"As above, so below; as within, so without; as the universe, so the soul. The mantra of 'as above, so below' reappears in the lifeway of badgers. They live underground, but hunt aboveground."
"Along the way, we find ourselves back in the sandy wash with walls well over our heads. Hank stops and points to the badger tracks in front of ours. He then looks up at the red dirt walls where dozens of badger handprints are pressed in the sand, revealing their long, downcurved claws."
"The badger stared at us with its broad-jawed face flush to the mound it was lying on. We tried not to blink, and when we did, the badger disappeared underground. It never came up. Badgers are not to be provoked, but respected."
Badgers demonstrate a profound duality in their existence, living in underground burrows while conducting their hunts above ground. This pattern mirrors the ancient hermetic principle 'as above, so below,' suggesting that different levels of reality are interconnected and reflective of one another. Observations of badger tracks, handprints, and recently excavated dens in a desert wash reveal their active presence and engineering capabilities. Encounters with badgers demand respect and attention, as these creatures command reverence through their deliberate movements and mysterious nature. The badger's lifestyle exemplifies how physical and spiritual realms coexist in natural systems.
#badger-behavior-and-ecology #hermetic-philosophy-and-nature #desert-wildlife-observation #underground-and-aboveground-duality
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