natural world are symbolic lessons from which society can draw; some are hidden by the synthetic fabric in which we clothe ourselves and the modern curtain disconnecting us from the natural world.
In Principles of nature, Makavelli encourages readers to connect with nature, thereby connecting with themselves and consequently with other natural species. These are not rules, but an engineer’s analysis and observations of nature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ridge Makavelli
• Release date: Sep 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005153106

Ridge Makavelli

A chemical engineer by professionAn artist of lifea spiritual being by nature

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Copyright © 2022 Ridge Makavelli

First edition 2022

Published by Ridge Makavelli at Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Ridge Makavelli using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Francois Rabe for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

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Ridge Makavelli

[e-mail]

Also by Ridge Makavelli

Transformation: An Engineer’s Practical Opinion on Change and Growth

Dedicated to

Annah

Lenny

In Honour of

Petrus

Chris

To the Reader

You embody an element of nature.

You are nature in some form.

Prologue

My connection with nature began as a young man living with his grandparents (and later with my mother). From time to time, we would go to the field and do some work, or plant something, or reap something, depending on the season we were in. During that time, though, I had no understanding of the philosophy of nature. I was just a young man running around trying to help out his grandparents.

Years later I started learning how to make things from natural foods, like the ancient people. I learned how to make maize and xigugu, a grinded mixture of peanuts and corn. I learned how to plant and grow a bit of spinach. Still, my experience with nature wasn’t philosophical – it was just me working with nature to get something. Soon, I stopped practicing the little bit of farming in my quest for a qualification – I had to go to school.

From those early stages we can fast-forward to recent times. A few years ago, while taking a walk as a university student and while still writing Transformation, I rekindled my connection with nature. I spent more time taking walks, marvelling at flowers and trees.

It was while writing the first book that I realised some of the natural things that govern organic species. It was during this time that I began to connect things that were readily available into some form of understanding of how nature seems to work. This realisation was also supplemented by my engineering analysis of things.

It is the small spark of curiosity while writing Transformation, the realisation of certain things in nature while taking those walks, along with my personal transformation, that led to some observations and analysis of the simple principles upon which nature thrives. This is where we are now.

Part 1 of this book deals with the beginning of things. In this part, I analyse the factors that facilitate where things began and how that connects to human life in a symbolic manner. The soil, the seeds, the natural resources, and the birth process are evident as the natural beginning of things.

Part 2 is about the factors that facilitate the principle of growth and expansion. The elements of this principle revolve around the interplay of energy over a certain period of time. Over time, energy and entropy grant us a sense of growth and expansion in a certain direction. Nothing lives or grows without energy, and nothing grows in a particular direction without entropy.

Part 3 revolves around one of nature’s secret weapons of progress – balance. Balance takes place on a natural scale where the elements of nature sustain all organic life – water, Earth, fire, air, the light and the dark. Balance is also observed in the natural scale of the complementary nature of the male and female of organic species that reproduce. Beyond the male and female, balance is in the complementary nature of things in all aspects of life which result in some sense of progress and change.

Part 4 revolves around one of the universal constants of nature – change. It follows that from the ability to balance, we are able to make progress which is facilitated by certain changes that happen in life. Change and progress are observed through the seasons, the cycles of nature, and the fluctuations of nature.

Part 5 is about the fruit of the seeds we plant at the beginning, and the expression of plants and trees that do not necessarily bear fruit. It follows from the first to the fourth principle that nature grants us the fruit of what we can plant, what we can nurture to grow, what can be sustained by the elements, and what can tolerate the cycles and fluctuations of life. More than that, it is about the variety of things we can get from nature in general. With variety and differences, we realise that nature may give all elements and organic species an equal platform, but it doesn’t make them equal. I try to draw a line in the sand of ‘equality’ in this part.

Part 6 is one of endings. We know that organic life comes to an end and that we are mortal, although we may not be fond of this principle. Anything that goes in will eventually go out – it is the law of conservation. Nature has always used the principle of ending as a complementary part of the principle of beginning, thereby achieving completion. From the basic analysis that all organic life soon comes to an end, it is fair to say that every experience of an organic species also comes to an end. With this part, we also mark the end of the book.

The objective with this book is to outline some of the natural things I have been able to observe and analyse in nature. I take a tour into the nature of things, and perhaps into ancient wisdom (although I may not be as accurate and all-knowing). With this book, I do not dive into other planets and other stars that are part of the natural world. Therefore, my analysis of nature is not from observing the whole workings of the universe, but only the Earthly experience I have been able to witness and analyse.

Behind the curtain that presents itself to modern men and women, is the natural platform that has always been there to sustain organic life. I write this book, but I am aware of the complex factors that govern life. I also note that the intuitive ideas and wisdom to write such things at my age is perhaps beyond my credit to take and may be attributed to men and women who have come before me.

For this reason, I encourage the reader to look further than these principles around their life. I encourage the reader to find more than what I have been able to find. With this, I encourage the reader to connect with nature, to live with nature, to be present with nature, and that may lead us to transcend our differences into the wisdom of the natural things.

This is just my analysis and observations of nature.

Ridge Makavelli

Chemical engineer

Athlete

Lover of art and music

Some Technicalities of the Book

This is an additional outline for those who wish to pursue the material that has led me to write this book. Some ideas emanate from a thorough analysis of my own personal experiences, others are from natural observations. I do not refer to articles and journals, only my own analysis of experiences, observations of nature (through a bit of farming), a reconstruction of some lessons, and engineering application. This is the only relevant practical material I have been able to draw my observations from for this book.

As you will note, I do refer to the other book I have written, largely because it embodies some of the principles outlined in this book. I also take note of some of the biblical texts and their respective narratives and my interpretation of them. Quotations are used in some instances and the source is acknowledged. Apart from these, I have not used any sources other than what is generally available from observation and analysis, with an engineering supplement.

The illustrations used in the relevant sections were drawn using the 2-D freeware LibreCAD. I drew the illustrations myself, as an engineer.

Part I

Principle of Genesis

Where do Things Begin?

There is a great debate regarding ‘the beginning’ of things. The debate centres around the questions, Where did things really begin? Where (or how) did human life start?

While I have no concrete answer myself, I am aware of the scientific research that has been undertaken to answer such questions through archaeological evidence and the investigation of trace evidence of fossils. Science has done its part when it comes to answering such a question.

I am also aware of the ideas extended by the Christian biblical texts and that of other religions which also take aim at answering these questions. But before we dive into trying to answer these questions, let’s take a step back and get some perspective on the matter.

When I was young, the first thing I came across in the Christian belief was that God created the world and had done so in seven days. The biblical texts go into deep detail about the creation of the world and the creation of organic life within the world. The last thing God created – as far as the texts are concerned – is human life. God created Adam from the soil and then breathed life into him. The narrative has a last ‘cherry on the cake’, where Adam seems to need a helper, and that the helper was Eve. Just like that, human life is born.

A whole series of events play out in the mythical Garden of Eden, the end result of which is that Adam and Eve are chased out of the garden after having eaten from the forbidden fruit. The forbidden fruit, of course, is what leads them to realise the concept of ‘good and evil’ and that they are naked. The book that describes this scene is called Genesis, which is derived from the Latin gignesthai, which means ‘to be born’ and which is related to ‘beginning’. This is a symbolical meaning of how people in the past tried to understand the nature of creation itself and the beginning of things (perhaps in a metaphorical sense).

The biblical text is not the only narrative that tries to explain the beginning of life. Scientists have also put their heads into this unknown mystery with the aim of obtaining scientific evidence for their narrative.

The second thing I came across as I began to pursue sciences and engineering, was Darwin’s theory of adaptation and evolution. I began to learn about the basics of genetics and DNA during high school. Although my belief at that time was largely based on the bible, it was interesting to note the theories.

Darwin stated that organic life, as far as animals and humans were concerned, progressed to be what it is through a process of adaptation, and so they evolved. Through adaptation and survival, they could then have a chance to breed and pass on their genes. According to Darwin’s theory, every species today is what it is because of the ability of its ancient species that have adapted to best suit their environment, and in so doing, giving themselves a chance to breed. That is, according to the theory, how human life has progressed – through natural selection. Of course there is the study of fossils, ancient caves, and archaeology that also raise their hands in the deep sea of this mystery who all want to be heard.

Apart from all the different narratives involved, it is evident that all of them attempt to describe the beginning of life. While the biblical narrative may seem a bit naïve and hard to believe, and the scientific evidence a bit more enticing and concrete, both narratives have something to teach us. Both of them take on the same matter from different perspectives.

The biblical narrative shows us that there is something symbolical about creation and that the mystery of creation has been a great code to decipher. The scientific approach teaches us that there is more to life, as far as evidence is concerned, that allows us to learn and find concrete evidence of answering most questions. One narrative offers us intuitive curiosity (and perhaps deep ancient wisdom), while the other attempts to answer the curiosity through rigorous analysis of evidence and scientific methods. So, with thorough analysis, both worlds are functional together.

However, in my years of dealing with both worlds, there hasn’t been an objective view in both the world of science and of religion. Religion has its significant view, while science has since elevated itself to the same level of trying to be a doctrine of truth. The standpoints of science and religion have been trying to overpower each other’s perspectives rather than try to understand the significance of the perspectives shared amongst them. Religion and mythology have given us an intuitive (spiritual) realisation that life is far more than just scientific evidence, while science has allowed us to continuously create and materialise these intuitive ideas into concrete theories.

After years of studying engineering, and being bombarded with theories and narratives, I started examining the nature of certain things. I started looking more into the nature of organic life itself, from humans to plants. From thorough analysis, I realised that science and religious beliefs have one thing in common – they believe that life began somewhere. They may differ in their narratives and views of how they think things came to be, but they both have some sort of answer to the question, Where did it all begin?

As much as science pulls in a certain direction and religion pulls in another, they both try to examine such a question. But what is the big deal behind this question, and why is answering it so important?

In engineering, the significance of the beginning is also complemented by the process that follows. However, the beginning doesn’t necessarily give meaning to the process. Human life and organic life begin somewhere, and in a certain way. It can take place through the explanations of Darwin or religion, or any narrative that suits humanity. The important thing to note is that things begin somewhere. Perhaps they have to.

This section aims to look into the nature of natural beginnings as far as the principles of nature are concerned. As a principle, things have got their natural beginnings. This is what I have been able to take from both the biblical narrative and from science. However different the beliefs are, and no matter how strong the subjective beliefs, the common line is that things begin somewhere.

My aim is not to unravel the debate, or to ruffle the feathers of any doctrine, but to attempt to describe some of the principles of nature I have been able to observe when it comes to the beginning of things.

We have already begun this section with a clear understanding of some of the narratives that have been formulated to try and answer this question. My aim is not to perform an analysis to answer how life came to be, but to realise some of the principles of nature at the time of our existence.

There are questions some would ask, such as, "Where do the stars come from? What role does the cosmos play in the beginning of things? Why did God create two people and give them an enormous amount of responsibility for the eight billion people that live today? What about other plants, as far as evolution is concerned?

All of these questions are trying to break down things in order to understand the nature of the beginning, but the natural principle of beginning is evident. How they began, what constitutes their beginning, is subject to observation and the human attempt to understand life – which science and philosophy have done – but still supports the first principle.

We can stage a debate between scientists and ancient spiritual teachers about the nature of the genesis, but all of them would be connected by the same question, hence, natural beginnings are a principle.

As noted, my attempt is not to topple down the scientific history or the biblical narrative of things, or the inference from the archaeological evidence, but to realise the common theme between them (the attempt to study the beginning of things).

When you look around you in these modern times, you will note that nature still exhibits the same qualities as it did in ancient times. With a thorough analysis of things, one comes to realise their interconnectedness. So, my attempt is to give a practical analysis on the nature of beginnings as I perceive them today, and perhaps stealing a bit of knowledge from other aspects of life.

The first place we have to begin is in the soil.

Chapter 1

The Soil

The first place we have to start at is recommended by my limited knowledge with respect to farming and engineering analysis. Before planting anything around the yard or around a much bigger space such as a farm, the first thing one may need to confront is the quality and fertility of the soil. You have to analyse where you are going to plant your seeds.

Good soil quality and fertility are very important before planting any seeds. In the beginning, the soil serves as a good platform for the seeds and later as a good platform to connect with the growth of the plant through the roots. The first things we have to acknowledge about the nature of beginnings is that they take place through the soil (as a symbolism).

From thorough analysis, we realise that throughout organic life, the soil plays a hugely important role in the principle of the beginning of things. In such a context, the soil facilitates the environment which facilitates the seeds of life, and not only the seeds of life, but also the basic resources that are engineered into the products we consume today.

As far as nature is concerned, plants need a conducive environment in which to grow. The seeds you plant need an environment to emerge from, and then to grow towards bearing fruit. Without the soil, the seeds are nothing. A more important phrase is that without the appropriate soil quality, the seeds you plant may not necessarily grow, or grow to the full extent that you desire. This is why the soil is such a big factor. It acts like a vessel.

The soil plays the role of a mediator between what is unseen (the seed) and what emerges (the plant). Without the soil, the plant and the fruit cannot be seen, because the soil is the ground where the seed is cast, and that which facilitates the environment that allows the seed to grow and sprout into life.

Ancient people, being largely dependent on farming their own land, knew how to gauge the soil they needed to plant certain seeds (I learned this from my grandparents). They may not have had the newly scientific methods being used for mass production, but they understood the nature of the soil and the importance of fertility.

Today, different geographical areas expose different soil-types. Throughout history, different soil-types allowed