36     SYNERGY   

KEY CONCEPTS:  enhanced wisdom, well-being, guidance, symbiotic alliance, endurance, resilience, friendship, deep connection, vital resource, that which is mutually beneficial, joint ventures.

MESSAGE:  In the wilds, mutualism is a win-win. Everybody’s happy and healthy when organisms interact to the profit of both.   Whether we speak of hummingbird and flower, rhino and oxpecker or this desert owl and saguaro cactus - each derives cushy benefits from cohabitation.  Saguaro furnishes food and shelter, while owl handles key tasks like pest control and seed dispersal to facilitate the cactus’ reproduction process.  Owls also supply natural fertilizer.  Most folks wouldn’t consider fecal matter much of a gift,  but it certainly helps to know your friend’s taste when offering contributions. Cactus welcomes those nutrients as essential for growth and enhanced survival.  The saguaro remains the most famed American cactus, regularly depicted in movies, cartoons and southwest art.  They grow up to 50 feet tall and live up to 200 years, developing their first arms at approximately 75 years of age.  Take a little side jaunt off 66 to catch an eyeful of these desert sentinels.

Unlike other biological relationships such as predation, commensalism or synanthropy, mutualism boosts survival for all parties involved.  It’s the best kind of alliance.  Each participant gains nutrients, resources, services…or all three.  When any association provides growth to both you and your buddy, the relationship itself--not just the outcome--is the perk.  Your mutual appreciation is bound to bloom brighter than springtime in the desert.

Our relationship to the Infinite is that of Oneness, though many never realize it. Illusion warps our perceptions daily. It fools us into accepting a false sense of separation from Spirit.  This artificial divide produces every bit of error and suffering known to mankind, or owl kind...or cactus kind.  Duality’s differentiation breeds desire, but never peace.  No matter what form you perceive with your limited senses, rest assured: only Infinite Love abides there.  It abides everywhere. 

If Synergy appears in your space today, new friendships and joint ventures are at hand.  Accept only those which are mutually beneficial.  Don’t fall into codependence; shake loose those parasites.   Codependent bonds sabotage the health of both parties; their warped dynamics shift one member into perpetual care to accommodate the other’s excess.   Have you lingered in unhealthy situations just to avoid disapproval? Are you terrified of being alone?  Reframe your mindset; stop seeking external validation.  Mutualistic partners produce combined effects much greater than the sum of each. When you commit to quantum resilience you’ve embraced synergy.

RELATED SITES:  ED’S CAMP/KACTUS CAFE RUINS, (NO TRESPASSING),  LOWELL “ED’ EDGERTON CLAIMED THE ONLY LIVING CACTUS ON ROUTE 66 FOR MANY YEARS.  THE SITE EXISTS A MILE WEST OF COOL SPRINGS, BUT THE CACTUS IS LONG GONE. SIDE JAUNT TAKE I-17 SOUTH FROM ASH FORK OR FLAGSTAFF APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES AND THE SAGUAROS BECOME VISIBLE JUST SOUTH OF THE SUNSET POINT REST AREA, NEAR BLACK CANYON CITY, AZ;  OR FIND THEM IN THE HUALAPAI MOUNTAINS NEAR KINGMAN.