dear friends,

the phrase “ambushed from ten sides” came to me, suddenly, today, while I followed friends through in a crowded farmer’s market outside of Izmir; the kind of place where you cannot even stand still without feeling overwhelmed, accosted by the senses, or asked by a Turkish auntie to move aside, please, if you’re not planning to buy those cucumbers.

then, I remembered that it’s the title of a classical Chinese piece for pipa (listen here), and, of a Zhang Yimou film I loved as a teenager. the phrase alludes to an ancient Chinese battle in 202 BC — and describes the feeling of being surrounded by an enclosure of enemies (or obstacles) in all directions.

the hardest thing about feeling ambushed from ten sides, I think, is resisting the bodily urge to run, or to totally give up, roll up in fetal position, and wait for it all to be over. standing one’s (quickly diminishing) ground feels so difficult, if not nearly impossible. these days, I feel this accutely.

in a strange way, I find the phrase incredibly soothing, because of what it implicitly demands of you. if you’re going to be defeated, at least do so with dignity. if you will stand and fight to the death, then do it with honor. I don’t normally prefer battle metaphors for life, but, I also find relief in this recognition of inevitability.

do whatever you want, but whatever happens will still happen. this acceptance of fate helps me loosen my grip, and to allow life to carry me along, whether to death, and/or, to some peaceful beyond.

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🎙️ autumn itinerary for the unknown

after taking 5 month break, I’m finally resuming my podcast, while experimenting with minimalist visual slides.

in this episode, I walk you through my syllabus for navigating the unknown — through working with the astrological archetypes of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. this is a preview of what we’ll dive into during the first season of labyrinth library.

autumn itinerary for the unknown — kening zhu

navigating the unknown through libra, scorpio, and sagittarius

labyrinth library — registration open until september 21

I usually know that something will be expectation-exceedingly magical if I have no idea what it will contain, while still feeling connected to the essence-soul of the thing. labyrinth library is one of those projects.

labyrinth is a 12 week seasonal community/guidance vessel — mystery studies for being with the unknown in your creative, work, business, and inner life. it is about the tender act of survival in the wilderness. we will wander through the spiraling thorns, together. we will ask questions, and live our way into the answers. explore more here.

it is, in part:

• a choose your own adventure, meta-guidance for the creative process that is work, business, and life

• 12 weekly artifacts for the poetic, practical, and process-oriented

• a monthly itinerary aligned with astrological archetypes

• an ongoing conversation with me

• an intimate community for group support

🌿 DATES — the first season of labyrinth will run September 22nd - December 14th.

📮 REGISTRATION — will close on September 21st

🌕 OTHER THINGS I MADE RECENTLY

since I wrote last, I’ve started collaborating with LJ of Ceremony on a set of 36 decan illustrations for their communal writing practice, Atmospheres. it’s been a deeply generative, nourishing process. here’s the first two, of Virgo season:

boundaries of blackberries, virgo II

on the simultaneous pleasure & pain of blackberries and brambles; the balancing of saturnian limitations and venusian enchantments

boundaries of blackberries, virgo ii — kening zhu

tasting pleasure and pain, sleeping beauty’s castle

the minty clarity of virgo I, the craft

the hermit holds out a lantern, lit with the clarity and freshness of mint

the minty clarity of virgo I, the craft — kening zhu

an illustration for atmospheres

making a liminal leap

I wrote about my intentions behind liminal leap, my seasonal guidance container for navigating threshold phases of your life. I explore what I mean when I say “seasonal,” “liminal,” “leap,” and “guidance.”

making a liminal leap — kening zhu

thought processes behind liminal leap

🔮 FROM THE ARCHIVES

truth is a glittering glacier

truth is not a double edged sword (2020)

truth is a glittering glacier — kening zhu

truth is not a double-edged sword. truth is a glittering glacier

feeling safe in creative work and business

safety as a felt sense you cultivate (2024)

feeling safe in creative work & business — kening zhu

safety as a feeling to prioritize & cultivate

the tower as a guide to surrender

the tarot card as container for change (2025)

the tower as a guide to surrender — kening zhu

a container for change and surrender

blue dome of unsolvable mysteries

contemplating the universe, I saw this in my mind (2021)

blue dome of unsolvable mysteries — kening zhu

one day i took a bus into the mountain villages and saw a blue domed church at the top of a mountain peak

🌊 LISTENING TO ON REPEAT THIS WEEK

• for the feeling of unbearable lightness: vintage waltz by A. Blomqvist

• for soothing soul calm during ambush on ten sides: enastros ouranos by dafné kritharas

• for something faintly alcoholic while preparing for battle - amyrai by altai kai

• for floating in outer space before falling sleep — Ólafur Arnalds, Alice Sara Ott - Eyes Shut

🪼

as I’m writing this now, I’m sitting outside, next to a grove of olive trees, listening to the sounds of cicadas, while friends have already fallen asleep.

I’ll write to you again, soon.

kening

🍃 podcast: botanical studies of internet magic

🏔️ courses: house on the webs | creative systems | sharing space camp

🪷 advising: liminal leap, or intensive sessions

🌔 otherworldly: a web alchemy studio

💧 send me a gift: water my world