White Rushes

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Six at the beginning means:
To spread white rushes underneath.
Without blame.
- Hexagram 28 大過, Yijing

☰ 乾 Qián - Circuit of Heaven

Light of heaven, and the conduit of that light, light of sky and of stars.
What is taut and clear shines the light like a mirror.
Like the vibration of a string or the extension of the spine.

The symbol of this character shows the sun rising and casting light over the green grass, with steam and dew rising out of the earth. This depicts the invigorating star energy of heaven, and the sun which feeds the earth’s climate and weather systems.The wheel of heaven keeps turning never stopping. This hexagram reminds us that there is always energy around us to invigorate, heal and support us. This is in fact a principle we can access within our earthly lives. To connct with this, you can spend a moment imagining bright light around and within your body, noticing what energy and strength this brings.

☱ 兌 Duì - Lake (Exchange)

Open mouth of the lake, smiling silver ripples.
A humming wetland, carrying the secrets and sedimentation of change.
Empty the mind and speak to us, ask us a question?

Duì is an image of a mouth speaking, smiling. It depicts contentment self-expression, and joy. It has the most youthful energy of the 8 signs. In ancient time, the lake was seen as a mirror into the earth which reflected the sky. The rippling waters were a place to communicate with the earth and its spirits.To notice pleasure requires a return to the body. Notice keenly how the shapes, textures and duration flow for you. Are there ways you can heighten the sensations that give you joy? In what ways do you need to speak and share your truth in this moment?

☲ 離 Lí - Fire (Emission)

Rainbow phoenix takes flight, stimulating like morning birdsong.
Spirit walks in direct conduct with the heart, clear sun spreads across the horizon.
Softness within hardness, calm-centered manifestor.

The symbol of this trigram is a great bird. In Chinese elemental understanding, a splendid bird connects with fire, the direction south, and the space ahead.You harness forces that are bigger than you. Powerful forces move slow but have the greatest strength. It’s about stubborn courage, clarity, optimism and carrying out a mission. Even if other people seem not to believe in you, your own belief is enough to make it happen.

☳ 震 Zhèn - Thunder (Tremor)

The great equalizer, sudden emanation.
In a flash, necessity bypasses the prevailing order.
Roaring thunder - robust, stimulating, awakening.

This image depicts a vibrating source of energy that rises from the earth and invigorates everything you do. Thunder and quake are themselves known for destruction and the immutable power of the earth over destiny. It can be a bit scary because it's not something we control, it is born from necessity.The best thing to do is to stay close to what nourishes and the work you can manage. Release entanglement with the outcome and take charge of your energy. Build up contingency and safeguards, even if it is unsure what will be needed. This caution will benefit you and elevate your work.

☴ 巽 Xùn - Wind (Gentle devotion)

Green of dew on jade bamboo.
Soft like cotton, smooth like silk.
Be well and at ease.

This trigram is known as the 'older sister' which symbolizes its grace, maturity, care and emphasis on wellbeing. Like wind, this hexagram is always in natural free and easy motion. It depicts situations of uninhibited movement that allow for travel, freedom, and health.Received as a reading, it advises care and attention towards gentle cultivation of things that lend wellness, grace and beauty to your day. The daoist saying "Soft like cotton, smooth like silk" depict a quality of breathing, motion and activity that you can practice in your day to align with this graceful energy.

☵ 坎 Kǎn - Water (Plunge)

Sacred source of water, revealing hidden qualities.
A ford to cross, danger and difficulty.
Strength in softness, surrender to the originator of the unknown.

This character depicts an opening to a chasm deep within the earth, and it is also connected to water, which was an ancient force of commerce, travel and destruction in ancient China. Early accounts of the Xia dynasty mythology which developed into the 8 trigrams, are based around river spirits and constant ecological disasters — flooding, earthquakes, famine — which became the hotbed of Chinese culture as we understand it.This reading depicts entry into unknown, demanding and challenging times in life. And it depicts the incredible strength and growth that emerges out of these. You are advised to remain fluid and at ease within all of this, while preserving an inner integrity that is unbreakable.

☶ 艮 Gěn - Mountain (Looking back)

Remembering ancestors.
Turning back, knowledge and all things learned.
Looking for foundation, they climb the mountain.

This symbol refers to looking back over the shoulder at what came before. Expressed in the image of the mountain, it also reflects spiritual anchor, stability and meditation.It describes a condition of stillness, you are advised to slow down and simplify. Reflect on where you have come from in order to see how to meet the challenges ahead. Your loved ones and ancient ancestors contain an incredible know-how and will to survive, you can access their energy at any time and learn from their example.

☷ 坤 Kūn - Earth essence

Spirit of earth, nourishment.
Feel motion in the earth, in between the cells.
Shows nothing, carries everything.

Earth essence relates to the physical material world, the things that sustain and make you feel well. Whatever comes forth from this energy exudes an abundance that is greater than the sum of its parts, reflecting the essential spiritual force and vigour of life.Like a horse, we may carry baggage where we go. Strength comes from a flexible committed attitude, that doesn’t react to the situation, but carries on with its work, illustrated in the image of a horse plowing an earthen field. You are advised to make time to rest, and release your mind from constant activity.

About the performance

WHITE RUSHES is a ritual music and visual performance drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese divination system of the Yijing (‘Book of Changes’). This system developed in the lands presently know as China, likely as an oral tradition, and set into a written form by the early Zhou dynasty (1000–750 BCE).The Yijing expresses the idea that change observed in the environment is a reflection of change in oneself. There is fluidity and mutual reflection between the human life and that of the world around us.As a literal expression of this concept, the cellist —dressed in white — becomes a moving canvas for visual patternings inspired by nature and rendered through a real time engine, which themselves are in continuous flux. The piece revisits an ancient search for meaning within changing natural environmental patterns, blurring the distinctions of technology and natural systems.---Fili 周 Gibbons are an artist, musician and recording engineer of mixed Chinese and Canadian ancestry based in Tiohtià:ke / Montreal. Their work draws on cello performance, audio production, improvisation, internal arts, and ancestral wisdom practices, combining these to create sensorial tapestries of memory and embodiment.
https://fili-zhou-gibbons.com/
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FacebookPaloma Dawkins is a Canadian-Mexican artist and video game director. Known for her hand-drawn animations, in her creations Dawkins emphasizes the balance between technology and nature — mixing themes of mysticism and futurist vision of speculative advanced technologies.
https://palomadawkins.com/
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