Fire and Renewal in the Dance of Good and Evil in Nature and Humanity
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 12
- 10 min read
Written by Joanne Louise Bray, Founder
Joanne Bray is the proud founder of Plantlife Joy. Her journey began with a deep love of nature and the belief that plants have the power to bring happiness, tranquility, and a touch of magic to our lives. Plantlife Joy specialises in plant knowledge, and our mission is to connect people back to the beauty of the natural world.
We are living through a time of immense contradiction. Around us, beauty and brutality exist side by side, peace in one corner of the world, chaos in another. At the heart of this tension is a deeper truth: destruction and creation are not opposites, but partners in a larger cycle. This article explores how perception shapes our reality, how ancient wisdom like Taoism can guide us through societal fracture, and how both nature and humanity are constantly dancing between fire and renewal.
Reality & perception
Your perception of life and your reality are everything. The reason why I say your reality is that everybody’s reality is completely different. Reality is not fixed; it is shaped by perception. Two people can walk the same path, one finding joy, the other despair, because their minds interpret the journey differently. For instance, you can work alongside someone every day who loves their job, and you yourself may hate it. Even though you’re living in the same reality, your perception of it is different. I recently read a post on Meta Threads that inspired me to write this article.
Many people are waking up to the sheer hypocrisy of the world we live in right now. Everyone seems to be battling either against others or with themselves. It can be so overwhelming when you are aware. Society is splitting into four categories: some care about enjoying their time on this earth without regard for the impact that their joy has on others or the planet, some care deeply about all of life on our wonderful planet, some have decided to leave society, and some are choosing to try to shape society in a new direction. As individuals awaken to the contradictions in the world, society itself is shifting, fracturing into those who embrace awareness, those who resist it, and those who attempt to reshape the future. Yes, there are always terrible things happening, like wars and loss of biodiversity, but at the same time, somewhere else in the world, there is peace and an abundance within nature.
Society’s transformation
As society fractures, ancient wisdom reminds us that balance is found within opposition. The Eastern philosophy of Taoism, rooted in harmony and natural flow, teaches that destruction and creation are forever entwined. Taoism encompasses balance, harmony, and the natural flow of life. The Yin and Yang theory is one of the key Taoist concepts. It's the idea that there are opposing forces of light and dark, destruction and creation. Another concept is Wu Wei, which is the principle of effortless action, or going with the natural flow instead of forcing an outcome. The Tao is another concept, often translated as “The Way.” It represents an underlying force that governs all existence, encouraging alignment with nature. I had never heard of this philosophy until today, when I read about it. I knew about the Yin and Yang theory, but the other concepts I seem to have encompassed naturally. Laozi, the founder of Taoism, emphasised peace, balance, and non-aggression, believing that true strength comes from harmony rather than force. Taoism doesn’t outright reject war; it acknowledges that conflict arises, just like it has now in the world and probably always will. When war is inevitable, Taoist philosophy encourages restraint, humility, and minimal destruction. The idea is that victory should not be celebrated, and war should be approached with sorrow rather than pride.
War and leadership
Every negative can, and often is, turned into a positive. If we go back to war, as destructive as it is, historically, it has always led to advancements for civilisation, either in medicine, technology, or infrastructure. It is also a testament to the strength, courage, and unity that can be achieved by humanity when there is a need. However, has leadership lost its honour? Historically, warriors led from the front. Alexander the Great and Richard the Lionheart were leaders who faced the battles they commanded. They fought alongside their troops, leading with a sense of duty, courage, and direct accountability. This fostered honour, loyalty, and respect between leaders and their people. The changes in technology and strategy in war have meant that leaders are far from the conflict. They make decisions that affect millions without ever experiencing the dangers of combat. The same applies to many decisions our leaders make on our behalf, they often seem out of touch with the harsh realities people face as a result of those choices.
I don’t like war, due to both the human and natural cost it causes. I worked at a military charity for ten years, and I always felt like a hypocrite being there. The fact that I was helping WWII veterans helped me to forget that hypocrisy. I was a dedicated employee and even volunteered in my free time. I always told myself that when the last of the WWII veterans remained, I would make my exit. Although I respect people’s decisions to fight for their country, I cannot fully understand why anyone would do it voluntarily. I know that people who join the military for a specified time are helped to transition back into society with civilians, both financially and mentally, unlike those during WWII, who were just expected to carry on with life regardless of the atrocities they had witnessed. During my time at the charity, I learned of the devastation war has on a human who has fought in battle. I also learned that most people in the military don’t want conflict; many join for the camaraderie it brings or for the opportunity to become educated without financial cost.
Nature as a metaphor for growth
There seems to be a lot of anger in the world; even the Earth itself is displaying anger, as evidenced by the recent volcanic eruptions. The Earth teaches us that negative emotions can indeed be turned into creativity. The lava cools and solidifies, forming fresh rock. This eventually turns into soil, and the first species to arrive are the lichens and moss, as these need very little to thrive. Their presence results in a further breakdown of the soil, creating nutrient-rich ground, paving the way for a complex ecosystem. Within a few years, insects, birds, and other mammals will make their way to the fresh new land. Hawaii and Iceland are perfect examples of how volcanic landscapes can become a haven for all of life on Earth. Nature does not resist change, it embraces renewal. Indigenous cultures understand this deeply, yet modern society fights against it, taking without giving back. This imbalance is felt not only in our ecosystems but in our relationships, communities, and our world.
Indigenous cultures honour nature’s cycles, death, rebirth, and transformation, understanding that destruction is merely an opening for new life. They view the Earth as the living entity that it is, rather than a resource that can be exploited. They believe that if we take from nature, we should give back because there should always be a balance. We really should take a leaf out of their book because right now, the scales are very unbalanced; many of us are taking and giving nothing back. People tell me all the time that there are too many humans on the planet, and this is untrue. It is not a matter of overpopulation, it is a matter of imbalance. A world dominated by takers cannot sustain itself indefinitely. The givers are weary, and if we do not restore reciprocity, society itself will fracture beyond repair. The Earth provides us with everything that we need to survive, and we must honour the gift that we have been given. That gift is life on this beautiful planet. The excessive taking, without giving back, has left both our ecosystems and communities fractured. Until we restore this equilibrium, true transformation remains out of reach.
It may feel like there is no hope at times, but I think this is the stage where society is transforming. As messy and confusing as it is, it is necessary. All the division and hatred will eventually cease to exist in their prominent form. The current system, which isn’t working, will be replaced with something that benefits not just mankind but all of life on planet Earth. We must learn to coexist not just with each other but with the whole ecosystem. Not doing this is not an option. If we continue to live as we have, not only will we make the same mistakes that our ancestors did, but we will also lose the things that we need to survive as a species. There is already so much loss of biodiversity, and further losses will be catastrophic for humanity, and they won’t be reversible.
You can help with the loss of biodiversity by planting your garden with nature in mind. If you are unsure how to do this, you can always follow gardening accounts on social media, or you could join my membership site, Plantlife Joy, where you can learn all about gardening sustainably without the use of chemicals. I also teach how plants can be used for your health. We have been fooled into thinking that a pill is the answer, and that is not true. The answer lies in us taking charge of our health and well-being.
Social media and defensiveness
There seems to be a lot of children existing in adult bodies. They have no concept of unity or acceptance. They instead seem to navigate through life reacting without reflection, often driven by ego, fear, and their conditioning rather than understanding and empathy. They project their insecurities onto those of us who have conquered our own. We could blame social media for this change in people, as we are fed only the narratives that affirm our existing beliefs. When we finally encounter an uncomfortable truth, we reject it, not because it is false, but because we have not been prepared to accept it. I left the social media platform X a couple of years ago because I was seeing so much violence and much worse. For a time, I thought Elon Musk was enabling cruelty. In retrospect, the exposure was a gift. Now I see the world in its rawest form, unfiltered and unapologetic. Other social media platforms feed us the narratives we want, shielding us from discomfort. But truth does not arrive wrapped in convenience. It comes with raw, disruptive, and demanding reflection. Those unwilling to face it retreat into defensiveness, choosing illusion over reality.
Defensiveness thrives in ignorance. When people refuse to challenge their understanding, they limit their ability to grow. Since the internet began, I have used it as a tool to gain as much information as possible. Fifteen years ago, when my life changed, so did my habits. I left TV behind, turning instead to the internet as a tool for knowledge. The more I learned, the more I saw through the illusions of passive entertainment. I have a soul that likes to understand, so if I do not understand something, Google, or now DuckDuckGo, always has an answer. I have spent years going down countless rabbit holes and have often been mocked by others for the knowledge that I have gained over the years. I used to hide the fact that I knew so much, but now that I am in my forties, I am no longer prepared to. I don’t care if my intelligence intimidates people, as I have been informed on countless occasions. I refuse to diminish myself for the comfort of others, and so should you.
Independent thought and inquiry
It is important to have independent thought; it is one of the most valuable assets that we have. Seeking knowledge instead of passively consuming entertainment or social media narratives is where true growth occurs. Much of the information presented to us is carefully crafted, not necessarily to inform but to shape perception. The media tells us only what fits within a chosen narrative, leaving critical details hidden or distorted. Just as the media carefully crafts narratives, society does the same. People form opinions based on hearsay rather than truth, rejecting individuals or ideas without true understanding, or worse, they go on witch hunts.
This is why it’s crucial to think beyond what is given. We need to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and seek multiple perspectives. A well-informed mind is a liberated one, capable of seeing through manipulation and forming its own conclusions. Blind acceptance leads to stagnation, but inquiry leads to truth. The antidote to manipulation is curiosity. To see the world clearly, we must actively challenge what is given, seek out opposing views, and embrace the discomfort of rethinking our beliefs. Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, taught that ‘everything flows.’ Change is inevitable, but only those willing to engage with discomfort will evolve with it. Inquiry is not a disruption, it is the path forward. Change never comes without resistance. Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, understood that opposites, chaos and order, destruction and creation, are forever entwined. Today’s friction may feel like a collapse, but it could also be the start of something new. Heraclitus understood that existence is in constant flux. Nothing remains the same. He believed that fire, the primal force of transformation, represents both destruction and renewal. Just as lava reshapes landscapes, society undergoes upheavals that eventually lead to evolution, and that is all this is.
Call to action: Seeking awareness and coexistence
The natural world, however, is crying out, and we are responsible. We have become passively blind to destruction, deaf to warnings. Awareness is not enough. The time for change is now, and that change must come from every one of us. The transformation will not come from governments or institutions; it must come from us. By restoring the Earth, even in small ways, we become part of nature’s renewal rather than its destruction.
Read more from Joanne Louise Bray
Joanne Louise Bray, Founder
Joanne Bray is a leader in plant life; she has been to the darkest depths of despair with her mental health. Nurturing plants and learning all about them led to her own healing journey. She discovered the immense joy, and mindfulness that nuturing plants provides, so she began to write about them within her membership site, create courses, paint parts of nature that she fell in love with, and write books in the hope of sharing her passion, and helping others to connect back to the beauty and wonder that nature supplies. Joanne is very passionate about eradicating the use of chemicals in gardening, and so she offers solutions using plants that either attract beneficial insects or deter pests.
