I was sitting by my rig yesterday, sipping a cup of cacao and reflecting on an odd encounter from the day before, when I pulled up my daily oracle casting. The reading hit me square in the chest: Biting Through (Hexagram 21) and Opposition (Hexagram 38). The judgment for Biting Through speaks of success through administering justice, while Opposition hints at good fortune in small matters. It felt like the universe was nudging me to chew on some recent experiences—ones that have been simmering in my mind about boundaries, values, and how we navigate the weird social undercurrents of nomadic life.
This reading took me back to memories of Artem, a Russian schoolmate from my days at the National University of Singapore, and Lukas Bulga, an ex-colleague now designing at Apple. Both Eastern European guys, and both shared this unapologetic way of handling situations that didn’t align with their values. They’d just… walk away. No drama, no fuss—just a quiet exit. I’ve always admired that. It’s a kind of clarity I’ve been trying to embody more in my own life, especially out here in the desert where vibes can shift faster than the wind.
A Strange Fire and a Clear Exit
Let me paint the scene from yesterday. I rolled up to one of the usual fires near my camp, expecting familiar faces. Instead, there’s this maladjusted girl surrounded by a group of guys. I’ve run into her before—she’s got this bizarre habit of “collecting” visuals of guys’… well, let’s just say personal anatomy. Her pitch is crude: show her, or she’ll label you as some kind of narc. I plopped down in my usual armchair, acknowledged her comment with a nod, but didn’t engage. Then Chuck rolls up—turns out he’d already caved to her request. Another dude with him did the same on the spot. Over 400 visuals, she claimed. I didn’t stick around to verify. I just excused myself and walked away. No scene, no argument—just disengaged.My take? These guys might’ve thought they were playing along for laughs, maybe entertaining some ulterior motive. But to me, it’s a stark reminder: if you don’t know who you are or what you stand for, you’ll stumble into situations where “lighthearted” messing around masks a deeper manipulation. I don’t know what led this girl to cross boundaries so blatantly, but I do know it’s okay to step away—unapologetically. The desert’s big enough for everyone to find their own space.
Opposition in Small Matters
This isn’t the first time I’ve had to bite through opposition like this. A few days back, at another nomad camp, someone made an offhand remark around the fire that overstepped my boundaries. Instead of engaging or escalating, I just stepped away. No fanfare, no fuss. Later, at a drum circle, that same nomad approached and offered an apology—quiet, sincere. I accepted it the same way. Key observation: a lot of interpersonal drama in this nomadic community could be avoided if we just opted to disengage when the vibes don’t align. Why add fuel to the fire with a big scene when you can just… walk?The oracle’s mention of “Opposition” and “small matters” resonates here. These encounters are minor in the grand scheme, but they test your resolve. Biting through means cutting to the core—deciding what you’ll tolerate and what you won’t. It’s not about judgment; it’s about justice for yourself.
Wealth, Values, and the Traps of Excess
This ties into a broader reflection I’ve been mulling over—how wealth, or the pursuit of it, can pull you into misaligned spaces if your values aren’t rock-solid. I think about Warren Buffett a lot. Reading through 50 years of his Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters, I noticed something consistent: he’s stayed in the same modest home for decades, kept the same daily routines, and channeled excess wealth back into a financial infrastructure he’s built over a lifetime. Early on, his calls to action in those letters were about acquiring portions of good family businesses. As years passed, it shifted to full acquisitions, with the minimum capitalization creeping higher and higher. It’s an infinitely scalable model, but grounded in a clear set of principles.Contrast that with the traps of wealth I’ve observed out here. Living out of my car, without a big RV or elaborate camp setup, I notice how interactions shift based on perceived “status.” Nomads either engage in deep, intriguing conversations—worth standing on tired feet for—or it’s just small talk, and they move on since there’s no comfy space to linger. It’s made me think about mansions, villas, the trappings of excess. Without a value system to anchor you, wealth attracts the wrong kind of gravity—people and situations that don’t align with who you are. If you’re leading a family or a clan, that misalignment can spell disaster.
Reflections for the Day
The oracle’s message of Biting Through and Opposition feels like a call to clarity. Know your boundaries, administer your own kind of justice by walking away when needed, and don’t let small matters derail you. Whether it’s a strange encounter by a desert fire or the larger traps of wealth and status, it’s about staying true to your core. I’m still figuring out how to balance openness with self-protection out here in this nomadic life—but I’m learning that a quiet exit can be louder than any argument.What about you—how do you bite through opposition when the vibes don’t align? Got a story of walking away that felt like a small victory? I’d love to hear it.
- Nomadic Life
- Personal Reflections
- Values and Boundaries