Ace of Coins

Disks, coins, pentacles, pocket-watches, vinyl records, and Communion wafers have more in common than just their basic shape; they are all concrete, physical manifestations of things normally considered insubstantial, such as time, value, music, or even faith. An icon you can actually lay hands on is a constant reminder of how real these things are to us, even though you can't necessarily see or sense them.

Click the link above and you'll be presented with a round, blank space that you can fill with whatever patterns you like. This is a physical act-- you are moving your eyes and fingers to do so, and your brain enjoys playing with patterns. Then click the button marked "2D Rotate" and your pattern springs to life kaleidoscopically. Click "3D Rotate" and it unfolds into a fully spherical configuration, spinning beautifully out of control. You can continue to add more and more layers to the pattern, but by then your mind has been completely distracted from the simple mechanics of pointing and clicking and pattern-making; you've become totally absorbed in manipulating the chaotic, "three-dimensional" microcosmic world that you set into motion.

We spend most of our time like that. The Ace of Coins dispels these flights of fancy in favor of what's immediately possible and worthwhile for its own sake. It draws you back into the rich physical potential of your body and the world around it-- you may discover golden opportunities that you'd have overlooked if you'd kept your head in the clouds. Without a regular reminder of your physical limitations to reset your focus, every other part of your consciousness is forced to fend for itself, resulting in less pleasant reality-checks further down the road. Consider this one a freebie!