Sabian Symbols: Tiny children in sunbonnets
Tiny children in sunbonnets
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This universal idea is best expressed through planets in
Sagittarius 18 (17° - 18°)GUARDING AGAINST OVERLOAD
Whether from earthly or psychic forces, we must defend ourselves against letting in too much energy "Limiting our exposure to excitement" That which is not essential within us is always subject to the perils of Nature; we live ever on the edge of death and disorder. Society through its laws and cultural norms, and parents through their authority and concern, tend to want to protect the individual, especially the child, from the dangers of too much exposure. Such protection is itself a danger if taken too far because some will succumb to its comfort and others will rebel incautiously against its constraints.
Rudhyar: CHILDREN PLAYING ON THE BEACH, THEIR HEADS PROTECTED BY SUNBONNETS |
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Children playing on the beach, their heads protected by sunbonnets.
Innocence
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An innocent involvement in life is a joyful routine experience, with occasional bursts of excitement
Tiny children are powerless to look after themselves, and sometimes they need sunbonnets put on them. It is their innocence that makes them both delightful and incapable of self-protection – and indeed self-projection. It is quite normal to protect ourselves by shielding away from the dazzle of the Sun – a metaphor for the glaring demands of others. Yet it is through contact with others that we manage to focus who we are and where we are going – so the absence of interaction can lead to diffusion of identity, and the associated frustration. The many non-special interactions that we have are actually quite important when taken as a whole, even though one by one they may seem trivial and unworthy of keen attention. When we were young, playing with other children generally was of great consequence in every sense, yet each individual session of playtime was not seen as such a big deal. These easier modes of interaction are very worthwhile and yet undemanding. There is an optimal life-path that unfolds our potentialities fully and beautifully. It is pursued by seizing, with confidence and hope, whatever opportunities that arise from time to time. This really does require that we engage with the world, and to some extent that means stressful situations become inevitable occasionally. Full participation in everyday life can become a joyful routine experience, with sporadic bursts of more meaningful or exciting events, within a backdrop of simple, innocent well-being. It is good and wholesome to launch ourselves into the world, and then to stand firm when this leads to confrontation about matters of great consequence. Yet residual tendencies towards infantile self-assertiveness need to be honestly examined for what they are, and what they tell us about ourselves. The ideal corrective for any such feelings is normal day-to-day life. The simple things add up to complex important things, and anyway they also have their own intrinsic value in the moment. If we are doing the washing up, then that is what we are doing and we need to do it well. |
