0.3.14 Stage 14Empty Weak DrainedEverything is coming to an end now. They have lost control and can’t do much more. This makes them weak and feeble, makes them feel empty, as if all life has drained away.
Eliminated DiscardedThey feel as if they are being discarded, they are being put out of action, placed on a side track. They are no more than onlookers at this stage, still there ‘for the show’, but their real role has come to an end. They are being eliminated under the guise of a ‘gradual phasing out process’.
DivertingWhile they are being put on a side track by other people, they in turn are also very good at diverting important matters to another side track. They are masters in changing the subject and passing the buck when things get a bit too close. In a positive sense this can be seen as the ability to keep the pressure off, to even things out so they don’t get out of control. This is the ‘dropshot’ technique: they catch a ball and play it back in such a way that all the speed has been taken out of it, it drops down dead, all energy has been absorbed. This is the talent of the people in stage 14. The weakness of the wrists of
Plumbum is very symbolic.
IrresponsibleThe are inclined to hand their responsibility over to other people or to the apparatus. They hide behind norms and rules and don’t like to be reminded of their responsibilities. All power has been taken away from them, so how can they be responsible?
IndifferentTheir attitude can appear very indifferent. They are not interested, they are bored, can even seem blasé. Only the outer shell is left, they are not really involved. They can even be careless in their behaviour. It is like the last days of the Roman empire: a time of disillusionment and decadence. ‘Apres moi le deluge’, ‘who cares what comes after me’ [
Stage 15].
Formal DistantThey become very formal and distant. The outer form becomes more important than what is inside. They will attach great importance to etiquette, protocol, ceremonies and standard procedures, even when they have no function anymore. They are conventional people, conforming to the rules. They like everything to be in order, to have its proper place.
Covering upThen they start to cover up all their actions. Nobody is allowed to see what they are doing in case they are being made responsible.
MaskEventually we only see the outside, a facade, a mask. This mask makes them stiff, reserved, stoic. All you see is an empty shell: the inside has gone. They feel like a puppet, they no longer have the power to manage their task, but they pretend that nothing is wrong. They carry on as if everything is fine, but it is only an act. Everyone knows that it is only an act, that the real thing has gone, but they simply let it be.
DisThere are several words with the prefix ‘dis’ that portray the mood of this stage: distracted, discarded, distanced, displaced, dismembered, discredited, disinterested.
DDDD Stage 13: still has some feeling of control, albeit on a smaller scale. In stage 14 there is only the semblance of power left, it is an empty shell.
DD conservative:
Stage 11, 12, 13 and 14 are all very conservative.
DD Stage 10, Carbon and Silica: This stage is often compared with Carbon and Silica with regard to its chemical properties. We can see why, as they both have a certain desire for stability, they like to keep the situation as it is. The ions of this group can also have a charge of 4, like Carbon and Silica. But this stage is essentially different. Carbon and Silica really are at the top, whilst
Stage 14 only appears to be at the top. In reality they are very close to their downfall.