WATCH THIS CARD AS A VIDEO

"Keep it secret, keep it safe."
— Gandalf to Frodo in LOR: The Fellowship of the Ring (the movie version)

Keep secret work secret. Esoteric knowledge and inner work on ourselves should not be shared with most people. We live in a cult-of-confession society where people go on social media and television to spill out their personal lives. But consciousness work, esoteric work, is depotentiated and loses dignity when you share it with those who haven't earned access. As Aleister Crowley said, "If I tell a man something he isn't ready to hear, it is the same as if I told him a lie." Don't spill your pearls before swine; save them for your spiritual allies — those who share a deep commitment to consciousness.

Much of the time it's safer and advantageous in many ways to be cloaked to avoid unnecessary attention.

Deng Ming-Dao, a modern Taoist sage points out,

"Useful trees are cut down. Useless ones survive. The same is true of people. The strong are conscripted. The beautiful are exploited. Those who are too plain to be noticed are the ones who survive. They are left alone and safe.

"But what if we ourselves are among such plain persons? Though others may neglect us, we should not think of ourselves as being without value. We must not accept the judgment of others as the measure of our own self-worth . . . Thus, to be considered useless is not a reason for despair, but an opportunity. It is the chance to live without interference and to express one's own individuality."

In modern society, especially in America, people tend to over-sharing and TMI (too much information), thereby compromising their dignity and reputation. The I Ching puts great value on reticence and holding back. The Zen Archer who hits the mark does so because they hold the arrow back untill just the right moment. As Goethe said, "A master first reveals himself in his ability to hold back."

An international study found that when fame accompanies success, it can be hazardous to your health. According to the study, celebrated actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and athletes have shorter lifespans than average. Fame can put a target on your back, make you a subject of toxic envy and desire, and subject you to life-destroying temptations. We seek the center-stage spotlight and sparkly costume of many colors when we might be better off wearing a self-camouflaging cloak to work without interference in our own space. Consider this an auspicious time to thrive apart from the spotlight of excess attention.