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What’s New with You? — Richard’s Commentary, and the I Ching for the New Moon
One of the thoughts that caught my attention in Rosemary’s “Exploration” yesterday is:
“And what new stimulus is there in your environment to keep you growing? Or are you content with the status quo and resisting forward motion?”
We live in a totally dynamic Universe supplying our need for new stimulus constantly. All we have to do is pay attention to what’s going on and assess and respond to the stimulation around us. For example we are just now in New Moon energy (as of April 10, 2013 at 5:36 AM EDT) and we are just now in a new astrological year with the Sun in Aries. And Aries, the House of newness and action, is really full of stimulating planets right now. This is from our friend Gloria Hesseloff:
“The New Moon in ARIES holds special promise because 5 other celestial bodies are also in Aries! It can rock your world!
“(Note: Seriously, you may have noticed this unique Aries time is impacting many of us or our friends and family, especially those who have prominently in their charts Aries, Libra, Capricorn or Cancer. This energy can feel aggressive, angry, domineering, etc…)”
There is plenty here to stimulate growth, change, expansion, evolution. With all this energy in Aries, Spring time in the North, New Moon, it will be difficult to remain content with the status quo! It is a great time now to capture this energy to assist us in moving forward! Gloria goes on to say now is the:
“Time to reflect on:
- What am I ready to bring to life at this time?
- Where do I need to take a stand?
- How can I take advantage of the unlimited possibilities available to me?
- How can I make changes that are real, not just superficial?
- The Universal energies are supporting courageous action with this New Moon.”
It is with all this Aries energy supporting me that I cast my I Ching Gua for this New Moon to take a look at how the month may play out and how I can best interact with these energies. And I received a surprising pair of Gua. Here is the first:
Note that the second line is a changing line (a nine) which yields a new “Approached Gua”. The initial Gua tells us something about the current energies, the status quo if you will, and the approached Gua tells us something about the changes we can expect. Since I cast these Gua for the month (the next
moon cycle, or “moonth”) we start out with the energy of Gou (Encountering) and end with Dun (Retreat). Here’s the Approached Gua:
And here is my interpretation:
Gou is about encounters with other people. The I Ching expresses caution here, to be careful of these encounters, to not take people as they first appear; not to distrust, necessarily but to reserve judgment. And it is better to meet people in person rather than at a distance (indirectly, e.g. via email!).
The Approached Gua, Dun, indicates a retreat after this or these encounters. This is a positive retreat, one to gather strength for another time (next month perhaps).
Both of these Gua offer caution about “little people” and to avoid inappropriate or unproductive encounters with them. The wise retreat to gather strength and reinforcements. This tells me to not get bogged down with small stuff. Advance by retreating!
And note that if you are following my I Ching readings each moonth that my last Gua was Heng/Long Lasting, which is the Gua immediately preceding Dun. So, after remaining steadfast during the previous month it may now be time to step back to assess and regroup!
With the I Ching timing is everything. I also note that while both of these Gua this moonth urge caution, Gou corresponds to the 5th month (June) and Dun corresponds to the 6th month (July). These will be very productive months for the year. Now is a time to be watchful of encounters and to retreat into planning to prepare for the summer months.
Considering all this energy in Aries, these are very cautionary Gua to received. I will be storing up this energy, putting it into plans and getting ready for a big summer!
Do you use any divination tools in your life? They can help you with the ever-present influences from the environment, help with interpretation and with guidance on using the energies for forward motion, but only when it is advisable!
INSPIRATION FROM ROSEMARY: What’s New?
Rosemary’s video for the week: What’s New?
PS: Book sale! Spring Book Special: Get Your Woman On! Embracing Beauty, Grace and the Power of Women – The Amazon Best Selling book that Rosemary co-authored with some amazing women – is available this month at a very special price – $12 with free shipping in the US and some great bonuses! This would be an inspirational gift for Mother’s Day for a woman who would like to read 39 stories of transformation. Here’s how to get your copy: Book Sale
Consciousness Building Tools and Monday’s Poem: Light of the World
Last Friday I posted some thoughts on our ability as humans to change. I suggested that change is not easy; old habits are difficult to modify; new thought-patterns require repetition, practice. And I suggested that there are many “consciousness building tools” we can employ to help us with our practice, our changes. As I write these high-sounding words of confidence and positive thought about evolutionary change I too need these tools, cling to them for help. And one such tool I use is visualization. I have written before about the Merkaba and visualizing the power that inner energy center can generate. I begin with a chakra balancing meditation that leads to visualizing the interlocking, spinning tetrahedrons. I use this visualization to empower my day, especially when I know I need to reinforce new behaviors and overrule old patterns. Today’s poem came out of one such visualization meditation:
Light of the World
Whirling centers,
Gravitational holes
Open and balance
To steady vibration.
Colors radiant
In brilliant hues
Beam up and out
From deep to high.
Around the core
The dynamos turn
Eight points spark
To life and arc.
The image appears
At the nexus of power
Still and calm
With steady gaze.
And the energy builds
To dazzling bursts.
The heart of Man blazes,
The Light of the World.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Gates, Thresholds, Departures and Arrivals!
Yesterday I posted a long sequence from my “Morning Pages” (The Artist’s Way) about change. I woke up that morning a bit on the irritable side and my mood was exacerbated by a series of innocuous events that sent me immediately to my pages, often a respite from the world of other people!
I took time to breathe, to reflect and to move into a whole new frame of mind. It was then that I decided to dismiss Mr. Irritation from my life. And one of the triggers that ushers irritation into my life is a violation of the rules, my rules. So, I decided that Mr. Rules needed to be dismissed right along with irritation, since they so often seem to enter my life hand-in-hand.
If you read yesterday’s post you may believe that I finished my pages and skipped across that threshold I describe and swept into Happiness! Well, I don’t know how things go for you, but as soon as I let the Universe know I am moving into a new space, a whole new pattern of being, I am immediately tested!
I re-entered the world of other people, opened the refrigerator to make my morning smoothie and out flew an open box of Yoohoo leaking a chocolate flavored concoction all over the bottom of the refrigerator and the kitchen floor. After a few choice words I tossed the container into the sink, thereby splattering more brown liquid everywhere (OK, my toss was not gentle!).
I took a breath, muttered a bit more about rules and open containers and finally caught myself (and the Universe) in the test of my commitment to a new behavior pattern. Yes, Mr. Irritation and Mr. Rules had not gone far at all and came knocking at their first opportunity. And I was right there at the door to let them in!
Change is not easy! It’s easy enough to write about Gateless Gates, Thresholds of Joy, Departures from irritability and a world of rules and Arrival into a new world of Happiness. I can picture myself in this new world; I can hold the image for long moments, especially while sitting on a cushion or writing or practicing qigong. But remaining there in that new world is a completely different exercise. It takes practice, lots of practice. The old habits influenced so heavily by Mr. Irritation and Mr. Rules are deeply etched pathways in my brain. New habits influenced by those fleeting feelings of joy and happiness barely scratch the surface of the neocortex and evaporate all too easily if not reinforced with awareness, repetition and practice.
Over the last few days I have been practicing often; in other words the tests keep on coming and giving me the opportunities to practice. And this is a good thing! How else will those mere scratches become indelible ruts of good, new habits? And as always it’s all about awareness, catching the old behavior and making the conscious choice to modify it as quickly as possible so the old ruts begin to fade as the new behavior “sinks in.”
Fortunately there are tools to help with this. All “consciousness building” tools can be put to good use: meditation, yoga, qigong, tai chi, journaling, prayer, contemplation, etc. are all methods to help build our conscious minds to come to our aid with awareness of every moment, every breath, to fill that awareness with realization of our True Nature and how to align our everyday behavior with that Nature.
How do you build your Consciousness? What methods do you employ to effect change in your life?
Change, the Brain, and Life Force Energy—Richard’s Commentary
Change has certainly been on my mind lately—can you tell from my posts? Some of this change energy, maybe most of it, is coming from outside sources, including the influences of the planets, stars, heavens, recalling the quotes I used from my astrologer friend, Chris Largent, last week.
It is important to be aware of these outside influences in order to react, reflect and respond appropriately. And this happens on the inside, the only source and cause of true change. We have to consciously step through that gateless gate!
I was still in the middle of all this rumination when I wrote my “morning pages” this past Monday. Here’s what I’d like to share:
Everybody seems to be on edge, maybe a threshold, balancing on that edge, uncertain, teetering forth and back, wondering, hesitant, angry at the hesitance, fearful of the advance. Yet, advance we must straight into April and lovely days ahead to celebrate wakefulness.
It is good to wake up. It is good to be alive. Yes, I have met with irritation today, my old friend. And he is as grumpy as ever, rasping about people in his way, people with attitudes, people not following the rules – his rules. I have met with him and asked him to leave. I have too much to do to deal with irritation. It is a pointless and wasteful feeling. He is gone and I welcome the clear, clean air of April.
And maybe I’m a fool to seek happiness and joy in all things. There is often good reason to be in irritation’s field. But reason doesn’t make it right. The foolishness of joy is not wrong. Maybe it is unreasonable but never wrong.
I will seek out joy today. I would much rather be in his company. Some days I would rather be happy and irrational, living with Pi and Phi, than living in my left brain with the thinker, too often stinker.
Flow, goodness, grace, Tao. These are the way. This is The Way, the Immortal Way. How can an irritable man ever be good company, live as an Immortal? This is not the way!
And so I write, I look for the change. The door to Immortality stands wide open. The threshold of that door is joy. Happiness lives beyond. The simple act of crossing that threshold concludes the Pursuit of Happiness. It is right there, a fool’s paradise, so easy to reach out to, beyond. Just beyond.
Is this an April Fool’s joke I’m playing on myself? Can it really be so easy? And what if it is? Isn’t everything I write about choice? I believe it is. Stepping across the threshold is a choice. And this door of the threshold? It is that gateless gate of Zen. It swings both ways. There is always the “anti-choice” of reversion to old ways, meeting up with irritation again! Why I would want to do that is a mystery but it does happen. But maybe with the support of Heaven it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe I can stay on the grace and happiness side of the gate. Maybe the world over there is perfect, just as it is. There is nothing wrong on that side of the gate that needs my attention. It is all good, just as it is. All I have to do is see it that way. And maybe some would say this is looking through “rose-colored glasses”. So what? Those who say that covet the glasses!
Is there sickness, old-age and death on that side of the gate? Of course there is! All the people caught up in all their desires are still there. Those still pursuing happiness are still there. It is a gateless gate—there is nothing that gate separates! In this sense nothing has changed. They have not crossed the threshold. It is I who have changed. It all only bubbles up from the inside. The gate that is not a barrier is inside. The threshold of joy is inside. The choice to cross the threshold is made in silence, promised to no one, confessed only in the stillness of every moment.
Change is that simple. And this may be the most difficult vow I can take and keep. Is there any way that I can say goodbye to irritation, dismiss him forever? This is only one step to take beyond the threshold. And from that new place I can hope to say, yes to this promise. One step into the new current is all it takes. And the flow will take me in a whole new direction…I am willing to let that current take me.
This is the water of my life. It is moving now, spinning beyond the stagnant backwater I have been stuck in for too long. This pretty April day with Sun, high sky, light breeze ringing bells is a brand new day for this fool to let go of old companions of irritation and rules and head into the unknown space of happiness flowing with whatever currents will come to jostle, cajole, and rejoin me onward beyond joy!
…so it all came tumbling out! And in tomorrow’s post I’ll offer a sequel to this flow toward change, toward happiness I stepped into this week…
MONDAY’S POEM: Open
Last week I wrote about the astrology of the time and opening doors to new beginnings, a new “consensus reality.” Open doors motivated today’s poem:
Open
The gateless gate
Stands open.
Walk through to
Limitlessness.
It will not close;
It is a gateless gate.
The dark beyond dark
Is light filled.
Peer through to
Formlessness.
Out of Oneness
The ten-thousand things.
The best are like
Water.
Flow through to
The River wide.
Many currents
Create the Ocean deep.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
The Door to All Beginnings
Yesterday I posted my commentary on Rosemary’s post about surprises. We seem to be in the midst of many surprises as we move well into 2013. Whether the subject is politics, global affairs, earth changes, violence, economics, and the rest of the lengthy list, every area of life seems to be popping with surprises.
And then there is the astrology and my friend, Chris Largent’s musing about the dissolution of “consensus reality”!
Holding all of this in mind I turn easily to the Master, Lao-Tzu, and the First Chapter of the Taoteching:
The way that becomes a way
is not the Immortal Way
the name that becomes a name
is not the Immortal Name
the maiden of Heaven and Earth has no name
the mother of all things has a name
thus in innocence we see the beginning
in passion we see the end
two different names
for one and the same
the one we call dark
the dark beyond dark
the door to all beginnings
from the translation by Red Pine
Every surprise is a door to a new beginning. Every shift is an opportunity for transformation. And this is the story we are now writing for ourselves. This is the reformation of reality we are all forming from the dissolution of the old consensus reality.
It’s an open door; a dark door. There are unknowns and unknowables on the other side. It will take courage to walk through into that darkness. And many of us are ready and willing. We are the light-workers. We carry our inner light through and into that dark, unknowable territory to create the new reality. This is our mission; this is our time.
Where is this door? It’s on the inside. The opening is right in the center of our hearts. Each and every light-worker knows this; has known this from the beginning. And we all have a sense that we are moving into this time to step through the opening door.
Imagine if our new reality is formed by the consensus of light-workers! Can you see the vision; can you hear the music; can you smell the flowers; can you taste the delights; can you feel the soft breeze of the freshest of air sooth your delicate body; can you imagine such a new reality? This is the Tao. It is there, just beyond the door. Yes, it’s “dark beyond dark” through that door. But it’s the door to “all beginnings”! Let’s walk through it, hand-in-hand with courage and a true vision for the New Reality!
Surprise!!! – Richard’s Commentary
While thinking about my response to Rosemary’s article on this subject I received an email from a mentor/teacher/friend, a deep scholar and also a gifted astrologer, about the energies of the times we are experiencing. I’m quoting a bit of his latest offering to set the stage for my thoughts about surprises.
More on the BIG astrology now – it IS that important – from Chris
“The aspects of the end of this week represent a rupture in consensus reality. In other words, what we take to be true about ourselves, our community, our nation, and our planet could be challenged or expanded (or both). My best advice is that if we see an opening in the “medieval fort” of everyday, programmed awareness, we should run through that opening.
“The possibilities for expanding consciousness are huge. But we have to choose to engage with those possibilities. We have to step outside the fort and challenge things we take for granted.”
Chris Largent
Surprise!!! A “rupture in consensus reality” certainly has the element of surprise embedded in it! Wow! But what does this really mean?
We have been anticipating big shifts with all the thought-energy, the expectations generated around 2012. While much of the hype is gone, many understand that the Winter Solstice, 2012, was a turning point, not THE EVENT itself. We are now in the midst of that long turn. Some are suggesting that we may see big shifts with the Summer Solstice as the transformation to a new era begins to unfold in earnest. And many astrologers are aligning events in the Heavens with the correspondences of ancient calendars to conclude big things are happening.
Beliefs are certainly shifting and rapidly. Just look at one example around the issue of same-sex marriage rights. No matter what side of this issue you might support there has been an incredible, rapid shift in American acceptance of the LGBT Community and their rights to equal treatment under the law! Consensus reality is reforming here in a surprisingly positive direction. Chris goes on to say:
“The consciousness doors that open now will allow for big inner and outer shifts through the summer of 2014 – but the opening is NOW.”
Rosemary has this to say about consensus reality:
“As a human being, it is easy to fall into the trap of always wanting to be in control of your life. That would be nice. But the Earth is inhabited by other human beings who also want to be in control of their lives. What happens when these two desires collide?”
What happens is, willing or not, consensus reality is reformed around that collision. Of course it doesn’t have to be a collision! Chris says:
“…we are like currents in a river. In other words, we look at the world in terms of fluid processes (and whole systems). If we look closely at our lives, that’s what we see: we flow within larger patterns, and we create patterns as our life-processes flow with other life processes.”
I love this analogy of lives that flow together, but there’s no doubt that there is colliding yet to come as we bump through the next months of transformation! As consensus reality dissolves around us we need to be prepared for the reformation of our reality. These are exciting times! And while I don’t always like surprises (I’m one of those people who likes to be in control) I am now at a stage of life where anticipation of big changes and moving forward on the evolutionary path of consciousness is very appealing.
What other cultural surprises might we anticipate? Well, they wouldn’t be surprises if we knew about them in advance! Are you prepared for the long predicted and anticipated shifts? Are you ready for the BIG SURPRISE?
Monday’s Poem: Evolution of Enlightenment?
On Saturday I listened in on the “Guru and Pandit” continuing series of discussions between Andrew Cohen and Ken Wilber. As always it is a treat to hear these two expound on their evolving thought with respect to Spirituality and Integral Philosophy. But I was struck by one area of exploration during their latest offering about the evolution of human knowledge and, more generally the evolution of consciousness vis-à-vis Enlightenment. And I’m still pondering the question about whether Enlightenment is relative, therefore evolving, or absolute and therefore a touching on the Ground of all Being, the Absolute, unchanging, fully evolved Truth. This exploration motivated my poem for the week:
Evolution of Enlightenment?
Some would say
We know more today
Than the Buddha did
When he awakened.
Human consciousness
Is evolving, yes?
We are reaching higher stages
Of development.
But what is enlightenment?
Realization of Absolute Truth,
The fully formed, never changing
Ground of Being?
Awakening to the never changing,
Formlessness cannot change.
Buddha is fully evolved.
Question answered; problem solved.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Self-Forgiveness as a form of Self-Love
In yesterday’s post I responded to Rosemary’s exploration about Self-Love – how it feels. And I touched on forgiveness as a way of letting go, freeing oneself of bonds that constrict one’s growth and interfere with Self-Love which in turn interferes with one’s ability to love at all!
Then it hits; the lesson! It seems that as soon as I begin to think deeply about something I get hit with the exact lesson to drive home the understanding! Yesterday we were under time-pressure to finalize Rosemary’s class for that evening, to put together the presentation and collect all the materials. Then the printer indicated low ink supply, so it was off to Staples for more. But here’s the thing: we had received a big discount offer in the mail earlier in the week; I planned to use it for more ink. The discount could only be used online but I did not get a chance to get the order placed. And now we needed ink immediately. I stormed out of the house, hair on fire with the time-crunch foremost in my mind, and raced off to get the additional supplies. Then to compound an already harried day, I left material behind when we raced off to the class. More rushing, now we are late, more storming around!
It’s tough to reach into Self for some Love under these circumstances! It can only start with forgiveness!
The lessons here are multi-layered but the main one is Self-forgiveness. I had intended to order the ink. But the week was busy and it didn’t get done. As it turned out I didn’t even need the ink yet; the printer only sent me a warning. Everything turned out fine, the class was a great success and my hair didn’t really catch on fire! And now I even have a story to base this post on!
I am calm now. And I did learn something today, again, that’s very important: every moment is a learning experience, or at least an opportunity. If we pause in the moment and ask: “What is this?” even in the midst of the chaos and flaming hair, then we can begin the learning process. If we get angry, impatient, frustrated, and harried there is no room for learning, and likely, no peace, no calm, no Love! But it is not an easy practice to stop in the midst of the chaos, deadlines, time-constraints and frustrating interruptions to ask: “What is this?” Yet, this is the lesson and this is why we are here!
And at the end of the day I even have to look back and forgive myself for not only my impatience and anger, but the failed practice! It just keeps on compounding!
But isn’t this what “practice” is all about? If it is no longer practice, then we would not need to be here. Our purpose will have been fulfilled.
For now I’m just going to keep on practicing. Self-forgiveness is a very big and necessary action for those of us with a lot of Wood Element in our make-up. This is a reference to the main element type, of five, that I resonate with from Dr. Charles Moss’ work: Power of the Five Elements. I am nearly finished with the book, a fantastic reference for anyone interested in Chinese Medicine, the Tao, acupuncture and health. (I will review the book here once I have finished my detailed read of it.) Here is just a sample of why this book is helping with my practice:
“Forgiveness and patience, the Virtues associated with the Wood Type, come from the vision and insight of the Wood energy. These Virtues can neutralize frustration, anger, impatience, and hostility (the toxic emotions and actions of the poorly adapted Wood Type) and create a path back to adaptation.”
My practice continues to transform the toxic emotions into these Virtues, to create a path to adaptation, or what Dr. Moss calls “knowing how to be.”
Men and The Goddess 