Ju Men, the Star of the Great Door

Ju Men (巨門), the Great Door, is the second star of the Northern Dipper. The classic text gives it water and metal, calls its transformation dark or hidden (暗), and links it to speech, disputes and things that are not said openly. Its portrait is the most cautious of the fourteen, because a star about talking is a star about misunderstandings.

The idea behind it is that every door has two sides. Ju Men can be the person who asks the awkward question, who spots what is not being said, and who pushes a conversation into the open. It can equally be the one who is misheard or who ends up arguing about the wrong thing. The commentary says it does well when it is bright and well accompanied.

Our reading is kinder: Ju Men is the star of the critic, teacher, lawyer, comedian or friend who tells you the truth, someone with a talent for words and for questions. Its challenge is learning when to speak and how to say it.

Try asking: what conversation have I been circling? This star suggests that the clearer it gets said, the lighter it gets to carry. Telling the truth kindly is a skill, and it can be practiced.