“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." -- William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

When a name is more than just a name. Or a thing is more than just a thing. That was the theme that unfolded in this week's 3 Step Reciprocity Cycle blog.

Acknowledge Earth Is Our Home

I have a new friend who is Hawaiian. His family has a farm on Maui that goes back generations upon generations.

When he first told me about it, he used the word "taro" -- probably knowing that would be enough of a stretch for someone like me who grew up on mostly on 4 vegetables in Minnesota: green beans, carrots, potatoes, and corn.

And as I was thinking about him one day, I decided to do some research on taro.

I learned some helpful things around growing them, taste, nutrition, recipes, etc.

And I watched a video or two about the Hawaiian staple made from this root: poi.

He was touched, and then seemed ready to share a bit more...

"Awww. That's awesome. In Hawaiian, it's kalo."

So rabbit hole #2.

What surprised me was how different the google search looked.

Now the sites talked about a relationship with the plant, it's place in Hawaiian culture and spirituality, the meaning it holds.

Often seeing references to kalo as an ancestor and a source of sustenance is a way that the taro's nutrition and recipes couldn't touch.

Same thing.

2 names.

2 different interpretations.

More importantly, 2 very different relationships.

Which one feels more like home to you?

Discover Your Earth Archetype

In the world of gods, goddesses, spirits, saints, buddhas, etc...

Props are pretty important symbols of their character traits, strengths, resources, and more.

Think Jesus and the cross. Mary and the chalice. Rama with bow and arrow. Kali with a severed head.

This is also true of comic comic book characters and superheroes.

Batman with his mask and bat signal. Harley Quinn with her bat.

It also shows up in both video and board games.

Mario with his mushrooms. Or all the choices you get as a D&D character.

So this week as I worked on the script outline for the live, staged version of "How on Earth?" coming up for Climate Week NYC...

I shouldn't have been surprised when my AI brainstorming partner kept suggesting symbolic props for each of the 5 Earth Archetypes.

Everything from microscopes for the Molecule and thread for the Weaver.

After all, archetypes through the ages have also had their props.

In any world building exercise, these choices help give us both helpful short cuts and powerful clues.

And I already have them planted in the illustrations of the Earth Archetypes. Where the kids have a toy that becomes part of the clothing of the adult.

However, I decided to not go that direction for "How on Earth? LIVE."

I will stick with the colors and make sure each host is dressed in their matching part of the spectrum...

(With me dressed in that unmissable bright green of the planet!)

But I want the props we do use to focus us on the specific solutions be shared for the specific protagonist's question.

I feel good about this choice, and on the fun, flip side...

It made me wonder...

What you would choose as your prop?

Work Together in Community

Name's for groups can be just as potent.

I was reminded of that while watching reality tv show "Building the Band."

(What we do in the name of research!)

In one of the later episodes, the 3 judges strongly encourages one of the bands to rethink the name they had chosen.

That it was hard to see, pronounce, resonate with.

Then they even shared some of the stories of how their bands had gotten named.

Destiny's Child. One Direction. Pussy Cat Dolls.

It made enough of an impression, that the band came back the next week with a new name chosen.

We have a lot of words to describe ourselves and groups we identify with.

Sure, some can be toxic -- like high school cliches...

But others can be integral to one's sense within the origin of life or identify of self as a human among all other animals like many North American tribal names.

What identities support you? What ones might be worth challenging?

LMK!