The Chambered Nautilus is considered a living fossil, having remained unchanged for over 400 million years. The nautilus is a cephalopod, a highly intelligent, predatory mollusk characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles, which are thought to be ancient modifications of the molluskan foot. Unlike other members of the cephalopod family, such as the squid or octopus, the boney body structure of the nautilus has been externalized as a shell. The nautilus inhabits her elegant, protective shell in the deepest of ocean waters.
When exposed, the inside of the shell reveals the structure and pattern of the growth of the nautilus. This mollusk begins her journey in a tiny, fragile home made up of four chambers. As she grows, her protective shell continually expands by progressively creating new chambers. Strong, yet delicate walls develop behind her as she outgrows where she has been and matures into the next, more expansive chamber. She no longer fits into the chambers she once inhabited, yet they remain critical to her growth.
The seemingly sealed chambers of the nautilus contain small amounts of gas, required for maintaining buoyancy. The nautilus controls her own density by injecting water through tiny, internal tubing into the formative chambers of home. She is past - present – future, permanently carrying evidence of her smaller self, yet boldly open to the larger self she is becoming.
I see the shell of the chambered nautilus as a metaphor for personal, spiritual growth. The original four rooms may symbolize the “givens” of an individual’s journey, such as genetic definition, fetal environment, birth story, social setting. The progressively larger chambers map transformative experience and maturation of understanding. The delicate seals prevent back-sliding, while simultaneously allowing access to the resources and capacity required for continuing the journey, which remains open-ended and ever-expanding. Amazing!
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