Runtime Configuration (Step 0 — before any processing)

Read these files to configure domain-specific behavior:

1. ops/derivation-manifest.md — vocabulary mapping, platform hints

   • Use vocabulary.notes for the notes folder name
   • Use vocabulary.note / vocabulary.note_plural for note type references
   • Use vocabulary.reflect for the process verb in output
   • Use vocabulary.topic_map / vocabulary.topic_map_plural for MOC references
   • Use vocabulary.cmd_reweave for the next-phase suggestion
   • Use vocabulary.inbox for the inbox folder name

2. ops/config.yaml — processing depth, pipeline chaining

   • processing.depth: deep | standard | quick
   • processing.chaining: manual | suggested | automatic

If these files don't exist, use universal defaults.

Processing depth adaptation:

EXECUTE NOW

Target: $ARGUMENTS

Parse immediately:

• If target contains [[note name]] or note name: find connections for that {vocabulary.note}
• If target contains --handoff: output RALPH HANDOFF block at end
• If target is empty: check for recently created {vocabulary.note_plural} or ask which {vocabulary.note}
• If target is "recent" or "new": find connections for all {vocabulary.note_plural} created today

Execute these steps:

1. Read the target {vocabulary.note} fully — understand its claim and context
2. Throughout discovery: Capture which {vocabulary.topic_map_plural} you read, which queries you ran (with scores), which candidates you evaluated. This becomes the Discovery Trace — proving methodology was followed, not reconstructed.
3. Run Phase 0 (index freshness check)
4. Use dual discovery in parallel:
   • Browse relevant {vocabulary.topic_map}(s) for related {vocabulary.note_plural}
   • Run semantic search for conceptually related {vocabulary.note_plural}
5. Evaluate each candidate: does a genuine connection exist? Can you articulate WHY?
6. Add inline wiki-links where connections pass the articulation test
7. Update relevant {vocabulary.topic_map}(s) with this {vocabulary.note}
8. If task file in context: update the {vocabulary.reflect} section
9. Report what was connected and why
10. If --handoff in target: output RALPH HANDOFF block

START NOW. Reference below explains methodology — use to guide, not as output.

Reflect

Find connections, weave the knowledge graph, update {vocabulary.topic_map_plural}. This is the forward-connection phase of the processing pipeline.

Philosophy

The network IS the knowledge.

Individual {vocabulary.note_plural} are less valuable than their relationships. A {vocabulary.note} with fifteen incoming links is an intersection of fifteen lines of thought. Connections create compound value as the vault grows.

This is not keyword matching. This is semantic judgment — understanding what {vocabulary.note_plural} MEAN to determine how they relate. A {vocabulary.note} about "friction in systems" might deeply connect to "verification approaches" even though they share no words. You are building a traversable knowledge graph, not tagging documents.

Quality over speed. Explicit over vague.

Every connection must pass the articulation test: can you say WHY these {vocabulary.note_plural} connect? "Related" is not a relationship. "Extends X by adding Y" or "contradicts X because Z" is a relationship.

Bad connections pollute the graph. They create noise that makes real connections harder to find. When uncertain, do not connect.

Invocation Patterns

/reflect (no argument)

Check for recent additions:

1. Look for {vocabulary.note_plural} modified in the last session
2. If none obvious, ask user what {vocabulary.note_plural} to connect

/reflect [note]

Focus on connecting a specific {vocabulary.note}:

1. Read the target {vocabulary.note}
2. Discover related content
3. Add connections and update {vocabulary.topic_map_plural}

/reflect [topic area]

Synthesize an area:

1. Read the relevant {vocabulary.topic_map}
2. Identify {vocabulary.note_plural} that should connect
3. Weave connections, update synthesis

/reflect --handoff [note]

External loop mode for /ralph:

• Execute full workflow as normal
• At the end, output structured RALPH HANDOFF block
• Used when running isolated phases with fresh context per task

Workflow

Phase 0: Verify Index Freshness

Before using semantic search, verify the index is current. This is self-healing: if {vocabulary.note_plural} were created outside the pipeline (manual edits, other skills), reflect catches the drift before searching.

1. Try mcp__qmd__status to get the indexed document count for the target collection
2. If MCP unavailable (tool fails or returns error): fall back to bash:

   LOCKDIR="ops/queue/.locks/qmd.lock"
   while ! mkdir "$LOCKDIR" 2>/dev/null; do sleep 2; done
   qmd_count=$(qmd status 2>/dev/null | grep -A2 '{vocabulary.notes_collection}' | grep 'documents' | grep -oE '[0-9]+' | head -1)
   rm -rf "$LOCKDIR"
   

3. Count actual files:

   file_count=$(ls -1 {vocabulary.notes}/*.md 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
   

4. If the counts differ, sync the index:

   qmd update && qmd embed
   

Run this check before proceeding. If stale, sync and continue. If current, proceed immediately.

Phase 1: Understand What You Are Connecting

Before searching for connections, deeply understand the source material.

For each {vocabulary.note} you are connecting:

1. Read the full {vocabulary.note}, not just title and description
2. Identify the core claim and supporting reasoning
3. Note key concepts, mechanisms, implications
4. Ask: what questions does this answer? What questions does it raise?

What you are looking for:

• The central argument (what is being claimed?)
• The mechanism (why/how does this work?)
• The implications (what follows from this?)
• The scope (when does this apply? When not?)
• The tensions (what might contradict this?)

If a task file exists (pipeline execution): read the task file to see what the extraction phase discovered. The reduce notes, semantic neighbor field, and classification provide critical context about why this {vocabulary.note} was extracted and what it relates to.

Phase 2: Discovery (Find Candidates)

Use dual discovery: {vocabulary.topic_map} exploration AND semantic search in parallel. These are complementary, not sequential.

Capture discovery trace as you go. Note which {vocabulary.topic_map_plural} you read, which queries you ran (with scores), which searches you tried. This becomes the Discovery Trace section in output — proving methodology was followed, not reconstructed after the fact.

Primary discovery (run in parallel):

Path 1: {vocabulary.topic_map} Exploration — curated navigation

If you know the topic (check the {vocabulary.note}'s Topics footer), start with the {vocabulary.topic_map}:

• Read the relevant {vocabulary.topic_map}(s)
• Follow curated links in Core Ideas — these are human/agent-curated connections
• Note what is already connected to similar concepts
• Check Tensions and Gaps for context
• What do agent notes reveal about navigation?

{vocabulary.topic_map_plural} tell you what thinking exists and how it is organized. Someone already decided what matters for this topic.

Path 2: Semantic Search — find what {vocabulary.topic_map_plural} might miss

Three-tier fallback for semantic search:

Tier 1 — MCP tools (preferred): Use mcp__qmd__deep_search