THE WATERS

The Sage's journey through the Waters

The Sage in the Waters of Penumbras

The spirit of Chaos surrounds the luminous Wanderer.
In this hexagram we see a person full of light immersed in extremely changing times and circumstances: the time of Illusion which is also the time of dreams and mirages.
What is seen, could be real; what is walked on, could disappear. Such is the law of these times. What is the Sage's conduct under these circumstances?
Remain complete, stable, firm, but at the same time, if the circumstances require, he becomes flexible, fluid, evasive.
These are times when Magic is possible, but so is pain.
It is easy to keep balance in a boat on the waves, but to keep one's own lucidity in the presence of mirages and phantoms that seem real is another story. And the same can be said when the peace within is surrounded by and excess of emotion.
One can accompany the movement of the waves, but whether one survives will depend if one forms part of the waves or not.
One can talk and laugh courteously with the phantoms, as long as, one does not confuse them with real people.
The Sage, when talking to crazy people, is like one of them, and when he swims in the waves, you cannot tell him apart from the sea.
He talks to phantoms and crazies, rides the waves, and come through in one piece.

Keys: It is more important than ever to keep the peace within when one is immersed in confusing circumstances. When no one can differentiate real from imaginary it is one's great responsibility to remain internally clear, not only for one's own sake, but the for the sake of others.