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“Keep it secret, keep it safe.”
— Gandalf to Frodo in LOR: The Fellowship of the Ring (the movie version)
Keep secret work secret. Esoteric knowledge and inner work on ourselves should not be shared with most people. We live in a cult-of-confession society where people go on social media and television to spill out their personal lives. But consciousness work, esoteric work, is depotentiated and loses dignity when you share it with those who haven’t earned access. As Aleister Crowley said, “If I tell a man something he isn’t ready to hear, it is the same as if I told him a lie.” Don’t spill your pearls before swine; save them for your spiritual allies — those who share a deep commitment to consciousness.
Much of the time it’s safer and advantageous in many ways to be cloaked to avoid unnecessary attention.
Deng Ming-Dao, a modern Taoist sage points out,
“Useful trees are cut down. Useless ones survive. The same is true of people. The strong are conscripted. The beautiful are exploited. Those who are too plain to be noticed are the ones who survive. They are left alone and safe.
“But what if we ourselves are among such plain persons? Though others may neglect us, we should not think of ourselves as being without value. We must not accept the judgment of others as the measure of our own self-worth . . . Thus, to be considered useless is not a reason for despair, but an opportunity. It is the chance to live without interference and to express one’s own individuality.”
In modern society, especially in America, people tend to over-sharing and TMI (too much information), thereby compromising their dignity and reputation. The I Ching puts great value on reticence and holding back. The Zen Archer who hits the mark does so because they hold the arrow back untill just the right moment. As Goethe said, “A master first reveals himself in his ability to hold back.”
An international study found that when fame accompanies success, it can be hazardous to your health. According to the study, celebrated actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and athletes have shorter lifespans than average. Fame can put a target on your back, make you a subject of toxic envy and desire, and subject you to life-destroying temptations. We seek the center-stage spotlight and sparkly costume of many colors when we might be better off wearing a self-camouflaging cloak to work without interference in our own space. Consider this an auspicious time to thrive apart from the spotlight of excess attention.
Extremely relevant is the Zap Oracle card Wounded Invisibility.
This card could indicate a time when you are in an environment that is not receptive to what you have to offer. Consider the advice in I Ching Hexagram #36, Eclipse
From Brian Browne Walker’s
The I Ching or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life’s Turning Points
Darkness reigns in the external world now,
Disengage from negative feelings and
maintain your inner light.
This is a time when darkness and inferior energies surround you. ..The only light left is that inside your own heart, and you are counseled to return to it, maintain it, and quietly nourish yourself with it.
It is in dark moments that a correct attitude is most important. If we fight against the darkness, we are swallowed by it and suffer great misfortune. If we react to the lack of visible progress with despair and negativity, we extinguish our own inner light and block the aid of the Creative. If we try to persuade others that they must return to the light, we exhaust ourselves in vain now.
In a time such as this, it is wise to adopt a stance of outer disengagement and inner perseverance. Do not focus on or interact with the negative influences around you; this only strengthens their grip on you. Step aside, yield, let go, allow people and events to pass without attachment. Direct your attention inside, to your inner light, your devotion to what is right, your conversation with the Higher Power.
Progress may be slow, but there will indeed be progress. Remember that much of the work of the Higher Power is hidden from us, and that we enable and assist it by remaining detached, accepting, and reserved in the face of negative influences.
Again, the above was from Brian Brown Walker’s superb, concise I Ching.
For more quotes from Deng Ming-Dao see The Taoist Path
