The I Ching, or Book of Changes

 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, may be the oldest book of the earth and is certainly one of the most important books in the world's literature. It is also called the Book of Transformation. It is a form of divination which has a very old and mysterious history.  On one hand, it demonstrates a written tradition which is more than 3000 years old and on the other hand, the Chinese sanctions its age old oral tradition as well.  

Traditionally, the history of the I Ching begins with Fu Xi, a Chinese sage who created the symbols known as the trigrams. The trigrams are symbols made of three lines and are based on the concept of Yin and Yang – combining Yin and Yang in different ways to symbolize different elements of the world. Fu Xi created 8 trigrams this way, including the symbols for Heaven, Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind.  Over time, these trigrams were further developed both as a model for existence and a source of divination. Various arrangements were suggested and eventually the 8 trigrams were combined to form 64 hexgrams.

These hexagrams contain symbols and ideas taken from nature, society, and the individual. For those who are consulting the I Ching before deciding on some course of action, the hexagrams offer wisdom, warnings, and also specific predictions of outcomes... thereby giving guidance on whether to proceed, wait or not to proceed at all. The hexagrams also advise on timing and behaviours and attitudes directly related to the specific question asked. Where applicable, it counsels further preparation, or advocates patience and even reveals misfortunes hidden in apparent good fortune and vice versa. Favourable or unfavourable conditions are described, and difficulties, whether at the beginning or at the end are revealed.

I was first introduced to the I Ching over 20 years ago, and it was the first method of divination I ever used.  I had already studied Astrology, but never used it for divination, preferring the psychological and evolutionary aspect of it.  In other words, I used it to find out where I had come from, not where I was going. But, the I Ching was different; it answered my questions and offered me solutions...and from the very first time, it was uncannily accurate.

A friend had told me about her recent visit to a psychic, and she swore by him.  Now, I don't normally don't go to psychics.  I just don't trust them.  Another friend had gone to one in our neighborhood, and he was told that someone had put a curse on him and that he should return the next day with a white linen hankie, a candle, a banana skin, and, of course, $25, and she would take the curse off.  Seems like these sidewalk psychics are pretty big on curses.  Well, I was assured that this guy was not going to talk about curses, that he was not going to read my palm, but indeed would give me a reading through a combination of the I Ching and the Tarot.  Needless to say, it was the I Ching that first picked up on my situation with the Tarot clarifying it further.

I was in a pretty bad relationship at the time; actually, a very bad one.  My ex, my sons father, was a brute, and made my life a living hell. I had wanted out for awhile, but saw no way to make the break.  The I Ching saw this and, although I forget which toss came out, in essence it told me that there was nothing I could do right now other than accept that there was no way out.  Now, I know, you might be thinking that my friend had probably told him beforehand, but I have always been a private person so she was unaware that I had marital issues.  It's only recently that I have begun to open up on my blogs.  

The reading went on for almost an hour.  The Tarot not only identified the evil traits of my ex, but also identified a Leo who would one day be a part of my future.  Current hubby is a Leo. Well, the gist of the reading was that for the time being, I had to sit tight, no matter how difficult it might be for me...that one day down the road, I would know when it was time to make my move.  Needless to say, I was hooked.  Before going home, I stopped to buy The I Ching or Book of Changes by Richard Wilhelm.  This is, by far, the best of the books out there.

Some people use yarrow stalks, but this method is very complicated and requires 50 yarrow stalks.  The easiest method is the three-coin method as follows:

Begin with the concept of Yin (female) and Yang (male) energy flow.  When life is out of balance and tipped too much in one direction, the Universe will move energy from the opposite direction to counteract the overbalance. This is the nature of this divination technique.
 
The toss of the three coins creates the hexagrams that use the Book of Changes to interpret. . Use heads to represent the Yang (positive) and tails to represent the Yin (negative). Calm your mind, and when feel you are ready, cast the six coins onto the table. Allow them to stop moving before reading.

Count the number of heads and tails. Write a hexagram based upon the coins. Choosing which coin is first and which is last is also part of the divination process. Draw a solid line for the Yang coins and broken line for the Yin coins.

Consult the book of the I Ching.  You will see that each of the 64 possible patterns has an explanation. Find the pattern created by the coins you just cast. Repeating the divination process several times until you get the answer you want, will, indeed,  produce different results, but remember, proper divination does not include second chances and third chances.  

Use the I Ching on a daily basis, and note the hexagrams created. You will soon begin to see the patterns of your life...or at least the flow of Yin and Yang energy around your life.

Fear is a Four Letter Word

Yesterday I went out to the beach; needed some alone time to think about how to handle a situation that arose at work on Friday. Sometimes we have to make difficult choices, so I spent the day weighing the pros and cons...and decided that I couldn't leave my job over something that was only a might happen.

You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.--Mary Manin Morrissey

How are we supposed to deal with fear?  Do we allow it to consume us, to literally make us into a prisoner in our own homes?  Or do we face it head on?  When 9/11 occurred, I wasn't too far from the towers.  I was working in a halfway house for recovering alcoholics. I had 46 people to care for that day, 46 people who were depending on me. None of us knew what was going to happen next. I tried to call home; all I wanted to do was speak to my family.  Oh, I knew they were safe; I just wanted to hear their voices....but the phone lines were down, and I couldn't get through.  I was crying on the inside, my stomach in knots, but I had responsibilities, and held myself together for the sake of my clients.  None of them knew how I was really feeling that day.  


And then came the next day and the day after that.  There was talk of possible subway horrors. For weeks on end I rode the trains frozen in fear, unable to even read a single sentence in my book, yet never giving in.  Oh, I'd be a fool to say I didn't think of quitting my job and finding work near home where I didn't have to travel....and, oh, how many times during those first months did I get myself all worked up over someone on the train and get off to wait for the next one. But, I worked through it; I had to.  Giving in and giving up is what the terrorists want. If I, and others like me had given in, they would have won.  

They say that unless you face what makes you afraid, the   monsters in your mind will bite your behind all the time. Fear is the enemy of life. It blocks what might have been within an endless list of possibilities.  Had I given in, I would have lost a lot...my job, of course...but also the pension I earned when I vested...the friends I have made...as well as my own self, for had I given in, it probably would have set a precedence for all the future fears I had to face in my life...

...which brings me to the purpose of the post.  I've worked in my field now for almost 12 years, and in all those years, I had only felt fearful of one client....that is, until Friday.  This one was a fairly new client who has been very intimidating to others since the day of his admission. We know nothing about his psychiatric diagnosis because no one bothers to check before accepting someone, but according to our psychiatrist, he appears to be schizophrenic and  refuses to take medications.  He admits that he hears voices in his head talking to him almost all the time, but he doesn't feel there is nothing wrong with him.  Well, Friday I had an incident with this client.  He didn't attack me physically, but there are other ways to put fear into a person.  I am not going to go into specifics about the incident; suffice it to say, it left me and several co-workers, including my supervisor, pretty much shaken.

I know some of you will advise me to leave the job...and you might very well be right; believe me, I wish I could leave, but I will not leave because I allow someone to intimidate me out of a job.  When I go, it will be on my own terms and a time of my own choosing. When I went into this field, I realized that there might be dangers; I realized that you cannot make every client happy, and there will be some who are angry..but those that do succeed, those that do change their lives around, they are the ones that make it all worthwhile.  They are the ones who make me get up and go to work every day.

Fear is in all of us, and at some point of our lives we have to stop and face it. It's an emotion that is meant to protect us in the most stressful and intimidating situations that we face in our lives. It's not meant to harm us; it's meant to protect....and although it might be scary, we have to face it so we can let it go. We cannot allow it to control us. If we live in fear, we are not embracing and the beauty we witness everyday.


When we think about fear, we think of being frightened, scared and being afraid. Those are all feelings and emotions that we as people experience from time to time and are completely normal. We can go into a theatre and watch a scary movie and although in our conscience minds we know it's not real, our emotions and feelings can get caught up in the story and become literally afraid and scared.

So, yes, I'm afraid, but giving into fear cripples the soul.  The truth is, things can happen wherever you are or whatever you are doing. Look at those who work in the schools, the post offices.  Bad things can happen even when one feels safe in their own home. I REFUSE to let some bully intimidate me. And, to be honest...I don't think he will be back.  One of the last things he asked of our director before leaving is 'So, what do I tell my next treatment program?" and I understand he has already been through a few of them.  So, I'll be sure to be a little more cautious.  Lately I have let my guard down somewhat, so perhaps that is the lesson I was meant to learn...because I truly believe, everything happens for a reason, and there is a lesson in everything.  Here in New York they tell us that all the time...Pay attention to your surroundings...and lately, I have been fairly lax. And my supervisor, too, has learned a valuable lesson that all of us have been telling her for awhile now...Don't be accepting everyone into the program.  Some people are not appropriate.  I'm sure she won't do that again.

Thanks for letting me share.

I have not ceased being fearful,
but I have ceased to let fear control me.
I have accepted fear as a part of life -
specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown;
and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says:
turn back, turn back, you'll die if you venture too far.

--Erica Jong--

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls

When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused.--Rainer Maria Rilke

I took a trip out to the beach today, and I am so glad that I did. What a wonderful, relaxing day I had...the best in a good long while.  I'd forgotten how much I loved it. This is a three day weekend for me, so I am taking full advantage of it. Yesterday I did a little shopping...today a little relaxation, and tomorrow?  Who knows what that will bring!. To be honest, I just had to get away from it all and do a little thinking. I will share it with you all soon, but for today, I needed to put things in perspective.  Just had to sort things through first, and the ocean has always been my special place. The smell and the sounds bring me so much joy. Just walking along the beach and looking at the tide, imagining the pull of the moon, is enough to take me outside of myself and whatever may be on my mind.  The ocean heals both my heart and soul.

I love watching as the never-ending rushing waves crash and retreat back into the ocean. There is something about the thrashing of the oceans waves that helps me to understand that there is more to life then what meets the eye. It reminds me that life is a cycle, and like the waves that slam against the shore, life sometimes leaves us crashing against a wall only to pull us back and allowing us to crash again until we have learned the lessons that we should have and move on to our next life lesson.

Life is very much a connected circle with one phase opening to another... much like the changing of the tides and the calmness and storms on the ocean. Sometimes life is calm, cool, inviting and at other times life appears to spinning in many different directions, and confusing. The waves cleanse and get rid of what it doesn't want. In the same way I, too, can take a lesson from the waves by taking all those negative and unnecessary thoughts and tossing them behind me.  I often get myself caught up in all the dramas in life, and today the ocean reminded me that something so much bigger and peaceful is happening all around me at all times. em

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls. 

~
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)--

Holiday Rant: Why Can;'t They Let the Seasons Be

"For the Fall of the year is more than three months bounded by an equinox and a solstice. It is a summing up without the finality of year's end."--Hal Borland

I am pretty late today...actually, I am very late.  Had a pretty busy day.  Went once again to see if I could do a little shopping for myself.  This time, I made the manager aware that 90 percent of his customers are us plus sized ladies, so why does he keep all that petite stuff around?  I love the store because it's one of those places where you never know what kind of goodies you will find for a very cheap price, but I'm afraid I might have to find somewhere else to go.  Then, came home and boiled up some beans and afterwards, took a two hour nap. 

I was surprised and more than a little annoyed to see a sign that said 'Forgive our appearance.  We are setting up our Trim a Tree Department'. Trim a Tree?  Hey, store manager, it's early October, or haven't you noticed? Each year Christmas decorations seem to be creeping in earlier and earlier, but in early October?  Hey, what happened to Halloween?  Can we at least enjoy that one first? Sadly, by the time we get close to Christmas, we have been dealing with it so long, that the magic is gone.

When I was a kid, the Christmas stuff didn't come out until after Thanksgiving. The marching bands, the floats, and Santa arriving on his sleigh.  That is how I remember the Christmas season opening...the same day every year; it was at the Thanksgiving Day parade. It seemed special in every way. Not anymore. In school  we would hear the story of the first Thanksgiving over and over again.  Now we go straight from decorating for Halloween and right into Christmas. And where do we find Thanksgiving in the stores?  Well, I guess if one is lucky they can find a few table cloths and place mats mixed with towels and maybe, just maybe, a few pretty dishes. No countdown calendar or blown up turkey, just a subtle reminder the family was coming for a feast and I needed new table coverings.

Matter of fact, I don't recall seeing anything for Halloween in the store today...not one mask, or a costume...not even a piece of candy corn. Nothing of orange in the store...and that means clothing, as well.  Sorry, but that's pretty sad to me especially since Halloween is my favorite time of the year.  Who, may I ask, is going to buy red and green candy kisses to hand out for Halloween, or buys them and leaves them in their cabinets for two months?

Now, please don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, but I love Christmas in December where it belongs.and even well into January. Winter Solstice and all the other reasons culture after culture has decided to have big shindigs in the midst of Earth's sleep is because it is bleak and cold and people needed to cheer themselves and burn things to stay warm. I want to relish in the season of autumn loveliness that is now, not cheapen the one to come.So, please, store managers, take heed. Give us back our seasons.

And thanks for letting me rant.

Venus Retrograde

Venus, the second planet from the Sun and the planet of love and beauty has gone retrograde in Scorpio today at 07:05am EDT, 12:05 PDT. Venus goes retrograde every eighteen months for a period of about 40 to 43 days, and will remain retrograde in Scorpio from October 8th to November 7th, about a month. During its retrograde cycle, it will move briefly back into Libra on November 18th. (A planet is described as retrograde when it 'appears' to be moving backwards through the zodiac).


Venus is the Roman Goddess associated with love and fertility as well as the patron Goddess of prostitutes and the protector against vice. She was known for ruling over peace, love, creativity and sensuality, but She also had a destructive darker side when She was in Her Morning Star phase which outshines all the other stars and planets. She moves into the evening sky in March,low in the west as darkness begins to fall; then She climbs into better view through the spring and into summer. She disappears from view in October when She passes between Earth and the Sun, and eventually returns to view as a “Morning Star” by early November, and remains there for the rest of the year. Hence, Venus in myth as known to create, but She also had the power to destroy.

A Venus retrograde period begins when she is at her most fragile, apparently motionless in the heavens, having almost completed her 18 month journey around the zodiac. When Venus retrograde begins, our feelings may become kind of numb until we adjust. During this period, Venus, is not in a position to receive the light of the Sun; rather, She will be on her own in the dark. From October 8 through November 18, she will be retrograde in the sign of Scorpio, the intense, fixed Water sign, with a brief return into Libra in November. So what does mean to us?

Scorpio, a water sign ruled by the planet, Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld,  brings us the opportunity to journey through the shadow side of our psyche. Life, death, and rebirth are the keywords of Scorpio. It is a time to reflect upon issues related to our relationships, friendships, and our own self-worth...a time for an honest evaluation and healing of past issues, repressed desires, and possible deep-seated resentments with self and others. It there is any toxic energy to be found at the core level of a relationship...even abuse or lack of trust....you can be sure it will surface during this Venusian phase. 

In Scorpio, Venus encourages us to focus more on our true values; that is, those values that many of us may have lost touch with throughout the years. For example, many of us work at jobs we do not like (myself included), live in places and with people we do not love, do not even care for; in general, this means that we have settling for less in our lives. So, we can look to this Venus retrograde period to provide us with lessons on evaluating the real worth and value of people and the things in our lives as well as offer us the opportunity to assess what it is we want to receive and to explore that which will truly make us happy.

Venus retrograde in Scorpio has also been known to stir up some hidden pockets of jealousy, secrets, or even hatred. Think about it. What have you not been able to forgive or let go of?  Where in your life have do you feel you have been betrayed?  During this period, situations may arise that will reveal where trust has been broken, and what you need to do to repair the relationship...if it can even be repaired. Hence, this will be  a great time to reassess your relationships and friendships. However, despite the fact that you may become aware of differences or unresolved issues,  this will NOT a time to act upon things for this is purely a time of evaluation rather than a time direct action. Be careful how you treat friends and loved ones as feelings can be easily hurt during this period.
 

Hope Lives

It's been such a hellish week thus far...end of the month reports, discharges, intakes...and, of course, dealing with the loss of all the wildlife in my neighborhood. Each morning and evening I find myself stepping outdoors gazing about, hoping, but seeing no signs of life...even the little kitten I saw the other day has since disappeared. Today is the first sunny morning we have had all week, and as I sipped my coffee on the back porch, looking about, as usual, I saw nothing. I was about to head indoors when something caught at the corner of my eye. No, it wasn't a trick of the eye, not an illusion. Mama Cat was there...stretched out on one of the benches in my neighbor's backyard....catching a bit of the sun and giving herself a bath.  My eyes filled with tears of joy as I thought to myself, "She's alive....and with life comes hope."  

According to mythology, when Pandora opened her famous box, she let out all the evils out into the world, but she was so filled with grief and pain that she didn't hear the voice of hope which was begging to be released. Finally, at the depths of her despair, Pandora sat in front of the box seeking some relief from her pain, when her sobs finally exhausted her and she became quiet; it was then she heard it, that wee little voice begging to be freed. At first, she was terrified and for good reason, but after awhile, she figured could be anything worse than what she had already unleashed upon the world?   So, after carefully considering the consequences, Pandora decided that there was nowhere deeper or darker to go; she opened the box and HOPE flew our and began to heal our wounds.

And, my dear blog friends, that is exactly how I felt this morning when I opened the door and saw Mama Cat.  It was as if I had opened the lid of Pandora's Box. All week long I have been among the walking wounded, despairing, in pain, feeding on anger and and vengeful feeling.  I was consumed with "How can I strike back?  What can I do?"  But Mama brought a new hope. And as I walked to work, I saw a family of squirrels who lived down the block.  Perhaps one day a new squirrel family will return. Yes,Hope lives on in Brooklyn....in the form of calico mother cat. 

For human nature Hope remains alone

Of all the deities; the rest are flown.
Faith is departed; Truth and Honour dead;
And all the Graces too, my friends, are fled.
The scanty specimens of living worth,
Dwindled to nothing, and extinct on earth.
Yet whilst I live and view the light of heaven,
Since hope remains and never has been driven
From the distracted world--the single scope
Of my devotion is to worship Hope.
When hecatombs are slain, and altars burn,
When all the deities adored in turn,
Let Hope be present; and with Hope, my friend,
Let every sacrifice commence and end.
Yes, Insolence, Injustice, every crime,
Rapine and Wrong, may prosper for a time;
Yet shall they travel on to swift decay,
Who tread the crooked path and hollow way.

--Theogris of Megara (6th Century B.C.)--

The Kumulipo

At  the time that turned the heat of the earth 
At the time that the heavens turned and changed 
At the time that the light of the sun was subdued 
To cause light to break forth 
At the time of the night of Makali'i  (winter)   

Then began the slime which established the earth 
The source of deepest darkness 
Of the depths of darkness, of the depths of darkness 
Of the darkness of the sun, in the depth of night, It is night
So night is born.

The chant above is the beginning of a two thousand line creation chant called the Kumulipo.  The Kumulipo or source of life is an ancient Hawaiian chant, consisting of 2,077 lines traditionally chanted by one person over six hours. The Kumulipo chant records the sequence of creation of the aumakua (ancestral-family spirits) - and the Kumulipo symbol shows the sequence of the creation of the universe, leading to what physicists now call the "Big Bang". It reflects the theories about the origins of the cosmos and life on this planet and provides a concept of world order...reminding all of us about the core relationship people have with earth and how to live harmoniously.

The Kumulipo not only follows the evolutionary progression of living creatures from the oceans to the land, but also illustrates how the oceans are an integral part of air, land, weather, and of plants and animals found everywhere. In addition, the Kumulipo reminds us that the oceans are a source for many things beyond those of economic or transportation value. The Kumulipo describes how the oceans are also a source of health, providing a variety of medicines for physical and emotional well being, as well as serving as a source for cleansing, healing and nourishing the spirit, and for learning the ways of nature. 

The Kumulipo is divided into two different time periods. The first of these is called "po"; this is the age of the spirit world. Everything is still in darkness, and it is not clear if the earth exists or if the events described occur in some other, transcendental place. During this age, the lower life forms come to be, and the chant depicts the concept of life going through stages similar to the development of a new-born child. One form of matter changes into another leading to the existence of early mammals. 

The second time period, called "ao", begins with the coming of light and  the gods who husband the changing of animals into humans. Evolution is now of one form of life into another. Beginning with the image of a god (tiki), the world of living men and women explodes on a living earth. This is also the time when the light of reason dawns. Life can now cope on its own, and, in the complex form of humans, it begins to act otherwise than from impulse. Then the genealogy of people continues on into the late 1700's when the chant is spoken to the last divine child born who can be traced back to the very beginning, to a time when gods were still on earth and the first human was born. 

The last time the full Kumulipo is known to have been solemnly recited, was in 1789. This was in honor of Captain Cook, who was thought to be the god Lono returning to Hawaii. 

(I don't know if Maukie will do it on your computer, but on mine, he sits and listens to every word as if he understands.)