Nature abhors a vacuum - Aristotle

When Aristotle observed that “nature abhors a vacuum,” he was describing the physical world: how air and water rush in to fill an empty space. Modern science confirms that a true void is nearly impossible, for matter and energy always move to restore balance.

But the phrase also carries a deeper meaning. As one writer put it, “The human soul will not be content with emptiness. If we do not fill it with what is good, it will soon be filled with what is not.” Just as nature resists emptiness, so too do our minds and hearts. A space within us will not remain empty for long — it invites something to enter, whether uplifting or harmful.

When a void opens in life — through loss, change, or transition — something will inevitably move in to fill it. If we leave it unattended, it may be taken over by unhealthy habits, toxic influences, regret, or despair. But we are not powerless: we can choose what takes root. Nothing is permanent, but the act of choosing gives us ownership of what fills our lives.

The Bahá’í Writings offer a profound suggestion: “Love is the secret that fills all voids, that heals all wounds, that gives meaning to all existence.”

And so the lesson is clear: if you do not choose, life will choose for you. To recognise this truth is to take part in nature’s wisdom — to fill the empty spaces of our lives not with noise or distraction, but with what uplifts, sustains, and brings peace.

Preserving - how to do it

Canning

One way to preserve is to use canning.  This is a method that means you have to lock yourself away from contamination to avoid any sneaky bad things getting in at you.  Unfortunately, if you are not particularly careful, in the first place, it just take one slip and you become unsafe.  So leaving a contaminate in the mix, without thorough heating and high pressure, or allowing a break in the seal after closure will mean you are exposed to corruption and danger.

Freezing

Just keeping things at a much lower temperature and never allowing heat can preserve but is not as long lasting as canning.  It requires a considerable amount of energy to maintain the effort.  Also, in the process you lose some of the essential you (tendency to become a little mushy).  Frozen as you once were, you are inevitably somewhat less too.

Dehydrating

Taking all the moisture out of you means bad stuff cannot grow.  You can last quite effectively with this method.  You won’t be as nourishing, as you once were either, and in the process you often get pureed.  Preserved but in a different form if you get my drift.

Pickling
Pickling is a common preservative and in solution we can last some time.  It is a common technique in modern days and you can grow to love the taste and the feel of being pickled.  You can find yourself more comforted, social and outgoing in the pickled state.  In the shortened modern form of pickling, excess pickling is expected along with frequent vomiting.

It would seem that preserving oneself in the modern world is fraught with difficulties.  You don’t want to isolate yourself, freeze all emotion out, remove the life force or anaesthetise yourself with alcohol.  None of these things will really do.  They are just a method of avoiding, concealing, ignoring the inevitable.  

Change comes to all of us let’s embrace it.  So I’d like to introduce the concept of renewal.  Our skin does it all the time so why can’t we?  Instead of keeping what we are, why not let it go and become a better us.  Then, instead of viewing each passing day as a threat we can see it as an opportunity. 

May today bring assurance to your heart, quietness to your soul and a renewal of your spirit.