Feb 18 20
Seven of Cups
6. Conflict
50. The Caldron
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.
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.