Bright Leo Gazing.

I've had a couple of I Ching sessions over the last few months, but have been far too busy to blog about them. The good news contained in that is that I've readied my Book of Gardens for self-publication now, and am going to make a few more adjustments to it before releasing it publicly. An excerpt from the book came to mind while crafting this post, and is pasted below...

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My new friend K met with me today, and I had the good fortune of exchanging with her a review of my astrological birth-chart. I also had the privilege of being the first person she's offered this to(!) 

K, is not the only astrologer in her family, and sharing her process with others has been something she has been considering for some time. Similar to my first post from a year-and-a-half ago, once a person knows their source of wisdom well, much benefit and learning can be generated by sharing it with others. The exchange of insight produces more insight...

Illumination into Action

                     

K's question drew one of the "timeless" hexagrams, #30 - Fire, moving into #37 People in the Home (Hexagram Titles are in accord with Professor Thomas Cleary's Buddhist I Ching). My own practice for describing I Ching to another has come along well in the past eighteen months, but nevertheless, describing the movement of energy demands a fair amount of attention to uncover the best words.

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What remains constant between these two hexagrams is the element of fire - or illumination - on the inside, lower half. Fire is characterized by a single yin line in the centre of two yang lines. 

As usual, I made sure I did not know K's question(s), as I look only to speak on the movements of yin & yang, ensuring that my listener works alongside me to apply the image, the quality, and the character to their own question process. I would otherwise probably fall into the pitfall of advising; and though I love the study of psychology, a psychologist I am not.

Following this pattern of considering image, quality, and character, the hexagrams arising here depict one major shift when we look at them in terms of their four component trigrams. 75% of this time for K is characterized by Fire - by illumination. At first there is fire within fire: illumination within illumination.  This hexagram, along with #1 Heaven, #2 Earth, and #30 Mastering Pitfalls (Water) are considered universal, or timeless, in that they have a presence at all times. That K was introducing herself to I Ching may well be contributing to one of these timeless hexagrams rising into play, pairing her own self-study of psyche via astrology to an introductory exploration of I Ching.

Simultaneously though, the pure Fire of this first hexagram is moving toward fire-within-wind, or, illumination-within-action. Meditating on this alone brings about a certain quality: imagine that fire-on-the-inside takes place within your belly, and fire-on-the-outside takes place within your mind, or the front of your head. Use this contemplation of image to concentrate your mind, and really centre your mental focus on these areas in your body. Though this may prove best to have someone talk you through it, if you truly place an image of a warm hearth at your belly - and stay with that for a few deep belly breaths - it cannot help but calm and focus you. From there then, imagine a second hearth just behind the front of your forehead... After a moment of focusing in this way, shift then the outer image (the one in your head) from fire, to that of wind, and note the arising qualitative difference. 

This small exercise in concentration and imagination brings your thinking and feeling onto task. Contemplating image, and quality, generally pair together like this. Much of I Ching begins with this kind of familiarity.

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Having made this exchange of Astrology for I Ching, and knowing that I was K's inaugural client, it struck me readily that her own source of wisdom has been something of a long time source of inspiration - a reliable self-study. A person cannot really offer these practices to others unless the information and wisdom has been absorbed fully. Knowing the map, one enters the territory...

The movement between this pairing of hexagrams takes place in the fourth and fifth lines - the heart & throat chakras. I draw a correlation between looking to Serve, or fulfill-a-purpose, with the movement here in the fourth and fifth lines. The heart line here becomes more receptive, while the voice/fifth line becomes more active.

                     

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Whether her deepening involvement with Astology has anything to do with her question, I of course have no idea and nor do I want to for fear of advising falsely. However: the correlation is quite strong. Her decision to move into this avenue of work and service most likely took a great deal of reflection,  consideration and decision making. No doubt she followed something much like a guiding "light" to do so.

After describing these movements taking place in the outside (top trigram), we looked briefly on the levels of personal (lines 1 & 4), the interpersonal (lines 2 & 5), and the societal (lines 3 & 6). 

I may have written in earlier posts that the lines of a hexagram are numbered from bottom to top, but I suppose it is worth repeating just that. The first three lines then, look at the personal, interpersonal, and societal as she experiences and thinks on them in private; or, the Inside. And the top lines (4,5,6) direct our considerations of the personal, interpersonal, and societal as we experience them in real-time out in the world. The Outside. More on the contemplation of "Inside & Outside" appear here in the blog.

Looking upon the changes here in this way, there is movement on the personal and interpersonal levels - as she experiences them in the world at large (the Outside) - which, regardless of her question, correlate strongly to this move to serve others with astrology. Stated briefly: how she views herself in the world and her relations with others is here in movement. Out busy in the day-to-day, personally for her it is a time of increasing receptivity (the change taking place in the fourth line); and interpersonally it is a time of increasing activity (the change taking place in the fifth line). 

Sounds like career change?? 

From the astrological reading she gave me, I happen to have an interesting configuration of planets in the house relating to career and work (ie: Mercury & Venus; with Jupiter! in higher learning & long distance travel) - so in the above description, you may well be witnessing my own bias upon career and roles coming into view, and yet I Ching hides nothing(!) It can only reveal what-is.

The third correlation I drew was that Fire can also be considered as a middle male child, while the Wind (contained in the upper part of the second hexagram in this pair) can be considered as the eldest daughter. So the aspect of maturation, or family rank, also corresponds to the enlargement into serving others with her now well-studied wisdom.

                        

Looking a little more deeply into this idea of rank, or progress and progression, here is an excerpt from my upcoming book which looks at character as a matter of degree:

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Introduction: The Book of Gardens: A Lover's Manual for Planet Earth
by Philip W. Sarsons

(20% of proceeds being donated to Johnson's Landing )

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Lastly, we meditated together on the images: fire/illumination inside the belly, with fire moving to wind in the mind. The sensation of ensuing breadth which I experienced was rather interesting. Naturally, wind fans flames; the fire removes the excess, and the wind carries insight over a greater territory. One's vision covers more ground.

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I truly look forward to future exchanges with K, because similar to myself, K looks at any one movement of our cosmos as a movement of mind and psyche. She began her examination of my birth-chart with a review of the Kybalion main principles, as well as gazing upon a selection of tarot cards - selected in accord with the numerology associated with my birth date. As with I Ching, there are few coincidences, and the primary card associated to my birth is... The Hermit!

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Indeed: living alone on a mountainside has been one of the highlights in my life. Yet, like the Heirophant, I aim currently toward a rounder social experience which includes the mystical.

Bravo K! A world of increased Joy stands before you, and I look forward to sharing future readings greatly! There can be no greater pleasure than shining each our light onto how we understand Our Psyche, seeing our selves-as-nature. 

In time, should you develop a web presence, I'll greatly look forward to supporting you. It's a powerful thing to share sincerely from a place of well studied and integrated wisdom. 

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How does the Warrior, forgive?

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Only a few days prior, I had asked a question myself of the I Ching. I had the pleasure of casting I Ching with yet two other friends in the weeks before, and, having a bit of a difficult time, I thought it was time for a question.

It's strange though... I RARELY ask!! I have long striven to be where I am at today, and I have been concentrating on my study of I Ching. I think this will change soon, as the regular use of I Ching is simply so pleasurable.

My questions tend to be metaphysical in nature, even though they pertain directly to things in my day-to-day.

I cast, #45, Gathering, moving into #25, Fidelity.

          

Fidelity, is also called "no error." And indeed, after one 'gathers,' it is best to make no error, lest what is gathered, gets dropped.

Gathering is marked by 'receptivity within joy,' and Fidelity, by 'the action of thunder within heaven.' Outwardly, the quality of pure yang is pervading my life. Indeed! This has been a most remarkable year of fast paced change, making all aspects of my living congruent with my intuition and best wishing. Externally, I am indeed living my heaven.

Inwardly, I am moving from the yin/receptivity of Earth, to the action of Thunder. This, I find especially interesting....

For my (SOON TO BE PUBLISHED) Book of Gardens, I prostrated to Kuan Yin, the bodhissatva of compassion for the duration the four years of writing it. She is also considered to be the feminine reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of Compassion. Currently, I have been studying the masculine archetypes of Carl Jung... and ... Earth, is yin receptivity, and Thunder is masculine action. ... I have also been thinking of purchasing soon a Buddha for my home space.

What was more poignant to me - and this is probably closer to why I do not consult the I Ching so much - is that I could tell the direction for me to be taking with each formulation of my question: It was difficult to just land on How does a Warrior forgive? I knew on the inside that I just needed to contain, fully, a sense of power and concentration for the things I'm experiencing currently. So I went ahead with the best version of my inside-questioning, knowing I would be given the avenue of study needed.

Gathering is marked by "drawing" - a method of attracting, or cultivating, the correct focus within oneself. Thomas Cleary, in the Tao of Organization, defines it as such:  "...when people seek each other they draw each other in; when they are dependent on each other they part.." 

Which addressed perfectly the issue I was experiencing. A coworker of mine was behaving rather inappropriately - repeatedly - and despite giving all the social cues in the world, as well as direct requests, my personal boundary was being continually challenged. Coming to this question alone took great concentration, to rid me of the sense of violation. Indeed, I gathered myself, to be rid of the arising (gross) co-dependency.

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And of course, a Warrior never needs to forgive if he is of the highest caliber in his class. He makes no error to begin with: the warrior is correct to his own decisions and the warrior code of ethics. I certainly do not see myself apologizing for defending a personal space: what I need "forgive," that is, to let go of, is any opportunity for future coercion - even if it be the mere potential for coercion. Hence, the Gathering need continue, allowing for a disciplined presence.

So the warrior "forgives," by gathering himself to make no error.

It has been a time of excellent growth to actually have this 'problem' enter my life. It asks so much of me, as I pay attention to it. Mostly, to get on with the better things in life, and allow invasiveness to fall upon its own sword.

Old & New. Part II

I met with another fine spirit this week, someone comparatively new to my life, who may well be in a similar 'family' of personhood as SG in my last post below: Old & New Part I. 

Kuan Yin (by Jan Zaremba)

MR, had a question pertaining to career direction, and at the time of casting, threw only young yin and young yang in the combination of "61, Sincerity in the Centre."

"Young" yin or yang, means that they are new. If they were "old," this only would denote that those lines (or, times) within the hexagram were upon a time of change, about to invert into their Other. I prefer to avoid the dualistic term 'opposite,' as I have found that when we pair things in such a way, the arising dependency intensifies: that each 'opposing' pair increases its need to be defined by the other within the pairing. I find such a mindset to be unhealthy, as it is ever ready to unwittingly create conflict. When things are defined communally, such territorial/philosophical cock-fighting can be avoided. So, in the example of SG prior, moving from 'Joy,' to 'Sameness,' there were two 'young' lines, and four 'old' lines. THIS IS NOT A COMMENT UPON A PERSON'S AGE: It is only to suggest the energy of the moment and the item being considered by the person casting I Ching has greater or lesser elements of transition present. Here, MR, cast all 'young' lines, and therefore is experiencing less "transition" in her qualitative day-to-day. Old and young denote the time of the event, where the action lies, and what decisions may lay ahead for best consideration: hence, the I Ching also being commonly known as 'the book of changes.' This is the study of Change. SG, is in a time of growth and the enhancement of acceptance. MR, here, is in a time of consideration. 

Change, is democratic of age and aging.

"61, Sincerity in the Centre," is described by lake on the inside - the lower trigram - and wind, on the outside/upper trigram. Lake, is synonymous with joy, and wind, with action. Thus may 'Sincerity' abbreviate into "Joy within Action." The overall judgement of this time points to "the centre," and though career decisions have an inherent confusion, the only successful road onto making a decision, is to look within.

MR is of such character inherently, and in a good place to be making this decision: MR is immeasurably conscientious, and if the feeling of each career option were to be sussed out first hand, the resultant decision will arise quite naturally. That is, if MR were to take a course or brief workshop pertaining to each field, by sampling each field and having an impression to work from, the impression which sticks most will be the career path best chosen. That at this time the 'Sincerity' is unmoving - that is, young - it is a good time for reflection, capitalizing upon the constancy at hand. If enough time passes and the decision has not been made and acted upon, MR would naturally become restless, regardless of an ensuing choice. So enjoy this time, MR. You have a great wealth at your disposal for making a true examination of your options at hand, and finding the career path which will give you a great sense of congruency in your life. Stay true and tuned to yourself.

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If... IF... we look at the yin moments of this hexagram (lines 3 and 4) under the idea of (and I loathe say this) "weakness," then there is a couple of gentle cautions to consider. As above, contrasting yin/yang as "weak/strong" creates a less considered frame of reference for the intrinsic considerations of I Ching and internal alchemy. However, it is not without its degree of merit: When we are excessively receptive, then yes, this can be dangerous. Yet even under that light, I'd rather consider yin moments as invitations. Even conflict, when you really look back upon one, was - and is - an opportunity to create something worthwhile for all involved. Yin, then, as much as Yang, is inspiratory. When receptivity culminates, it cannot do otherwise BUT to invert into action; thus, are incidents of yin worthy of extra consideration under this light - not avoidance! 

Conversely, Yang, in excess, would be an invitation to question if one is being compelled, and moving headlong into danger.... a much different qualitative measure. Imagine if you will:  the biggest video game couch potato addict... at some point, said potato gets restless and goes out to grab some more chips! The receptive grows into action, and the active grow into the receptive... Truly: "the opposite" resides within. 

So... again using the idea of chakras: the third and fourth pertain to stomach and heart. (This is where our reading took an interesting turn... And if you're asking - but there's 7 chakras no?! Consider please that the TOTALITY of the hexagram to be synonymous with a total understanding, an arising unity which is often depicted by the 7th chakra. As a person steps through the six considerations given by any hexagram, the arising hermeneutics grant the reverie.) 

MR, coincidentally (or not, depending on how you may view things) is on a cleanse currently(!) I always recommend having fresh burdock root kicking about - detox or 're-tox' - as it is a powerful and delightful "re-set" for the digestive track. After developing some rather fearsome anxiety during my career in live-performance, the ensuing digestive troubles were indeed re-set by incorporating this into my diet. (I'm sure my fellow thespians would be much "relieved" to read this!!)

Now... pertaining once again to the Book of Gardens... #61 was a true pleasure to uncover in its writing, as it represents a culmination of several "voices" throughout the book... The I Ching is a thorough dissection of CHANGE...The I Ching is the anatomy of CHANGE, and its anatomy has many parts, components, and so then "voices." Looking to comprehend Change in an all-at-once glimpse is a monumental task for anybody. I think this is why we have such admiration for those who have done it so well, like Jesus, Buddha, and Lao-Tzu. Religion aside: those individuals are true exceptions, and whatever words they've left behind for the rest of us to read, are, in my opinion, worth reading. It feels good - at the very least - to be a part of such a dialogue.

Kuan Yin (photo credit)

In my rendition of "Sincerity in the Centre" I found a way to have both the masculine voice and the feminine voice speak simultaneously - for "opposites" to speak together. And further to my hesitancy over the mindset of opposites, I go so far as to claim Yin and Yang to be Lovers. Mother Earth is a Lover: Heaven, embraces: The Way, is a beautiful thin line of Love... And so, as an experiment, MR & I read the poem together: first, like a script (my line, your line), and then as music: as two instruments contributing to one piece of music. MUCH FUN!! ... As it is probably one of my favourite pieces in the book... I will not be putting it to print here.... Sorry. 

BUT! I am going to be publishing the Book of Gardens in book form very soon through Lulu self publishing. STAY TUNED! :)

Thanks so much MR! It was a beautiful day. Much to consider. Deliciously, and deeply so. Keep your aim true, as per your own personal rulebook. Only you can know if a "rule" has been broken: Sincere to oneself, you betray no other.

Old and New. Part I.

I had again the pleasure to cast I Ching this week - twice, graciously! - for two friends, one old, one new. 

SG, cast "16, Joy," moving into "13, Sameness with People." 

               

"Joy," interestingly is where I began writing the Book of Gardens: it was the first poem upon which I discovered so many 'rules' which would hold the Book together, as an artwork, and, as a contribution to the lineage of I Ching interpretation. That SG cast 16, brought about this memory for me: that Joy, is a great place to begin something.

Hexagram 16 is characterized by the image of Earth inside the image of Thunder. Earth is characterized by three lines of yin - broken lines - and whose nature, then, is flexible and of pure receptivity. When I was once lost to anger, I was advised to go and 'pound the earth,' or plow it, or hit it with a stick, as, "she could take it." Indeed, the Earth's embrace of our treatment is Great: met with an individual, she subdues, soothes, and loves. Though pure yin is often characterized as 'female,' I prefer to use 'The Feminine,' or better, 'the receptive.' Gender is often referred to in the I Ching, under several contexts, but if taken too literally, like, 'women are this way, and men are that way,' I find that what I Ching can offer a person begins to sound antiquated, or even silly.

Yes. Silly. (Click this!)

SG, is receptive quite naturally, and currently works in children's programming, a field which inherently asks for patience and fortitude. He also recently took on greater levels of responsibility within his organization. Between these two facts I found his casting of coins to be quite exciting. Comparing hexagrams 16 and 13 (in that order), the lower trigrams (bottom three lines) are moving from pure receptivity (earth) into illumination (fire), and the top trigram is moving from the action of thunder into the fuller action of heaven (pure yang). This suggests to me that if he continues along the active ground of being receptive - being actively receptive - this natural open welcome he possesses will allow him continued success toward the instruction and guidance of others - namely the young. Put another way, in all his actions, journeying from the inside and into the outward action of the work place, SG can travel quite literally from Earth to Heaven, from full and pure receptivity into full and pure action.

Presence, brings about Greatness.

If we look solely at the bottom lines of each trigram in this pair of hexagrams - that is, lines one and four in each body - there is a goodly amount of balance and constancy. The first (bottom) line of a trigram generally describes what takes place in a person's own self knowing. The fourth line of a hexagram depicts how they move this self awareness into the world. In 'Joy,' yin and yang are paired in the first and fourth lines, balancing each other. And SG here, is coming into a situation where he is rather balanced: he is self aware, receptive and humble to new information, and un-afeared to put his person into the world at large. At this time of change, of enhancement lets say, SG is moving into a time of greater action, as seen in the yang line in the first position of 'Sameness with People.' The yang lines in positions one and four of 'Sameness' can be interpreted here as mutually supporting one another, and there is also the potential of going to far, or being excessive. This is a mild caution in this case, as, moving from 'Joy' to 'Sameness,' the fourth line remains constant, and is supported by the other yangs of 'Sameness,' depicting a good/solid/supported outcome.

'Sameness,' first requires self-knowing, which SG practices in abundance. The bottom trigram of 'Sameness with People' is fire, or, illumination. Illumination inside, followed with heaven outside - fire into heaven. By pairing 'Joy' and 'Sameness with People,' we can see that flexible knowing, well rooted, is leading SG toward illuminated knowing: his personhood is growing, or, ascending. As indeed it should...

SG happens to be in his fifties. As the Chinese saying goes: "when you are 30, you are ready to walk; when you are 40, no one can fool you." And though I do not remember exactly what follows at 50, or 60, and onward... I would hazard to say that 'when you are 50, you can no longer fool yourself!'  Certainly, if there is grace in this life, SG reflects such by his general pleasant and optimistic demeanor. That he is in the position to guide children is in my opinion a beautiful thing, as his strategy of self awareness and self knowing appears to be moving toward being shared prolifically, shared well, and with grace, all by virtue of his inner life being flexible, receptive, and constant. When we look at the fourth lines of 'Joy' and 'Sameness,' both are yang, and again, this is the position of how ones self knowing moves through the world. There is a slight caution here of over-compensation for perhaps once being too passive (ie: the lower three yin lines in 'Joy'). On the flip side of that, lies the interpretation of constancy; that, things just get better as they age.

The other transition of note here is that in 'Joy,' there is only one line of yang; and in 'Sameness,' there is only one line of yin. The line of yin in 'Sameness' is in the second position - a lower chakra - and so I recommended that SG perhaps incorporate some more ginger into his diet (I like using ginger for tea myself: keep fresh roots in the freezer and grate the desired quantity into a tea cup for a spicy and pleasing drink). I wanted him to be certain that in this time of natural growth and expansion that his foundation (his kidneys) were well supported with routine care. Ginger tea, is easily something to look forward to, and so this caution is really a very light one. 

SG and I have crossed paths in a variety of circles over the years, and it was a true pleasure (honour!) to connect with him through my beloved study of I Ching. SG is clearly the person I had always sensed: a positive spirit, receptive and trustworthy, and a gentle leader. Thank you SG!! You are a fine example for us :) 

If anyone would like me to expound further on the pairing here of the second and fifth lines, or the third and six, do let me know. Each pairing reflects a different area of our life, and the pairing of hexagrams details how we are changing at this time; what we can work toward, hope for, and be cautiously aware of. A total appreciation of the Change at hand often brings about increased self awareness, acceptance, conscientiousness and tranquility. 

Thank you SG!! :)

Change: Post I...

I went to Edmonton Indigo Drinks last night. This networking event has a similar theme as the Green Drinks which have popped up in Alberta over the last few years, where environmentally conscious people and eco-focused businesses can come together, socialize, and develop their networks further. Indigo, being a latter colour in the rainbow, is a place for holistic practitioners to do likewise within their field, and gain traction with this growing sense of culture.

Naturally, I made sure I had three dimes in my pocket and some STA-sis business cards, and indeed met many an extraordinary individual, including M, who is finishing her piercings apprenticeship while simultaneously practicing her RMT. After our jump-into-the-deep-end icebreaker on the nature of Perfectionism, she graciously allowed me to speak on I Ching, and it wasn't too long before we found a table and asked a question...

This was my first casting 'unarmed.' I did not bring my Book of Gardens, nor any Thomas Cleary to rely upon, but went strictly "with the flow," as M had aptly named it. Her hexagram brought about, 49 Change: fire inside the lake. A brief description of Fire, is that it is flexible on the inside and bright on the outside; Lake, is flexible on the outside, and consistent on the inside. Indeed M, carries herself through the world with a very grounded openness, a sensible and balanced curiosity.

Knowing only a few things about her, namely that she is in her schooling currently, and that her consultation was not in flux (no lines were in a state of transition, but rather, one of arrival) it follows logically that M will be in this state of 'fire inside the lake' for some time to come. I expect that she is a very bright student, with much 'illumination inside joy!'

Later we were joined by one of her closest friends, also M (so let's say M2 for now), and I shared my findings. M2 blushed and confirmed readily of M's steady and 'illuminated' nature, her reliability, and the joy she simply brings to others.

As M had asked, 'What do I need to do to progress?' ... clearly the answer comes: NOT MUCH. You, M, are in the earlier part of the life span as you know, and that you travel through the world with a ready supply of stability, all you need do is truly to continue nurturing that inner light, and continue to pursue your joy. Change and evolution, as we agreed upon at meeting, are the currencies of Life. Your youth gives you a natural advantage to capitalize upon this. But if there is any caution in saying that, it would only be to not put all the wood on the fire at once, thinking that a bigger/brighter flame will bring greater illumination. You'll simply burn through your fuel supply that way, seeing the horizon before you've actually travelled there: so don't get greedy, lest you burn up and leave yourself in the dark(!)

I know you won't do that though. You're in a great spot in life, are much loved by your close friends; there is flexibility in the centre of the inside, and flexibility at the outer reaches of the outside... The remainder of the body of this hexagram is young/unchanging yang. You have many resources to rely upon.

It was a pleasure to be in your company... "M & M" ... I look forward to your next questions. You've both inspired me more than words allow.

{Please visit my Mindfulness page here.}