Aug 11 26
King of Pentacles (reversed)
47. Oppression (Exhaustion)
45. Gathering Together (Massing)
45. Gathering Together (Massing)
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.)
Question from “J.F.K.K.K.”: If the subtlety of one’s palate has been destroyed by a culture mono-focused on hyperbolic impact (for profit) and by transcendental convenience (with the encouragement of zero personal accountability, for one’s participation and continued co-creation of this mess) — where one’s tastebuds have been burned off by a scenario where only the spiciest, hottest, saltiest, easiest, fattiest, sweetest, simplest sensations/ideas are allowed to be considered (“allowed” because the environment is a completely corporately controlled synthetic environment — a place where only the most absurdly reductivist ideas are allowed through)... How can one work to restore the subtle faculties necessary to extricate themselves from a progress-preventative society? How can one stop having their own requirements altered to match “the machine’s” (and the ideology’s) capabilities, but grow curiosity and joy outside of these myopias?
(BTW, to us, this monopoly monoculture is 100% corporate, however “corporate” should not be limited to Amazon, Meta, Apple, etc. only, but also include neo-absolutist-nationalisms, neo-communisms, and neo-religiousness — all mass movements that hide their fallibility.)
Oracle reply: First and foremost you cannot lose touch with yourself. All ideas are perceived ideas, made nuanced, and even esoteric, by one’s personal experience. If one joins a group without having a strong awareness of their own biases, strengths and weaknesses — disaster is assured.
If you want to influence others you must be selfless (this includes the self — hopefully that doesn’t sound too weird). To lead is to serve — it’s that simple — because greed always begets greed. Selflessness may occur at the wrong time; there is nothing that can be done there, but if the conditions are right selflessness can bring disorder into order (restore the subtle taste buds that you speak of).
Also, know that selfishness at any time, from a leader or leading body, or the self, will only beget strife and/or horror — there is no “right time” for greed — it is a guaranteed bad option.
It is not easy, you must dig deep.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the King of Pentacles (reversed). Kings embody the mature, successful, outward manifestation of a particular suit. Pentacles represent tangible realities (finances, opportunities). When combined, the implication is of deep security, long-term plentitude. However, when reversed, as it is here, the emphasis switches to those attributes which make long-term security impossible: vice, distrust, fatigue therein.
Our first hexagram this week is #47, Oppression (Exhaustion). Sometimes we are out of phase with what is happening, and no matter how we try, we meet no success. It is recommended here that at such times it is important to remain cheerful and sparing of words. “Times of adversity are the reverse of times of success, but they can lead to success if they befall the right person... In such times there is nothing a person can do but acquiesce in their fate and remain true to themself. This concerns the deepest stratum of being, for this alone is superior to all external fate.” (That last bit is worth contemplating.) Deep acceptance of the larger “Situation/Circumstance” is of ultimate importance. That, coupled with a constant relationship with what has formed you (that is, led to present motion). If times are not in your favor try not to lose your relation to yourself — you are the one who knows most about yourself. You are like a sailor on the sea of yourself, if you pretend the conditions are other than they are, and ignore, or are lazy about them, you risk getting seriously lost or drowning — metaphorically speaking of course.
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #45, Gathering Together (Massing). It is only through the united efforts of masses of people that great things are achieved. Even if a wonderful proposition (or discovery) of a single person or small group is responsible for a great achievement — it is through broad adoption that such achievements are realized. And since large groups are unwieldy, great and influential people must make the forestalling of disasters a parallel pursuit.
- You are like a sailor on the sea of yourself; always be honest about the conditions and take care of your boat.
- In times of adversity remain cheerful and sparing of words.
- Though times of adversity are the opposite of times of success, if one learns from the adversity, the adversity will lead to a time of success. This might be one of the most important concepts to a healthy life/perspective.
- To lead is to serve.
Question from “J.F.K.K.K.”: If the subtlety of one’s palate has been destroyed by a culture mono-focused on hyperbolic impact (for profit) and by transcendental convenience (with the encouragement of zero personal accountability, for one’s participation and continued co-creation of this mess) — where one’s tastebuds have been burned off by a scenario where only the spiciest, hottest, saltiest, easiest, fattiest, sweetest, simplest sensations/ideas are allowed to be considered (“allowed” because the environment is a completely corporately controlled synthetic environment — a place where only the most absurdly reductivist ideas are allowed through)... How can one work to restore the subtle faculties necessary to extricate themselves from a progress-preventative society? How can one stop having their own requirements altered to match “the machine’s” (and the ideology’s) capabilities, but grow curiosity and joy outside of these myopias?
(BTW, to us, this monopoly monoculture is 100% corporate, however “corporate” should not be limited to Amazon, Meta, Apple, etc. only, but also include neo-absolutist-nationalisms, neo-communisms, and neo-religiousness — all mass movements that hide their fallibility.)
Oracle reply: First and foremost you cannot lose touch with yourself. All ideas are perceived ideas, made nuanced, and even esoteric, by one’s personal experience. If one joins a group without having a strong awareness of their own biases, strengths and weaknesses — disaster is assured.
If you want to influence others you must be selfless (this includes the self — hopefully that doesn’t sound too weird). To lead is to serve — it’s that simple — because greed always begets greed. Selflessness may occur at the wrong time; there is nothing that can be done there, but if the conditions are right selflessness can bring disorder into order (restore the subtle taste buds that you speak of).
Also, know that selfishness at any time, from a leader or leading body, or the self, will only beget strife and/or horror — there is no “right time” for greed — it is a guaranteed bad option.
It is not easy, you must dig deep.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the King of Pentacles (reversed). Kings embody the mature, successful, outward manifestation of a particular suit. Pentacles represent tangible realities (finances, opportunities). When combined, the implication is of deep security, long-term plentitude. However, when reversed, as it is here, the emphasis switches to those attributes which make long-term security impossible: vice, distrust, fatigue therein.
Our first hexagram this week is #47, Oppression (Exhaustion). Sometimes we are out of phase with what is happening, and no matter how we try, we meet no success. It is recommended here that at such times it is important to remain cheerful and sparing of words. “Times of adversity are the reverse of times of success, but they can lead to success if they befall the right person... In such times there is nothing a person can do but acquiesce in their fate and remain true to themself. This concerns the deepest stratum of being, for this alone is superior to all external fate.” (That last bit is worth contemplating.) Deep acceptance of the larger “Situation/Circumstance” is of ultimate importance. That, coupled with a constant relationship with what has formed you (that is, led to present motion). If times are not in your favor try not to lose your relation to yourself — you are the one who knows most about yourself. You are like a sailor on the sea of yourself, if you pretend the conditions are other than they are, and ignore, or are lazy about them, you risk getting seriously lost or drowning — metaphorically speaking of course.
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #45, Gathering Together (Massing). It is only through the united efforts of masses of people that great things are achieved. Even if a wonderful proposition (or discovery) of a single person or small group is responsible for a great achievement — it is through broad adoption that such achievements are realized. And since large groups are unwieldy, great and influential people must make the forestalling of disasters a parallel pursuit.