Patterns 

Have you ever looked at patterns? I mean really looked. We have patterns all around us. I’m not talking about the pattern on your shirt or of the linoleum , I’m talking about the patterns that make up the world. From our DNA to the clouds above. 

First of all, what are patterns? 

A pattern, apart from the term’s use to mean “Template”,[a] is a discernible regularity in the world or in a manmade design. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. -Wikipedia.org

Within Permaculture we use natural patterns to detect the flow of energy (wind, water, people, etc.). Some flow are easily discernable, others can’t be seen at all. In the article Patterns as Process, they state, “Tissue builds around the flow of energy and becomes the physical expression or embodiment of that energy–form. The essential nature of the flow and the corresponding nature of the medium through which it is passing determines its expression in form. Energies moving over and around form further shape it”. For example, 

I went on a little adventure last night, I was searching for patterns within nature. They are everywhere, but we are so used to looking past them and they don’t always stand out.So what did I find? you ask. What do you see within the photos below? I see a branch pattern in the branches, but also in the leaf. The berries are a lobe pattern. The snow drifts bring to mind a wave pattern, while my picture isn’t the best example, you can really see it in a wind swept snow covered field. The spruce cones are also a lobe pattern, and possibly a halon or a spiral if you look at the way they grow. We can also see the halon in the wood in the rings of growth. What about the snow falling off the car? Or the iris seed pod? Can you tell me what you think they might be?

I challenge you to start looking for the patterns all around you. The more you look, the more you see. Get out and take some pictures, or even make a scavenger hunt of it.