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New Moon in Leo I Ching Divination
I love New Moons. And I love working with the I Ching around these times of new energy, new beginnings, fresh starts each month (or moonth!). And I especially like this New Moon: both Rosemary and I are Leos. If you too are a Leo I celebrate you! And if you are not I recommend making some Leo friends!
One of the reasons I love the I Ching is because it works! I think my example this month demonstrates this beautifully. Last month the accomplished Gua, the six-line symbol of yin and yang lines (open and closed) that we ended the month with was Union. (See that post.) Among other things that symbol referred to partnerships, marriages. And it is significant that Rosemary and I celebrated our 31st Anniversary just as the Sun was moving into Leo on July 22. And, yes, we did commit to additional years of marriage (I’m looking forward to another 31 years!).
And here is the interesting thing. The Gua I cast for the Leo New Moon is Heng which means Long Lasting! I picture the Gua here:
Master Alfred Huang, author of my main reference text, The Complete I Ching, says this about Long Lasting: “The union of husband and wife should not be short lived.” From the Cancer New Moon when we celebrated Union we continue on this Leo month with the “Long Lasting of that Union”! And the I Ching decision is:
Long lasting
Prosperous and smooth.
No fault.
Favorable to be steadfast and upright.
Favorable to have somewhere to go.
The beginning of the month looks good. And we are about to begin a trip to visit family and friends, and to attend a conference; a combination of a work and play trip. Long Lasting seems to favor this trip.
It is a good time to look at partnerships, especially long-term partnerships. Renew them; honor them; celebrate them! And take this Gua’s decision to heart.
Now, notice that there are two “9 lines” at the second and fourth positions. These are changing lines; in this case the 9s can shift to 6s, from yang lines to yin lines. Master Huang suggests reading the lower changing line to derive the accomplished Gua. This yields Xiao Guo which means Little Exceeding. It is pictured here:
An initial reaction to this Gua may be a bit negative. There are several warning components in the text, but the main message is more cautionary than negative. Part of the Decision says:
A flying bird leaves a message:
Not appropriate to ascend
Appropriate to descend.
This means it is time to pause and assess. Now is a good time to take small steps and make small adjustments. Reflect. It is good to do this with the Leo sun. We are in harvest time now. The Celtic cross-quarter day of Lughnasadh or Lammas is celebrated in early August. It is time to both reap the rewards of hard work and take stock of the supplies moving toward fall and winter. Be prepared for the coming shift. Note the symbol of the flying bird and the warning to descend. We are moving toward the descent of the season. After Lammas begin to notice that the days are growing significantly shorter.
And here is the good news: the mutual Gua which contains the hidden meaning for Little Exceeding is Da Guo, Great Exceeding! In this month of Little Exceeding, we can prepare for something big on the horizon. The harvest will be sufficient. Be ready for this Great Exceeding by tending to details and making the necessary small adjustment now.
Are you ready for the harvest? Tend to the details and celebrate Lammas; note the changing light as we move toward Equinox; and enjoy the warm and inviting Leo Sun!
A FRIDAY POEM FROM “RHYTHMS AND CYCLES” – Grandmother Moon (a reprise)
It hasn’t been that long since I published this poem. But for you new followers, in case you missed it, here it is again. And here we are again, sinking with the moon as she falls ever further behind in her race with the sun. I seem to be sensing the “death” of this particular moon, into the Leo sun, even more powerfully than usual. Maybe the Lion’s jaws are fierce and strong and Grandmother is falling toward them with more than her usual reluctance!
Do you feel the effects of the “old moon” a day or two before the new moon? Check in with your intuitive nature. The moon is there to support that feminine side of you!
Grandmother Moon
She is dying into the arms
Of the Father.
She is old and worn,
So close to his breast.
What will you give her
To offer the Father?
Her emptiness can hold all
You have to release.
Are your standards so fixed
To forgive and forget?
Let fly the high-horse
To Grandmother Moon.
Release your regrets
To her skinny white arms.
She’ll fold them and hold all
To burn with her heart.
In three days she’ll appear
Reborn and renewed.
Look to the west for the joy
Of her face and rejoice.
You too are new!
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
MONDAY’S POEM: Inner Life
We are approaching the time of the Sun in Leo! If you are a Leo, as Rosemary and I are (same birthday: August 2) then you understand the exclamation point! If you aren’t a Leo find a Leo friend!
The Sun moves into Leo tomorrow, July 22; one characteristic of Leos is they know things like this, even if they aren’t into Astrology! (They also use a lot of exclamation points!) And, if you share the same birthday with someone close, like a spouse, then you tend to celebrate birthdays for much longer than a day!
The only point of all of this (besides announcing my birthday) is that I wrote this poem when the Sun was in Leo in 2011. Enjoy! And don’t be surprised to see more Leonine poems here over the next few weeks!
Inner Life
There is a secret to this
Inner Life:
It is reflected in the outer.
To find peace in the world
Still the heart,
Still the mind.
To find abundance in the world
Enrich the Inner,
Fill the heart
With Love.
To find wisdom in the world
Still the mind,
Fill the mind
From Source.
To find joy in the world
Reach inward
Fill the Heart-Mind
With radiance!
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
A FRIDAY POEM FROM RHYTHMS AND CYCLES – “The Future is Now”
Rosemary’s Exploration, posted today on her blog (look for it here next Wednesday), is about choice, about choosing our family, our life, our Truth. It’s about rewriting our stories the way we want them to be lived and told.
I came across this poem before I read her article; they seem to go together. All time is NOW. When we live in the present every moment is a moment of our choosing. Dream into your own reality!
The Future is Now
If the future is now
Dreams are now.
This is Dream Time.
And is the past now?
Forgiveness is now.
This is the lesson.
Now is only now,
Past time, Dream Time,
All one now.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.