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New Moon in Pisces; New I Ching Gua
The Moon emerged from conjunction with the Sun at 3:51 pm EDT on Monday. I like to do an I Ching reading on the New Moon to see what energies might have influence over the coming month (or Moonth as it was once known). The Gua I cast using the traditional yarrow stalk method contained three changing lines! Maybe this is appropriate since we are approaching spring here in the Northern Hemisphere and with the Sun moving toward Aries there is always new beginnings, growth, change. Here is the first Gua:
This is Jie/Relief.
The second, third and forth lines were all moving; to avoid confusion I selected the middle line to read as the changing line. It was a yin, six which then changes to a yang line to create the approached Gua:
This is Heng/Long Lasting.
So, what does any of this mean? First, from the last New Moon my Yi moved from “Hindrance” to “Watching” – see my February 11 post. In mid-February I did feel stuck; we were in the mid-winter doldrums so this made some sense to me. Then I could “watch” for opportunities to come along to make changes, to break free of the stuck-ness!
Along came Qi Revolution with Jeff Primack on February 16 and I went; I definitely felt the change, the break out!
Now for this month I get some “relief.” But with that changing line at the third position I need to be attentive to the work; there is no time to let down now. This is directly related to my Qigong practice. As the I Ching says, I need to remain “steadfast and upright” in this practice for it to be effective; otherwise I could lose it.
Then “long lasting” comes into play. This is a propitious Gua. Sincerity, purity and unselfishness are demanded (more about my practice).
The form of this Gua is Thunder (the top trigram) over Wind (the lower trigram). This is a very natural occurrence, and therefore is auspicious. It can represent marriage or partnership with “firm” over “gentle.” And it is favorable to have somewhere to go.
Some warnings also go with this Gua: “never over-react and hold to the central path”; good advice for any partnership! This is an excellent Gua with great news as we approach the Spring Equinox. It is time to move forward with plans; the elements and Heaven and Earth are in alignment. It’s time to move ahead with all possible good intention and energy.
Here’s what Confucius wrote as the main theme of this Gua:
Sun and moon rely on the Tao of Heaven;
Thus can their shining be long lasting.
The four seasons change and transform;
Thus can their production of beings long endure.
The holy sage remains long lasting in his way of life;
Then all things under Heaven are transformed to completion.
Contemplate the Tao of Long Lasting,
To see the nature of Heaven and Earth and of all beings.
[from The Complete I Ching by Taoist Master Alfred Huang]
This divining of the energies for the next four weeks fits very well with my plans and intentions. I hope you can find some relevance in this reading for you and where you are headed!
MONDAY’S POEM: Hindrance
Yesterday, Sunday, at 2:20 am, Eastern time, the moon was new and brought in the Chinese New Year, the year of the Water Snake. And as I always practice, I cast an I Ching Gua to check the energies for the upcoming four weeks, until the next new moon. I cast this 6-line diagram:
This Gua pictures Heaven (the top three solid lines) over Earth (the bottom three broken lines). It is one of the key Gua and at first sight seems auspicious. But it comes with a warning; its name, Pi means “hindrance.” At first I was disappointed. But as I read about this diagram further I took heart. The Chinese have a saying about this Gua and its opposite, Earth over Heaven, or Tai in Chinese, which means “advance.” The saying, poem really, is “Pi ji Tai lai” which means: “Out of the depths of misfortune comes bliss. At the end of hindrance appears advance.”
So, the meaning I take for this divination is to remain patient in all situations. And maybe this month is still about introspection. We are still in winter, afterall, a time for rest and rejuvenation, waiting for the return of the Sun and new birth!
And to further explore my understanding of this I Ching reading for this next “moonth” I wrote the following:
Hindrance
Heaven departs
Leaving Spirit distant
And still.
Earth recedes
Falling away to be
Alone.
But watch, be still.
Extremes reach their ends,
Hindrance yields to advance.
And the Earth turns.
Heaven returns.
Spirit remains unchanged.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Monday’s Poem; and the I Ching for the Month
I have two offerings for today to start your week and your “moonth” as the New Moon from this past Friday begins to swell into our consciousness. First Monday’s Poem:
I wrote this as a reminder of three important virtues I want to hold firmly in mind as I work to transform my too often negative and troublesome emotions to these virtues to lift my consciousness and grow a healthier attitude.
Love, Forgiveness, Gratitude
Three acts for 2013:
Love, where it all begins
And ends.
The circle of everything
Turns with the tides
As the Moon loves down.
Forgiveness, in the middle,
The hinge.
It all turns on this act
Swinging round and round
As a gateless gate for passage.
Gratitude, the end,
No end.
Turning about the center
Where it all rests
As we give thanks and praise.
Love, Forgiveness, Gratitude:
Grace.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
The I Ching Gua I cast for the next four weeks, the last month before the Chinese New Year, February 10, is an interesting one. Using my yarrow stalks I cast five yin yao, all 8s, before I cast the final yang yao, a 7. The hexagram looks like this:
This is Bo and using Alfred Huang’s The Complete I Ching it means “Falling Away.” The lower trigram is Earth or Kun and the upper trigram is Mountain or Gen. So we have the mountain resting on a stack of yin lines which is pretty unstable. Think of a landslide as the mountain tumbles down to the low lands.
The Decision of this Gua is:
Falling Away.
Unfavorable to have somewhere to go.
For those of you interested in the I Ching you can pursue the meaning of this gua farther as you will with your trusted references. Here’s my take on the gua and the timing of it:
This is a good time to go inside, look inward for stability. This is the last month before the New Year. It is a good time to seek stability in this unstable time. Clean up, clean out, get organized. Sweep away the decaying underpinnings and get ready for the year of the Snake.
Contemplate all of those things that are not working. Let them go. Meditate on new things that might work better and bring some new stability. The mutual gua of Bo is Kun – Earth over Earth, Responding, Receiving. Again, look to receive some inner guidance.
Note also there are no changing lines in this gua. So the situation is stagnant. Again the message is to wait it out and seek inner guidance.
This is my interpretation of this gua for me at this time. It may or may not apply to you and your situation or the times themselves. But as our government seems locked in turmoil and stagnation this just might be an appropriate gua for others. In any case it is always good to go inside to seek guidance.
And this mid-winter time is a great time to just be with what is.
PS: To start 2013 off with incredible guidance from The Divine Feminine you can get the 8 recordings Rosemary made at the end of 2012 during her Wisdom of the Week (WOW) calls. Get them here.
Richard’s & Rosemary’s Divination for 2013
Hello, all! Happy New Year, 2013!
Rosemary and I have been enjoying some time with family and away from work and computers for the past few days! Thank you for that! And today, I drew a couple of cards for my daily practice and it turns out I drew the same card from the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue that Rosemary had drawn the day before, on December 31. Coincidence? We prefer to dismiss coincidence and rely on synchronicity!
We have chosen to share our divination for 2013 with you all. Let this be our community fortune, from the two of us:
From the Goddess Cards: Lakshmi, Bright Future: Stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine.
The only blocks to success, peace, balance, flow, are our own projections of problems, obstacles, fears into the future! Yes, indeed, project only positive aspects into the future and pull them back into the present. Stay in flow and the bright future flows to us. Stay in balance and all obstacles become gateways! Stay in Peace and the world around is a place of peace.
And, from The Crowley Tarot, The 10 of Disks: Wealth.
This card is about inner and outer balance to maintain a constant flow. As we recognize and own our inner treasures, the outer treasures will manifest. This card represents the completion of goals and the peak of Earthly happiness. By year-end our resolutions will be attained, goals achieved and material gain will be substantial.
These are the words I wrote.
We take these cards as wonderful omens for 2013! We have written often about 2012 as the year of transformation. We are in process of deep change. And with deep change come rich rewards. “It’s in the cards!”
May your 2013 be a year of rewards! May you Live Your Richest Life!
More from QRS on Time
As I wrote my “daily pages” today I thought about time, especially as 2012 runs down, the moon cycles to full and I continue to examine this construct that the “Floating Heads” – QRS from the future – are bringing to my attention. And as soon as they come to mind they begin their dictation. Here’s what they offered today:
The Full Moon is nearly upon you. Pay attention. As the moon swells it fills with all the energy for you. It is full of love energy. Take it in, breathe it in and breathe in the emotions of the Universe, including our love energy. When you draw your cards today you may want to pay close attention to them and even blog about them. Divination for the blog is a good thing and you have been neglecting that element lately.
We would speak to you today about circular time. It is a bubble-like thing, expanding. It is not unlike the expanding Universe itself, moving away from itself. Time, Space, Matter, gravity are all closely related concepts in what you have known as a unified field. It is less like unity and more like singularity. It is, at root, all one thing, all inter-related and inter-dimensional. Your Thich Nhat Hahn speaks of “inter-being.” This is the word he chooses to speak of these concepts. Time is a component of this inter-beingness. This is how the past and future inter-relate with the present; this is how they can all seem as one thing, all existent at once. This is how Rosemary can talk to dead people, see and hear historical figures, sense us and reveal us to you. She sees and hears through this singularity of time. And this is how you are writing our words which are coming to you from the future. This is how you can reach forward into the future and empower the present from what you bring back. We are repeating ourselves here to be sure you get the concepts through different metaphorical approaches.
Write about this and your cards.
And so I have…
And here are the cards I drew today. Take these as the energy of this Full Moon in Cancer.
From the “Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards” by Doreen Virtue I drew Green Tara:
And from the Crowley Tarot I drew the Princess of Wands:
Green Tara urges us to “Start Delegating – Ask others (including me) to help you instead of trying to do everything yourself.” For me this relates to community, as I wrote about in yesterday’s post. We can’t do everything ourselves, “it takes a village.” Green Tara is a helper in community building. As we move into 2013 with this full moon energy behind us we can look to community for both what we are to do, how we are to be and where we can take refuge.
The Princess of Wands is youthful, feminine energy; she is full of passion and love. She represents the young Tara and unites us all through her love energy.
These are two wonderful goddesses to take with us into this full moon time. We can use their energy and their wisdom to help us build community, the Community of 2013!
Brainwashed?
Yes, by one of the most powerful forces in my life (no, not Rosemary): my own ego!
As I have mentioned before part of my daily practice is to draw a couple of cards from my favorite decks to divine a sense of the energies of the day. One of my decks is the Crowley Tarot Deck and I use The Crowley Tarot by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf to continue to deepen my understanding of the cards. Today (Thursday) I drew the XVI of Trumps, The Tower. (I’ve included its image here). And my first reaction was: how cool to bring up this image of “destruction” as
I sit to write about brainwashing, its power and destructive potential and how to re-program from the brainwashing; in other words, destroy its impact and bring in the new images of self that are needed at this time!
This is 2012, and I am writing this on 12/12/12. Rosemary led a meditation today at 12:00 noon Eastern time, to activate and anchor the emerging energies of transformation as we draw near the Winter Solstice of 2012. What better time to let go of the old structures, the old energies, the old beliefs, the old brainwashing, those stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years, that may no longer hold any truth or power for us or over us.
And so I draw this card with its Tower, this burning, toppling structure that is an empty shell holding nothing for me as I move into the new energies at the end of 2012. Here are phrases from the guide book: “destruction of form…upheaval of values”, “enlightenment … that strikes like lightning and destroys … rigid ideas”, “overcoming one’s self”, “breaking open encrustations.” Wow, sounds like deprogramming to me!
The ego holds our beliefs, especially about ourselves. It is a wonderful friend, protecting us from both physical and emotional harm. It can also be our worst enemy holding us back when we are called to speak our truth, holding us to old beliefs when we receive new information that would help us grow, develop, evolve! The ego protects us but also holds us prisoner locked away in our tower. It is time for my tower to tumble!
And so I seek to burn down the current structures of my life, to sabotage my own ego, to break free of the bonds that fetter and hold me frozen in a place of safety but with little progress.
How? I will write more about my process and what is coming to me for tomorrow’s post. Meanwhile I continue all of my practices, which I have described in earlier posts. They serve me well and help me through the ego-generated blocks that no longer serve me. My practices are the “fire and kindling” I use to burn my imprisoning tower down.
Towers, so too brainwashing, can be good and bad. We need structures in our lives to hold us safe and help us hold the energy of the time; but when they impede our progress we need to burn them to the ground!
Burn your prisons down!
Oh, and happy New Moon (3:42 am EST, 12/13/12)! What better time to bring in the new energies of progress and transformatio
“Writing” a Commentary from Richard
Have you reviewed the video and commentary by Rosemary from her FREE weekly MuseLetter? I posted them over the past couple of days; if you want to receive them directly you can subscribe here. And today here are my thoughts on the support Rosemary offers for living a conscious life and her theme of the week, Writing:
As I’ve written here before one of my practices to seek inner guidance is from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In her book she recommends several practices; the key one I’ve adopted is to write 3 pages of “stuff” long-hand, every morning; these are called “morning pages.” I’ve actually been following this practice for many years; I have stacks of notebooks filled with my scrawl! And, no, I don’t get to this practice every single day. And there are stretches of time when I lapse and don’t write for days, even weeks. But I do very much benefit from the practice when I am disciplined in doing it.
I don’t always get to my practice first thing in the morning either; today it was 3:00 pm! But I do know that the day goes much better after I write so I do most days get to my writing position after yoga, qigong and tea in the AM.
I make a ritual of this practice and embed it in other rituals. Rituals are like good habits; they are both comforting and support the discipline. I light a candle on my alter (see my post last week) and I light incense to clear me, the alter, the space and the writing (including my decks of cards for divination). Then I sit cross-legged with a pillow to support the notebook. I also use a nice fountain pen; this is obviously not a requirement but I like fine tools!
I sit and write the three pages straight through. The content is not always noteworthy; in fact it rarely is! This is not the point; Cameron’s point in doing this practice is to clear the mind, clear the clutter from sleep, dreams, any junky thoughts, unprocessed emotions, mental cobwebs that might otherwise get in the way of clearer, more creative writing. Most often my pages begin with a dump of this kind of mind-trash. But I’m finding with the years of practice this often only takes a page or even some days just a few lines. Then I can get down to more meaningful inquiry.
So, I do use these pages to go inside, to meditate through the use of words, to let my mind go and my writing to follow the thoughts as they come. While Rosemary is a clairaudient and a clairvoyant my information comes through word flow; I don’t hear the words or see them, they just seem to form almost of themselves when I am in that clear space of receiving. I wish I could say this happens for me every day! But it does happen often enough to be extremely rewarding.
After I write out my three pages I then draw two cards from two decks of cards, as I’ve written here before. I write a half-page of notes about each card, what I think it means for me and the energies of the day. This fills my fourth page of writing for the day and these paragraphs are always meaningful (I’ve cleared the clutter with the pages). I use a separate, slightly nicer journal to record these divinations; and I use a better pen (more of the ritual).
And some days I am motivated, inspired to write a poem – a third writing practice I use. And on Mondays I’ve begun sharing some of my poems here on the blog.
I’d love to hear from you about your writing practices. What works for you? Have you tried “morning pages”? Please comment!
Meanwhile, “write-on.”
Another Tool for Inner Guidance
Michael Harner has given an amazing gift to the world; building on the earlier work of Mircea Eliade, he brought The Way of the Shaman alive for many of us. And I know there are critics of the popularization of this ancient spiritual technology; there will always be critics who are both skeptical and perhaps a little jealous of those who would gain notoriety and fortune by bringing to life a skill or knowledge that might otherwise be lost or set on a shelf as a quaint research subject. And there is some ground for questioning whether the generalization of a culturally specific spiritual technology is appropriate. All I can say to the critics is I have my own personal experiences as both evidence and guidance that these practices can be effective.
For my part I was first exposed to the Harner methods in the late 70s when I did my first journey to connect with a power animal. This was a transformative experience, although I may not have realized it at the time; I have been working with a Shamanic approach to gaining inner guidance since that early beginning. I have journeyed with many teachers learning their techniques and polishing my own, from drumming to rattling, from leading journeys to doing healing work. It is a powerful tool in my toolkit for gaining Inner Guidance.
Typically when I journey I use a frame drum which I beat myself. I do this in a darkened room with only a candle burning for a bit of light. I drum and journey on the wave of the drum, usually traveling to the Lower World to first seek guidance from my power animals. Sometimes I go to them with a specific question or concern. I also travel seeking general guidance on my current situation, circumstances, issues and offering prayers. After meeting up with my power animals and getting their sense of the situation and their guidance, I bless them, thank them and go off exploring other parts of this world. I am also sometimes directed to the Middle and Upper Worlds – more on this another time.
I know this Shaman approach to gaining Inner Guidance works for me because it has proved to be effective in my life. Perhaps most importantly I don’t rely on this one form of seeking but, as you may realize from reading earlier posts on “tools”, I use several approaches to gain insight into my Unconscious Mind, my Higher Self. I know all of these practices I employ work because they almost always cross-check in a non-ambiguous way.
Here’s a quick example of what I mean: on a recent journey to the Lower World I encountered a Snake. This Snake was telling me several contradictory stories; highly dualistic messages. I followed the snake on a return path and encountered a Bear who grabbed the snake and bit it into two parts; she separated the truth from the lie, the light from the dark! That same evening I cast a Gua for I Ching guidance. The accomplished Gua was Shi He (#21), sometimes translated as “biting through.” And a few days later I drew the Tarot card, VIII, which Crowley names Adjustment. The I Ching correspondence to this card is Shi He! The correlations are both fun and insightful. Do you think I should pay attention to this notion of “Biting Through”?
Tools for gaining Inner Guidance are numerous and flexible. They can be as simple as breathing deeply with lowered, unfocused eyes and as complex as consulting the I Ching or traveling to the Lower World on the vibration of a drum. The point is to do it, find methods and tools that work for you. And I recommend at least two approaches to cross-reference the answers. You’ll be amazed at how often the same answer comes through no matter the channel!
“Tools of the Trade” A Commentary from Richard
Have you reviewed the video and commentary by Rosemary from her FREE weekly MuseLetter? I posted them over the past couple of days; if you want to receive them directly you can subscribe here. And today here are my thoughts on the support Rosemary offers for living a conscious life:
In this week’s Video Message and Exploration Rosemary speaks to different tools for inner work and ways to seek inner guidance. This follows the theme from last week as well; inner work during this time of transition, transformation, growth, evolution is critical to maintain balance, resolve and direction. And last week in my commentary I wrote about one of my main tools in my tool box, The Artist’s Way page writing. But this in one of many approaches I use to gain guidance and to confirm I am on the right path.
I have probably used just about all of the tools Rosemary mentions from dowsing with a pendulum (I even make them) to using cards and the I Ching for divination. I draw a couple of cards each day to both set the tone for the day and to gain some insight on the energies. I am currently using the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue and a tarot deck by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris along with The Crowley Tarot handbook by Akron and Hajo Banzhaf. I draw a card from each deck and consider both the individual messages and the integrated message from the two. The Virtue deck brings in a light perspective and is almost always positive in the messages it delivers. The Crowley deck is darker and gives me a more nuanced and shadowy perspective on the day. I enjoy combining these and deriving a sense of what might be in store for me. I am frequently rewarded and never disappointed in these cards’ guidance!
I use the I Ching to determine the energies for the month ahead. I cast a Gua (6-lines, two tri-grams) shortly after each new moon (I just cast a Gua yesterday for the new moon in Scorpio). I use the 50 yarrow stalk method (I even harvested and cut my own stalks from a patch of yarrow I grew in Colorado). I thoroughly enjoy the meditative approach to deriving each Yao (line) for the Gua. Again my focus while doing the work is to look for the patterns and energies ahead for the month. The I Ching is a highly intuitive tool and reminds me a lot of dream interpretation work. I treat the Gua as a map and the names, ideographs, decisions and commentaries as symbols and hints for the journey ahead. It is both fun and entertaining as well as deep and meaningful. Maybe at some point in further writings I’ll share my Guas for the months (moonths) and what I see as the way ahead.
Rosemary concludes her exploration and discussion with the use of alters. Yes, I have one, I always have one. I even have a method I use to take part of my alter with me when I travel. I have been using some of the same components, especially an old piece of leather I use as an alter cloth and wrap for my portable bundle of objects for years. The significance for me in using an alter is the passive grounding energy it brings to my inner work. My writing, drawing cards, casting I Ching Guas are all active methods using tools to gain inner insight. My alter just is; it represents my ground of being. The objects and symbols I choose are parts of me, from knuckle bones to stones, from crystals to statues and fetishes, from element representations to pictures, these are all bits and particles of who I am. They hold space and hold me in that space.
And as Rosemary requested I have included here a picture of my current alter configuration…it may appear to you to be a bit messy and cluttered; maybe that’s how my life is right now! (And maybe its state is pointing the way to some external work I need to do!)
What tools do you use for seeking inner guidance? I’d love to hear your answers; please comment!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: The Tools of Your Trade
Here’s Rosemary’s commentary on her weekly video I posted yesterday. She continues her exploration of tools for accessing our inner guidance, the Knower, the High Self who helps us along our journeys of Conscious Living, to Oneness.
Rosemary writes:
If you were a carpenter, you would have a huge toolbox filled with tools that are designed for each specific task that might be required. If you are a doctor, your office is outfitted with all the tools that you need. And I’m sure that whatever you do you have gathered to you the tools that you need to do your work.
But what about those intangibles? What about the tools that aren’t hammers and scalpels and mixers and computers? How is your toolbox for Conscious Living Tools?
You might think these are not as important as the tools of your trade but I believe they are even MORE important, for success in your work depends on being successful in your life, and the 21st Century is asking us to increase our spiritual tools.
These are not religious tools, but the ones that fit us into a bigger picture than just the physical life we lead. Do you have a way to connect with your inner guidance? This can be meditation, journaling, connecting with Nature. Sometimes it’s useful to have a physical tool, like a pendulum or an oracle deck of cards. Do you have an altar, formal or informal, where you can light a candle that communicates to your unconscious mind that you are getting ready to focus inward or pray or send your intentions out to the Universe?
Creating an altar in your personal space is a very powerful way to set an intention and support the manifestation of that intention. You can do this simply by gathering a few objects that are meaningful to you. This does not have to be a complicated process or a formal one. In fact, this is so personal that someone coming into your home might not even realize that the collection of crystals on the windowsill or the candle and pictures, etc. on that side table are really your altar. What’s important is that you create something that speaks to your unconscious mind every time you see it.
Take a space that will be undisturbed and gather some meaningful objects. Then add a candle. I like to use candles in glass so that I can leave them burning for a while without worrying. (And make sure there are no curtains or other flammables that can blow into them!) You might like incense and you can certainly have an incense burner on your altar (adds the element of air). Add pictures of spiritual teachers or loved ones or your vision board. If you do healing work for others you might keep index cards handy so you can put the names on a card on your altar when you are intending to do healing work.
It’s nice to have the elements represented: water, fire, earth, metal, wood. Some add air to the list. A plant or flower. A bowl of water, especially sacred or blessed water. One or more crystals or rocks. Use your imagination and tap into your own intuition about what is meaningful to you.
If you use some kind of cards to get a message you can place today’s card on your altar.
Have fun with this! I have put fruit, pictures, jewelry, gifts I am giving – you name it! Anything you put on your altar gets charged with the energy of your intentions. If you have a new business card, put one on your altar. A problem you want to solve? Write it out and lay this on your altar. Keep a pendulum or other tool on your altar. Are you having an issue with a person? Instead of being upset by them, put a picture or their name on your altar, maybe upside down so you’re not going into the negative energy, but set an intention to heal the problem.
There are lots of ways to use your own energy to bring healing into your life and creating an altar of intention is a powerful way to focus your energy on your desired outcome. This also helps your unconscious mind know the direction that you want to move so it can support you on your journey.
And I’d love to see your altars! Send me an email with a picture of your altar. I’ll gather them on my altar to join with you in manifesting your intentions.
PS: Rosemary’s email: Rosemary@TheScientificMsytic.com
(I’ll be posting a picture of my alter tomorrow!)
Men and The Goddess 