There is a Hopi Indian word, Koyaanisqatsi, meaning, “a crazy life, life in turmoil, life out of balance, life disintegrating, a state of life that calls for another way of living.” The Hopi tribe’s whole spiritual focus is to try to keep the natural-balance of the world from spinning out of control. Well, it’s apparent that this natural balance has turned itself upside down. Within my own location, in upstate NY, the atmospheric circulation patterns have been on a wild ride for quite some time now; this past summer saw floods that devastated my area, accompanied with a freaky “tornado” that touched down in early September. Presently, the temperature is in the mid-40’s—December was completely snowless and warm and by this time we’re usually anticipating the January thaw…well, you can see the pattern. The effects of Global Warming have clearly made their effects known in my neck of the woods.
The minimalist composer, Philip Glass, composed music for the 1983 film, Koyannisqatsi; at the time this film depicted the tension between the techno-industrialist forces and the natural order of things—the result being a life completely out of balance. As 2012 kicks off there has been much speculation that this year will be a unique one in turning our normal world-view upside down. The Mayan Calendar ends in 2012—not meaning, as many wrongly assert, that this is the end of the world, but that “an age” is coming to a close…and what is to follow is so mind boggling that the Mayan Ancients destroyed any further revelatory material relating to calendar years. If 2011 was any indication, we’re in for one hell of a ride. Perhaps, on a positive note, what is occurring is a type of necessary cleansing in order for the natural order of things to right-itself up again—to once again attain “balance”.
Hi there,
The end of the movie Koyaanisqatsi quotes, “If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster.”
“Near the Day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky.”
“A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky which could burn the land and boil the oceans.”
In my reading, ‘precious things’ equal petroleum, ‘cobwebs’ equal the effects of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere, entangling the sun’s energy (heat) as a cobweb would entangle an insect. The final ‘container of ashes’ is the literal byproduct of petroleum (carbon dioxide), which will inevitably be thrown INTO the sky and trap heat, causing the land to ‘burn’ and the oceans to ‘boil.’
The movie is misleading with the space shuttle explosion, an all too literal interpretation of ‘container of ashes.’
Peace to you, and here is to hope that we may realize our wrongs.
Thanks, Matt
Peace