The element of uncertainty

Uncertainty has come to play a huge role in my life as of late. The whole process entered my awareness during the Plutonica book-club reading of Quantum Psychology. Together we explored many of the exercises that Robert Anton Wilson collected to help us think, “Maybe…” My meditations and personal work have revolved around the issue of uncertainty, as well as our personal and collective strategies for dealing with it, ever since.

Honestly, I feel uncertain whether I can communicate any of this effectively. The territory began with magic and t’ai chi, leading into my mystical practice. I came to consider the bridge between individual and history, the symbiotic relationship of humanity and the institutions we have created to mediate uncertainty, as a fundamental issue to address for my own growth. Each encounter seems less discrete the closer I listen, yet the overall theme appears in the negative space between them.

Practicing push hands with the Long River School of T’ai Chi Chuan, everyone hears the injunction to only work with individuals whom you feel comfortable with. The practice teaches us to relax and listen, completely receptive to the energetic statements around us, guided by the partner as the system of focus. Done this way, push hands can place people into a very intimate relationship, dissolving normal interpersonal boundaries. This dissolution feels, to me, one of the true jewels of the practice yet it requires a safe space to relax into, where you can trust the person you work with.

With Uncertainty as our focal point, I’d like to share some of these thoughts with you. The territory may seem overly Thelemic, as Liber Al Vel Legis played a huge role in my explorations of sex magick and avoiding the Lust of Result. I have put a lot of thought into the Blue Equinox O.T.O. model as defining a structure for trust-nets, in a sense establishing a safe space for True Will to emerge, and would like to critique its structure in these terms. Going further with t’ai chi, and using it to practice the art of Possession. I hope that all of the pieces will begin discussions and lead to further investigation with the element of Uncertainty.

First published on Plutonica.net 24 May 2010.