“Master one thing, master them all” ~ origin unknown
Whoever spoke that seemed to grasp & convey the essence of the 16 Gift & Siddhi of VERSATILITY & MASTERY.
Over a decade ago, I was super inspired by the Wealth Dynamics system, also rooted in the I Ching. Its creator, Roger Hamilton, had wrote a short fun fiction book, Wink, wherein a kid went on an adventure learning the secrets of wealth creation from different people - a plumber, gardener, and musician, who each offered wisdom mirroring the same concept. The plumber, approaching his financial investments from a systematic approach, carrying over his knowledge of structuring flows from his craft into the realm of currency; the gardener, from that of planting seeds, nourishing investments as they grow, attuning to the seasons of markets; the musician, carrying over principles of rhythm & harmony to guide his alignment with economic cycles.
It’s something I occasionally reflected upon myself over the last decade as progressing in both an understanding of astrology and the development of music production & engineering skills - seeing things learned about frequency carry over into all sorts of different aspects of life. (As Nikola Tesla famously said, “if you want to understand the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”) Attuning the senses to the subtleties of energies in both astrological archetypes and audio engineering, observing the crossover of those senses & skills to perceive more deeply into a wide variety of life’s domains. While also glimpsing moments of that Versatility in myself - whether flowing between different musical styles produced as fluidly as I had played eclectically when DJing a variety of venues & styles, my writing covering huge breadth of topics, the forays into astrology with apparently enough proficiency displayed to have repeatedly been called out to do astrocartography readings, or whatever little side-ventures the Manifesting Generator energy was drawn to dabble in and did reasonably well at. For the immense effort I put in towards Mastery in my twenties and early thirties, there actually is some evidence of some fruits of that labor, as I was able to relate to descriptions of the Gift & Siddhi experientially, not just understanding them logically/theoretically.
However, I cannot state the above without also giving giving voice to the counterbalancing, notorious “Imposter Syndrome.” Despite all those experiences observed in my own life, I still kinda feel unqualified to speak/write in any way at all that might be mistranslated to imply I’ve “attained Mastery” or the Gift of Versatility; as though it’d be hubris & egoic self-delusion to even suggest it, having equally observed the Shadows at play - and perhaps moreso recently. Which logically raises doubt whether those experiences even were real or just self-deception, given the conventional ways Gene Keys are taught sound as though the Gift & Siddhi are “higher levels” one “achieves” and couldn’t ’slide back’ from, as it often feels I have.
[There’s been much questioning of my motives for writing & sharing these pieces I have - “what am I trying to prove, to whom?” Is some part of me trying to feel & sound “smart? Is it truly a correct expression of Talents that is of value to others, or actually a self-deceiving form of “Indifference” as diverting energy in directions that don’t actually matter? Then again… who is the final authority on “what actually matters?” Who’s to say we might not sometimes need an exemplification of the full spectrum of Shadow, Gift, and Siddhi states from individuated perspectives such as those that might come through in this writing on our shared journey to more clearly see the full spectrum?]
I’ve had difficulty with Rudd’s overly poetic outlook on the Gene Keys and framing them as though it’s a hierarchical ascension putting Siddhic stages out of reach of nearly everyone; like only the rarest of “special” individuals will ever attain the highest stages of enlightenment he has, speaking from a pedestal. (While meanwhile, such a division into “higher” and “lower” states contradicts the premise emphasized strongly in Way Of The Cosmic Oracle that such division is itself a ‘spell / poison arrow’ separating one from the Cosmic Way). I can’t help but sense a similar undertone of cultish new-age toxic positivity & spiritual-bypassing as his outlooks subtly sell/reinforce a fantasy of sugar-coated all-bliss-all-the-time post-achievement of Siddhi-level… which he will graciously grant everyone the path/formula to for the low price of $97 per activation sequence. But as we come back to the 16 and MASTERY… who is the ultimate authority to define what Mastery is and looks like? At what point is Mastery actually achieved? What exact standard & board exists so as to bestow the stamp of approval once crossing an objectively-defined line? Who knighted Rudd as messiah to voice the homogonized standard of what any of the Gift & Siddhi states are and that the majority of us mere mortals looking up to his holiness will never experience them in our lifetimes?
(And yes, there are many different viewpoint on this - I get it; while attempting to voice this one so its nuggets of wisdom will shine through - none of which discredit any of the others. And yes, while some might detect traces of frustration & anger in here - should we all resist ‘speaking our truths’ until having fully arrived in the higher states, none of our perspectives valuable until attaining ‘enlightened’ status where spiritual-ego deems itself “beyond” Frustration & Anger? In the realm of “Indifference,” who is the authority on what is and isn’t actually important/relevant? Surely, the mind will judge; though can any of us say with absolute certainty what does & doesn’t have merit for each individual at different points in their journeys… trace amounts of every emotion included, in the full spectrum of emotional waves - frustration & anger in particular, also occasionally flip sides of passion and a Determination that is anything but Indifferent. DETAILS matter. Always. And it'd be lying to say this writing ain't Satisfying. But lest I digress.)
Again, I refer to Emily Amorea’s introduction of the idea that perhaps Rudd’s teachings weren’t the end-all-be-all with its putting the Gift & Siddhi outside of the reach of the average mortal, but polarities - the Gift & Siddhic states accessible not only in ways other than Rudd has dictated as truth for all, but accessible here & now.
Why should I - or anyone else - doubt the ways we’ve uniquely experienced the Gifts & Siddhis, simply because our daily experience doesn’t reflect the unattainable ideal Rudd’s teachings insist is the benchmark? Part of me has been disappointed that so few in this course have been posting to share their perspectives & experiences - not only due to ‘fears’ of being judged as the sole eccentric weirdo oversharing, but because there are surely many here who have a tremendous wealth of insight to share that’d be of value to us all with tales of your own experiences of the Gifts & Siddhis… yet who may also doubt & downplay it/them, because we’re still fvcking human who experience the Shadow states. So be it. Let’s be human… embracing the Shadows, Gifts AND Siddhis here & fvcking now. Not anyone else’s hierarchical descriptions of them that puts “higher states” in some far-off future based on xyz conditions, but the actual ways we might already occasionally experience them ALL uniquely. God daaaaaamn, that’d be so much more authentic and relatable (than yet another cookie-cutter “coach” parroting textbook descriptions with vague references to some elusive, faceless mythical, mystical figures rather than exercising the balls to offer any real-life reflection of these states embodied & expressed in their own individual ways)! [Jeezus, where’s this 5-ish heretic energy coming from?? Lol.]
Truthfully, I even felt to have been living in those DETERMINED & INVINCIBILITY states for several years when younger… until a sorta “fall from grace” at 32 and double-whammy at 36. Should I gaslight myself to think it wasn’t real, merely Neptunian delusion, since the fact I still experience the Shadows contradict Rudd’s implications the Siddhic state is practically ascended master status from which there is no return? Should we all just fall in line with his or anyone’s teachings, diminishing ourselves as “less than” - while there may actually be many ways we have & do experience the Gifts & Siddhis yet repeatedly overlook & discount them due to ideas conditioned by the incomplete/limited Gene Key teachings themselves about what the journey & process “should” look like?
What about the outlook in The Oracle Of The Cosmic Way - suggestive more of the angle that those Gift & Siddhic states might actually be “our true nature; that the decent into shadow states comes as consequence of spells & poison arrows of conditioning/programming coming later, rather than our starting point (of a ‘base primitive lesser nature,’ a belief it repeatedly warns of) that we have to climb our way out of…? How many spells & poison arrows have been unconsciously cast & slung through subtext of Rudd’s hierarchial model/philosophy incompatible with the wisdom encoded in the I Ching itself as Carol K. Anthony & Hannah Moog interpreted it? (Or are both “correct” despite potentially seeming paradoxes of contradiction - yet more polarities at play, codes to crack through the integration & balancing of both in their appropriate time, place, and context…?)
Is this making sense yet…?
Perhaps I’ll keep bringing it up, expressing that “repetition” side of the 23 speaking insights as that might work better than the “proving” side, that there is fvcking GOLD in Emily’s insight that the Gift & Siddhi aren’t merely as Rudd taught, but the Gifts
to be unlocked through the balancing of the Shadow-Siddhi polarities. Maybe not that Rudd was wrong, but maybe there’s this other polarity of the states at play he either never saw himself or gave voice to. *And consequentially, how many people keeping Rudd on a pedestal and sticking to his system as he taught it (which is NOT 100% reflective of Human Design as Ra brought it through OR necessarily the original I Ching) have been sleeping on their own Gifts & MASTERY…?
Lest I digress too far with the rant, let’s loop it back to the 9… DETAILS.
It’s fairly apparent the connection between the 16 SKILLS and that 9 FOCUS & DETAILS. The development of Talent & Skill requiring FOCUS as diving into the Details. The VERSALITY that comes through/with MASTERY, requiring a Mastery of the Details. (Another fine example of that alternate take of the Gift unlocked through the balancing of polarities - Mastery perhaps not always/entirely proceeding Versatility, but at times, Versatility activated post-Mastery… and perhaps true Mastery even inclusive of “Indifference” - knowing what is & isn’t important/relevant in what contexts, and exercising correct Indifference to what isn’t when it isn’t.)
(i.e. Mastery in/with astrology requiring increasing DEPTH {48} of awareness into the details of planets, aspects, signs, elements, decans, degrees, and yet further distinctions in the nuances of specific interactions & cycles as small changing variables greatly transform the alchemical & algorithmic equations. Mastery with music production & engineering requiring not only expanding knowledge of the technical tools & theory to be used, but increasing refinement of auditory sensitivity to the finest subtleties in tone and feel as making minute adjustments in EQ or switching from one compressor to another as the difference between their analog circuitry interact with different source material in ever-so distinct ways. Either of, requiring FOCUS over the ‘10,000 hours;’ greater VERSATILITY unlocked/activated with MASTERY of increased Talent at a broader range of sub-skills and fluency in the crafts’ DETAILS.)
Why have I chosen to harp on - or perhaps if truly “no choice,” have surrendered to being the conduit to ‘channel’ the message of - ‘my’ observations of & dissonance with Rudd’s teachings…? The DETAILS. The Details ‘missing’ which may be essential to more thoroughly grokking the essence of what he was the finger pointing towards… and living it (not as some far-off ideal to be “attained” some day or in another five lifetimes, but to more fully embody & express it here & now in our own unique ways). The DETAILS weaved in the subtext of anyone’s translations/transmissions that [can/do] end up reinforcing misleading conditioning/programming rather than increasing clarity. The DETAILS in the dynamics of how we’ve repeatedly been led away from the acknowledgement & full expression of our Talents, Versatility and Mastery due to preconceptions instilled by external “authorities” telling us how things are. The DETAILS in those relationships with both external “authorities” and the resulting beliefs as giving their teachings weight without brutally, meticulously picking apart the DETAILS to see what actually does & doesn’t fit, align, and work in what context… when & where it may actually be necessary/due as part of the process of developing/activating our own Mastery. The DETAILS in the ‘buggy code’ that crashes our ‘operating systems;’ the DETAILS in the spells; the DETAILS that illuminate the poison arrows; the DETAILS requiring conscious awareness of to find & correct so as to restore harmony in ourselves, our lives, our world, and our MASTERY.
Though mind still has a tough time grasping it, given preconceived ideas of what “talent” is, I’ve been told that some of my greatest talents are not just what I do, but how I perceive. Perhaps that’s part of the body/design earth 48 {DEPTH} along with that triple-activated 9 of DETAILS - ‘transmissions’ such as these voicing some of that insight (through SKILLS cultivated) into depth of Details it takes time and experience to discover - Details potentially helpful to ‘deprogramming spells.’
Perhaps speaking to/through the transiting 16.6 - “exaltation, Neptune: The ability to experience, examine and then reject misleading enthusiasm. The talent to assess the expression of others…” maybe there’s a wisdom here assessing Rudd’s expression (piercing through the veils of unspoken subtext & articulating the findings via Neptunian ethers & creativity of writing), rejecting the “misleading enthusiasm” which flavours some of his teachings & their common regurgitation as-is. Mixed in with a bit of the 16.2 “cynic,” “bursting bubbles” - albeit not for any malicious intent, but to provide a grounding counterbalance that might ultimately help us reconnect to our own innate sense of Enthusiasm, Talent, Versatility & Invincibility through Mastery - a sense which often gets choked when subscribing to others’ conceptions of what it is. Then again, with that 16.6 “susceptibility to propaganda,” it’s not outside the realm of possibility for this entire exploration to be but a rationalization of cleaverly-disguised Indifference & Inertia, looping back into my own “propaganda.” The Jupiter Detriment: “The same principle but where Neptune will destroy and then seek new forms, Jupiter will painfully withdraw. Its enthusiasm for social structures permanently prejudiced...” that all potentially true, in different ways, at different levels - some dimensions of motivations for this writing, a foray into Inertia of Frustration & Anger and Details that don’t ultimately matter, rather than fully focusing on some all-inspiring “dream” & purpose that lights me up as much as those of previous life chapters did. (Though there’s gotta be at least some DETERMINATION at play to have fuelled this extensive written extraction.)
Which brings this to one final point that was at the forefront of Contemplation this 16-9 cycle: the absence of a crystal-clear “dream” as would fit Rudd’s prerequisite criteria for transcending Shadow into Gift. Humbling to confess, ego not keen to admit its massive failed investments in grandiose dreams. And maybe another sticky point as reacting allergically to the same type of dogmatic, homogonized standards common to “self-help” and “hustle-culture” that insist having clearly-defined “goals” and “vision” is an unnegotiable necessity for “greatness” - more conditioned/programmed beliefs triggered that not having such equates to the fate of shadow level. Yet, all that coming up against inner truth & wisdom - which includes self-compassion for sitting in the uncertainty of not knowing as deconditioning and undergoing transformation as old, outdated ideas of “what I want” no longer resonate and new ones have not yet ‘come’ to fill their place.
It’s probably a mark of maturity to recognize how many former visions & plans were rooted in undefined-ego not-self “trying to prove” - and gracefully allowing them to pass, surrendering to the flow of life and embracing a bit of the “no choice” wisdom (a.k.a. “if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”) Yet, I still feel the pressure of external “authorities” insisting a “dream & grand vision/purpose” is essential, triggered into self-consciousness & judgement when reading Rudd’s prerequisites of a “dream” to access DETERMINATION and don’t see myself measuring up to his/conventional definitions/standards. Though factoring in an objectively-realistic acceptance that emotional waves are still always gonna be a thing with “no truth in the now…” perhaps pinning down ONE specific “inspiring dream™” might not be the name of the game for everyone at all times, as teachings of such a homogonized strategy suggest.
Maybe periods of rest without conformity to anyone else's standards & definitions doesn't automatically condemn us to the fates their theoretical formulas would logically dictate; the Presence to an evolving relationship with "dreams" in the now equally as valid as anyone's assertions we need to know where we're going in the future (especially if considering the whole "vehicle-passenger" thing at the root of Human Design). Then again, maybe the mind is still hung up on what it thinks a "dream" is supposed to look like, influenced with conditioning, while overlooking all the different dreams I've actually lived over the course of this life and am still living in ways that aren't as in-your-face adrenaline-filled Instagram-highlight-reel-material as ego deems "worthy." And equally, still deprogramming a "DETERMINATION" spell - mind's preconceptions overshadowing ways DETERMINATION may actually be in play in more subtle & nuanced ways of quiet Strength vs. ego-driven Force; ENTHUSIASM also present, albeit in different, more refined forms rather than the dopamine-rich youthful exuberance mind might use the benchmark of social media highlight reels to measure against. All the while, still being vigilant and committed to the “shadow work,” being real enough to triple-check myself at every turn, remaining diligent with assessment of the DETAILS to not filter out the possibility of all these rationalizations of “maturity” concealing complacency, Indifference, and counter-productive Inertia. ☯️
{is one person's "dream" not still a dream, even if not fitting others' expectations?}
Human life ain’t easy, lol. But maybe the VERSATILITY unlocked through MASTERY includes flowing through these challenges & shadow states, just as much as the peak bliss moments. “Before enlightenment, chop wood & carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood & carry water…” we’re probably all still gonna have to deal with those DETAILS of human existence as going about our ascended biz, inevitably tripping, stubbing toes, getting dirty, riding the emotional waves through their unavoidable valleys, continuing to deprogram and pull out poison arrows we get struck with as navigating the human realm with all its craziness. Maybe we don’t give ourselves enough credit for the Versatility & Determination we’ve all already displayed/exemplified to date… in spite of what anyone else says about the “higher” states being reserved for some exclusive spiritual elite.
Or some sh!t. Wtf do i know. 🤷♂️😼
