Objectivity, Opinion and Ignorance + Daily Runes

The picture above is a simple blend between two images I captured yesterday of His Barkness Max and the sunset. He's a very solemn doggo and I managed to get an expression that somehow suited the way the Sun was framed by the clouds later. It felt right to put them together, even if only in this crude manner, he's a very solar creature, gentle and full of Love. Also, it occurred to me that, given the nature of today's reading, I might use this image and the one below to talk about objective reality, a concept of this material Universe that has been hotly debated since its inception.

What does it mean to be objective? Basically, anything that we can register and report with our senses is an objective entity. Mountains, people, the sound of water, the clouds in the sky, the touch of grass or stones underfoot or the emotions we experience, for instance. Animals like Max exist solely in this layer of manifestation, completely in the Present and unconcerned with judgments about the things around them. We humans, on the other hand, exist in a multilayered world where objective entities are wrapped into narratives, thought-forms, constructions of our imagination that respond to our beliefs and prejudices. This subjective layer of names, opinions, ideas and characters may reveal great beauty and be a channel for important information but, for the most part, it confounds and distracts us from what's actually going on. If we appreciate something, we tend to give it more of our attention while disregarding that which displeases us, thereby blinding ourselves from data that's having an impact on us.

Take these images, for example. The dog, the sky, the clouds and the buildings are all objective realities on their own, but they changed the moment I took those shots, edited and blended them together. Something new has arisen from both mixtures, but this act of creation, however small and simple, necessarily obscures the objectivity of all the entities involved, for clouds don't coexist with buildings or mountains in the same location of space, nor can a dog ever have the Sun in his right eye. This is, however, how we see the world all the time: structures of semi-transparent, interwoven and overlapping visions that mirror each other and speak also of what we carry inside. It's no wonder (or perhaps it's the greatest wonder of all) that we live in constant search for ways to better synchronize and align these visions, as they can get pretty messy at times and messier they get, the harder it is to navigate them.

Try this exercise: when you see a mountain, breathe and attempt to just see the mountain, without getting distracted by memories and thoughts. You may find it extremely difficult at first, your mind drifting away to the phone, the stuff you have to do, concerns with bills to pay, nostalgia for past joyous experiences related to that mountain or other places. Don't worry, you get the hang of it with repetition and when you do, you start truly seeing the mountain, the masses of trees, the way the clouds glide above it and the sunlight hits it from one side. You can do the same with trees, people, vehicles, roads, your home and yourself. It can be overwhelming because of our inherent ignorance, but absolutely necessary for groundedness.

Our opinions may be very valuable to us, but they're mostly useless trappings that prevent us from being truly aware of our surroundings and inner selves. Shedding them diminishes the fog that obscures the objective tapestry of life unfolding before our eyes. The less weight we give to what we think about the world, the more we can see the actuality of the world. And we're going to need a lot of objectivity for the things we'll have to witness in the short and medium term, so I encourage you to work on this faithfully and with discipline.

Transit through dense landscapes. Encounter with predators wearing the appearance of old friends. Confusing spaces.

In times of danger remember past victories, relearn the lessons and resume the practices. Recover the use of implements that you have put aside, return to your purpose, Service is its own reward. Concentrate on the objective reality, on what happens and your sensations, not on what you think about them. Achieving peace with unpleasantness, trust in uncertainty and succor in discomfort, reveals the usefulness and goodness in all experiences. Attempt new strategies, make movements that you have never made, visit places that you have never visited, admit other approaches, accept the offered support. Advance without focusing on the shadows along the road, look at your start, everything fulfills a role and has a fate. Discipline yourself and you shall always be freer.