Sep 26 23
Ten of Wands (reversed)
45. Gathering Together [Massing]
16. Enthusiasm
These first few lines are the general aphoristic returns for the week. They are raw and uninterpreted; there to use how you’d like. (The specific readings follow.)
From “M.S.”: In light of the discussion of abstraction and reduction in the “Sites in Use” text above — does trying to reduce a problem down to a more essential state, to better understand it, work? (Like trying to take a problem from out of the weeds and into a more reduced parent function.) Or does breaking a problem down into its elemental parts, and brushing them off, change the essential nature of the problem — like now you just have a new separate problem?
The world won’t reveal its significance or insignificance, no matter how a scientist or a guru or a theorist or yourself confidently, or cajolingly, tries to describe it. The world both inner and outer is simply there.
For us, this situation is experienced as a kind of awe in the face of this neutral there-ness. This feeling could be called our spirituality, or our metaphysical outlook (though both those terms leave a mild distaste in our mouth). To be sure, the manner in which this awe of neutral there-ness visits us is not entirely stable; our inner life, like everyone else, is perched on the multi-point teeter-totter of emotional structure.
So, since the world isn’t themed in a way that makes it easy to break down anything, it seems a problem must be shared for any headway to be made.
You must be in dialogue with others.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the 10 of Wands (reversed). A burden has become critical. It is important that you share or dissipate your accumulation (whether physical or psychological). Too much is too much. An overabundance causes diminished rewards and thus distraction. Too many negative unproductive thoughts will cause a breakdown.
Our first hexagram this week is #45, Gathering Together (Massing). Here we have a discussion of the power of large groups of people gathering together; it is explained as a double edged sword. Great groups can achieve great things — but if a large group of people turn violent, massive damages can result. “Only collective moral force can unite the world.” “Similarly where people gather together in great numbers, strife is likely to arise; where possessions are collected, robbery is likely to occur. Thus in the time of gathering together we must arm promptly to ward off the unexpected. Human woes usually come as a result of unexpected events against which we are not forearmed. If we are prepared, they can be prevented.” So, we should push for large groups of people to work together, as to achieve nutritive, large-scale changes, but we must safeguard the situation against riotous enmity.
There was one change this week, of which the specific notes are: To win over a portion of inherently fickle people, who, in any large endeavor, are just there because the situation is popular — one must be steadfast in their duty.
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #16, Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, the catalyzing element that inspires energy and motivation, is not a critical one. Here, song, rhythm and dance is used as an example. That is, enthusiasm/motivation tends to emanate from an abstract source like music — the way it sort of involuntary impacts one to move.
- A burden has become critical — seek to dissipate or share your load.
- Overabundance causes diminished rewards and thus distraction.
- Large groups create great change and/or great damage — much of the latter can be prevented by being cautious ahead of time.
- Participate in safeguarding a public situation from becoming riotous enmity.
- Enthusiasm is necessary to get things done; be aware though that it is not usually critically or intellectually motivated, but through an involuntarily appealing abstract influence.
From “M.S.”: In light of the discussion of abstraction and reduction in the “Sites in Use” text above — does trying to reduce a problem down to a more essential state, to better understand it, work? (Like trying to take a problem from out of the weeds and into a more reduced parent function.) Or does breaking a problem down into its elemental parts, and brushing them off, change the essential nature of the problem — like now you just have a new separate problem?
The world won’t reveal its significance or insignificance, no matter how a scientist or a guru or a theorist or yourself confidently, or cajolingly, tries to describe it. The world both inner and outer is simply there.
For us, this situation is experienced as a kind of awe in the face of this neutral there-ness. This feeling could be called our spirituality, or our metaphysical outlook (though both those terms leave a mild distaste in our mouth). To be sure, the manner in which this awe of neutral there-ness visits us is not entirely stable; our inner life, like everyone else, is perched on the multi-point teeter-totter of emotional structure.
So, since the world isn’t themed in a way that makes it easy to break down anything, it seems a problem must be shared for any headway to be made.
You must be in dialogue with others.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the 10 of Wands (reversed). A burden has become critical. It is important that you share or dissipate your accumulation (whether physical or psychological). Too much is too much. An overabundance causes diminished rewards and thus distraction. Too many negative unproductive thoughts will cause a breakdown.
Our first hexagram this week is #45, Gathering Together (Massing). Here we have a discussion of the power of large groups of people gathering together; it is explained as a double edged sword. Great groups can achieve great things — but if a large group of people turn violent, massive damages can result. “Only collective moral force can unite the world.” “Similarly where people gather together in great numbers, strife is likely to arise; where possessions are collected, robbery is likely to occur. Thus in the time of gathering together we must arm promptly to ward off the unexpected. Human woes usually come as a result of unexpected events against which we are not forearmed. If we are prepared, they can be prevented.” So, we should push for large groups of people to work together, as to achieve nutritive, large-scale changes, but we must safeguard the situation against riotous enmity.
There was one change this week, of which the specific notes are: To win over a portion of inherently fickle people, who, in any large endeavor, are just there because the situation is popular — one must be steadfast in their duty.
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #16, Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, the catalyzing element that inspires energy and motivation, is not a critical one. Here, song, rhythm and dance is used as an example. That is, enthusiasm/motivation tends to emanate from an abstract source like music — the way it sort of involuntary impacts one to move.