Of Two Minds

There is but one thing of real value – to cultivate truth and justice, and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men.

– Marcus Aurelius

A stoically-inclined reader of this very blog was kind enough to send me Marcus’ words of wisdom.

I believe it’s well worth aspiring to the lofty goal the late Roman emperor and philosopher set us … though I feel compelled to point out that his math is wrong. Cultivating moral integrity and maintaining equanimity in a world inundated with mendacity and injustice are two things of real value, surely.

Still, who am I to be casting aspersions on a sage man’s calculations? I’m aiming to publish one post tonight, but I’ve got two topics rolling around in my blog-brain. Not the best mental state for coherent composition.

On the one hand, it’s La Féile Bríd, the Feast of Brigid, Imbolc, the beginning of spring. It’s also beginning-of-spring celebration time in the Far East, and we’re only halfway through the 2-week Chinese New Year festival. Triple happiness!

The time is ripe to show you sweet manzanita umbels and acacias in brilliant flower, delve into the Chinese zodiac and learn why years that correspond to our astrological animal signs are not our luckiest, and share how Snakes can ward off that ill luck, seeing as this year it’s our turn.

On the other hand, this was Day 15 of Oligarchy Unchained. In the first fortnight+ of the new regime, the captains of calumny, their enablers and apologists, their propagandists, their base, and the deer-in-headlights Democrats have managed to meet or exceed every negative expectation the most pessimistic among us held for their performance.

Much as I admire Marcus’ philosophy, I haven’t quite got the hang of eschewing anger while excessively dishonest and ruthless men rain ruin upon our nation and cast their greedy eyes abroad. After reading the February 1^st edition of Letters from an American (historian Heather Cox Richardson’s insightful, history-annotated commentary on current events), it seemed to me a cheery “Tra-la, it’s Spring!” post must fall far wide of the mark. Alarmed at the exponential speed with which the sordid intentions of corrupt and arbitrary men are taking root in our soil and spreading across our land, I reckoned my options were either to post another political rant or watch my anger spiral into depression.

Then, yesterday, another kind-hearted reader of this very blog sent me a tonic of an article that’s quite restored my middling level of equanimity, and perhaps improved upon it. If THIS LINK works, you can read it for yourself (the NYTimes is miserly with their access). If you have a NYT account, try this ALTERNATIVE LINK.

In case neither link works, here’s my take-away. Toupee-Top is a 2-bit TV personality who once played the role of a businessman. Off camera, he bankrupted, like, 6 companies. Now he’s back on TV, playing the King of America. Off camera, he’s an incompetent American president. Unlike the character we see on the screen, he’s not an all-powerful monarch. His word isn’t law. He’s a bigly buffoonish felon being fluffed 24/7 by Nazis, oligarchs, insurrectionists, Dixie loyalists, fundamentalists, amoral Congress-people, and foreign autocrats with their own agendas.

Somehow, I find that comforting.

Coincidentally, male egos and power-trips are also at play in the bad-luck years feature of the Chinese calendar.

There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each animal in turn takes charge of a year. Ben Ming Nian is the Chinese term for a year that shares the same zodiac animal as the year you were born. As this is the Year of the Green Wood Snake, people who were born in other Snake-ruled years are now in their Ben Ming Nian.

To the Western mind, having your own animal ruling the year might seem auspicious. But Chinese years don’t just have a governing animal. They also have a governing God of Tai Sui. The God of Tai Sui is seriously territorial. He doesn’t like sharing his zodiacal domain with lesser creatures like ourselves.

Being in your Ben Ming Nian also puts you in Fan Tai Sui – your year of offending the God of Tai Sui. Traditionally, we are advised to handle this awkward situation by keeping our heads down and blending into the background. Anything that could attract the God of Tai Sui’s attention is taboo. Getting engaged or married, launching a new business, moving across the country … nope, our best bet is to lay low and try to sneak through the year under his radar.

Maybe that advice was sound in olden days when the tempo of life was slower. These days, who can put their life on hold for an entire year? Ah, but no worries! Or, rather, if you’re a Snake and you are worried, the inter-tubes are full of advice on how to ward off Fan Tai Sui bad luck.

Everyone seems to agree that this year’s God of Tai Sui is General Wu Sui. Well, almost everyone. I’ve also seen “Wen Zhe”. Either way, the General has “flown” to the Southeast (presumably to hang out with the Green Wood Snake?), making Northwest the inauspicious “Year Breaker” direction.

So what can a modern Snake do to avoid the misfortunes apparently awaiting us in the months ahead?

Not every Snake will want to go whole hog (there’s a joke in there, if you can find it) and erect a small shrine to the General in the Southeast corner of their home to appease him, but that is recommended. I doubt we Snakes can completely avoid looking toward the Southeast or Northwest for a year, but if our desks, beds, or comfy chairs face those directions, some rearranging of furniture might be in order. Wearing red clothing (what, every day?!?) brings good luck, as does wearing a snake talisman. (Folks concerned about the red-attire requisite usually cover that base by stocking up on red underwear.) Red garments and snake bling will be luckier still if the items are given to us as presents. By gifting us good-luck tokens, our non-Ben Ming Nian friends are also gifting us some of their good luck.

And there you have it. For a clearer and more comprehensive explanation of the mysteries of Ben Ming Nian and Fan Tai Sui, check out THIS feng shui guy’s article; it’s my fave on the topic

Now, here’s those manzanita and acacia flowers I promised, plus a very California-looking Franciscan (I’m guessing … not my area of expertise) hiding behind some amazingly fragrant freesias.

And, finally, here’s a poem that makes me catch my breath and renew my resolve to stand in peaceful solidarity with all who oppose the unjust actions of duplicitous men.

Summons

Last night I dreamed
ten thousand grandmothers
from the twelve hundred corners of the earth
walked out into the gap
one breath deep
between the bullet and the flesh
between the bomb and the family.

They told me we cannot wait for governments.
There are no peacekeepers boarding planes.
There are no leaders who dare to say
every life is precious, so it will have to be us.

They said we will cup our hands around each heart.
We will sing the earth’s song, the song of water,
a song so beautiful that vengeance will turn to weeping.
the mourners will embrace, and grief replace
every impulse toward harm.

Ten thousand is not enough, they said,
so, we have sent this dream, like a flock of doves
into the sleep of the world. Wake up. Put on your shoes.

You who are reading this, I am bringing bandages
and a bag of scented guavas from my trees. I think
I remember the tune. Meet me at the corner.
Let’s go.

Aurora Levin Morales

Be well, stay safe, and may all the blessings of the season be yours.