Capitulation

‘Chapter Two…’ Smudge read aloud from the Chakra Book, his head swathed in a bandage after an ill-fated experiment involving a shopping trolley. It was the final, final straw.

His plan had been simple—if slightly ridiculous. He had ‘borrowed’ a shopping trolley from the local supermarket, secured it to a bungee cord, and intended to ride it downhill and back again while performing an epic wheelie.

Unfortunately, reality had other ideas. The bungee cord had snapped, propelling the trolley straight into the neighbour’s hedge. Smudge, still clinging stubbornly to the handle, had landed in a pile of leaves—where he’d made the unfortunate acquaintance of a very disgruntled hedgehog. Not exactly the triumphant outcome he’d envisioned.

‘Right,’ Smudge muttered, adjusting his bandage. ‘Enough.’

He knew what he had to do. He had to read the book, come what may.

The book explained—once again—that chakras were like spinning wheels of energy, each one connected to different aspects of the body and mind. Spinning wheels? What on earth does that even mean?

Smudge frowned. ‘I still don’t get it,’ he muttered, scratching his head. ‘This is all very confusing. There are no wheels on me… or in me… or—wait, both?’

Smudge wasn’t going to give up that easily this time.

‘Hmm, so not actual wheels like in my less-than-successful wheelies… more like little dynamos, or little batteries, powering me to victory—or not.’

He nodded to himself. ‘So, if I’m getting this right… it’s like I’ve got seven little batteries, each one helping me… or not, in a different way.’ He paused, tapping his chin. ‘Alright, let’s say I have porridge for breakfast, and that porridge charges up my seven little batteries. Those little batteries could then help me:

• Be strong and confident—like a warrior charging into battle!
• Be creative—maybe I could finally finish my comic about Turbo Sloth, the world’s fastest slowest creature.
• Stand in my power—like a flamingo standing on one leg, pretending it’s totally normal.
• Love openly and forgive easily—even when Whiskers judges my life choices from her executive cat tree.
• Speak up and share my ideas—especially if I’m making the case for extra pudding at lunch.
• Trust my instincts—like spotting a ‘clean your room!’ ambush before it happens.
• Feel connected to something bigger—like the stars, the universe… or at least the WiFi.’

Smudge sat back, nodding. ‘Alright, that makes a bit more sense. Seven ways to use my energy. Now, which one of these is supposed to stop me from getting into trouble?’

He scanned the page for an answer, hoping the book had some foolproof method for avoiding future disasters.

‘Riiiiight,’ Smudge said slowly, as if a lightbulb had just flickered on above his head. ‘So, if all my chakras are balanced, all working together… then bingo! No more mishaps, no more chaos—just smooth sailing for Smudgy boy!’

He grinned, picturing himself gliding through life without a single catastrophe—no exploding sheds, no flying cats, no unexpected encounters with grumpy hedgehogs. Just pure, effortless brilliance—Smugilliance.

‘This is it,’ he declared, sitting up straighter. ‘I’m going to balance my chakras, and then—’ He flung his arms wide. ‘I shall become… The Ultimate Smudge! Super Smudge! Smudge the—’

‘MROW!’

Whiskers broke her nap to shoot him a look so icy it could’ve frozen his chakras mid-spin.

Smudge’s arms wilted. ‘…Smudge the Slightly Less Dramatic?’ he mumbled, scratching his neck.

Whiskers blinked—once, slowly—the universal cat-sign for Thank you for your compliance.

Smudge and the Mysterious Circles

Smudge stared at the three neat circles he’d drawn earlier. They overlapped just right.

‘Huh,’ he muttered. ‘I wonder what happens if I add more?’

Follow these steps to see what Smudge discovered:

Find the top intersection points

Look at the very top where your first three circles intersect twice.

For each intersection, draw a new circle the same size as the others.

Now find the same spots below, and draw another two circles.

Admire your work

Now you should have seven interconnected circles, forming a beautiful symmetrical pattern.

Smudge blinked. ‘What in the whirlpool of weirdness is this?’

‘Balance,’ Smudge whispered, as if he were a wise monk and not a boy in a slightly singed hoodie. ‘Everything must be balanced!’

What he didn’t know—but you now do—is that this is the Seed of Life.