As the Dragon Yang of summer is eaten by the Tiger Yin of winter, so the attention is drawn from the outside to the inside, from the external to the internal. Spirit of the air to the strength of the grounded tiger.
This project is founded on The Dragon and The Tiger. Everything is designed on this philosophical background. It is a working example of Daoist thought seen through the lens of the western academic tradition.
The workplace above is a working representation of Yang & Yin. Consider the arc of the image, from Light to Dark. From Dragon to Tiger. The light of analogue systems, creative arts, drone flying, on the water, summer, to the dark of winter. The Digital Tiger; the study, the thinking, the number crunching, the gathering of energy for the Dragon. A hybrid creative space to match a hybrid approach. Reflection is essentially analogue and Harvesting lends itself to the digital. Wearables to capture the Heart Beat, Fountain Pen, the Soul, all smoothly and, if I say so myself, the elegant melding of two halves. Captured on Camera
Only when that ultimate melding occurs. When the Climb is climbed and we sit on the summit, that is when the meaning will become clear
Why the Dragon is Analogue
- Continuous and Fluid: Analogue signals are continuous, flowing waves that capture the infinite nuances of nature (like sound waves or shifting weather). The Dragon is a creature of the mist, water, and shifting clouds. It cannot be easily measured or broken down into discrete parts.
- Abstract and Infinite: The Dragon represents the sky, the spirit, and the intangible cosmic ether. Like an analogue vinyl record that holds the warmth and unpredictable imperfections of a live performance, the Dragon represents a holistic, unbroken flow of universal energy.
Why the Tiger is Digital
- Binary and Grounded: The digital world operates on absolute clarity: 1s and 0s, on and off, black and white. The Tiger is a creature of concrete reality and raw, physical matter. It does not exist in a spectrum of myth; it is real, precise, and calculated.
- High Logic and Execution: Digital systems require relentless, step-by-step processing power to execute commands. The Tiger embodies this highly focused, strategic, and intense localized action.
The Modern Synthesis
When you combine them in technology or design:
- The Tiger (Digital) provides the structure, the solid hardware, the logic gates, and the precise execution.
- The Dragon (Analogue) provides the creative inspiration, the user experience, the fluid interface, and the overarching vision.
How They Interact
- The Harmony of Power: The tiger is fierce, patient, and intensely focused on the physical world. The dragon is majestic, unpredictable, and rules the heavens. If a person has only dragon energy, they become overly idealistic and detached; if they have only tiger energy, they become hot-headed and aggressive.
- The Ultimate Balance: In martial arts, Feng Shui, and ancient text, a perfect master or balanced space is described as having the "spirit of a dragon and the strength of a tiger." They represent a continuous loop where hard meets soft, and mind meets body.
Three books are keeping me company, through the winter as I turn closer to Qigong once more - The Harvard Medical School guide to Tai Chi, for the Academic Grounding, Dragon & Tiger Medical Qigong vol. 1 & 2 by Bruce Frantzis - for meridianal energy development and, Tooth From the Tiger's Mouth by Tom Bisio for running repairs. I have also invested in the Harvard Medical Guide video course that accompanies the book. I will be following through the book and video course in real time over the next 12 weeks as if I am a complete beginner. All recorded using a hybrid analogue and digital system designed for this project
If this is to be truly representative of the questions being asked of Qigong and Tai Chi, then keeping to this established form is most valuable to anybody who might come across this project. The information source is available quite cheaply to anybody, you can learn from the comfort of your own home. It is medically endorsed. All you need is a bit of time and persistence. You can even start the process in your chair.
Harvard Medical Guide to Tai Chi
Harvard Health Online - An Introduction to Tai Chi
Dragon & Tiger Medical Qigong Vol1.