Nov 22 22
Nine of Swords
43. Break-through (Resoluteness)
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.)
L.M. asks: What is art’s place today? Other than Instagram, please.
How can art be relevant out of the internet?
The internet is a medium, and art is a human expression (or exploration) residing in or pushed through a medium.
There have been many types of mediums: paint, food, body movement, curation, video, sculpture, cut-up/randomly reassembled words, found objects, light, space, to name a diverse few.
As for what has been expressed that is as equally varied: politics, eros, banality, abstraction, “pure” ideas, spaciality, time, beauty, horror and so on.
Very plainly, we believe psychology to be biology, so we view a consistent human activity like “art” to be part of a system. That is, “art” is not an abstract gift bestowed on humans that, were we not to behave, would be taken away from us; “art” has very real functions, the baseline of which is something like an alternative conception. By this we mean that art is kind of like sleep in that both sleep and art give complex psychologies a break from what would be an endless barrage of repetitive perspective. There are of course many reasons for art; but the one discussed here, to us, seems foundational and maybe hidden from general perception.
So, we believe that art can exist anywhere and cannot be removed from human behavior. That is not to say that all make or consume fine art — some people prefer sports or drugs or games — though analytical minds (of a fantastical bent) will always seek out or make art (or maybe in your case, struggle to locate it in turbid times such as these).
“L.M.” maybe there is an opportunity for you to reconsider your definition and possibly break with your past conceptions of art, welcoming a new feeling for it. As we said, “art” is mainly a foil for complex psychologies — your brain may need to find an alternative before it “collapses” into ennui or anger or rigidity.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the Nine of Swords. There’s an opportunity to consider a kind of fulcrum point. Conditions could be such that no more can be added to a load, or similarly, that a point has come where breaking with the past is the best way forward.
Our first and only hexagram this week (there were no changes) is #43, Break-Through (Resoluteness). Here, a few contingent images — a sequence illustrating the release of tensions (both good and disastrous): a cloud filling to the brink with water yielding to a welcome downpour, but resulting in a river swelling and breaking its banks. A release of tension has occurred or is in the offing. It is implied that the tensions here are that of reason and passion, incompatible forces; of the two passion is the more damaging. Passion or “flood” can only be controlled by reasoned, meticulous and ongoing supervision.
- It may be time to break significantly with a major aspect of your past.
- Some aspect is dangerously close to the breaking point; use measured reason to monitor it and prevent collapse.
L.M. asks: What is art’s place today? Other than Instagram, please.
How can art be relevant out of the internet?
The internet is a medium, and art is a human expression (or exploration) residing in or pushed through a medium.
There have been many types of mediums: paint, food, body movement, curation, video, sculpture, cut-up/randomly reassembled words, found objects, light, space, to name a diverse few.
As for what has been expressed that is as equally varied: politics, eros, banality, abstraction, “pure” ideas, spaciality, time, beauty, horror and so on.
Very plainly, we believe psychology to be biology, so we view a consistent human activity like “art” to be part of a system. That is, “art” is not an abstract gift bestowed on humans that, were we not to behave, would be taken away from us; “art” has very real functions, the baseline of which is something like an alternative conception. By this we mean that art is kind of like sleep in that both sleep and art give complex psychologies a break from what would be an endless barrage of repetitive perspective. There are of course many reasons for art; but the one discussed here, to us, seems foundational and maybe hidden from general perception.
So, we believe that art can exist anywhere and cannot be removed from human behavior. That is not to say that all make or consume fine art — some people prefer sports or drugs or games — though analytical minds (of a fantastical bent) will always seek out or make art (or maybe in your case, struggle to locate it in turbid times such as these).
“L.M.” maybe there is an opportunity for you to reconsider your definition and possibly break with your past conceptions of art, welcoming a new feeling for it. As we said, “art” is mainly a foil for complex psychologies — your brain may need to find an alternative before it “collapses” into ennui or anger or rigidity.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the Nine of Swords. There’s an opportunity to consider a kind of fulcrum point. Conditions could be such that no more can be added to a load, or similarly, that a point has come where breaking with the past is the best way forward.
Our first and only hexagram this week (there were no changes) is #43, Break-Through (Resoluteness). Here, a few contingent images — a sequence illustrating the release of tensions (both good and disastrous): a cloud filling to the brink with water yielding to a welcome downpour, but resulting in a river swelling and breaking its banks. A release of tension has occurred or is in the offing. It is implied that the tensions here are that of reason and passion, incompatible forces; of the two passion is the more damaging. Passion or “flood” can only be controlled by reasoned, meticulous and ongoing supervision.