Appreciative Joy

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Five of Water (Cups); from the Insectorum Divinorum, Lantern-fly:

Dimmi: Does the pain of regret or loss prevent appreciative joy?*

          When I searched online for this image, I discovered the companion book had misidentified it. Leonardo's mechanism is the first idea for a CVT (continuously variable transmission), which allows an engine's speed to remain steady as it continuously and seamlessly alters its gearing. Do we keep running smoothly when life suddenly causes us to take a sharp, unexpected turn? Or do we feel that we have it worse than most people, who seem to glide along? Appreciative joy is not just about a gladness of heart for the happiness we see around us, it also recognizes the skillful behavior and attitude that cultivates that happiness. This practice takes practice to cultivate. The Lantern-fly, a type of planthopper with a strangely shaped snout, was mistakenly thought to emit light by early experts. Such a misunderstanding is also behind the Five of Cups. Unvoiced expectations, misinterpreted intentions, wishful thinking, and the failure to acknowledge the natural course of things may all need to be examined carefully. 

*My own dimmi, not the book's.

To Form a More Perfect Union

From the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the Two of Water (Cups); from the Insectorum Divinorum, the Lanternfly:

          In this sketch, Da Vinci attempts to show what happens during sex from an anatomical perspective. The dimmi asks what creates an environment for union and reciprocation. Love would be the simple answer, but what about between groups of people or nations? The biggest obstacle comes in getting both parties to drop their agenda and listen with an open mind. Progress and compromise can be made when there is discussion that leads to understanding rather than just debate. The Lanternfly is misnamed on two fronts: it does not glow in the dark as was previously believed, and it is not a fly but a planthopper. Its message is to be wary of misunderstandings caused by skewed information. Such is often the case when two opponents come together. Their knowledge of the other is frequently slanted because of confirmation bias — when evidence is cherry-picked instead of looked at as a whole so that it confirms one's expectations. Laying aside presumptions can be just as hard as dropping agendas, which can explain why so many compromises and partnerships fail.