Oct 06 26
Knight of Pentacles (reversed)
51. The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)
47. Oppression (Exhaustion)
47. Oppression (Exhaustion)
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 “E.T.”: “You can’t have it all” comes up often in our head, as a way to realistically offset (often deep) disappointment — we mean it in a sincerely realistic way. Like, did you think you could have it all? Did you really think there was a stable “it?” Do you really think you have the ability to conceive of an “all?” In the past we used to blame the baseness of own character as the reason for perceived failures — now we find ourself trying simply to be happy that some things (even) go right, in a world of rhythm-needing (dogmatic shorthand creating) primates encountering transcendental randomness. Any advice for dealing with failed goals? We understand that failure is (of course) not always failure, but still...
Oracle reply: Let your observations about the difficulty of the human situation (feelings of failure and impotence) shock you (the proverbial fear and trembling) but don’t live there. We must accept our strange fate, but not fall into that counter productive inward thinking that leads to stagnation and neglecting important survival modes.
The growth of character should be your main process in life.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the Knight of Pentacles (reversed). Knights represent movement and action — Pentacles represent practical assets (health, money, etc.). In combination, the implication is pursuance of stability, planning towards a reasonable outcome (like, not dreaming for example). But here the card is reversed; therefore a certain destructive inward thinking might be around — pushing stagnation; also negligence and forgetfulness.
Our first hexagram this week is #51, The Arousing (Shock, Thunder). Life is quite terrifying; a simple inspection of our completely tenuous position in the universe, should make us shudder. Often though, for good reason, we are distracted from such awareness. But an unvarnished shock, a moment of sudden terror, which forces a frightening awareness of fragility, can be just the thing to orient us properly. To shake us out of our distracted, wasteful reveries into a more ultimate phase: “...when a person has learned within their heart what fear and trembling mean, they are safeguarded against any terror produced by outside influences. Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around: they remain so composed and reverent in spirit that the sacrificial rite is not interrupted. This is the spirit that must animate leaders — a profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly.”
There were three changes this week of which the specific notes are: ordeals feel like bad luck — but surviving them is good luck (easy wisdom there) — also, when many bad things happen in succession, a strengthening rhythm occurs, that is, as long as you learn (quickly) to stay at the center of the difficulties, and not move prematurely to outer areas of relief.
Our second hexagram is #47, Oppression (Exhaustion). Sometimes we are out of phase with what is happening, and no matter what we try, we meet no success... “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 to their fate and remain true to themself. This concerns the deepest stratum of being, for this alone is superior to all external fate.” Deep acceptance of the larger “Situation” and “Circumstance” is of ultimate importance. That, coupled with a constant relationship with what has formed you (that is, what has lead you to your present character). If times are not in your favor, try very hard not to lose your relation to yourself — you are the one who knows most about yourself.
- Be careful not to confuse the modes of dreaming and planning.
- A shocking moment that brings an awareness of one’s own fragility, can be just the thing to orient one properly.
- If times are not in your favor, try very hard not to lose your relation to yourself.
- Ordeals feel like bad luck — but surviving them is good luck (there is easy wisdom there).
- When difficulties are occurring, try not to prematurely find relief; to not let a danger run its course can be much more damaging.
Question from “E.T.”: “You can’t have it all” comes up often in our head, as a way to realistically offset (often deep) disappointment — we mean it in a sincerely realistic way. Like, did you think you could have it all? Did you really think there was a stable “it?” Do you really think you have the ability to conceive of an “all?” In the past we used to blame the baseness of own character as the reason for perceived failures — now we find ourself trying simply to be happy that some things (even) go right, in a world of rhythm-needing (dogmatic shorthand creating) primates encountering transcendental randomness. Any advice for dealing with failed goals? We understand that failure is (of course) not always failure, but still...
Oracle reply: Let your observations about the difficulty of the human situation (feelings of failure and impotence) shock you (the proverbial fear and trembling) but don’t live there. We must accept our strange fate, but not fall into that counter productive inward thinking that leads to stagnation and neglecting important survival modes.
The growth of character should be your main process in life.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the Knight of Pentacles (reversed). Knights represent movement and action — Pentacles represent practical assets (health, money, etc.). In combination, the implication is pursuance of stability, planning towards a reasonable outcome (like, not dreaming for example). But here the card is reversed; therefore a certain destructive inward thinking might be around — pushing stagnation; also negligence and forgetfulness.
Our first hexagram this week is #51, The Arousing (Shock, Thunder). Life is quite terrifying; a simple inspection of our completely tenuous position in the universe, should make us shudder. Often though, for good reason, we are distracted from such awareness. But an unvarnished shock, a moment of sudden terror, which forces a frightening awareness of fragility, can be just the thing to orient us properly. To shake us out of our distracted, wasteful reveries into a more ultimate phase: “...when a person has learned within their heart what fear and trembling mean, they are safeguarded against any terror produced by outside influences. Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around: they remain so composed and reverent in spirit that the sacrificial rite is not interrupted. This is the spirit that must animate leaders — a profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly.”
There were three changes this week of which the specific notes are: ordeals feel like bad luck — but surviving them is good luck (easy wisdom there) — also, when many bad things happen in succession, a strengthening rhythm occurs, that is, as long as you learn (quickly) to stay at the center of the difficulties, and not move prematurely to outer areas of relief.
Our second hexagram is #47, Oppression (Exhaustion). Sometimes we are out of phase with what is happening, and no matter what we try, we meet no success... “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 to their fate and remain true to themself. This concerns the deepest stratum of being, for this alone is superior to all external fate.” Deep acceptance of the larger “Situation” and “Circumstance” is of ultimate importance. That, coupled with a constant relationship with what has formed you (that is, what has lead you to your present character). If times are not in your favor, try very hard not to lose your relation to yourself — you are the one who knows most about yourself.