Introduction
To The Twos
The number Two is a reaction to the One. One is very yang, initiating
and active, but it also has a yin side. With unity, you can't
have movement because everything is at the same point. There
is no flux. In this way, One shows a yinness, it is still and
implies a kind of rest.
The Two is
a response to the initiating action of the One and is therefore
predominately yin. It, however, like everything in the universe,
has a yang side. In this case, the yang of Two resides in it's
creation of movement and flux.
Two therefore
represents the motion and relationship between yin and yang,
between poles and choices, opposites and sides. It gives rise
to comparison and movement and these give rise to the sense of
time.
Two creates
memory because we can now compare where we are to where we were.
And it then creates future because we can begin to anticipate
the where we will go, especially if we start comparing and making
judgments about where we've been.
Duality
When
you're dealing with the number two, you're dealing with the existence
of duality. In our culture, this is often expressed as "the
fork in the road" (and its inevitable consequence of the
path not chosen). We see duality as two extremes which are solid
and immovable.
We see two
opposing mythic races of "black" and "white",
instead of the actual range of features and genetic mixes that
make up the real people we interact with every day. We see the
possibility of only two genders instead of the myriad personalities
of those around us.
This needs
to change. We need to add movement to our duality so that ideas,
feelings and actions can change to fit new situations. We need
to understand how opposites mix and form infinite possibilities.
One source we can use to help move towards this goal is the Chinese
theory of Yin/Yang.
Yin and Yang
are hard ideas to pin down for Westerners because we really don't
have a tradition of a "continuous duality". To start
with, Yin and Yang are not forces. They are not entities or spirits.
They are ideas that describe relationships between things. When
we say something is Yang we are saying it is more Yang than Yin.
Something that is Yang to one thing might be Yin when compared
to another. (Read more about Yin and Yang.)
|
Duality
Exercise |
| List 10 things
in your day. The "things" can also be people. For each
item, descibe its yin and yang aspects. For instance, your car
may be yang by being hot and mobile, but also yin because it
is a dark color. For each item also decide if it's more yin or
yang. The mobility and heat of the car probably outweighs its
paint job. On the whole, how much yang do you see in your list?
How much yin? |
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Your Daily
Choices:
The Twos
can tell us a lot about how we make choices. Do you make choices
quickly? Or are you more cautious? Do you change your mind after
you've chosen? Or do you stick to the choice you made no matter
what? This following exercise will allow you to become more conscious
of your choice-making process.
|
Daily
Choices Exercise |
| Go through
your day noting what choices you make. Write down as many as
you can. These might be small choices (I'm going to have a bagel
for breakfast) to big ones (yes, I will buy that house!) At the
end of the day, list your choices. Take a moment to look at the
kinds of choices you made. Were any of them hard? Do you regret
any of them? Which ones were easy? For each choice, choose which
Two goes with that choice. Separate your choices by suit and
look at how they are distributed. Are all suits represented?
If not, which ones weren't and why? Was a particular suit represented
by particularly hard choices? Was a suit represented by mostly
easy choices? Sum up your conclusions and then look back on the
cards. Do you feel differently about any of them now? |
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Relationship and the Twos
Relationship is also a big part of the Twos. How we manifest
relationships in our lives forms a very important part of how
we understand the Twos.
|
Relationships
Exercise |
| List your
relationships with the people in your life. List family, friends,
co-workers, authority figures, spiritual guides and anyone else
you come in contact with on a regular basis. If your list is
very long, pick ten relationships so that you have a variety
of contexts and levels of intimacy (don't choose all family or
all close people - pick a wide range of relationships.) Spend
a moment paying attention to each relationship. Write something
about it. Does it feel good to you? Is it a burden? For each
relationship, choose a Two that corresponds with it. Separate
your relationships by suit and look at how they are distributed.
Are all suits represented? If not, which ones weren't and why?
Was a particular suit represented by particularly difficult or
pleasing relationships? Sum up your conclusions and then look
back on the cards. Do you feel differently about any of them
now? |
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