New Dharma Logo, New Ideas KinmarX at the Lost-TV forum posted the screenshot at right, showing the newest version of the Dharma Initiative logo -- as seen on the wall of the new hatch occupied by the tail-end surviviors on ABC's TV series Lost.
The new logo is different from the old one, notably in the outer ring of the ba gua diagram -- which features broken lines -- as if to suggest the outer shell is part of the ba gua itself (normally it isn't). Click here for my previous discussion of the ba gua.
There are many variations on the ba gua. This is an odd one. It's not unprecedented, but it's notable as more than a variation since it's presented in contrast to the Swan version (this one appears to have an arrow in the center). It could suggest a fourth line appended to each trigram -- making tetragrams. And indeed, there is a tetragram-based divination system in Chinese mysticism -- the T’ai Hsuan Ching, a counterpart to the i-Ching.
The T’ai Hsuan Ching probably a little younger than its better known counterpart, but it's in the same neighborhood of antiquity (i.e., 2,000 to 3,000 years or more). Where the i-Ching is binary (using yin and yang as 0 and 1), the T’ai Hsuan Ching is ternary -- base three -- using yin (solid line), yang (broken line), and a twice-broken line representing man.
The T'ai Hsuan Ching has 81 tetragrams arranged in a 9-by-9 magic square (which I will examine later when I have more time). 108 is 9 times 12, so we're getting into some numerological areas where there are interesting possible resonances. Chinese astrology is based on a 12-hexagram cycle. It might take some mental gymnastics, but we could wend our way to 108 yet.
Let's be up front about this. The creators of Lost are not probably not conducting a seminar in Chinese metaphysical obscurities. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with all these moving parts. And before you ask, here's what the "numbers" mean according to the T’ai Hsuan Ching:
4: Barrier
8: Opposition
15: Reach
16: Contact
23: Secretly of Two Minds, Gives Way to Balance
42: Going to Meet
An interesting narrative path is suggested here, complementary to (and arguably more interesting than) what my earlier i-Ching analysis provided. Food for thought....
Posted by J.M. Berger || Permalink
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1 Comments:
http://www.mostlymuppet.com/archives/2005/10/14/lost-dharma-initiative-login/#comments
Much like with AI and Donnie Darko, a parallel internet "mystery" is evolving for LOST.
I've been extremely impressed (and reliant) on the crucially intelligent discourse here. I think we could use some help putting together "The Devil's Verse" and "Suculae" (a brief previous code, and an apparent astrological reference)with the larger conception of time you have begun to explore.
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