The ancient, chambered nautilus shell is a potent symbol for our evolution and growth.

As the animal grows, it builds larger and larger chambers for itself to live in. It seals off the smaller ones, which are then filled with gases that allow it to stay buoyant as it moves through the ocean waters. There is an innate intelligence, the Essence of the animal, that guides this process.

As humans we also have this innate intelligence at our center. Our Essence can gently and powerfully guide our process, yet we must get out of our own way and change our habitual ways of thinking and believing so that the process can unfold. The hypnosis of negative messaging from our culture takes us away from our center and lands us in a material existence of constantly striving for more, and desperately chasing sustainable happiness. Aligning with Essence is key to our easeful evolution and to enjoying the beautiful spiral of unfolding a magnificent life.

The spiral itself is a universal symbol of movement, energy, and expansion that radiates from the center out. From the macrocosm of our galaxy to the microcosm of the chambered nautilus, this spiral movement is reflected everywhere in nature … spiral galaxies, plants and flowers, animal horns, and even the flight patterns of some birds.

There is a sense of perfection, symmetry, and order to spirals in nature. Like the nautilus shell, they remind us of the mysterious yet somehow very real harmony underlying the outer, sometimes chaotic dance of our lives. The beauty and perfection we observe in nature helps us remember the subtle mystical world that lies just beneath the surface of our ordinary awareness. There is a transcendent, unchanging reality that is full, perfect, and whole. It is overlaid in everyday life with the ups and downs of material existence, which at times can feel so completely imperfect and is often driven by “shoulds” and commitments we don’t even want. When we tap into this mystical world at the core of our being, it opens our deep knowing and wise counsel to what is fundamentally true for us and how we can live our best, most loving and purposeful life. 

There is a wonderful paradox inherent in the chambered nautilus. It is one of the most ancient, stable life forms, staying relatively unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.  At the same time, its spiral shape and how it creates its shell signal a constant movement and change throughout the span of its lifetime. The nautilus, the Milky Way, and the human being are ever evolving. At the same time there is a core of unchanging perfection within us—our deepest, truest Essence. Like the spiral that expands outward from a center point, we also travel back to the source place, our most original sense of self, which allows us to bring the inner experience of fundamental truth back into our outer lives.  

Like the chambers of the nautilus shell, we can view our path as evolving into progressively more expanded states of being. Over time, the lessons we’ve learned, the knowledge we’ve gained and assimilated through practice and reflection become part of who we are. We use the deeper self-knowledge, loving inner connection, and the ability to listen and trust ourselves to respond to our ever-changing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. This is how life can evolve and deepen over time, resulting in ever more expansive ways of being with ourselves and in the world. 

At Life Works Academy your opportunity is to engage in programs that challenge the old worn-out social norms, that did not completely work, and take a new innovative approach. To bring forth your Essence and widen the spiral of your evolution. The goal is to bring true peace and happiness… and put you in alignment with what truly matters. We invite you to move beyond the noise of the world and claim your true destiny.

Gratitude to Barrie Risman for the inspiration of the Nautilus Shell.