man. racism in fandom is one of those things that brings to mind that tumblr post about realizing there's a spot on the wallpaper and peeling it back to reveal black mold has taken over the entire house.

i was trying to draft a post about the hypocrisy of people insisting that people don't draw wolfwood brown enough, heavy implication that any fanart compliant to his stampede design [and sometimes his older designs, which are not as dark as his fandom design would imply] (including that which portrays him as east asian, which is probably how he was designed and how many east asian artists draw him, but i digress, the colorism thing is a Different Post) is Doing Something Wrong TM and should be treated as such, when "wolfwood must be This Brown, This Hot, This Buff, This Racialized to pass" is a significant contributor to the whole "vashwood, but wolfwood is a sex god papi with massive honkers and an even bigger dick, and vash is a 150 year old blushing virgin whose delicate flower has never been touched by a man" stereotype bullshit, because of how certain fandomgoers especially in slash fandom view brown men.

and then i realized that "the shift in wolfwood's characterization in fanwork [and the corollary effect on vash as his designated white boyfriend] has direct correlation to him being fanon-redesigned into a much more racialized and darker-skinned character than in any iteration" is like. SO many layers deep in the analysis of fandom politics and requires SO much awareness and acceptance of the genuinely fucked up patterns of slash fandom and online fandom in general.

...and most people who are Being Mad On Twitter To Indicate Their Moral Values do not get that far. most people see the spot on the wallpaper and get really mad about the spot, because if they acknowledged the black mold, they wouldn't get to continue to live in The House That Fandom Built without knowing something's wrong with it anymore.

A fifth century BCE Athenian Patriot and his righteous anger towards the ancient Greek historians

“Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ‘On the Reclamation of History’

September 1, 2021 by Neville Morley

The abuse of so-called ‘history’ for political purposes is as old as Herodotus’ invention of it a couple of years ago. Recently we have seen concerted campaigns to rewrite the history of Athenian democracy so as to undermine communal solidarity, our sense of achievement and total superiority over all other Greek states, and even our basic legitimacy. The foundational story of Athenian autocthony that expresses the deep connection between the pure indigenous inhabitants and their land is rationalised and rewritten in order to promote a multicultural, pro-migrant agenda that threatens to undermine our collective identity. Figures central to our history like the heroic Tyrannicides are stigmatised as self-interested and incompetent, and our noble leaders in the present are mocked and caricatured. Athens’ civilising mission is cast in negative terms as a mere exercise in power and self-interest.

Activists sometimes assert that ‘investigating the truth’ about a past they present as complex and problematic is the path to a better and more rational future – a ‘possession for ever’. But the real effect—perhaps the true aim—of their actions is nihilistic destruction whose only beneficiaries are themselves and their literary reputations. Tendentious and even blatantly false readings of history are creating divisions, resentments, and even violence, even as their authors claim to be analysing the roots of such divisions.  They depict partisanship, polarisation and culture war because that is what they feed on, even suggesting that the consolidation of power in the hands of a limited number of oligarchs might go against the freedom of all Athenians. This is damaging to democracy and to a free society.

Free societies depend on popular participation, trust and solidarity.  They need a sense of common purpose and self-worth.  A shared history is a necessary foundation for a successful democracy, rather than all this questioning and uncertainty. The best citizens are those who don’t think that they should be exercising their own judgement about public affairs or that they’re cleverer than the laws, but simply accept the advice of their superiors and sacrifice themselves for the city.

It is a law of nature that the strong will rule while the weak just have to suck it up; we didn’t invent that rule, and anyone else would have done the same given half a chance. You have to judge our empire by contemporary standards, not some anachronistic morality, and that means not paying any attention to all the people in the assembly, let alone elsewhere in Greece, who question whether our rule is actually just and reasonable. The Spartans and Persians have also massacred innocent civilians, you know!

In this historian’s so-called Melian Dialogue, the wisest of the Greeks are made to adduce the most disgraceful arguments, and invest them with the most disagreeable language. Perhaps it was because this historian bore his city a grudge for the sentence passed on him that he has deluged her with these reproaches, which were calculated to make her universally hated: for when the leaders of a state, entrusted by her with great power and appointed to represent her on missions to other states, seem to express certain views, those views are assumed by all to be those of the state which sent them out. The fact that he is praised – praised, not blamed – by one of his admirers for being a ‘citizen of nowhere’ tells you all you need to know.

We do not take the view that our history is uniformly praiseworthy—that would be absurd.  But we reject as equally absurd the corrosive claim that our empire is unjust and shameful, and that there is anything blameworthy in our continuing conquests and massacres.  We agree that history consists of many opinions and many voices.  But this does not mean that all opinions are valid, and certainly not these ones. Only some ivory-tower elitist would think it matters whether or not the Spartans have a troop called the Pitanate; only an enemy of all we hold dear would depict the Sicilian Expedition as an act of monumental folly and then revel in descriptions of the death and capture of our noble soldiers.

We cannot let those who wish to subvert the present state of affairs by questioning the past win this argument.

[Update: I have been politely upbraided by Johanna Hanink on the Twitter for taking Dion Hal’s name in vain; whereas I see his criticism of Thucydides for making the Athenians in the Melian Dialogue say disgraceful things as a problematic critique of historical practice, she – and she’s studied DH much more than I have – thinks it needs to be seen in broader context of his overall condemnation of the Athenians of that era. Not sure, but in any case this is an opportunity to note that she has a new essay out on DH’s reception of the Funeral Oration that looks like a must-read.]”

Source: https://thesphinxblog.com/2021/09/01/dionysius-of-halicarnassus-on-the-reclamation-of-history/

About Neville Morley. Professor of Classics & Ancient History at the University of Exeter, UK, blogging in a personal capacity. Believed whoever it was who said that social media are the lecture theatres of tomorrow, and decided that they could also be the research seminars of tomorrow. Reception of Thucydides, pre-modern economic and social history, random thoughts about German literature and higher education, and occasional music. Source: https://thesphinxblog.com/author/nevillemorley/

Pr. Neville Morley

[Image Description: An Undertale chat box that has “WHY FANS LOVE UNDERTALE” at its center. Next to it are a line chart and an Egg from the Dating Hub on its left, and a CRIME measurer (also from the Dating Hub) on its right. End I.D.]

[Image Description: a pie chart titled, “LEVEL OF LOVE FOR UNDERTALE.” The textbox on the top right reads, “On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least and 10 being the highest, how much do fans enjoy Undertale?” From the top going clockwise, 12 or 0% chose 5 and below; 23 or 1% chose 6; 98, or 4%, chose 7; 325, or 12%, chose 8; 529, or 20%, chose 9; and 1664, or 63%, chose 10. End I.D.]

It’s clear from all of the data analyzed so far that fans who took the time to answer our survey love Undertale. It is unlikely that they would have taken the time to answer so many questions if they had not, and even less likely that they would have come across our survey in the first place. Naturally, it comes as no surprise that 63% of our responders gave their love for Undertale a score of ten out of ten. 95% gave their love for Undertale a score of eight or higher, and only 12 responders responded with five or below, a number so small that their responses had to be lumped together to be visible on the pie chart. Of those, only 3 responders gave their love for Undertale a score of 1, and based on those responders’ other answers, it is likely that they were only intending to troll. We are very fortunate that the vast majority of responders took the survey seriously, enough so that responses like this are barely a blip in the data.

Now, for our final analysis post of the event, we will delve into the reasons that fans love Undertale so dearly.

(Essay and highlights under the cut.)

There have been countless essays on the impact that Undertale has had on people’s lives. I can hardly add more on the subject than what has already been said, but I hope this summary can provide a brief overview of what stood out among the over two thousand answers given in response to this survey. That said, due to the sheer volume of answers, I could not read every single one in depth—however, I did skim all of them, and some that stood out or were representative of several responses have been highlighted below. If you would like to see what every fan who consented to share their response had to say, you may view the full list of responses here. Note that these responses have not been edited in any way. This document may take a long time to load, as it is over 100 pages long.

(Warnings for mentions of suicidal thoughts in the following essay.)

Several responders loved the theme of choices mattering in Undertale. Whether people played the pacifist, merciless, or neutral routes, they enjoyed how the game reacted to their actions. For some, it even made them consider their own morality. One touching response explained the impact that the theme of mercy made on them. “I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.” Many fans left similar comments about how the themes of Undertale made them better people.

Undertale changed how its fans treat others, and it also changed how fans treat themselves. The theme of staying determined and the messages of hope in the game were a light to a very large portion of fans. I cannot list all of the fans who said that Undertale helped them out of a dark place, or that they would not be alive if not for Undertale. “DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.”

Undertale brought fans together in unexpected ways. Some said they met friends or significant others through the fandom. “I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale,” one fan said. A different fan who is non-native English speaking mentioned that the game and the fan community helped them to learn English.

It would be impossible to discuss Undertale without mentioning the fan community. Whether for good or bad, many responders mentioned the fandom in their responses. Overall the feelings towards the fandom seem positive, though many made references to “toxic” parts of the fandom without specifying which parts they consider toxic. Others rejected the idea of toxicity in fandom. One response said: “[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!”

One thing that makes the Undertale fandom unique is the way it embraces various AUs. Some fans are tired of AU content, but the majority of responses show a love for the creativity behind AUs. “Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.” The lack of a judgemental atmosphere seems present in the AU community, according to the responses we saw. There is an interesting balance between AU and canon (sometimes referred to as “classic”) content that another responder pointed out: “The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertale fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)”

Regardless of the many AUs the fandom has created over the years, the original game of Undertale still feels like home for many fans. They wished they could reclaim the feeling of playing the game again for the first time, but even though we can’t reset time in real life, there is still a special feeling for fans each time they play Undertale. One fan said, “Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.” This feeling is one that can be cherished time and time again. In the words of another responder: “It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it.” Others pointed out the strength of the found family trope in Undertale, which likely contributes to this feeling of “home” as well.

As mentioned briefly earlier, the music is part of what makes Undertale feel like home for fans. Even when responses focused on other aspects of the game, many would throw in a comment about the soundtrack at the end. One comment focused on the music said “IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.” Like with the game itself, the music has incredible replay value, an amazing feat considering most of the tracks use the same few motifs. “I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story,” another responder said. “They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.”

If the music sticks with fans in their hearts, then the game’s lore sticks with fans in their minds. Even six years after the release of Undertale, fans are still creating new theories and digging up new secrets. The way the game breaks the fourth wall in particular intrigued many fans and has stuck out through all these years. The awareness that the game shows for the RPG genre makes it memorable. The game plays with the player’s expectations and turns them on their heads, all while reminding the player that they’re in a game. There are few other games that do this on such a large scale, so it’s no surprise that fans cite this as one of their favorite things about Undertale.

Lastly, the LGBT+ representation in Undertale has been a huge draw for fans. Especially in 2015, the sheer volume of non-cishet characters was unprecedented, as one fan pointed out: “It's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. Hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. It's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.” The LGBT+ cast including Frisk, Chara, Napstablook, Monster Kid, Mettaton, Alphys, and Undyne each connected with fans in unique ways. It’s clear how important this is from responses such as: “There are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.” “It made me gay and trans so thanks for that.”

Once again I am overwhelmed with just how much there is to say about Undertale. One responder really understood when they compared Undertale to an iceberg, explaining that there are so many layers to the game that there is something for everyone: “everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans—from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers—is the mark of the coolest games!” I would have to agree with them.

It’s been six years, and despite everything, it’s still you. Thank you for reading, participating in this survey, and above all, staying determined.

Highlights:

DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.

I think the coolest thing was having the opportunity to watch the AU community grow from its bare roots. It's nearly insane how big and complex it's gotten, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.

i love how the lgbt rep is so naturalized... there are just gay people! and its nobodys business!

The music is my go to answer, but what I really really REALLY love is how the minor characters have so much personality to them when you talk to them. They aren't incredibly important to the overall story, but they're all so likeable and diverse that you just can't help but like them immediately!

I think it was the first videogame I have played that broke the fourth wall that much. Of course there has been other videogames that broke it but just for one or two tongue-in-cheek jokes. The guilt of killing mama goat was also something intense as well that I appreciated as an experience and that I didn't think a videogame could cause on someone.

I love how no character can be seen as completely bad! Everyone builds up Asgore as some horrible villain, but he turns out to be a 'fuzzy pushover' who's broken and just wants his family back by the time you meet him. Then you think Flowey's an irredeemable killer who engineered the suffering of the monsters across many timelines, and he is... but he also used to be the kind and beloved Prince Asriel Dreemurr, traumatized by his death and subsequent rebirth, projecting his best friend onto you.

The fact that choices matter in the game. Your first playthrough and getting the golden ending for the first time. I can never replicate those feelings again, wish I could erase my memories and replay the game from the start.

I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale.

(Toxic parts of the fandom aside) The community is possibly one of the kindest I've ever met. Cringe culture is completely dead, and I feel like I can be myself. I felt a very close connection to many of the characters, and I loved consuming content about them when I was in a rough patch in my life.

just everything, the whole game has just impacted my life so much. i know it sounds really lame, but when the game first came out, i would purposely put my hands in my pockets and sway slightly, like sans' idle animation. of course i dont do that anymore haha, but undertale still really impacts me to this day, and i wouldnt have it any other way :)

it made me gay and trans so thanks for that

I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.

The thing I love most about Undertale is no matter how many times I play or watch a playthrough it always makes me genuinely happy. It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it. Toriel still makes me feel all warm and cozy in her home, the Skelebros always make me laugh, and I still cry on the inside watching Frisk comforting Asriel. And on the flip side the No Mercy run still invokes the negative emotions in me as well. In short Undertale just feels like a second home to me and I always wish I could stay.

The reader inserts are my favorite way to decompress after a hard day

I think Undertale helped me discover my love for 8-bit games, and made me realize how IMPORTANT music is in video games.

the worldbuilding and character design are my favorite parts of the main game apart from the music! I’m also a huge fan of the random AU music- not for like underswap or underfell i like the stuff where someone makes a megalovania for a random au where gru from despicable me replaces sans as the character. i think its funny

Just... the vibe, honestly? Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.

there are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.

[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!

There's a scene where Frisk (the player) is going towards what is presumably going to be their death. They will fight Asgore and he will use their human soul to break the barrier and free his people. The music, despite the player's impending doom, is... triumphant. You are not the triumphant one here, and yet, the score invites you to experience the monsters' joy and happiness as they tell you the tale of their subjugation. The monsters are going to be free. This is their victory, but they don't hate you or want you to die. They're just... happy. That scene has always struck me very deeply. I feel it represents the best parts of Undertale.

I loved how well thought out the Geno route was. It really made me feel like I was doing something horrible, and the characters were very obviously reacting to dire circumstances.

I dunno? I like Undertale for it's characters, story, music, secrets and many more. I am not good with Headcanons but I also like the neutral endings and how different they can depending on who you spare and kill

I was very bad at english before, i thought i couldn't progress because i was very shy and not confident. But my sibling and i wanted to have the best experience with this game so we wanted to play it in english. It's this game and the fandom which helped me to make huge progress in english !

THE SOUNDTRACK. IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.

to avoid writing an essay i will say one word. Mettaton

It is like Toby specifically made the games to fit the iceberg meme and it's awesome, everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans - from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers is the mark of the coolest games!

I love almost everything about Undertale as a game on its own. The music, the art and especially the characters and how they interact. They made me feel at home. Undertale means a huge amount to me. (I even got a tattoo of the castle when you and MK walk together!) The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertake fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)

the mystery. toby fox refused to give answers to anything and i think thats very sexy of him.

I just feel guilty for liking it so much when I'm in my 30's. But I recently got diagnosed with ASD, so I guess it explains things a bit. Many ppl consider Papyrus to be neurodivergent, and some adult fans are too, so seeing that makes me feel a bit better.

i think about "Despite everything, it's still you" everyday of my life.

I like how it's just as funny as it can be serious. All routes are this way. I laughed as much as I cried when I played the Pacifist route and then once I opened the game again and Flowey was telling me to let them be happy, I immediately turned off the game. I somehow felt bad.

The Found Family Trope

The True Pacifist Ending is just...man. And the fanworks about saving everyone even when the game doesn't let you? MANNNNNN

I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story. They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.

there's honestly a LOT to love about this game, but i think one of my favorite things about it is just how many lgbt+ characters there are??? i can think of alphys, undyne, frisk, chara, mettaton, napstablook, monster kid, asgore, mad mew mew, the dress lion, the royal guards, and arguably even papyrus off of the top of my head, but im sure i'm forgetting a few from just undertale alone (there's even MORE in deltarune)!! it's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. it's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.

[Image description: A wordcloud in the shape of the capitalized word UNDERTALE. The text is white on a black background, and uses the font found in the game. Some of the most visible words are: Game, Love, Music, Life, AU, Store, Friend, and Feel, which represent the most common words in the essays people wrote about their love for the game. End of ID]

Crossing Lines - Chapter Three

**FIXED** Thanks to everyone who let me know that something was wrong with this post! Good to go now!!!

As I made my way out of the office, drugs in hand, I felt my shoulders stiffening with the weight of what I was doing. And suddenly the lines were blurring again.

I found myself sitting in my loaner car, listening to the rain beat against my windows, and contemplating the past few months. A few weeks ago, actually well before that, if I’m being honest, I found the lines I had previously clung so close to beginning to blur. In both my personal and professional life. As for the latter, my blurring of the lines culminated in me planting false evidence in Gael’s car, knowing the chain of events that would follow. What I hadn’t known, is that Voight would ship me off to New York, effectively ripping me away from life as I knew it. I suppose, after internally reviewing the worst case scenario, getting sent to New York wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. I could have been fired, or even arrested, had Voight given me up. But he hadn’t, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I considered the fact that him turning me in would have cast another bad shadow onto Intelligence, something it was all too familiar with. Of course, he wouldn’t jeopardize the rest of the team based on my actions, even though that’s exactly what I had done. There was another part of me that knew, deep down, he hadn’t turned me in because there was a part of him that would have done the same thing. A part of me that had become like him and I’m not sure who that scared more. Voight didn’t want anyone to follow in his path and made damn sure anyone who worked under him stayed on the straight and narrow, for the most part. I knew planting the drugs in Gael’s car was bad, although my blurred lines had greatly fogged up my judgement in the moment. Now, a few weeks later, and given the same opportunity tonight, they blurred again. I had walked into the storage room, fully prepared to take a brick with me, holding the weight of it in my hand. But something in me had shifted, maybe back to the old Hailey. Or maybe to a new Hailey, somewhere in between the two extremes I had experienced. I recalled Voight’s statement about the lines getting to a point where you couldn’t see them. Originally, I thought I was already there. But as I stood in the room, drugs in hand, I could see them clear as day. I logged in the drugs, the entire amount, and exited the building with a shaky breath. I hurried through the rain to my car, tossing my belongings into the passenger seat as I pulled the door shut beside me. That was an hour ago and I hadn’t moved yet. 

The thing about lines, and realizing where they were and where I stood in respect to them, was that there were more lines than just moral or ethical ones. There were all sorts of lines. Personal, professional, friendship lines....all of which, in retrospect, had blurred over the last few months. As I sat in my car, the rain still pounding down, I debated the other set of lines that had blurred. The ones separating Jay and I. I had known, if I’m being honest, that I had developed feelings for him, more so than just friendship, quite a while ago. Although what those feelings were exactly, I hadn’t put a finger on. He was different than any other partner I had had, different than anyone I had ever considered a friend. He understood me on a level few others had. There was something about him that made me want to tell him all the deep dark secrets I had to offer, and though I had managed to keep most of it under wraps, there were a few things that had escaped over the years. I realized there was an ebb and flow between us. Some unnamable force of nature that just clicked with us. We worked well together, both at work and out. I would wake up in the mornings, ready to spend the day at work with him by my side, knowing that no matter what came our way, he would have my back and we would be okay. I could follow him blindly, without hesitation, a feeling I had never experienced before. My life had taught me time and time again, to play it close to the vest, to keep others out unless it was vital to my survival and more importantly, to trust no one. But somehow, he swooped in and knocked all those walls down. It was good. We were good. And then he was shot. And suddenly, I couldn’t breath. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t comprehend that somehow he could be gone and life was just supposed to go on without him. But still, I couldn’t put a finger on it. I felt a smile creep onto my face as I recalled the moment in the waiting room with Vanessa. 

“It’s hard because you love him.”

She said it so simply, so matter of fact, that I almost nodded in agreement. As if it was something that was so undeniably correct, she couldn’t possibly be wrong. I caught myself though, feeling tears gathering in my eyes as the realization that maybe, in fact, she was right, hit me like a freight train. I recovered enough to correct her.

“Of course I love him, he’s my partner.”

She smiled at me, her eyes giving me a knowing look. It wasn’t one I could comprehend and if there was something else she wanted to say, she refrained. I was left alone then, Vanessa getting called out to work a case and as I sat in the waiting room, surrounded by strangers, I felt the walls I had so carefully constructed begin to crumble. I did love Jay, without a doubt. But it was more than that. I didn’t just love him, I was in love with him. 

Blinking myself back into the present, I rubbed at my eyes, removing the moisture that had gathered there. Over the months that followed Jay getting shot and my almost confession in his  room, I had stood by as the lines between us began to blur. It wasn’t something he was aware of, I don’t think. But looking back, after that moment, I had to fight harder to keep my walls up, to keep him from getting any closer. Of course there were a few times those walls lapsed, but for the most part, I had done a satisfactory job. Now, as I realized just how alone in New York I was, I contemplated my next move. New York had worked, so far, in reference to making the lines at work clear. I guess I could thank Voight for that when I got back. But it also made the lines between Jay and I more evident than they had ever been. I found myself at a fork in the road, so to speak. I had two options; I could admit my feelings to Jay, hoping that he returned them and then tackling whatever that brought along with it. Or, I could take this time away to clear my head and focus on rebuilding my walls without the distraction of him right beside me. I could push those feelings down, lock them away, and avoid the inevitable hurt they would bring. After everything I had been through, the thought of avoiding any additional hurt seemed like the best option. So I sat up in my seat, finally starting my car up after all this time, and forced a deep breath into my lungs. Today, or tonight rather, was a turning point for me. One where I could get myself back on track. I shifted the car into gear and pointed towards my hotel. 

Over the next few days, I made a valiant effort to not only function well at work, but to actively participate. Autopilot was officially turned off and allowing myself to feel again, to experience life instead of blocking it out, felt amazing. Voight checked in with me on the first day of what should have been my last week, surprising me when he told me the task force had asked him if I could stay a little longer and that he was going to leave the decision up to me. I think I surprised him more when I agreed to stay. 

“Sarge, I think being here has been really good for me. I can see all the lines clearly now and it’s...well it’s good. I want to come back, I’m desperate too, but I think it would be better if I stuck it out a little longer.”

He was silent for a moment, considering my response. I sat at my desk, looking at the hustle and bustle happening around me, the chaos bringing me an odd sense of peace. 

“That’s good kid, glad to hear it. But know that I have no intention of letting them keep you on a permanent basis. I need you back here, we all do.”

I smiled at his reply, wondering if there was some unspoken implication in his ‘we’, but let it go. I finally felt that I was on good terms with Voight again, the wounds he had opened with his outburst finally healing. I understood now why he had done what he had done, because it was exactly what I needed at that point. We ended our call and I got back to work, heading over to share the news with OA. 

“Bad news, you’re stuck with me for a few more weeks.”

I gave him a sheepish smile, rolling my eyes when he pretended to scoff. His charade didn’t last long before his signature smirk played across his face. 

“I knew the pizza would grow on you!” 

Now it was my turn to scoff, earning a laugh from him. 

“No way, that sauce on a cracker is not pizza. Chicago style all the way.”

We continued our banter until it was time to head to roll call, both of us still smiling when we walked in. It felt good to joke with him, good to have a good partner. He was still no Jay, but he was a great guy and I counted myself lucky for the opportunity to have him as a partner. The day flowed easily and at the end of the day, OA was jogging to catch up with me in the parking lot on my way out. 

“Hey! Chicago!”

He boomed, slowing his last few steps as he closed the distance between us. I smiled at his use of my newfound nickname. 

“We’re all going to grab some drinks. Come along.”

It wasn’t really a question, I knew he would protest if I put up a fight, but I happily agreed, feeling I deserved to blow off some steam after the last few weeks. I got in my car, following him to the bar where everyone else was headed and we walked in together, easily finding a corner for our group. I ordered myself a beer and a basket of fries, swatting his hand away when he tried to steal some. 

“So I gotta ask, if it wasn’t the pizza, what made you stay?”

He took a swig from his beer, waiting for me to reply. I considered my answer, having not really thought about it much myself. 

“I guess...being here, it’s given me some time to get my head straight. I don’t think I’m quite there yet though.”

I smiled at him, surprising myself with my honesty, but it felt good to be a little open about what was going on inside my head. 

“I can understand that. I know we’re basically strangers, but I can totally tell the difference between now and when you first got here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so...stoic. Like autopilot.”

His statement had me dipping my head down, feigning interest in my bottle. His bluntness was nothing new to me at this point but it still managed to catch me off guard every now and then. 

“I guess I had kinda shut down after I got sent here. I’m sorry, I wasn’t fair to you.”

I peaked up, giving him a sheepish look and relaxing when I saw him smile. 

“No worries, I can handle my fair share of the cold shoulder. I’m glad you came around though. Obviously I’m an awesome partner, but it turns out so are you.”

His words had me smiling and I was happy for the easy conversation. He was an awesome partner, all teasing aside, and if I ever got the opportunity to work with him again I would. The rest of the group arrived then and we all fell into an easy flow of banter. The night continued on and the beers continued to flow. I paced myself, not wanting to go overboard since I did have work tomorrow, but I was thankful for the night out. I sat at the table, laughing at the banter flowing around me, when I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I shifted to pull it out and felt my heart sink when I saw Jay’s face lighting up the screen. I felt panic rise into my chest and swiped the red button, declining the call. I set the phone on the table, chugging the rest of my beer, my heart sinking again when I saw a voicemail notification pop up. I managed to say my goodbyes to the group without drawing attention to my change in mood and then ducked out the door, counting my steps to the car. By the time I was inside, I felt my hands trembling from the pent up nerves. It had been weeks since I had talked to Jay, heard his voice. My whole idea to build my walls back up was easy enough when I had no contact with him but the second I saw his name, they instantly began to crumble. With a shaky hand, I pulled my phone out and opened the voicemail, holding my breath as I waited to hear his voice. 

Hailey...I...I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, for the way I treated you..for everything. I just want to talk to you, I need to talk to you. Please…

His voice shattered something inside me. It was broken and dejected, a stark contrast to the Jay I knew. I could tell he was struggling and I immediately wanted to call him back, tell him that everything was okay, that we were okay. But I couldn’t do that, because it wasn’t okay...we weren’t okay. I knew why he had reacted the way he did, but his response still managed to carve wounds into me that had yet to heal. Sure, I had pushed them down, managed to ignore them, but his voice brought them right back up to the surface. I hadn’t forgiven him yet and I wasn’t sure I ever fully could. I took a deep breath, forcing my walls back up, brick by brick, and tossed my phone onto the seat beside me. I wouldn’t respond to him tonight, I couldn’t.

Why You Shouldn’t Hate the Devil - A Tarot Discussion

As I’ve noted on previous things I’ve written, this post is wildly academic in tone. I’d say I was sorry but I’m mostly not because I’m also extraordinarily proud of having finally managed to articulate something that has bothered me for close to a decade so bear with me (or feel free to skip this one)(but also don’t because it’s really freaking good). Also I will be posting this again with a Read More option tomorrow morning to give people a more rebloggable version while still keeping the full version visible on my blog. Thank you! -C

The Major Arcana is made up of cards that represent complex archetypal ideas that in order to be understood and applied to readings, are often overly simplified into their commonly understood meanings. One of the ones that suffers the most from this over simplification, in my mind, is The Devil card. Whether it’s because what the card represents can be difficult for people to integrate, or possibly because the imagery used carries a heavy connotation, this card is almost exclusively casted as a “negative” card. This simplification bothers me on a number of levels but mostly because the kind of work the Devil card offers shouldn’t be shunned or avoided but embraced and delved into more depthfully than the simplest of meanings allows for.

It also stands as an opportunity to break down the binaries that so strongly control the conventional meanings of the Majors. If we start to break down the barrier between what the Devil appears to mean on its surface and what the Devil offers once one starts to peel back the layers, we can start to shift the entire structural underpinning of the Tarot away from one that is controlled by hierarchical binaries.

I was originally planning on explaining the Devil as though I were speaking to people who don’t read Tarot but I’ve decided not to. I don’t know how to make this a solidly cohesive thought AND not make this an insufferably long post so we’re gonna ditch the basic level analysis of the card. Suffice to say, the main thing you should know about the Devil (if you are not a Tarot reader or new to reading) is it is most often assigned a meaning along the lines of addiction, materialism, overindulgence, and attachments.

I take two major issues with this simplification of the Devil card: it continually reinforces a demonization of the body and positive experience with our physical form AND it plays into the light/dark binary in a way that makes it seem like engaging with our own “darknesses” is a bad thing rather than a powerful tool.

Let’s start with the first of these. It’s important to note that materialism was used intentionally by writers like Waite and other occultists of the era to describe anything dealing with the physical world. Now we tend to think of it as being desirous of “things over experiences” and linked with monetary gains but at its base the language is the same: we are culturally taught that the best people don’t want just material things, that desiring more is a moral problem. This language was used previously as a way of making the poor or lower-rung occupants feel better about hierarchies because they were “closer to God” and is currently used to reinforce the cultural norm of things like fat-shaming and slut-shaming, as well as the unpinnings for basically any “moral” argument. And this becomes a problem when we start to pull apart the meanings of the Devil card because we lose a layer of meaning when we start to place hierarchical values on the body.

When we reground the meaning of the card in its older terms we get a card that is on one hand is about embracing the physical experience of the body and the physical world and on the other is vilified and seen as indicating a problem. This places a lot of power in the body, which makes sense, both because of how we understand the world through our physical forms and because of how the occultists, who solidified the meanings of the cards, viewed the body as a seat of power. It also casts this power as a problem and I think this at least in some way is connected with how sex and sexuaity is viewed culturally.

The greatest problem that I have with the occult associations with the power of the body comes with the idea that this energy is innately sexual. The problem with this does not arise from sexuality itself but rather from the controlling narrative that continues to portray sexuality and the body as being defined as acceptable along a specific spectrum and always with an outward focus. The sexuality that states the viewer holds the power and control in the dynamic.

Sex is only a powerful energy in this set up for the person in control of the sexual encounter. This presents a dual problem in the case of the Devil: only some sexuality is viewed as power (or rather only sexuality within very specific parameters) and all of these powerful experiences are bundled up in the negativity of the card.

What if we were allowed a space where an ecstatic experience of the body didn’t come viewed through this lens of sexuality but rather through a more personal experience? What if we were allowed a space where the fact that the figures in the Smith illustration of the Devil are not bound but actively choosing to stand in their positions gives them power rather than makes them subservient? If we allow the narrative to be shifted away from the viewer as powerful and towards the participant as powerful we create a structure that allows for spaces where connection to the body is not bad or evil but sacred. This also allows space for an ecstatic experience of the body that does not have to come coded in sexuality, opening the door for personalized connections with the physical body in ways that celebrate the experiences of being human without boiling them down to our ability to gain pleasure. This also allow space for a deconstruction of the idea that our physical bodies are the problem that must be solved. This opens us up to the possibility that great things can come from have a positive, loving relationship with body, depthful things that would, perhaps, forward the journey of the Major Arcana towards greater heights.

Now let’s take the second half of my problem with the simplification of the card: the light/dark binary and our own “darknesses” as bad. I think at this point we can all agree the light/dark binary is a problem at its very face because it’s based on a racist paradigm. That alone is a problem, especially when one decides to try to unpack the fact that this card is sometimes referred to as the Dark Lovers. Yikes.

When we start to delve deeper into this binary and try to see the places it has a hold on our mentalities, the whole idea of light as good and dark as bad very quickly unravels. If you want a tarot based example, consider for a moment the imagery and intention of the High Priestess card. This whole point of that card is about being allowed to pass into spaces of “darkness” to gain wisdom.

So then why does the darkness of the Devil get coded as “bad”?

What if instead we allowed ourselves to consider the parts of ourselves that reside in the darkness without needing to us truth values? What if we could approach them without judgement? What wisdom do we contain within our own beings that we avoid learning because it requires time spent listening to the void-dark space inside of us?

If we connect this back with my first problem we begin to see a pattern: things inside of us our dark or bad or a problem and we “free” ourselves by getting outside and away from ourselves.

I propose that we keep the meaning of the Devil card, to an extent, but shift the connotation away from the negative and towards a more positive and uplifting tone. What if when the Devil appeared in a reading it was time to connect with your physical form in a loving manner? To spend time with your inner spaces without passing judgement on the parts of yourself that you find less tasteful? This kind of introspection is a significant part of personal growth and when it comes coupled with a soft acknowledgment of the power we contain solely within our own physical being it allows us to develop a grounding in ourselves that transcends the individual experience while keeping it firmly grounded in the body.

It also starts to shift the kinds of meanings of the cards around it. Consider now what the shattering of the Tower means if we realign the Devil? Could this shattering be instead of simple chaos and failure, the needed shift that allows an opening up to the powers of the Star, Moon, and Sun? What if the Devil is not the low point before the fall but the gateway that must be passed through?

I Ching for the Day

45 Ts'ui / Gathering Together (Massing) Changing to 51 Chen / The Arousing (Shock, Thunder) 

April 25, 2019 Sunrise Waning Moon Question: What does Earth need most to be healed at this time? 45 Ts'ui / Gathering Together (Massing) Changing to 51 Chen / The Arousing (Shock, Thunder) Cast Hexagram

45 Ts'ui / Gathering Together (Massing) https://ichingfortune.com/hexagrams/45.php Above Tui the Joyous, Lake Below K'un the Receptive, Earth Introduction This hexagram is related in form and meaning to Pi, Holding Together (8). In the latter, water is over the earth; here a lake is over the earth. But since the lake is a place where water collects, the idea of gathering together is even more strongly expressed here than in the other hexagram. The same idea also arises from the fact that in the present case it is two strong lines (the fourth and the fifth) that bring about the gather together, whereas in the former case one strong line (the fifth) stands in the midst of weak lines. Judgement Gathering Together. Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to see the great man. This brings success. Perseverance furthers. To bring great offerings creates good fortune. It furthers one to undertake something. Judgement Commentary The gathering together of people in large communities is either a natural occurrence, as in the case of the family, or an artificial one, as in the case of the state. The family gathers about the father as its head. The perpetuation of this gathering in groups is achieved through the sacrifice to the ancestors, at which the whole clan is gathered together. Through the collective piety of the living members of the family, the ancestors become so integrated in the spiritual life of the family that it cannot be dispersed or dissolved. Where men are to be gathered together, religious forces are needed. But there must also be a human leader to serve as the center of the group. In order to be able to bring others together, this leader must first of all be collected within himself. Only collective moral force can unite the world. Such great times of unification will leave great achievements behind them. This is the significance of the great offerings that are made. In the secular sphere likewise there is no need of great deeds in the time of Gathering Together. The Image Over the earth, the lake: The image of Gathering Together. Thus the superior man renews his weapons in order to meet the unforeseen. Image Commentary If the water in the lake gathers until it rises above the earth, there is danger of a break-through. Precautions must be taken to prevent this. Similarly where men gather together in great numbers, strife is likely to arise, where possessions are collected, robbery is likely to occur. Thus in the time of Gathering Together we must arm promptly to ward off the unexpected. Human woes usually come as a result of unexpected events against which we are not forearmed. If we are prepared, they can be prevented. Changing Lines (1, 5) Six at the beginning means: If you are sincere, but not to the end, There will sometimes be confusion, sometimes gathering together. If you call out then after one grasp of the hand you can laugh again. Regret not. Going is without blame. The situation is this: People desire to gather around a leader to whom they look up. But they are in a large group, by which they allow themselves to be influenced, so that they waver in their decision. Thus they lack a firm center around which to gather. But if expression is given to this need, and if they call for help, one grasp of the hand from the leader is enough to turn away all distress. Therefore they must not allow themselves to be led astray. It is undoubtedly right that they should attach themselves to this leader. Nine in the fifth place means: If in gathering together one has position this brings no blame. If there are some who are not yet sincerely in the work sublime and enduring perseverance is needed. Then remorse disappears. When people spontaneously gather around a man, it is only a good. It gives him a certain influence that can be altogether useful.. But of course there is also the possibility that many may gather around him not because of a feeling of confidence but merely because of his influential position. This is certainly to be regretted. The only means of dealing with such people is to gain their confidence through steadfastness an intensified, unswerving devotion to duty. In this way secret mistrust will gradually be overcome, and there will be no occasion for regret. Transformed Hexagram 51 Chen / The Arousing (Shock, Thunder) https://ichingfortune.com/hexagrams/51.php Above Chen the Arousing, Thunder Below Chen the Arousing, Thunder Introduction The hexagram Chen represents the eldest son, who seizes rule with energy and power. A yang line develops below two yin lines and presses upward forcibly. This movement is so violent that it arouses terror. It is symbolized by thunder, which bursts forth from the earth and by its shock causes fear and trembling. Judgement Shock brings success. Shock comes-oh, oh! Laughing words -ha, ha! The shock terrifies for a hundred miles and he does not let fall the sacrificial spoon and chalice. Judgement Commentary The shock that comes from the manifestation of God within the depths of the earth makes man afraid, but this fear of God is good, for joy and merriment can follow upon it. When a man has learned within his heart what fear and trembling mean, he is safeguarded against any terror produced by outside influences. Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around: he remains so composed and reverent in spirit that the sacrificial rite is not interrupted. This is the spirit that must animate leaders and rulers of men-a profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly. The Image Thunder repeated: the image of Shock. Thus, in fear and trembling, the superior man sets his life in order and examines himself. Image Commentary The shock of continuing thunder brings fear and trembling. The superior man is always filled with reverence at the manifestation of God; he sets his life in order and searches his heart, lest it harbor any secret opposition to the will of God. Thus reverence is the foundation of true culture.

#HealEarth https://thehealearthproject.blogspot.com/2018/12/welcome-about-healearth-project.html If you would like to participate in The #HealEarth Project, please send an email to: [email protected]

I Ching for the Day

53 Chien / Development (Gradual Progress) Changing to 30 Li / The Clinging, Fire 

February 16, 2019 Sunrise Waxing Moon Question: What does Earth need most to be healed at this time? 53 Chien / Development (Gradual Progress) Changing to 30 Li / The Clinging, Fire Cast Hexagram

53 Chien / Development (Gradual Progress) https://ichingfortune.com/hexagrams/53.php Above Sun the Gentle, Wind, Wood Below Ken Keeping Still, Mountain Judgement Development. The maiden Is given in marriage. Good fortune. Perseverance furthers. Judgement Commentary

The development of events that leads to a girl's following a man to his home proceeds slowly. The various formalities must be disposed of before the marriage takes place. This principle of gradual development can be applied to other situations as well; it is always applicable where it is a matter of correct relationships of co-operation, as for instance in the appointment of an official. The development must be allowed to take its proper course. Hasty action would not be wise. This is also true, finally, of any effort to exert influence on others, for here too the essential factor is a correct way of development through cultivation of one's own personality. No influence such as that exerted by agitators has a lasting effect. Within the personality too, development must follow the same course if lasting results are to be achieved. Gentleness that is adaptable, but at the same time penetrating, is the outer form that should proceed from inner calm. The very gradualness of the development makes it necessary to have perseverance, for perseverance alone prevents slow progress from dwindling to nothing. The Image On the mountain, a tree: The image of Development. Thus the superior man abides in dignity and virtue in order to improve the mores. Image Commentary The tree on the mountain is visible from afar, and its development influences the landscape of the entire region. It does not shoot up like a swamp plant; its growth proceeds gradually. Thus also the work of influencing people can be only gradual. No sudden influence or awakening is of lasting effect. Progress must be quite gradual, and in order to obtain such progress in public opinion and in the mores of the people, it is necessary for the personality to acquire influence and weight. This comes about through careful and constant work on one's own moral development. Changing Lines (1, 4, 5) Six at the beginning means: The wild goose gradually draws near the shore. The young son is in danger. There is talk. No blame. All the individual lines in this hexagram symbolize the gradual flight of the wild goose. The wild goose is the symbol of conjugal fidelity, because it is believed that this bird never takes another mate after the death of the first. The initial line suggests the first resting place in the flight of water birds from the water to the heights. The shore is reached. The situation is that of a lonely young man who is just starting out to make his way in life. Since no one comes to help him, his first steps are slow and hesitant, and he is surrounded by danger. Naturally he is subjected to much criticism. But these very difficulties keep him from being too hasty, and his progress is successful. Six in the fourth place means: The wild goose goes gradually draws near the tree, perhaps it will find a flat branch. No blame. A tree is not a suitable place for a wild goose. But if it is clever, it will find a flat branch on which it can get a footing. A man's life too, in the course of its development, often brings him into inappropriate situations, in which he finds it difficult to hold his own without danger. Then it is important to be sensible and yielding. This enables him to discover a safe place in which life can go on, although he may be surrounded by danger. Nine in the fifth place means: The wild goose gradually draws near the summit. For three years the woman has no child. In the end nothing can hinder her. Good fortune. The summit is a high place. In a high position one easily becomes isolated. One is misjudged by the very person on whom one is dependent-the woman by her husband, the official by his superior. This is the work of deceitful persons who have wormed their way in. The result is that relationships remain sterile, and nothing is accomplished. But in the course of further development, such misunderstandings are cleared away, and reconciliation is achieved after all. Transformed Hexagram 30 Li / The Clinging, Fire https://ichingfortune.com/hexagrams/30.php Above Li the Clinging, Fire Below Li the Clinging, Fire Introduction This hexagram is another double sign. The trigram Li means to cling to something, and also brightness. A dark line clings to two light lines, one above and one below--the image of an empty space between two strong lines, whereby the two strong lines are made bright. The trigram represents the middle daughter. The Creative has incorporated the central line of the Receptive, and thus Li develops. As an image, it is fire. Fire has no definite form but clings to the burning object and thus is bright. As water pours down from heaven, so fire flames up from the earth. While K'an means the soul shut within the body, Li stands for nature in its radiance. Judgement The Clinging. Perseverance furthers. It brings success. Care of the cow brings good fortune. Judgement Commentary What is dark clings to what is light and so enhances the brightness of the latter. A luminous thing giving out light must have within itself something that perseveres; otherwise it will in time burn itself out. Everything that gives light is dependent on something to which it clings, in order that it may continue to shine. Thus the sun and moon cling to heaven, and grain, grass, and trees cling to the earth. So too the twofold clarity of the dedicated man clings to what is right and thereby can shape the world. Human life on earth is conditioned and unfree, and when man recognizes this limitation and makes himself dependent upon the harmonious and beneficent forces of the cosmos, he achieves success. The cow is the symbol of extreme docility. By cultivating in himself an attitude of compliance and voluntary dependence, man acquires clarity without sharpness and finds his place in the world. The Image That which is bright rises twice: The image of Fire. Thus the great man, by perpetuating this brightness, illumines the four quarters of the world. Image Commentary Each of the two trigrams represents the sun in the course of a day. The two together represent the repeated movement of the sun, the function of light with respect to time. The great man continues the work of nature in the human world. Through the clarity of his nature he causes the light to spread farther and farther and to penetrate the nature of man ever more deeply.

#HealEarth https://thehealearthproject.blogspot.com/2018/12/welcome-about-healearth-project.html If you would like to participate in The #HealEarth Project, please send an email to: [email protected]

I Ching for the Day

45 Ts'ui / Gathering Together (Massing) Changing to 16 Yu / Enthusiasm

January 11, 2019 Sunrise Waxing Moon Question: What does Earth need most to be healed at this time? 45 Ts'ui / Gathering Together (Massing) Changing to 16 Yu / Enthusiasm Cast Hexagram

45 Ts'ui / Gathering Together (Massing) https://ichingfortune.com/hexagrams/45.php Above Tui the Joyous, Lake Below K'un the Receptive, Earth Introduction This hexagram is related in form and meaning to Pi, Holding Together (8). In the latter, water is over the earth; here a lake is over the earth. But since the lake is a place where water collects, the idea of gathering together is even more strongly expressed here than in the other hexagram. The same idea also arises from the fact that in the present case it is two strong lines (the fourth and the fifth) that bring about the gather together, whereas in the former case one strong line (the fifth) stands in the midst of weak lines. Judgement Gathering Together. Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to see the great man. This brings success. Perseverance furthers. To bring great offerings creates good fortune. It furthers one to undertake something. Judgement Commentary The gathering together of people in large communities is either a natural occurrence, as in the case of the family, or an artificial one, as in the case of the state. The family gathers about the father as its head. The perpetuation of this gathering in groups is achieved through the sacrifice to the ancestors, at which the whole clan is gathered together. Through the collective piety of the living members of the family, the ancestors become so integrated in the spiritual life of the family that it cannot be dispersed or dissolved. Where men are to be gathered together, religious forces are needed. But there must also be a human leader to serve as the center of the group. In order to be able to bring others together, this leader must first of all be collected within himself. Only collective moral force can unite the world. Such great times of unification will leave great achievements behind them. This is the significance of the great offerings that are made. In the secular sphere likewise there is no need of great deeds in the time of Gathering Together. The Image Over the earth, the lake: The image of Gathering Together. Thus the superior man renews his weapons in order to meet the unforeseen. Image Commentary If the water in the lake gathers until it rises above the earth, there is danger of a break-through. Precautions must be taken to prevent this. Similarly where men gather together in great numbers, strife is likely to arise, where possessions are collected, robbery is likely to occur. Thus in the time of Gathering Together we must arm promptly to ward off the unexpected. Human woes usually come as a result of unexpected events against which we are not forearmed. If we are prepared, they can be prevented. Changing Line (5) Nine in the fifth place means: If in gathering together one has position this brings no blame. If there are some who are not yet sincerely in the work sublime and enduring perseverance is needed. Then remorse disappears. When people spontaneously gather around a man, it is only a good. It gives him a certain influence that can be altogether useful.. But of course there is also the possibility that many may gather around him not because of a feeling of confidence but merely because of his influential position. This is certainly to be regretted. The only means of dealing with such people is to gain their confidence through steadfastness an intensified, unswerving devotion to duty. In this way secret mistrust will gradually be overcome, and there will be no occasion for regret.

Changing only this line creates Hexagram 16 - Yu / Enthusiasm. Not all our followers are really supporters of our goals, some are merely around for their own advancement. This line needs to make real supporters of these people by providing a good example. Legge's version of this line is "...If any (supporters) do not have confidence in him, let him see to it that his virtue be great, long-continued, and firmly correct", and in this way convince them of the truth. The outcome indicated by hexagram 16, Enthusiasm, shows that this lines subject will succeed in its goal of gaining enthusiastic supporters. Transformed Hexagram 16 Yu / Enthusiasm https://ichingfortune.com/hexagrams/16.php Above Chen the Arousing, Thunder Below K'un the Receptive, Earth Introduction The strong line in the fourth place, that of the leading official, meets with response and obedience from all the other lines, which are all weak. The attribute of the upper trigram, Chen, is movement; the attributes of K'un, the lower, are obedience and devotion. This begins a movement that meets with devotion and therefore inspires enthusiasm, carrying all with it. Of great importance, furthermore, is the law of movement along the line of least resistance, which in this hexagram is enunciated as the law for natural events and for human life. Judgement Enthusiasm. It furthers one to install helpers and to set armies marching. Judgement Commentary The time of Enthusiasm derives from the fact that there is at hand an eminent man who is in sympathy with the spirit of the people and acts in accord with it. Hence he finds universal and willing obedience. To arouse enthusiasm it is necessary for a man to adjust himself and his ordinances to the character of those whom he has to lead. The inviolability of natural laws rests on this principle of movement along the line of least resistance. Theses laws are not forces external to things but represent the harmony of movement immanent in them. That is why the celestial bodies do not deviate from their orbits and why all events in nature occur with fixed regularity. It is the same with human society: only such laws are rooted in popular sentiment can be enforced, while laws violating this sentiment merely arouse resentment. Again, it is enthusiasm that enables us to install helpers for the completion of an undertaking without fear of secret opposition. It is enthusiasm too that can unify mass movements, as in war, so that they achieve victory. The Image Thunder comes resounding out of the earth: The image of Enthusiasm. Thus the ancient kings made music In order to honor merit, and offered it with splendor to the Supreme Deity, Inviting their ancestors to be present. Image Commentary When, at the beginning of summer, thunder--electrical energy--comes rushing forth from the earth again, and the first thunderstorm refreshes nature, a prolonged state of tension is resolved. Joy and relief make themselves felt. So too, music has power to ease tension within the heart and to loosen the grip of obscure emotions. The enthusiasm of the heart expresses itself involuntarily in a burst of song, in dance and rhythmic movement of the body. From immemorial times the inspiring effect of the invisible sound that moves all hearts, and draws them together, has mystified mankind. Rulers have made use of this natural taste for music; they elevated and regulated it. Music was looked upon as something serious and holy, designed to purify the feelings of men. It fell to music to glorify the virtues of heroes and thus to construct a bridge to the world of the unseen. In the temple men drew near to God with music and pantomimes (out of this later the theater developed). Religious feeling for the Creator of the world was united with the most sacred of human feelings, that of reverence for the ancestors. The ancestors were invited to these divine services as guests of the Ruler of Heaven and as representatives of humanity in the higher regions. This uniting of the human past with the Divinity in solemn moments of religious inspiration established the bond between God and man. The ruler who revered the Divinity in revering his ancestors became thereby the Son of Heaven, in whom the heavenly and the earthly world met in mystical contact. These ideas are the final summation of Chinese culture. Confucius has said of the great sacrifice at which these rites were performed: 'He who could wholly comprehend this sacrifice could rule the world as though it were spinning on his hand.'

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