Oct 08 24
Eight of Swords
31. Influence (Wooing)
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.”: Improving oneself is obviously very important and perpetually wanted — but we find that personal transformation is little affected by advice and/or aphoristic volleys — that is, it’s mainly being faced with something like unavoidable information [a diagnosis, or an end (death or whatever)] or surprising almost mysterious “natural” change over time, that promotes constructive metamorphosis. Any advice regarding how to elicit (or speed up 😅) such positive but indirect processes?
It is true that isolated aphorisms have little effect on behavior. Phrases like “a penny saved is a penny earned” and “the early bird gets the worm” are true enough but more like abstract observations than anything like genuine shocks/prods to action. Change is a full surround, 360°, scenario. Monolithic observations can feel right but are often just confusing.
The only way to “speed up” conditions of genuine, healthy transformation is to be super receptive and recognize your symbiosis with the world and other humans.
If you are being actually bound by some circumstance you must transcend the limitation or try to free yourself. Passivity is retrograde.
So, to “elicit such positive but indirect processes” constantly try to free yourself from the bondage of preconceived outlooks by simply allowing information to come in (the education of receptivity) — likely positive change will “naturally” occur.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the Eight of Swords. The feeling here is malignant restraint/bondage — but it is important to remember that being restrained isn’t necessarily a situation of permanence. How to free oneself — cunning acquiescence(?), genuine compromise(?). The best thing to do is trying to free oneself.
Our first and only hexagram this week is #31, Influence (Wooing). The stimulation of favorable (and healthy) circumstances require a certain attitude, namely, humbleness and receptivity. “By keeping still within while experiencing joy without, one can prevent the joy from going to excess and hold it within proper bounds.” To understand this receptivity it is advised to consider mutualities/attractions in the non-human world. The interdependence of sun, water and plants is a good example — their relationship is reciprocal and mutually reliant — it is implied that this should be mimicked in the human spirit. “All success depends on the effect of mutual attraction.” “Attraction between affinities is a general law of nature.” From these attractions “we can learn the nature of all beings in heaven and on earth.” “Heaven and earth attract each other and thus all creatures come into being.”
- One must actively try to free themselves from bondage. Try and try again!
- Favorable circumstances come from the understanding of interdependence not illusory independence.
- To receive something beneficial you must be open (have an attitude of humble receptivity).
From “M.S.”: Improving oneself is obviously very important and perpetually wanted — but we find that personal transformation is little affected by advice and/or aphoristic volleys — that is, it’s mainly being faced with something like unavoidable information [a diagnosis, or an end (death or whatever)] or surprising almost mysterious “natural” change over time, that promotes constructive metamorphosis. Any advice regarding how to elicit (or speed up 😅) such positive but indirect processes?
It is true that isolated aphorisms have little effect on behavior. Phrases like “a penny saved is a penny earned” and “the early bird gets the worm” are true enough but more like abstract observations than anything like genuine shocks/prods to action. Change is a full surround, 360°, scenario. Monolithic observations can feel right but are often just confusing.
The only way to “speed up” conditions of genuine, healthy transformation is to be super receptive and recognize your symbiosis with the world and other humans.
If you are being actually bound by some circumstance you must transcend the limitation or try to free yourself. Passivity is retrograde.
So, to “elicit such positive but indirect processes” constantly try to free yourself from the bondage of preconceived outlooks by simply allowing information to come in (the education of receptivity) — likely positive change will “naturally” occur.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the Eight of Swords. The feeling here is malignant restraint/bondage — but it is important to remember that being restrained isn’t necessarily a situation of permanence. How to free oneself — cunning acquiescence(?), genuine compromise(?). The best thing to do is trying to free oneself.
Our first and only hexagram this week is #31, Influence (Wooing). The stimulation of favorable (and healthy) circumstances require a certain attitude, namely, humbleness and receptivity. “By keeping still within while experiencing joy without, one can prevent the joy from going to excess and hold it within proper bounds.” To understand this receptivity it is advised to consider mutualities/attractions in the non-human world. The interdependence of sun, water and plants is a good example — their relationship is reciprocal and mutually reliant — it is implied that this should be mimicked in the human spirit. “All success depends on the effect of mutual attraction.” “Attraction between affinities is a general law of nature.” From these attractions “we can learn the nature of all beings in heaven and on earth.” “Heaven and earth attract each other and thus all creatures come into being.”