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Theory of Yin and Yang
Okay, basic precept: all things in Existence can be divided into two basic Principles: Yin, and Yang. All things exist within their Balance.
The Yin and Yang together are represented by the Element of Spirit, or the Quintessence, which is formed by the joining of the four alchemical/magickal Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Cumulated, the Five Elements and the Yin and Yang create the strange variant of the Pentacle that is the center of my religion. Anyway, though…
All things can be related to and derived from the Yin and the Yang and the Balance and relationships between them.
Okay, we have that, now, one step further.
The Yin. The Yin is the dark half of the divided circle. It is Death and Chaos, endings and pain. Evil, most people would call it. No. Evil is a purely human value that doesn’t fit into either Yin nor Yang, but rather fits nicely into both. Yin is also feminine, creative, intuitive, spiritual, passive. It’s difficult to explain, because any aspect can fit into either Principle when Balanced by something else.
Let’s use the example of intellect. Intellect and intuition balance each other nicely, wouldn’t you say? Intellect, in this situation, is Yang. Intuition is Yin. I’m having difficulty explaining precisely why, so bear with me as I try a few more examples…
Okay, intellect is Yang, right? But suppose you balance it against physical prowess…what would it be? Physical strength and prowess are undeniably Yang… masculine, active, you see? That would make, in that case, Intellect, an aspect of Yin.
So, perhaps to explain it, I might try listing examples. Let us try.
Do you begin to see the point?
Both the Yin and the Yang also incarnate in symbols. The symbols that i am most familiar with are the Yin Tiger and the Yang Dragon. This, too, seems to have been the sourse of some confusion. The Dragon, in the symbolism i use, is not Yin. I'm not saying you don'g know anything... just that i am not using the Phoenix/Dragon Balance. So the Yin is Incarnated in the Tiger, from which the Neko-ken is--at leas in my fic--derived. A similar technique shall be derived from the Yang Incarnation of the Dragon.
Now, people tend to be fairly balanced in nature… although, I must say that I’m strongly Yin Polarized. That’s both good and bad… yes I have the creative, intuitive, mental strength… but I’ve also got that Death and Chaos floating around… the lie, and the passivenes (that’s a double edged sword as well).
So, as in the story, let us take Ranma.
Yang. Yang Polarized to the bone.
He is male, undeniably so (despite his curse, which people have argued is proof of a Yin or at least Balanced nature). He is arrogant (as opposed to humble, or at least quietly confident), loud (not quiet), definitely a daytime sort of guy, he uses intellect over intuition, but brute strength over intellect. He is anything but creative, and fairly destructive. He is hardly spiritual, and not what anyone could call wise (though he’s really not knowledgeable, either). All Yang aspects, dominating over more Yin charactaristics.
The Neko-ken is derived from the Yin Incarnation. Consequently, one must be of Yin Nature... something Ranma very much is not. Xian Mao--as i envision him, at least... whether or not i successfully portray him in this manner is another story entirely--is very Yin. He's quiet, he's passive... he accepts what is: what he sees and what he's told. He does not try to actively influence things, but rather to nudge them into place (in the orriginal, he doesn't actively play matchmaker to Ranma and Akane; he just forces Akane to see the way Ranma acted as a cat, and offered the two a place and time where they would not be interrupted.). And so on.
It has even been suggested to me that the Neko-ken itself really isn't all that Yin. Heres my argument: first, the basis of it. The physical aspect is feline, and derived from the tiger. It is, if you think about it, passive defensive a great deal of the time: Phase One is Movement; Phase Two is Flight (as in Runing Away); Phase Three is Defense of Teritory, Phase Four is self defense, Phase Five is The Defense of an ally, and Phase Eight is Defense of Mate. The remaining three Phases (excluding the tenth phase, Yin Avatar), can be attributed to the Yin aspects of Death and Chaos, and to the fact that even primal Yin and Yang have aspects of the other (think of the Yin-Yang cirlce, then of the two little dots... you see what i'm saying?).
You see my point? Understand the Theoris of Yin and Yang as i'm using them in the story? I hope so.
Please let me know.
Add-on note No. One: Energy versus Nature
It has been brought to my attention that there is yet another argument against Ranma's Nature, again involving his curse. This time the proof is the manga issues where his forms are split, and he begins to die of lack of Yin. Yes, one would die of lack of Yin, as surely as one would die of lack of Yang. Energy. Yin and Yang -energy-.
All things, regardless of thier Nature, have both Yin and Yang energy. Both are vital to existance. It is the flux of those energies ineracting with our Natures that causes our moods to change and swing. This interaction is often called personality (to a limited degeree).
That energy and Balance is not dependant on one's Nature, nor does it influence it.
neko-sama@juno.com