17 Destiny J
"The willing, Destiny guides them.
The unwilling, Destiny drags them."
Seneca
KEY WORDS
Outcomes
Expectations
Storyteller
Abundance
Strings
Alignment
VIDEO
MEANING
Each of us is travelling towards our own destiny. It is within our power every moment to change course and head in a new direction. Take a moment to pause and reflect on what destiny lies ahead for you. Look at the tools within your grasp which you could use to change path, or to travel the current one better. "When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realise their dream." Paulo Coelho
If we do not choose our destiny, others will gladly choose it for us. Extraordinary things await for those willing to commit to their goals and to take steps towards them every day. failure to dedicate oneself to ones true calling will result in having to play a supporting role in someone else's story. Are you choosing to live your own destiny, or are you hiding in the shadow of another? If your destiny is unclear, allow yourself to experiment.
OBJECTS
Note (Air) Discuss the future. Ask others about their destiny. Explore harmonious shared goals.
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Sword (Fire) Decisions are cutting you away from futures you don't want. Measure twice, cut once.
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Candle (Light) Share your spotlight. Inspire others with your dance and poetry and romance.
Cup (Water) The tealeaves in a cup unlock intuitive truths. Look for signs and symbols around you.
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Mask (Dark) Something is yet to be revealed to you. be patient, a greater quest may unfold from this one.
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Diamond (Earth) Sincere feelings only become clearer and stronger when under pressure.
THE MAGIC SEAL
THE ART
When I was thinking about the visual for Destiny and above all which meaning of the word 'destiny' to represent (the destiny you can shape or the destiny you are forced to follow), I had a sudden memory: Voltaire! Suddenly one of his witty sentences came to my mind: "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." I had solved the visual and meaning of card! The theatre is the perfect metaphor for Destiny: life is a stage in which we play our role, we can follow the script (destiny) or break free, and write our own role as we like it, making our own destiny, or, if you prefer, taking our own destiny in our hands!
AUGMENTED REALITY
In the animation I wanted to celebrate the moment when we realize that we can be free, if we dare! The moment when we take our destiny in our hands, cutting the ropes that bounds us to a role we do not want to play any more! Scissors are cutting the card into pieces: the puppet is free, jumping everywhere with joy exploring its new reality!
THE MUSE
RhyssPieces is a powerful performance artist uses drag, lip-synch, dance and spoken-word to create work that explores our relationships with our identity and even our destiny. Through performance, Drag examines society's assumptions about gender, masculinity/femininity, roles and rules. RhyssPieces also explores questions of blackness/mixed-raceness, queer identity and more. How do assumptions that are made about us, and those we make about others, make us all feel? What destinies do they nudge us towards? Are they ever helpful, or is it time for change?
We are deeply honoured to be working with RhyssPieces to explore the ideas in Destiny, to bring this card to life. Never have conversations about our collective future been more vital. We need to start building tomorrow today.
Find out more about RhyssPieces work here: RhyssPieces
THE MUSIC
Is your destiny written out in advance, like an orchestral score? A ferocious accordion leads us into battle, supported by an angular pizzicato strings. Meanwhile two flutes sigh in judgement and comment on and critique every step that is made, demanding to know whether it was pre-destined or the result of free-will. The complex and colourful percussion adds its voice to the discussion. The debate is at once diverse and unified because we tuned out instruments before we began. Do our strings help us to stand? Or do they hold us back? Are we the puppet or the puppeteer?
LINKS TO GO DEEPER
For a beautiful (but be warned, also heartbreaking) performance of puppetry that explores the meaning of Destiny, watch: Philippe Genty's Pierrot.
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Netflix's series Dark is a beautifully detailed, and mind-bending exploration of Destiny and the consequences of choices. Dark (Netflix) Official Website