>>49550475
Thank you Anon. The metamorphosis angle feels like the core of what I need right now, so I’m glad that sounds like a solid foundation. I’ve been going through some major life transitions and the continuous transformation symbolism just speaks to me on a visceral level.
And yeah, the Hata no Kawakatsu connection to Matarajin does seem pretty murky from what I’ve researched. I’ll definitely proceed carefully but not let fear paralyze me entirely. Maybe the conflict angle is overblown anyway.

>>49550604
I’ve done the basic energy “exercises” with putting my qi in a sphere around me, but I can’t say with confidence that it’s proper guarding. Due to this, I made sure to call upon the Triune (Christian) God to shield me from evil interferences and ask for His protection in these matters.
No malevolent stuff so far, just a weird feeling of dread or shell-shock that I can’t seem to shake off. It’s the feeling like I just finished racing a supercar, or something. I’ll definitely keep you posted if anything feels off.