As I wrote last time, in Japanese the concept "imagine" has two elements: "think about"(想)and "elephantasy" (像).
Elephantasy (像) can be thought of as a powerful sensory impact (象: elephant) whose appropriation for human ends is indicated by the presence on its left flank of a Canjeez portraying a human (亻) .
In fact, an elephantasy is normally something whose impact is intended to be visual: 画像 (picture), 映像 (video), 仏像 (Buddhist sculpture), 雪像 (snow sculpture), 石像 (stone sculpture). These elephantasies all require a human creator.
Nature, on the other hand, is the domain of the true elephant (象), unsullied by human purpose. One example is the flow-elephant (気象) of meteorology. No human (亻) is messing with that elephant.
But natural impacts don't have to be on a grand scale. The same "true elephant" Canjeez is used in 現象 (phenomenon), 印象 (impression).
It's also used in 対象. That's an object, as in 注目の対象: an object of attention, such as a tree (木), which takes us all the way back to 001_Objects of attention.
What happens when a tree is appropriated for a human purpose? This Canjeez — 休 — shows us exactly that: a tree with a human on its left flank. For what purpose might a human appropriate a tree? To take a rest. And that is the meaning of 休.
Couldn't 休 simply be an actual image of a human resting in the shade of a tree? Someone leaning against a tree, for example, or sitting at the base of the tree with their back supported by the trunk? Yes, this is pretty much the standard description of the etymology of the kanji 休.
But at this point, I would like to remind you that what I am describing are Canjeez. These are identical to kanji in appearance, but I can write what I like about Canjeez because I made that term up specifically so that I could write what I like about them.
When I tell you that 休 can be interpreted as a tree appropriated for a human purpose, that's my take. Maybe you have a completely different one.
You should definitely not see me as an authoritative guide to kanji etymology. My focus is on appropriating these characters to illustrate aspects of the human condition. It is possible that illustrating aspects of the human condition was part of the characters' original purpose. But who knows? I certainly don't.
Am I trustworthy as a guide to kanji? No. Am I a trustworthy guide to Canjeez? Well, I'm a trustworthy guide to my view of Canjeez. To that extent, yes, I can be trusted.
What is "trust" in Canjeez? It is 信, speech appropriated for a human purpose. You can see the human (亻) again on the left flank of 言, which is the character for speech. To trust someone is to take their “word” for something.
With respect to Canjeez, I encourage you to see me as trustworthy. With respect to kanji, I do not. You would not — and should not — feel safe and secure with me as a guide to kanji.
Feeling safe and secure: knowing that the path ahead is safe, and the guidance reliable. These are all factors in confidence, the way you want to feel before taking the next step along any path.
What is "confidence" in Canjeez? It is 自信, "self trust". Faith in oneself.
How might you use your hand to indicate yourself? I tend to put my hand on my chest, or vaguely point at my face. It seems that many people in both China and Japan point to their nose, which is what 自 originally depicted.
Nowadays 自 looks like an eye with a bit added on top. Add a bit more to the top of (a slight variation of) 自 and you get head: 首.
Set that head in motion (using a version of 辶) and you get 道: the path, the way.
If you’re still feeling nose-trust (you’re not sniffing danger), next time let's continue to make headway and get ahead in Canjeez.