Reflections on Yin and Yang

The connective / architective dichotomy does not fit the standard Yin / Yang model of opposition.

Rather, I see connectivity describing movement in the Yin / Yang opposition, including in the way that Yin might transform into Yang (and vice versa), while architectivity describes the restriction or absence of movement in the Yin / Yang opposition. That is, connectivity describes change - which classical Daoism sees as the fundamental universal - while architectivity describes stasis, which Daoism tends to neglect.

This means that the idea of 'opposition' can have more than one expression; Yin / Yang being of one kind and connective / architective being of another. I see the opposition between Yin and Yang running a continuous course between its two opposing poles, such that it is possible to have a position somewhere between them, and for one to change into the other through a migration along a continuous course; while the opposition between connectivity and architectivity is discontinuous, an either/or choice with no position in between.

I picture Yin and Yang as opposite poles in a shared dimension while I see an either/or type opposition as not sharing any dimensions. Perhaps we can refer to a polar opposition (as in the case of Yang and Yin) and a dimensional opposition (as in the connective / architective case). Positive and negative are polar opposites while cats and dogs are dimensional opposites.

As one's position vis-a-vis a polar opposition changes, the value of each opposite at different positions is different. Getting a little more positive makes one a little less negative, for example. Changing one's position in a dimensional opposite does not affect either of its opposites' values.

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Yang and Yin dance in each others arms, but connectivity and architectivity do not - they can't even see each other.

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In the Oracle of Love I describe how Yang conceives new initiatives in an endless torrent which Yin moulds into static shapes or ongoing processes.

This can be seen in the way that plants (and animals) produce an abundance of seed, of which only some go on to be fruitful.

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Connective phenomena are often cyclic. These often endure, such as day and night, the water cycle of rain/evaporation, the human breathing cycle, etc.

I think that the traditional Chinese concept of Qi or Chi would be more correctly regarded in terms of the interference of enduring cycles of Yin and Yang, rather than in terms of a primordial substance that divides itself into Yin and Yang.

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The Oracle of Love: Hexagram 8, six at the top currently reads:

"Not spiritually significant.

Or, Not considerate of spirituality. "

"Or, Not something that spirit can see."

In other words, it is indicating that spirit finds no understanding of an event, which could well occur when an event has architective significance while the spirit of the Oracle is only able to comprehend connective meaning.

My pickle: I can't add that line to the Oracle text without reference to Physical Spirituality.