Method Tide 2: Vywineut - The Tide of Flowing

Vywineut. The Tide of Doing Vywe. The Tide of Flowing.

On 5th May, the Method Tide changed from Badineut (the Tide of Observing) to Vywineut (the Tide of Flowing).

This was because there was a change in the Method's elements as we entered the second half of spring. The focus on the element of earth shifted to the element of water. Now we find ourselves in a Tide where the focus is on water, as being informed by the previous focus on earth.

In other words, the previous focus was on earth, but now that focus has changed to the focus on water. The element of earth though, has remained, influencing our focus on water.

Earth & Water

Earth and water are the elements of spring. The rains fall and water the seeds in the earth. Spring is a season of growth and renewal, which is why the first two Tides of the Kibtisk Method find themselves in spring: it is time for us to grow and be renewed.

The main element of spring, earth, is present in both these Tides (Badineut and Vywineut). The second half of spring, beginning on 5th May, marks the time for the Kibtisk Method to begin to focus on both of the elements simultaneously. 

The focus of Badineut was on the earth. However, the focus of Vywineut is on the water, as affected by the earth.

Ardt & Vitre

Kibtisk thought equates each of the four elements with one of the Core Notions of the Kibtisk Way. 

We have seen already from Badineut that the element of earth is equated with the Notion of the ardt. Ardt in English means something along the lines of 'soul', 'heart', 'inner-self', or 'psyche'. Therefore, during the Tide of Badineut where the element of earth was the focus, the real focus for the practice of the Kibtisk Way was on the ardt. See Method Tide 1: Badineut for more information.

This Tide though, as mentioned, is focusing on water, as affected by the earth. What this means is that we are focusing on the Notion of vitre as affected by the ardt. Since we have just spent a season focusing on the ardt, we are able to understand how it affects vitre. 

Vitre, quite simply, means 'facilitating spirituality'. It is the process of preparing to undertake a spiritual practice, whether that be prayer, meditation, yoga etc. 

The focus of this Tide then is to practice vitren (to facilitate spirituality) and to practice our spirituality, but with a deepened understanding of how the ardt (the psyche/inner-self) has an effect on our practice.

So this Tide, from 5th May to 20th June, is for focusing on how our spiritual practice as affected by the state of our inner-selves. Why then is it called Vywineut - the Tide of Doing Vywe? What is vywe?

Vywe:

Vywe simply means 'flow', and refers to the ebb and flow of life, as well as the suppleness and uncoerciveness that is a result of embracing life's flow. 

This is relevant to this Tide of focusing on our spiritual practice as affected by the ardt because it is something we need to embrace. We need to accept where we are in our selves and our spiritual practice, and go with the flow of that reality. 

This Tide is not a time for spiritual idealism or overreaching. It is a time for us to acknowledge that our practice is affected by the state of our hearts and minds. It is a time to acknowledge that the water of spirituality (vitre) is diverted by the earth of our mind (ardt). It is a time to acknowledge that the water will flow (vywe) elsewhere. It is a time to go with that flow.

For Me

What this means for me personally, is that as I prepare myself to practice spirituality more this season, I am to prepare for it to flow in a different direction to what I would prefer. 

From my reflections on Badineut, I realised that I am harnessing a lot of anger within because of what has happened in the past. I am beginning Vywineut having moved away from the place where a lot of those events happened. I begin Vywineut ready to heal and move forward.

I will be attempting to practice the Jesus Prayer during Vywineut, attempting to heal from my anger, to go with the flow of that spiritual practice, and emerge at the end of this Tide possessing qualities of vywe (suppleness, flexibility of self). I hope to use this practice to heal my relationship with God, trusting that the flow of spirituality within my ardt will ultimately bring healing.

The day of the week that we focus on vywe during this Tide is Thursday. Thursday in Kibtisk is Wisttehe (west-day), and water is associated with the west as well as vitre.

So join me these next few weeks, as I allow my spiritual practice to be redirected and flow according to the state of my ardt.

Follow me on social media for updates (@kibtiskhub & @petrekibtzone) and join the Kibtisk community on Reddit (r/Kibtisk).

Until next time!

Ihra

Petre

Kibtisk Practitioner

Review and Reflection: Tide 1 - Badineut

The first Tide of the Kibtisk Method, Badineut, the Tide of Observing, is now over. 

It has been over six weeks of introspective meditation, observing my ardt, my inner-earth, at the same time as observing the Earth as she awakens from winter. It has been the beginning of the Kibtisk year and thus indicative of a new start. 

Now, at the end of the Tide, it is time to reflect upon this contemplative season which began the year.

Moving On:

Badineut, being the first Tide of the Kibtisk year also represents a new start. This is quite pertinent for me personally, as it has been during this Tide that I have prepared to move, and have moved, from Worcestershire to Kent. Thus, I have been able to examine myself during this move, and gain insight into what ihres I have absorbed and projected.

I'd spent six years in Worcestershire, and was originally planning to leave in 2018, but decided to stay and get engaged. Then my wife and I were going to leave in 2020, but the lockdowns prohibited that. 

Leaving Worcestershire: the place that has taught me so much in so many ways; the birthplace of Kibtisk; the place I had met my wife and gotten married and where I'd formed lifelong friendships, was a big change, and so I'm lucky that it happened during the Tide of Badineut where the practice of ardzýn (self-examination via intentional introspection) is predominant. I was able to examine myself and how I felt about leaving Worcestershire.

Below are my various observations made during my sessions of ardzýn, which took place on each Monday of the Tide (according to the Method).

Leaving with Anger - 12th April:

The main thing I noticed from my meditation, albeit not the first, is that I have been projecting a lot of anger. 

On 12th April, when I practised ardzýn, it was a significant time of meditation for me because it was the first to be practised in Kent whilst visiting where we would live, and so I was able to reflect more fully on what I was absorbing and projecting as we prepared to leave Worcestershire. 

"Looking within, I realise that I came to Worcestershire with excitement and passion, but am leaving with a lot of anger and hurt. A lot of anger." 

When I went to Worcestershire in 2015, I went passionate and excited. I was ready to learn more about God and the Bible and get more involved with churches. But how I was treated there, and perhaps more importantly, how I witnessed others being treated including those close to me, quickly killed that passion and excitement. Within a year, I wasn't even sure I wanted to stay. By 2019, my wife and I were determined to leave, or as we viewed it: escape.

I stuck it out and completed my degree. I got a job and got married. By all counts I had a good and successful life in Worcestershire, but as I reflected on how I felt leaving, all I could really feel was anger. As I looked within myself, all I could observe is that I was projecting a lot of anger. Bitter, spitting anger was, and still is, lying beneath the surface and comes to a head at the sight of a red flag. The smallest reminder of those people who stamped out the fire of passion within me by their abuse of those close to me brings on a wildfire of rage within.

"Moving forward I need to let go of my anger. I need to forgive. I need to return to soft-heartedness (zeva). The season of focusing on vitren is coming next, and it starts during my first week of living in Kent. I am going to try to soften."

What I have begun to see within myself during Badineut is that I'm projecting anger because of what I've experienced. I need to forgive. I need to return to spiritual practice and allow it to soften my ardt. I need to heal, and I need to learn to embrace the flow of life: vywe.

Embracing the Flow (Vywe) - 22nd & 29th March

Before I examined my inner-self and acknowledged the anger within, I began Badineut by reflecting on what I had been absorbing before the Tide began.

What God has said to me back in May 2020 was "guard your ihre", but it wasn't until my meditations during this Tide that I understood why that was.

We can't always control life. I'm sure 2020 taught everyone that. And so there are times in life where we just have to embrace the flow of things, and guard ourselves as we do so. A few weeks before the Kibtisk year started, I'd conceptualised this idea as vywe.

As I began Badineut, I realised that when God told me to guard my ihre it was because I would be going through a time of vywe - of being in the flow of life with little control, of needing to be supple and uncoercive. I believe I am still in that time.

Reflecting upon this later I wrote:

"In retrospect, when Master told me to guard my ihre, it was because we would be journeying 'vywei' (with/in the flow). When one is vywei, they cannot control what comes their way and they cannot control where they are going. Thus they must guard their ihre, otherwise emerge affected by any nezeva (harshness/bitterness) which they encounter on the way."

This understanding of needing to flow with life rather than against it was what led to my realisation that I was harnessing and projecting a lot of anger and bitterness. The word of this in Kibtisk is nezeva (seen above). It is the opposite of zeva.

Being at Rest - 22nd March & 5th April

Another thing that I realised during my first meditation of Badineut, as well as the importance of being 'vywei' - journeying with/in the flow of life rather than against it - is that I am at rest for the time being.

In my life-journey I have come to a mountaintop of restfulness. I am able to just be and heal. The state of my ardt (my ardstat) is one of being at rest.

During my meditation of 5th April, I realised that part of guarding my ihre was not allowing anything to undo that rest, including my own anger. I must not allow my unforgiveness to inhibit my healing. I must be at rest and forgive before getting up and journeying on.

Summary:

Essentially, during this Tide of Observing, I have observed the following about my inner-self:

1. I have observed that I am at rest within my own ardt.
2. I have observed that I am to guard this state of rest.
3. I have observed that I am in the flow of life, and should not fight against it, but instead cooperate with it whilst still guarding myself.
4. I have observed that I am deeply angry at many people, and part of being in the flow is allowing that anger to run its course with the end goal of forgiveness and healing

Now I have moved to a new place, and am being offered a new start. A new Tide is starting: Vywineut - the Tide of Flowing, The Tide of Vywe. During this Tide there is a focus on vitren (facilitating spiritual practice) and so I will be able to be at rest upon the mountaintop, practice my spirituality, and heal before journeying down into what is next for me.

For now, I am in Kent. I am in the vywe. And I am going to heal.

Method Tide 1: Badineut - The Tide of Observing

Badineut. The Tide of Baden. The Tide of Observing.

As mentioned in my previous post, the Kibtisk Method is a means of practising the Kibtisk Way by splitting the year into 'Tides' to focus on each Kibtisk Notion and Practice for a set amount of time. The focus of this Tide (20th March - 4th May) is baden and as such the Tide is known as 'Badineut'.

But what is baden?

Whilst you can find the full explanation of baden at Kibtisk Hub, I'll give a brief outline here. 

Baden comes from the word briaden which means 'to breathe'. It basically refers to the idea that we absorb and project ihres (atmospheres/vibes). Places and people have certain vibes about them, and if you spend time in a place or with people, you 'absorb' (inbaden) their vibe (their ihre). We also naturally 'project' (ütbaden) our own ihre into the atmosphere of a room or onto other people. 

So that's the idea of baden. 

The Tide of Baden then is the time we spend focusing on this idea. We ask ourselves: "What do I inbaden?" "What do I ütbaden?" "Which ihres am I exposing myself to?" 

The main way we do this is via a meditative process known as ardzýn, which roughly translates as 'self-examination' or 'self-knowledge'. We can tell what we baden by what is within us; what we absorb and what we project is present in our hearts and minds. 

By doing ardzýn we can be intentional about what we baden. We can be intentional about where we spend our time, what we allow ourselves to absorb, as well as paying attention to what we project onto others. 

And so that is what this Tide is for: self-examination, self-awareness, self-observation - it is the Tide of Observing. It is a season of observing what we expose ourselves to and what of ourselves we expose to others. And since this Tide begins the Kibtisk Year, that is how we begin the year: observing our inner-selves as they grow as we observe the earth do the same during springtime.

Join me these next few weeks in this, as we practise the first Tide of the Kibtisk Method.

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Until next time!

Ihra!

Petre

Kibtisk Practitioner