3 Wisdom X
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest and third by experience, which is the bitterest." Confucius
KEY WORDS
Learning
Reflection
Enlightenment
Affection
Science
Generosity
VIDEO
MEANING
This card is full of light. Wisdom is knowledge used well. The light of knowledge can be used to crush ignorance and fear. By learning, we can see further. Wisdom can come from many places: people, travel, books, experience, nature, the cosmos, and intuition. It is also our responsibility to pay forwards the learning we have been given. What stereotypes or assumptions have held you captive and should be destroyed?
To be truly wise, our perspective must be able to incorporate many different views, and we must be constantly open to improve our understanding of the universe. Wisdom is bigger than any one person and therefore must always be shared. Any attempt to conceal wisdom or to use it selfishly will cause it to flee. As soon as you learn something, pay it forwards. The best teachers seek to awaken curiosity in others.
OBJECTS
Star (Light) We can navigate by points of light in the sky. Look closely - the signposts are there.
Moon (Light) In the dark, find reflected light. It shows us the paths ahead.
Bat (Dark) Bats can see in the dark using their other senses. When you can't see, try listening.
Sun (Light) The Sun showers us with wisdom all day. The darkest hour is just before dawn.
Candle (Light) A source of light you can carry into the darkest places. What transferrable skills can you bring?
Anchor (Water) A wise person knows when to stop and rest.
THE MAGIC SEAL
THE ART
Welcome to Wisdom!
The setting of this card is my interpretation, with many poetic licences, of an Indian temple. Tall and slender stone columns, decorated with geometric patterns, frame a majestic room with a balcony. From it we can see a magical and rare astral conjunction dancing in the sky: the brightest star of the firmament, the sun, and the moon, all together connected in the shape of a mystical triangle.
Wisdom is light!
Everything is bright and colourful under such an astonishing sunny sky dotted with stars.
AUGMENTED REALITY
I wanted to represent the mystery and magic of Wisdom depicting it as a joyful cosmic dance, full of life and energy, kindness and positivity.
THE MUSE
From the very beginning of the Oracolarium, we knew we wanted to collaborate with Lilly SnatchDragon. Lilly is a legendary Neo-Burlesque and Cabaret performer who uses powerful Drag, Dance, Clowning and Spoken-Word to crush ignorance and to challenge injustice. Lilly's utterly captivating performances range from hilarious to heart-breaking, all the while spreading wisdom and messages of kindness and inclusion. Funny, smart, kind and completely magnetic, when Lilly SnatchDragon speaks, the world listens.
Lilly SnatchDragon's work shines the spotlight on racism, sexism and narrow-minded stereotypes, and together we watch as they self-destruct under the warmth of love, humour, and kindness. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Have you noticed that Lilly SnatchDragon appears here, but also in the Deception card which in many ways is the opposite of this card? Is Wisdom perhaps about unmasking Deceptions? Why is Wisdom so full of Light and Deception so full of Dark?
Discover more about Lilly SnatchDragon here: Lilly SnatchDragon
THE MUSIC
Some wisdom reveals itself to us in a blinding flash of inspiration - a sudden epiphany as though a gong has suddenly sounded in our mind or a lightbulb has been switched on. Other forms of wisdom take root in us more gradually over days, years, or a whole lifetime. The music builds as we learn: climbing the staircase and aspiring towards brightness. There are occasional disappointments and setbacks along the way when we learn a difficult lesson, or must accept uncomfortable truths, but it is still a necessary step towards enlightenment. Sometimes in life we can sense an important lesson is about to reveal itself, it is just around the corner, and we can't yet grasp it, but it's getting closer. Anticipating it and preparing ourselves to accept the approaching wisdom makes for an extremely satisfying and rewarding journey.
LINKS TO GO DEEPER
Could all Wisdom be captured in one infinite library? Explore The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges.
Are you aware of the Divine Dancer Nataraja? Click here to read more on Wikipedia.
Who would you go to for answers? Perhaps The Wizard of Oz? (trailer on YouTube)