This week we finished a five day juice cleanse. We had planned on feeling sunny and alacritous standing akimbo atop the world but ended up feeling like an anemic truck on an icy road. On the last day while driving home there was a little nat-like bug seemingly trying to exit the car through the upper part of the windshield. Bonk, bonk, bonk — of course without success. It didn’t seem particularly stressed about it though; it just kept pursuing the urge. We couldn’t help but feel kinship with the insect, in a fractal way. Most often even the best of our plans lead us to recursive traps — with our only recourse, to keep on trying. Now we are actively fostering a trap-ready outlook, something like thinking that traps are only traps is itself a trap. We’ll let you know how it goes. 🧀🐁🖖

Although there are many superbly meditative pieces on artist Liam Stevens’ lovely and simple site, one stands out to us very plainly — a modest “white” sculpture: Untitled Maquette, 2016 (pictured above). This plain work exemplifies one of our favorite artistic expositions — that light is not stable thus color is not stable. The uncomplicated construction, three angles made of six wood panels, without much fuss, show that what is conventionally thought of as monochromatic is never monochromatic at all — but a world of shadows and asymmetrical, changing light. Were this piece to be viewed at night (with no electrical accompaniment) it wouldn’t appear white at all but as deep shades of blue-black and all manner of grays. We leave it to the viewer to determine whether or not a metaphor is to be extrapolated — we certainly do.

Well… We wish we could say go for it! Or let nothing stand in your way. However… like last week, we again have some pretty serious warnings as regards action. The first of our sequence is the Seven of Cups. This card if nothing else suggests that what you have in view cannot be determined; or worse that illusion and even deception (internal or external) pervades your sight line.
        Our first hexagram which describes additional details of the current situation is #6. The sixth hexagram has some very direct words for us: “A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune” followed by “going through to the end brings misfortune”. The second changing hexagram, the one that contains our ultimate council for action, is #50. The fiftieth hexagram deals with nourishment on a large scale (a cauldron and a cooking flame). It implies that the best and truest nourishment is not selfish but concerns all people, it “must grow beyond itself, extend into the realm of the invisible”. There is an additional elegant subtlety in the explanation here “the fate of fire depends on wood”. Fire is that which cooks the food, and makes nourishment possible. The sequence of true nourishment extends beyond our understanding and control — good fuel (wood for cooking) is part of a vast sequence of forests and weather and microbes and insects and anon — the best part an individual can play is to be a loving cultivator: find good wood and cultivate a healthy flame.
        In summation: Lots o’ stuff here about limited site and extensions into the invisible. So, if one is facing an illusion (or even the regular old limited view) one is wise to have faith and develop personal cultivation — not pursue conflict (at least for the time being). To put it another way: if a fog has descended it is best to have patience and perhaps develop the skills necessary for near-sightedness (rationing, modesty, slow precision, emotional control, etc.). Blind speed and power almost always get one farther afield especially in a murky haze. Also, conciliating a sworn enemy is well advised.