There is no trouble in a human life quite like the trouble of waking up to the seeming indifference of God or Life or providence or whichever word we use to describe what we feel we are, or at least ought to be, in relationship with. We use words like Fate and Karma to capture the binding and reciprocal nature of this.
Law, in its most archetypal sense, is the ask we have of the World to have meaning and Justice, at the core of our psychology, is what we expect to exist as the ark of that binding covenant.
Our desire to live virtuously is precisely because of the promise of reward of a beautiful Life. The condition we feel as ‘conscience’ is the belief that if we do right by Life, Life will do right by us. Another way of saying this is that Motivation is the promise of due Reward. And Reward is the keeping of the promise—archetypally speaking.
The pain of encountering indifference is a uniquely harrowing form of existential distress. It is not just about facing challenges or adversities but confronting a void where we expected, or hoped for, a responsive, engaging presence and process.
This is a pain we all encounter in troubling moments, precisely.
PRECISELY
The wind
rustling and loosing leaves
is the ocean of air
pouring through
to fill an emptier space
from the brimming cup
of a fuller one,
whispering the same Word:
Equilibrium is the Law,
imbalance is the invocation
and Entropy is Justice,
precisely.
Where the fire has been
and the form of wood
called home to eternity
the smoke marking the path it followed,
always inscribed among the ashes
the same testimony:
Sacrifice is the Law
and Transcendence is Justice
precisely.
The ripe and spineless juggernaut
of the caterpillar
eating its way to fullness,
crafting its own coffin,
surrendering its persistence
of being to becoming,
to dream the chrysalis dream
beyond the turning
of its own new leaf
is the dream of the world waking
through the winged emergence
of the butterfly.
The fierce sting
of the noble bee
in paying the utmost price
for the highest cause
is the cost and the gift,
the honey and the hive.
And together with the butterfly
and every fluttering humming thing
all the pollination
of every flower
whence comes every fruit
and thence
the promise
of renewal, and abundance
and of death
precisely.
Fate is the Law,
Choice to Purpose is its invocation
and Destiny its Justice
precisely.
Tension is the Law
and Transformation is Justice.
precisely.
Relativity is the Law
and Movement is Justice.
Time and Space,
the Scythe and the Scales
—precisely.
Where the word enters the void,
there the Law is spoken
precisely, precisely, precisely.
Where there is the word there is movement,
where there is movement, there is Cause.
Where there is cause there is effect.
Where there is effect, there is Reason.
There the Law presides,
and its severity and mercy both,
giving and receiving
are Justice
precisely.
The Law is Beauty
and Desire is its Justice.
The Law is Desire
and Beauty is its Justice.
The Judge is Love and Reason.
What comes,
to pass,
is its Judgement,
—precisely.
Rocco Jarman
What appears as unfairness or heartlessness in the unfolding of our lives is always a reflection of the narrowness of the language we are holding the conversation of our lives in. The invitation of this poem is into a more expansive framing, into a wider arc of meaning.
I take comfort in being reminded that my life is happening for me, not to me, and that I am always exactly where I need to be. I am reminded that if I want deeper connection with the world, I should meet it where it is, not where I am. If I want deeper connection with life, I must be in full presence with the unfolding reality of life.
If I want a deeper connection with myself, I have to be really present with the unfolding reality within me, including, but also beyond, the chatter of story and expectations, to touch the feeling and be touched by it. And to be present with what the feeling is attempting to say, because in reality, that IS my reality—what I feel.That is my passport to Love and Reason. How I feel about what I feel, is the only judgement.
What is happening is not the judgement. What you feel is not the judgement. Everything that comes, passes. What you feel in the light of your own love and reason about what is happening and how it feels, is all that matters.
Without Love and Reason, there can be no pronouncement of deserving, judgement of either fairness or severity, mercy or indifference that is balanced and true—Precisely.
WEAVING THE WORK TOGETHER
The post linked below outlines a practice designed to help bring Love and Reason back online when reviewing a passing moment in our lives, more precisely.
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If you are interested in the deeper Hermetic exploration of the archetypal notion of Justice, the following posts will be of interest to you.
The cover image depicts a sculpture of Hermes(Mercury) carrying Psyche (Human Soul) to Olympus for her apotheosis, her divine transfiguration (Reason), and reuniting with Eros (Love).
Let it also not be lost that I wrote and released that post on 3/14, International Pi day. Pi is a value and a symbol whose backstory is associated with precision. Pi is a universal constant, applicable to every circle regardless of size. The exact value of π cannot be fully expressed, illuminating the complexity within seemingly straightforward principles. In geometry, π is central to balancing equations and understanding spatial relationships.
Let it not be lost on you that embedded in the word Justice, is the root word “just”, meaning “upright and righteous”, but “just” also means “exactly” or “precisely” as in “that is just what we needed” and “in the very immediate past” as in “we have just witnessed the eclipse.”
This usage underscores the concept of precision and appropriateness, resonating with the broader notion of justice in terms of balance and appropriateness within moral and ethical contexts. This temporal dimension of “just” underscores the significance of timing in human affairs, highlighting how the relativity of actions and events can be influenced by their proximity in time.