Nature as an oracle: predicting the future through its signs

Nature has always been used as a guide to predict the future. Today, as yesterday, its signs, cycles, rhythms and patterns continue to be valuable clues for anticipating what is to come. This content explores this fascinating continuity. Discover it.

Since the dawn of humanity, the future has been both fascinating and unsettling territory. The need to anticipate what is to come has shaped entire civilizations, inspired myths, rituals and sciences. Our ancestors, attentive to the natural world, sought answers in their surroundings: the flight of a bird, the rustle of leaves in the wind, the flow of water, or the crackle of a fire.

The desire to predict the future took on names, forms and methods. Many of these end with the suffix -mancy, derived from the Greek manteía, meaning “divination”. These ancestral practices were not based on vague superstitions, but were often the result of in-depth observation of the cycles of nature.

The ancient Romans, for example, observed the behaviour of birds and interpreted it as a divine sign, an early form of ornithomancy. The people who lived by the rivers and seas, on the other hand, watched the tides and the reflections of the water in search of patterns that would indicate changes in the climate or landscape. A practice similar to hydromancy.

A mirror of time

These ancient “mancies” bear witness to an ancient understanding: nature communicates through signs. In phyllomancy, for example, the leaves that fell in autumn were not merely part of a cycle, but messages to be deciphered.

Although we now tend to regard these practices with a degree of distance and disbelief, the truth is that, at their core, they share something with modern science: the search for patterns. Aeromancy, which interpreted clouds and winds, is not so distant from today’s weather forecasts based on atmospheric models. And xylomancy, which sees messages in pieces of wood, can be reminiscent of the study of growth rings in trees, which tell us not only how old the tree is, but also reveal droughts, fires or years of abundance.

The global report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for humanity reveals the importance of this close relationship. There is evidence that communities that live in connection and harmony with nature, such as indigenous communities, are able to anticipate and adapt to environmental changes by continuously observing natural cycles.

And today?

Contemporary science has sophisticated tools to design future scenarios, but it continues to draw inspiration from nature. Through ecology, bioclimatology and other areas, we come to see that living systems move in networks and cycles, following rhythms of their own.

By observing phenological changes, such as when a plant blooms or an animal migrates, we can predict the effects of climate change. In the United States, there is a research network that collects, analyses and shares phenological data on plants and animals throughout the country in order to monitor the effects of climate change on natural cycles and anticipate ecological changes. This network shows how the systematic monitoring of seasonal events helps to predict ecological imbalances and serves as a basis for decision-making related to nature conservation.

A scientific paper published in the journal Nature also argues that ecology needs to become more predictive, proposing the use of mathematical models based on ecological data to predict the behaviour of ecosystems.

In other words, we are, in a way, going back to our roots: it is in listening to nature that we find clues as to what is to come. Instead of asking the stars, perhaps we should go back to asking the trees, the water and the wind. After all, the future has already begun and nature has a lot to say.

Science and forest management in harmony

Just as in ancient times, The Navigator Company is now actively observing its forests, using them as a guide for balanced and sustainable management. This approach is not merely intuitive, but systematic, scientific and certified.

On its properties certified under the internationally recognised systems, FSC1 and PEFC2, the company combines direct observation, data and ecological knowledge to understand how ecosystems respond to change and how best to protect them. This active observation means anticipating risks (fires, habitat loss, erosion) and adaptive management, mapping habitats, monitoring species and adjusting practices on an ongoing and preventative basis (planting, controlled cutting and restoration).

This close look at how the forest works is a practical exercise in ecological forecasting. By acting on these signs, the company not only manages resources, it conserves, regenerates and prepares its ecosystems for the future.

Did you know that…

• There are many more forms of divination using elements of nature. Lithomancy is one of them. This is a way of predicting the future using stones or special objects made of stones.
• There is also aeromancy, where air or atmospheric substances are the main source of divination. To do this, one has to keep an eye on the clouds, the birds, the rain, etc.
• And finally, we have xylomancy, which is done using pieces of wood. They can be branches or trunks, and may have fallen or be arranged in groups. Xylo- means wood.

1FSC® – Forest Stewardship Council® (Licence no. FSC® – C010852)

2PEFC – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (Licence no. PEFC/13-23-001)