Day 21,699 - 2010 1230

Day 21,699 - 2010 1230
Belov-ED Days - 4,610
Thursday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 22: Completion, Equilibrium, Already Fulfilled, Already Completed
01 --- --- Water (Fog, Mist, Rain, Flood, Steam)
02 -------- Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Nourishment, The Mystery

08 --------x Fire (hearth, Heat, Campfire, Sun)
16 --- --- Eye
32 --------x The Clinging, The Clarity, The Divination, The Purification

changing towards

Fu Hsi 62: Unity, Joining, Coordination, Union
01 --- --- Water (Fog, Mist, Ice, Frost, Dew)
02 -------- Ear
04 --- --- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Vision, The Divination

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Soil, Earthworm, Cavern, Field, Valley)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

Day 26,696 - Images from the I Ching: Water [The Abyss] over Fire [The Clinging] (Hexagram 22 - Completion) --> changing towards [lines 1,3] --> Water [The Abyss] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 62 - Unity) ... As one might expect, Fire over Water (Incompletion) is the polar opposite of Water over Fire (Completion) ... In this image all of the lines are in their natural positions, Yang(Seeking) in the odd(1,3,5) and the Yin(Embracing) lines in the even(2,4,6) ... Rather than the water rising up to quench the unfinished fire (incompletion ... there is much yet to be done), the Water is being poured onto the finished Fire, to terminate its cycle ... A job has been finished ... A life has come to an end ... A relationship has run its course ... A season is ending ... In all such circumstances the _old_ will give way to the _new_ ...

As we age we become more sensitive to, and aware of, the dimenished flame, the drying autumnal grass, the last vestiges of ice on the lakes and the broken, hollow tree that slowly ceases to generate new leaves ... At the same time we see, painfully, with fascination, the energy, the raw physicality, the quickness and vitality of the young ...

But in this Universe, the dying process is every bit as much needed and rich as the birthing, growing and developing ... There is a transference of energy from the dying, the old, the complete ... We learn from our elders, we gain nourishment from the waters left behind from the dying Winter ... We gain Experience from projects we have completed, regardless of their success or failure ...

There are two dying lines in this inner, dying Fire ... They will take us to the
Earth itself, leaving us with Water upon the Earth ... floods, driving rain, blizzards ... They all bring many natural processes to a halt ... All of life seeks refuge from these phenomena ... All of life thrives on, and depends on, the nourishment that follows from the Water flowing upon the Earth ... Here in Minnesota, the snow banks are as tall as I am ... The wind freezes the breath and skin ... My feet look hard for traction ... My one eye tries to make out the faces passing by, wandering if I know them ... La Contessa admires the wild turkeys feeding on wind-blown seeds made easy to find with young eyes on the smooth, sharp sheen of Water in its Winter's glaze ... The Water is now deeply spread upon the Earth, awaiting the Sun ... I rub the painful textures of eczema upon my hands and am reminded of the Water ... Its life-giving abyss welcomes us at birth and washes away our flesh in the end ... within the Earth ... So, I'll take the fact that I can still see the snow and feel that savage breeze as a sign that I just might see it all again ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

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Day 21,696 - 2010 1227

Day 21,696 - 2010 1227
Belov-ED Days - 4,607
Monday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 60: Repose, Harmony, Enthusiasm, Delight
01 --- --- Thunder (Electricity, Storms, Lightning, Viper, Rattlesnake)
02 --- --- Foot
04 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Catalyst, The Shock

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Plains, Desert)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- ---x The Embracing, The Creation, The Centering, The Substance

changing towards

Fu Hsi 64: Nature, Earth, Creation, Responding
01 --- --- Earth (Ground, Soil, Valley, Desert, Canyon)
02 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Centering, The Substance

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Cavern, Soil, Desert)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Centering, The Substance

Day 26,696 - Images from the I Ching: Thunder [The Arousal] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 60 - Repose) --> changing towards [line 4] --> Earth [The Embracing] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 64 - Nature) ... As the end of the year approaches and I think of this image of the Arousing Thunder flashing, storming, electrifying the air and sky above the Earth, I am drawn to those things that have gotten my attention this past year ... Thunder is a phenomenon that we just can't ignore ... It makes us sit up, stand up and perk up ... attentive, wary and on alert ... perhaps even frightened, concerned or confused ... Sudden, surprising events catch us off center, unprepared or startled ... Even if we are aware that a storm is coming, that someone is expected to die soon or there are warnings of layoffs, economic crises or natural difficulties, we are still uncomfortable and startled when they occur ... For the most part, there is nothing that can happen to us that has not happened to many other living people, but the fact that the events happen to _us_ makes it personal ... otherwise it is something that is happening out _there_ somewhere, to someone _else_ ... thunder and lightning are heard and seen by all upon the Earth below ...

Our inner Earth feels tha electricity that is igniting the atmosphere, but it also absorbs the rain that falls from the center of storms ... Death, hardship and discomfort can also be absorbed by our inner Earth ... It doesn't take away the pain or fear ... Those feelings will exist and we must acknowledge these feelings ... But our inner Earth shows us that if we are properly grounded then we can let it pass through us and down into the Earth itself ... The Earth receives it all and disperses it through the substance of who we are, giving birth to the new _us_/_me_/_you_ that arises from the depths of our experience ... Each day we are reborn from this Earth, just as the Sun is born from the horizon of the Earth and we have a new day ... this is when we can take another run at everything ... refreshed ... clear minded and eager ... This is the channelling of that electric energy that is conducted from the creative Sky to the source of Creation within the Earth ... the substance of our existence ... After the storm, when the Thunder is muttering in the distance and we breath in that fresh, clean air of the after-storm we are energized, poised to take another step ...

This year I lost my job and took another step towards blindness ... The Universe has made it clear to me that non of us are exempt from traumatic events and that we need to change our lexicon ... We tend to couch the events of our lives in the framework of "good" and "evil", which has no useful purpose other than to create guilt, shame or fear ... The fact that death exists, and the fact that earthquakes exist and the fact that hurricanes exist and the fact that floods exist does not mean that someone has done something "bad", anymore than the idea that someone has done something "good" when the Sun shines, or a tree sets heavy with fruit or a child is born ... These events will happen regardless of the behavior of humans individually and humanity at large ...

One changing line in the outer reality takes the Thunder to Earth, leaving us with the final image of the I Ching sequence: Earth over Earth ... Today, as I walked in white troughs dug out from several feet of snow my eyes struggled to find passageways on the corners for crossing the street ... Some snowbanks were taller than my 6'4" height ... The cold was penetrating, even without the wind and with the sun shining brightly ... The Thunder of the storm has passed, the precipitation has covered the Earth and now we can rest, letting our inner Earth digest the events of this past year ... Even as my eyesight dims, I know that the Sun will Shine, that the Thunder will bring rain and that the Earth will absorb it all and distribute it to life ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

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http://Addewid.blogspot.com
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http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

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Day 21,691 - 2010 1222

Day 21,691 - 2010 1222
Belov-ED Days - 4,602
Wednesday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 31: Nourishment, Mouths, Jaws, Nourishing
01 -------- Mountain (Ledge, Wall, Tower, Peak, Height)
02 --- --- Hand
04 --- --- The Unmoving, The Restful, Protection, The Obstacle

08 --- --- Thunder (Lightning, Viper, Electricity, Storm)
16 --- --- Foot
32 --------x The Arousal, The Movement, The Catalyst, The Shock

no changes

Day 26,691 - Images from the I Ching: Mountain [The Unmoving] over Thunder [The Catalyst] (Hexagram 31 - Nourishment) --> No Changes ... Mountain over Thunder is a powerful image ... Both Mountain and Thunder impress us, inspire us and intimidate us ... A lightning storm is doubly impressive when seen from the heights of the Mountain ... We are reminded that Mountains influence weather, serve as the source for streams that become rivers and store water for the future in glacial flows and mountain lakes ... This is why this image is about nourishment ... In Nature, everything follows the path of least resistence, and by doing so actually changes everything continuously ... Rivers start off in the mountains, flow down the slops, into rivers, lakes and then seas, changing them all ... mountains erode, rivers change course and the oceans strongly influence the weather systems that bring the water back to the mountains ... We are all blessed by this system that is fueled by the sun which has just risen from it's death on the third day after the end of autumn ... The light will return ... The warmth will return ... and the life that bristles with anticipation beneath all of this snow and ice will also return to the orchestrated melodies of cicadas, nightingales and crickets ... There are no changes in these images, so linger for a moment by the window and watch the beginning of it all ... again ... buon solstizia d'inverno ... ciao ... Il Matto ...

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http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
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http://Addewid.blogspot.com
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http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
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www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,689 - 2010 1220

Day 21,689 - 2010 1220
Belov-ED Days - 4,600
Monday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 09: Estrangement, Opposition, Diversity, Perversion
01 -------- Sky (Air, Stars, Planets, Flight, Birds)
02 -------- Head
04 -------- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Vision, The Divination

08 --- --- Lake (River, Sea, Brook, Ocean)
16 -------- Mouth
32 --------x The Joyful, The Happiness, The Expression, The Language

changing towards

Fu Hsi 14: Restraint, Limitation, Restricting, Moderation
01 --- --- Water (Fog, Mist, Ice, Frost, Dew)
02 -------- Ear
04 --- --- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Vision, The Divination

08 --- --- Lake (River, Sea, Pond, Brook, Stream, Puddle)
16 -------- Mouth
32 -------- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

Day 26,689 - Images from the I Ching: Sky [The Seeking] over Lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 09 - Conduct) --> changing towards [lines 4,6] --> Water [The Abyss] over lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 14 - Restraint) ... I have been thinking about this image sequence for a couple of days, in part because of a busy weekend, but also because, at times, I like to allow an image to ferment ... It seemed appropriate this time ... Sky(Seeking) over Lake(Joyful) are two visual and conceptual components that separately are quite present and welcome ... They represent the Head(Sky)[intellect, creativity, knowledge] and the Mouth(Expression, Joy, Language, Speech, Singing) ... What is not to like about these? ... But what is the relationship between sky and Lake (and Head and Mouth)? ... The areas of our brain that control speech(Lake) and logic(Sky) are quite capable of working independently, and often do, to our disadvantage ... How often have we said things that we really didn't mean, or were just plain mean in our flash of anger, or were heard by the wrong person at the wrong time for wrong reason ... Our mouths excel in expressing how we feel, even if that feeling is fleeting ... Our logical mind is also adept as solving problems, reflection and planning ... However, "feelings" are organic, quickly moving, complex and easily excited in constructive and destructive ways ... It takes a lot more energy, time and concentration to engage in planning, reflection and problem solving, whereas oral expression is immediately accessible and can be deployed in the blink of the eye ...

The waters of the Lake can be disturbed by a gust of wind, a sqall line, a sudden rainstorm or movement of the life within it ... When the Lake is disturbed, the reflection of the Sky is destroyed ... The harmony between Sky and Lake, and the reflection of the Sky that can be present within the surface of the Lake, is interrupted by even the slightest ripple ... Reflection, Planning and Problem solving require the cooperation of our expressive self, or nothing gets done ... As great, beautiful and expansive as the Sky is, it is bound by the horizon and since most of the earth is covered by bodies of water, its presence is swallowed in those bodies of water ... Just as our powerful, logical, problem solving, contemplative brains are swallowed up by our exhuberance, our celebrations and our emotional outbursts ... The I Ching here is telling us that we need to do what is necessay keep the waters of our inner Lake calm, reflective and open to the expansive presence of the outer Sky and the resources of intellect, logic and contemplation available within it ... But this does not mean _controlling_, muzzling, gagging the mouth in some coercive way ... The mouth still needs to be free to express that which needs to be expressed ... As with all in the Universe, balance, diversity and adaptability are paramount ...

There are two changing lines in the initial image, in the fourth and sixth positions ... taking the outer reality from Sky to Water ... The Abyss ... This is the fog, the mists, the heavy rain and in the winter, ice, that can surround us, sometimes in the aftermath of some verbal outburst indicated by the inital image of Sky over Lake ... This following image of Water over Lake adds an element of stress to the sequence ... Restraint, Limitation and Moderation may be in order during circumstances represented by these images ... Just as the ice cover on the Mississippi river restricts the water moving underneath and the winter Icy Fog in the Sky stands in the way of the Sun and its warmth and light, the circumstances we face daily may stand in the way of or goals, our joy and our journey ... This may be a time in which careful small steps are more useful on the slick, uncertain surfaces that linger from the blizzard and cold ... Quick large strides are nothing short of dangerous ... The Abyss ...

With my one remaining (somewhat) functioning eye I can't tell the difference between ice, snow, crevice, snowbank or trench ... With five foot piles of snow everywhere now, and streets narrow from accumlated snow, the Water for I Ching is quite strong right now, so I reach forward with my stick, test the surface, then take a tentative, small step ... Restraint, Moderation, Limitation ... It is the only way to get downtown today for my appointment with the ophthalmologist ... Il Matto ...

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http://josjr69.blogspot.com
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http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

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www.ciriad.com

Day 21,686 - 2010 1217

Day 21,686 - 2010 1217
Belov-ED Days - 4,597
Friday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 12: Living together, Partners, Intimacy, Mutual Subordination
01 --- ---x Thunder (Storms, Electricity, Viper, Explosion, Lightning)
02 --- --- Foot
04 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Catalyst, The Shock

08 --- --- Lake (River, Sea, Brook, Ocean)
16 -------- Mouth
32 --------x The Joyful, The Happiness, The Expression, The Language

changing towards

Fu Hsi 43: Incompletion, Before Ending, Not Yet Fulfilled, Beginnings
01 -------- Fire (Hearth, Warmth, Volcano, Sun, Campfire)
02 --- --- Eye
04 -------- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Vision, The Divination

08 --- --- Water (Fog, Steam, Mud, Mist, Rain, Snow)
16 -------- Ear
32 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

Day 26,686 - Images from the I Ching: Thunder [The Arousal] over Lake [The joyful] (Hexagram 12 - Intimacy) --> changing towards [line 1] --> Fire [The Clinging] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 43 - Incompletion) ... Outer Thunder over Inner lake ... In this image we are surrounded by electric energy ... It is a context of potentially charged encounters, relationships and circumstances ... It can also be overwhelming, but with appropriate centeredness this could be an experience cherished ... In the presence of the Inner Lake (The Joyful ... The Happiness) this scintilating energy could lead to intimacy, great pleasure or prehaps even ecstasy ... This could be sexual, professional or the result of come creative act ... But it is also about death: death of self, death of security or death of independence; for intimacy, joy, ecstasy and pleasure often (if not always) bring bring with them vulnerabilities. In an initmate relationship we expose our deepest and most raw self, unvarnished, without the airbrushed public persona we may have contrived for consumption by the world ... What happens when someone else, some organization or the culture at large is allowed to see this revealed self? Are we ready for the potentially charged reaction? Are we sufficiently centered within our inner Joyful Lake to allow ourselves to be viewed in this way. Is our inner self different than we have allowed the world to see before? Or is it pretty much an accurate presence ... This would be so much easier if our families, religions and societies were tolerant, inclusive and supportive of self-actualized lives.

Unfortunately, the outer lightning is interpreted as "temptation" or "evil" to be avoided, shuned or even banned. This culture of criticism, judgment and coercion simply drives us into isolation, and it is within isolation that abusive behavior is allowed to occur unchecked. It is in the context of fear that ignorance becomes manifest and we don't really understand how to interact ... We don't develop those skills that we need to empathize, synthesize and harmonize ... Are we like the Joyous Lake consuming the energy and rain of the storm to become swollen with the presence of new waters of life? This is a most productive compromise within nature? ... or are we an isolated, rigid, inflexible, solid planet on a collision course with another planet that will result in the destruction of both? ... Intolerance, absolutist perspectives and self-righteous judgement only result in the destruction of the abused, and possibly also the abuser (through retaliation or from the collision itself). It is the soft, supple and flexible willow that will have a better chance to survive a tornado or hurricane and it is the rigid, unyielding oak that will snap terribly and fatally in the same conditions ... Be invigorated by the external lightning, not electrocuted!

There are two aging and dying lines in this initial image, that will give rise to a shift from Outer Arousing Lightning to the Clinging Fire and the Inner Joyful Lake to the Abyss of Water ... Fire over Water ... In this transition we are remided that if we allow the Catalytic force of thunder to overwhelm our inner Joyful Lake, we could be taken away from our center, with the outer Fire being consumed by our inner Water, depression, obscurity, confusion, fog and mist. It is important to remember that when the fog has become dense and we find ourselves disoriented and confused that the inner Joyful Lake is still there, just as the sun, the outer Fire, is still shining in the sky, above the banks of fog ... Don't let the shift in the circumanstances of life throw us off balance to the point where we lose perspective ... We still need to move forward towards that outer Sun (Fire), even if we can't see it at the moment ... It may be that the fog (as has been observed by others) could allow us to take on new perspectives ... There are times when we need to back away and allow the Clarity of the Eye to use the mysteries of the mist to explore in paths ... There are always potentialities braided with the risks in the Universe and there are no guarantees either way ... Take the step forward, for staying in one place may (and usually is) just as dangerous as taking the step ... Il Matto ...

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http://Addewid.blogspot.com
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http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

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Day 21,685 - 2010 1216

Day 21,685 - 2010 1216
Belov-ED Days - 4,596
Thursday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 11: Estrangement, Opposition, Diversity, Perversion
01 -------- Fire (Hearth, Warmth, Campfire, Forestfire, Volcano)
02 --- --- Eye
04 -------- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Vision, The Divination

08 --- --- Lake (River, Sea, Brook, Ocean)
16 -------- Mouth
32 --------x The Joyful, The Happiness, The Expression, The Language

changing towards

Fu Hsi 43: Incompletion, Before Ending, Not Yet Fulfilled, Beginnings
01 -------- Fire (Hearth, Warmth, Volcano, Sun, Campfire)
02 --- --- Eye
04 -------- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Vision, The Divination

08 --- --- Water (Fog, Steam, Mud, Mist, Rain, Snow)
16 -------- Ear
32 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

Day 26,684 - Images from the I Ching: Fire [The Clinging] over Lake [The joyful] (Hexagram 11 - Diversity) --> changing towards [line 1] --> Fire [The Clinging] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 43 - Incompletion) ... Fire over Lake is an image I have always enjoyed seeing, especially in the Winter, especially after a blizzard followed by more snow, with skies overcast and temperatures bitter, penetrating and relentlessly cold ... What is not to like about the warm, clinging Sun rising up and glancing off the rippling surface of the Joyful Lake? ... But, it is the nature of Nature to always provide more than one perspective on any scenario ... The sun could also be the winter sun, lower in the sky with less of an opportunity to warm up the atmosphere with is lower angle of exposure ... And the Lake could also be frozen, as they are here now in Minnesota ... When one combines the two (Fire[Sun] over lake) and take note of how they interact there is an interesting visual effect, that of light from the sun splintering as the surface of the Lake reflects the light in different ways, with different levels of intensity, at different angles ... At times it even expresses a kind of disco ball kaleidoscopic complexity that one can easily see as representing the diversity of the Universe and all that is in it ... The miriad forms of life reflect this diversity and the ecosystems upon which all life depends not only depends on this diversity, it thrives in the presence of this diversity.

The I Ching, with its Yin[Embracing]/Yang[Seeking] oppositional, convergent/divergent tapestry of interactions can be attributed with the growth, evolution and robustness of life ... It is sad and tragic that the human desire to reduce, if not eliminate, this inherent ambiguity we find with the Universe has given rise to the idea that diversity is a negative phenomenon ... We are surrounded with efforts on the part of individuals, religions, governments and corporations to homogenize everything ... It seems that monocultures are desired at every level and in every corner of our existence ... But in all scenarios in which there is an effort to coerce uniformity there is an extreme risk of profound vulnerabilities to be exposed, which can then be exploited and abused. This is true for human thought, agriculture, ecosystems, social systems, political systems, family systems and even economic systems, as has been so graphically illustrated in recent global economic developments ...

Within this image, the foundational position 1 is an old and dying Yang(Seeking) line, which takes our inner Joyful Lake into the abyss of Water ... When we eliminate the diversity that has given us life and sustains that life, there is nothing that can come from this but the confusion, disorientation and obscurity of our inner fog, mist and floods that threaten to consume the warmth and clarity that comes from The Fire, The Eye, The Vision ... Think ahead ... Think to the Future of humanity ... Think of the cycles that have sustained life for millions of years ... The Winter Solstice is near ... The Sun will die, and on the third day will arise once more to renew the cycle that defines us and the diversity that surrounds us ... Il Matto ...

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http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

I Ching Reflections: Why the 50 stalk method?

Why do I use the 50 stalk method of consulting the I Ching? Obviously, the biggest problem with the 50 stalk method is that it takes at least ten minutes to execute if you are a fast manipulator of the stalks, much longer is you are less experienced. Putting aside thirty minutes or more to consult the I Ching is difficult with our contemporary lifestyles ... Most divination systems provide a mechanism for fast divining, providing an experience that is focused on the interpretation of the resulting images rather than the evolving process of watching the image form, which is the case with the 50 stalk I Ching method. You feel each line individually, viscerally and you start to look ahead at the potentialities present in the coming lines ... You can also benefit from the physical presence of the stalks, the feel of the bundles in the fingers and the "will" (for the lack of a better term) of the stalks during that particular reading, something you don't have within any other divination system that I can think of. By "will" I mean the actual personality of the stalks. Everyday, every reading they behave differently. Sometimes they cooperate marvelously, falling into place cleanly, remaining in place ... Other times they they fight with each other, they fight your fingers, they roll away, fall apart from their groupings and drop off the divining table ... I like to account for these factors in my meditation and reflection ... It is this body memory experience that I cherish the most ... In the end, all divination systems give you an image to interprete ... The 50 stalk method for the I Ching gives you a full-body, tactile, aural (hearing the clatter and roll of the stalks), visual, three dimensional journey that presents images and feelings at many levels from many directions ... I have experimented with many different media for the stalks themselves, even actual yarrow stalks, which I found too lightweight and thin, at least for my fingers (especially after they dry out) ... My favorite stalks are twigs chosen from a variety of trees, where the personality of the twig and the tree can manifest itself in the reading ... Twigs also allow me to blend the sensual celtic. druidic spirituality with the magic of the I Ching ... The problem with the twigs is that they collect and leave particles of dust that activate the Contessa's allergies, so I have settled for bamboo skewers ... They bring a significant substance and weight into the experience that unlocks my body-memories and they are very clean, from the stand point of dust ... They also make a wonderfully clean clicking sound when they hit and roll on the divining table ... But I have to be careful when I do that because it gets on the nerves of the Contessa, so I bought a small padded floormat that I put on my divining table ... The mat is black so that my one eye can see the light bamboo stalks ... Otherwise they literally disappear from my fading sight and I cannot validate the seasonal groupings of the stalks as I divide them ... This also has the advantage of being doable if I become totally blind, a consideration that is continuously on my ... The glaucoma will always be there ... The optical nerve damage will always be there .... And _no_, smoking pot will not solve or mitigate this kind of glaucoma (pigment dispersion glaucoma) ... This is a question I am asked a lot ... Il Matto ... http://josjr.com/

Day 21,684 - 2010 1215

Day 21,684 - 2010 1215
Belov-ED Days - 4,595
Wednesday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 56: Modesty, Moderation, Humbleness
01 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Plains, Desert)
02 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

08 --------x Mountain (Ledge, Stars, Tower, Planets)
16 --- --- Hand
32 --- --- The Unmoving, The Restful, The Protection, The Obstacle

changing towards

Fu Hsi 64: Nature, Earth, Creation, Responding
01 --- --- Earth (Valley, Cavern, Plains, Desert, Canyon)
02 --- --- Solar Plexus, Belly
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

08 --- --- Earth (Valley, Cavern, Ground, Soil, Desert, Valley)
16 -------- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

Day 26,684 - Images from the I Ching: Earth [The Embracing] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 56 - Humbleness) --> changing towards [line 3] --> Earth [The Embracing] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 64 - Nature) ... With the ground covered with snow and arctic winds slicing into any exposed skin I am reminded how fragile we are as a species ... Without our technology, our creativity and our skills to construct clothes, houses and cars we would not be able to live anywhere but in the most lush areas of the world, where the temperature remain within a few degrees on either side of 70 Fahrenheit ... We are Mountains in many respects and we arrogantly think of ourselves as such ... Our inner mountain gives us that sense of entitlement in which we believe that the world is ours to bend and blend as we will, without regards to our _real_ relationship to the Universe all of life within it ... But Earth over Mountain clearly illustrates that even the highest and most substantive of mountains rose up from the Earth and are continually eroding back into the Earth ... As I get older and my eyesight fails I feel a fragility that just didn't seem to exist when I was twenty ... This extreme cold, with Water's snow and ice that once was intriguing, even beautiful has become yet another collection of obstacles to account for when I need to leave the house ... As the crumbling mountain, adjustments are made by the day and I watch the young with amazement, in much the same way that I gaze in awe at a snow-covered mountain peak ... The United States is now finding out that its inner Mountain is crumbling too, as it always has been, since its birth ... but we can no longer deny it ... The rest of the world is catching up, caught up or passing up ... The world is littered with the ruins of empire Mountains called back into the Earth and the bodies of living, breathing, strong, vibrant humans that once were young, bouncing with energy and strong ...

The one Yang(Seeking) line in this image is changing, moving our inner Mountain to Earth ... The Embracing, Receptive, Yielding Earth ... Within it are the seeds of the new, even under the snow, the ice and the Wind ... I like the fact that it is down there waiting, supporting, feeding and always ready to remind us of where our home is, who we are and the role we play in the lives of those around us and in the Universe ... In the billions of years that the Earth has given birth to Mountains and then consumed them, long before there humans around to emulate and behold them, many species have come and gone as well, but the Earth continues its cycles from which we ourselves originated... It is from this that I receive comfort ... Regardless of what our politicians, scientists and corporations do, the simple fact of their relative insignificance is manifest in the fate of Mountains and the foundations that exist within the Earth ... As someone who has spent a lifetime working with computers, cars and many other devices of human creation, one thing has been consistent ... That which is from Nature, created from the Earth, wants to live (and _will_ live) ... That which is created by humans wants to die (and will at the first opportunity) ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,683 - 2010 1214

Day 21,683 - 2010 1214
Belov-ED Days - 4,594
Tuesday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 14: Restraint, Limitation, Restricting, Moderation
01 --- --- Water (Mist, Fog, Steam, Snow, Rain)
02 --------x Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Nourishment, The Mystery

08 --- --- Lake (River, Sea, Brook, Ocean)
16 -------- Mouth
32 --------x The Joyful, The Happiness, The Expression, The Language

changing towards

Fu Hsi 48: Army, Collective Force, Multitude, The Troops
01 --- --- Earth (Valley, Cavern, Plains, Desert, Canyon)
02 --- --- Foot
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

08 --- --- Water (Fog, Steam, Mud, Mist, Rain, Snow)
16 -------- Ear
32 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

Day 26,683 - Images from the I Ching: Water [The Abyss] over Lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 14 - Restraint) --> changing towards [line 1,5] --> Earth [The Embracing] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 48 - Multitue) ... I am constantly amazed at how the Universe and the mechanism of its Nature can teach me more about the images of the I Ching ... This image of Water over Lake is one of Water precipitating and draining into lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and seas ... This influx of new water stresses the limits of river banks, dams and reservoirs, sometimes even destroying the walls trying to contain this Water, this abyss, this great mass of mystery that descends upon us, challenging our technologies, our social systems and our creativity as we work to survive the vicissitudes of the Universe ... Our internal Lake wants to be joyful ... In the body of the I Ching this is the mouth, our mouth, our means of communication and expression ... With the mouth we want to express how we feel, but when the floods come, when the mists and fog surrounds us, do we shut down? or do we continue to _be_ ourselves and allow this inner lake to flow into those rivers, streams and babbling brooks of our emotions? Release is important ... That is why we have pressure valves on internal combustion engines, coffee pots and steam turbines ...

If we don't release this emotion, allow it to represent us as we are, we will die, perhaps alone, misunderstood and even abused ... This is a lesson I never learned ... My defense against oppressive religious perspectives, frequent moves, continuous, abusive criticism and isolation was to avoid communication, diving deep into my internal Lake, so deep that the dept of the Lake became the Abyss of water ... Eventually, i came to prefer this inner pressure over the complexities of interactions with the confusing morass of the outer Water, the fog, the mist, the blizzard of all that is out there ... It was (and is) hard to let the Joyful Lake express what had become so deeply buried ...

There are two aging lines dying in the image of Water over Lake (in the first and fifth position) taking the outer Water to the Earth and the inner lake to Water ... The Abyss takes over our internal reality, presenting a context that could be depressing, discouraging or even frightening ... but the outer reality is filled with the Earth itself with all of its centering force ... Perhaps this is why a walk in the woods or a hike to a special place works wonders for our disposition ... When that inner Water/Abyss fills us find that place within the Earth that comforts us, embraces us and sustains us ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

Day 21,682 - 2010 1213

Day 21,682 - 2010 1213
Belov-ED Days - 4,593
Sunday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 06: Waiting, Calculated Inaction, Needing, Moistened
01 --- --- Water (Fog, clouds, Mist, Steam, Floods)
02 --------x Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Nourishment, The Mystery

08 --------x Sky (Stars, Planets, Birds, Fligt, Intelligence)
16 --------x hand
32 --------x The Seeking, The Creativity, The Intelligence, The Curiosity

changing towards

Fu Hsi 28: Shock, Thunder, Taking Action, Awakening
01 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Field, Plains, Canyons)
02 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Grounding, The Substance

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Field, Plains, Canyons)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Grounding, The Substance

Day 26,682 - Images from the I Ching: Water [The Abyss] over Sky [The Seeking] (Hexagram 06 - Waiting) --> changing towards [line 1,2,3,5] --> Earth [The Embracing] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 64 - Nature) ... The first image is water in the Sky ... In other words, clouds ... Clouds slowly pass over us with the promise (or fear) or rain (storms) ... Water is the most prominent substance in our Universe of the living ... on Earth, the Creation ... we are made up primarily of water ... 70% of the Earth itself is covered by water ... We can't live long without it and will die if we don't have access to it readily ... This need instills within us a high level of anxiety about its presence and/or absence ... Clouds are a promise of its presence, for it is from clouds that water will come ... Without storms, underground acquifers, springs, wells, rivers, streams, lakes and even seas would go dry and the communities that depend on them would either die or have to move, searching for it ... It is no wonder that clouds attract our attention and spark comment and conversation: "looks like rain", "I think there's a storm coming", "my, those clouds look ominous" ... It is interesting that this phenomenon upon which we are so dependent is also the bringer of stress, tragedy and change as rivers overflow, blizzards blanket the countryside, hurricanes hit land and flash floods change lives in an instant ... So waiting is something that we engage when we see the presence of clouds and speculate about the impact to come ...

This particular image is also full of change ... Four of the lines, all Yang(Seeking) lines, are old and dying ... As a matter of fact, _all_ of the Yang(Seeking) lines are dying, leaving us with the Earth itself, the most substantive of all images, for it is literally the embodiment of our existence ... From blizzards and floods come renewal as the water seeps into the ground, becoming the nourishment of all that lives on the earth ... Rest assured that all change resulting from the arrival of clouds, storms and water in all of its forms will play some role in pushing our lives forward, whether we want it to or not ... Welcome the rain, embrace the snow prepare for the day after, for everything may be different than we might expect ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,681 - 2010 1212

Day 21,681 - 2010 1212
Belov-ED Days - 4,592
Sunday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 52: Smallness, Details, Little Exceeding, Continuing
01 --- --- Thunder (Lightning, Storms, Viper, Rattlesnake, Electricity)
02 --- --- Foot
04 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Shock, The Catalyst

08 --------x Mountain (Tower, Ledge, Cold, Goat)
16 --- --- hand
32 --- ---x The Unmoving, The Restful, The Protection, The Stagnation

changing towards

Fu Hsi 28: Shock, Thunder, Taking Action, Awakening
01 --- --- Thunder (Lightning, Storm, Viper, Rattlesnake, Electricity)
02 --- --- Foot
04 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Shock, The Catalyst

08 --- --- Thunder (Lightning, Storm, Viper, Rattlesnake, Electricity)
16 --- --- Foot
32 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Electricity, The Shock

Day 26,681 - Images from the I Ching: Thunder [The Arousal] over Mountain [The Unmoving] (Hexagram 52 - Smallness) --> changing towards [line 1,3] --> Thunder [The Arousal] over Thunder [The Arousal] (Hexagram 28 - Awakening) ... As wonderful and grand and inspirational as the Mountain can be, there is a major vulnerability present when one is located high upon one's inner Mountain ... That is exposure to the elements, to the cold and to the electricity of the storm ... All locations and all states of being have strengths and weaknesses ... There is always present the mythical Achille's heel ... Being too high up, being too confident, too proud, too arrogant or too confident is be vulnerable, regardless of whether this is an individual, a community, a nation, an empire or the entire planet ... The Unmovable Mountain from which the Sky must retreat places those who ascend it in the crosshairs of many dangers ... So, to be there safely calls for humility, caution and attention to details ...

There are two aging and dying lines within the inner trigram taking the inner Moutain to the inner Thunder ... This new image is the double dose of a catalyst that could impel us, push us, force us, drive us into some action that we need to take, that we want to take or that we must take ... Whatever our comfort zone is, we will be challenged by the universe to move beyond the boundaries of that which we feel secure ... There is no valley, cavern or canyon that we can take refuge in that will protect us from the threats the continuously exist in the universe ... Out inner Thunder is that force which will prompt us to take the action that will be needed, but we must be ready, willing and deliberate in responding to that prompt ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,680 - 2010 1211

Day 21,680 - 2010 1211
Belov-ED Days - 4,591
Saturday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 58: Assembling, Gathering, Bringing Together
01 --- --- Lake (Stream, River, Stream, Ocean, Pond)
02 -------- Mouth
04 -------- The Joyful, The Happiness, The Expression, The Language

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Cavern, Plains, Desert, Valley)
16 --- --- Belly, solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

changing towards

Fu Hsi 62: Unity, Joining, Coordination, Union
01 --- --- Water (Fog, Mist, Rain, Sleet, Clouds)
02 -------- Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Plains, Desert, Cavern)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

Day 26,680 - Images from the I Ching: Lake [The Joyful] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 58 - Assembling) --> changing towards [line 4] --> Water [The Abyss] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 62 - Unity) ... We are mid-blizzard here in Minnesota and I cannot keep myself from thinking about the frozen state of the ground as the temperature and the snow both drop, silently orchestrating a quiet calm within the city, on the courtryside and even upon the lakes, rivers and streams in the region ... But the Earth itself, just as our inner Earth, doesn't stop here where we stand today, nor does it extend to the horizon, for the horizon leaps ahead us, sprinting ahead, beyond our grasp regardless of how much effort and time we expend trying to catch it ...

We never do fathom the depth and breadth of our inner earth. Just when we think that we have exhausted our inner resources we wake up in the morning to discover that we have somehow solved that problem that plagued us the night before ... The frozen ground outside, beneath the snow and arctic breeze is connected to the plains, the deserts, the valleys, the canyons and caverns through the never-ending Earth ... connected through the network formed by rivers, lakes, streams and seas, nature's internet ... With the frozen Mississippi just down the hill from where I sit now, the surface itself is crystalline, hard enough to allow passage, connecting the banks and the people who converge on the river's edge, allowing them gather and assemble ... together ... With frozen bodies of water come ancient bridges upon the earth ... Just because our lives may seem to become frozen, stuck within a quagmire of dense marsh, or lodged within thick glacier does not mean that the Universe has locked us out of accomplishment, community, connection ... The internet now attests to this ...

The buses have been halted in Minneapolis ... Concerts, theaters and social events have been cancelled, yet there are people stepping out to help with stalled cars, blocked driveways, impassable sidewalks and depleted supplies ... Even frozen, the Earth finds ways to open paths that humanity can pass to each other ...

There is one old and dying line in the outer reality, where Lake slips into the the Abyss of Water, or as in the case of today here ... snow ... water shapeshifted to the gentle, harsh, soft bite of a blizzard that muffles even the moan of the Universe ... Water, within its tripleness of liquid, gas and ice has unified the world, covering it all ... yielding to the footprints of the adventurous and the blade of the industrious ... but nonetheless the world becomes one beneath this trinity ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

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http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,678 - 2010 1209

Day 21,678 - 2010 1209
Belov-ED Days - 4,589
Thursday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 53: Development, Progress, Partnership, Developing Gradually
01 -------- Wind (Spirit, Wood, Fores, Trees, Breath)
02 -------- Thighs
04 --- --- The Gentle, The Pentrating, The Inspiration, The Spiritual

08 -------- Mountain (Tower, Ledge, Cold, Goat)
16 --- --- hand
32 --- --- The Unmoving, The Restful, The Protection, The Stagnation

no changing towards

Day 26,677 - Images from the I Ching: Wind [The Gentle] over Mountain [The Unmoving] (Hexagram 53 - Development) --> no changing lines ... Trees [Wind] can grow on the Mountainside, but not easily ... It requires a great deal of tenacity and patience for growth to take place on thin top soil, in the face of harsh winds and penetrating cold ... But, nontheless, the trees grow and even survive for many years ... In the Universe, all of life _wants_ to live and it _will_ live, regardless of the context ... But the Universe demands that the life match the environment or life will cease ... Fish typically don't live on land and cats typically don't stay underwater for hours at a time ... If it weren't for the creativity of humanity providing us with the tools necessary to create protective garments, design plows and craft shelters, humanity would die as well, except in a very narrow band of warm lands around the earth ... From the Mountain we learn that development is possible in even the demanding and least rewarding of locations, but we need to recreate ourselves as the environment changes ... Our inner Mountain wants to stay put and continue doing things the way we have been doing them, perhaps for many years ... But the outer wind challenges us, pushes us, drives the elements of our climate into our skin, sucking the air out of our lunges, drying our eyes and lips and draining the heat from our body ... We can't survive such aggressive activity on the part of the Universe without taking some kind of action ... Obviously, this is where we need to find whatever sustenance is within reach and construct an existence within that substance, even if it is meager, unrelenting and mercyless ... There can be no heat without the gathering of wood ... There can be no life in Winter without storing supplies in the summer ... There can be no community without _communication_ ... We need our creative faculties, we need our neighbors and we need our families, just as the tree needs a boulder around which it can wrap its roots to hold on to during the most driving of Winds ...

The fact that there are no changing lines here is a reminder that we cannot count on the warmth and food to arrive soon or without effort ... Thank the Earth for the resources that we use collectively to warm our home and fill our stomachs ... We are never all that far from that gnarled pine tree daring to push up from its stone crib to face the Universe ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,677 - 2010 1208

Day 21,677 - 2010 1208
Belov-ED Days - 4,588
Thursday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 19: Beauty, Fire, Intelligence, Brightness, Caressing
01 -------- Fire (Hearth, Campfire, Sun, Heat, Energy, Forest Fire)
02 --- --- Eye
04 --------x The Clinging, The Clarity, The Warmth, The Divination, The Vision

08 --------x Fire (Sun, Campfire, hearth, Heat, Energy, Forest Fire, Eagle)
16 --- --- Eye
32 --------x The Clinging, The Clarity, The Divination, The Vision

changing towards

Fu Hsi 63: Splitting, Peeling Off, Deteriorating, Flaying
01 -------- Mountain (Fog, Mist, Rain, Sleet, Clouds)
02 --- --- Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Plains, Desert, Cavern)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

Day 26,677 - Images from the I Ching: Fire [The Clinging] over Fire [The Clingign] (Hexagram 19 - Beauty) --> changing towards [line 1,3,4] --> Mountain [The Unmoving] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 63 - Peeling) ... Beyond all else, we are a visual species ... We _see_ solutions ... We _see_ to our "business" ... We _see_ each other ... We _see_ the future, the present, the past ... We dress to be _seen_ ... We _watch_ for danger ... We _watch_ over each other ... We give the "evil" eye ... We stare, glare, gaze and penetrate with our eyes ... Our visual vocabulary is simply extraordinary ... We can hardly write a paragraph or speak a half dozen phrases without some allusion to vision, visualization or _imag_ination ... So much of how we communicate who we are, how we feel and what we are thinking is expressed through our eyes ...

it is no wonder that we try to invent ways to communicate visually in email through colored text, emoticons, icons, thumbnail images and font types ... Without vision we are "flying blind", "leaping into the dark", "kept in the dark", "going through dark times" and "lost in the dark". The I Ching image of Fire is "The Clinging", because Fire clings to that which fuels it, like an image "clings" to our "eyes", which (in turn) burn the image into our brains ... We "just can't get that image our of our minds" ... To prove something we "show" the evidence ... "Seeing is believing" ... And the opposite is (unfortunately) all too true: not seeing is not "believing" ... All to often we have to concede that "out of sight is out of mind" is the operative mode in which we relate to the world ...

In the "body" of the I Ching, Fire is the "eye" and it is tightly connected to "clarity", the polar opposite of Water (Fog, Mist, Rain, Steam) which is bound to obscurity, confusion and misunderstanding ... From Fire we get light and warmth, as with the Sun, which gives us _day_ ... Through the reflection of light we see the world, and we see it from a distance ... Our first experience with something (and often the _only_ experience) is through our eyes ... Things we are attracted to are considered beautiful and things we are repulsed by are considered ugly ... So we tend to judge everything from a distance first ... Through our eyes we see things at distances of micrometers to trillions of meters (stars) ... The other senses follow (potentially) long after the initial "sighting": smell, sound, taste and touch ... If we are repulsed visually, we will generally not get close enough to experience the odors, sounds, tastes and textures of the people, other life forms and objects in the Universe ...

As I struggle with my vision I think about these things with greater intensity because I am becoming more aware of not only how differently I relate to the world, but also how differently other sighted life forms relate to me ... I've started to think about what will be my last "image" of something, or someone ... When I was walking the streets of Rome, the "Eternal City" («la città eterna») a couple of years ago I was filled with the overwhelming sense of grief that I may not be able to see La Fontana Trevi, La Piazza Navona or il fiume Tevere (The Tiber river) mai più (ever again) ... I realized that I needed to start collecting these images and organize them in my brain deeply, firmly and _clearly_ for retrieval in the event that the gates of light will shut permanently ... Each face, each person on Franklin avenue, each tree, leaf and blade of grass needs to be lined up, categorized and tagged for use during the dark times that may very well become my new reality ...

This is what the "clinging" "clarity" of Fire means to me now ... As I take note of the three changing/dying lines within this doubly brilliant Fire/Sun and lock-in the image of the resulting Mountain over Earth, I am reminded of the the seemlingly timeless, eternal Mountain melting, splitting, flaking itself down upon the receptive, embracing mother Earth which will, eventually, give birth to a new Mountain ... Whatever happens in that darkness of blindness or death will be burned into the patterns of molecules and atoms of the new Mountain, the new città eterna, the new reality that I have had the priviledge to occupy ... Il matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,676 - 2010 1207

Day 21,676 - 2010 1207
Belov-ED Days - 4,587
Tuesday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 43: Incompletion, Before Ending, Not Yet Fulfilled, Beginnings
01 -------- Fire (Sun, Hearth, Campfile, Forest Fire, Energy)
02 --- --- Eye
04 -------- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Divination, The Vision

08 --- ---x Water (Fog, Rain, Mist, Mud, Steam)
16 --------x Ear
32 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Nourishment, The Confusion

changing towards

Fu Hsi 61: Contemplation, Watching
01 -------- Sky (Stars, Planets, Birds, Flight, Atmosphere)
02 -------- Head
04 -------- The Seeking, The Creativity, The Intelligence, The Logic

08 -------- Mountain (Tower, Ledge, Cliff, Wall, Building, Lookout)
16 --- --- Hand
32 --- --- The Unmoving, The Restful, The Protection, The Obstacle

Day 26,676 - Images from the I Ching: Fire [The Clinging] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 43 - Incompletion) --> changing towards [line 2,3,5] --> Sky [The Seeking] over Mountain [The Unmoving] (Hexagram 49 - Retreat) ... Fire over Water is, at its core, a most disquieting image ... Water rising up to quence the clarifying gaze of Fire ... Confusion, fog, uncertainty, mists and doubt collect into a thick cloud, like a heavy blanket that is thrown upon the embers and flame within the hearth ... The light goes away ... The warmth dissapates ... Our orientation is destroyed ... So we end up in a cold, dark dungeon with no sense of where we are, how long we have been there and when we will ever get out ... Ever feel that way? ... As my sight worsens, I think often of these things ...

Once, when coming home from school in Greeley, Colorado back in 1962 (one of the thirty houses I lived in across five states between birth and seventeen) I found the house empty, dark and locked, a latch-key kid without a key ... I was ten ... Even though this experience was not all that unusual for me in my youth, it still (fifty years later) stands strong in my mind and body as a reminder of what a non-childhood was like ... I just curled up on the doorstep like a stray cat. I found it interesting the Italian has a word meaning exactly that: raggomitolarsi, (Ripiegarsi su se stessi, rannicchiarsi; freq. con specificazione locativa: r. vicino al fuoco). 'gomito' is elbow, so this would mean to _literally_ curl up (bend onself) around the elbow. My body still feels that cold, confused isolation of that moment and that childhood.

Another interesting facet of this image of Fire over Water is that each line possessess the opposite Yin(Seeking)/Yang(Embracing) element from what is traditionally considered its "natural" position. The _odd_ positions (1,3,5) are generally considered to be natural "Yang" positions and the _even_ (2,4,6) are considered "Yin" positions. In this image all of the lines are in their opposing positions. We often express feelings similar to this when we say things like "I was born in the wrong era" or "i was born to the wrong parents" or "I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning". I could easily say (and frequently do) that losing my job just at the time when my vision started to deteriorate more aggressively, in the midst of the worst economy in my life, three years _before_ being able to file for early retirement was bad timing ... I will have to plan that sequence better next time ... But, at the same time I could also say that it was a good thing that the Kindle came along three years ago and that I started to scan and digitize my whole library five years ago so that I would be able to read to day was good timing ... Images such as Fire over Water are signs of incompleteness, the state of being lost and insecurity ... That is the nature of fog and that is why so many accidents occur when fog settles in ... That is the context of Water ...

But ... this is the ever-changing universe where the inner and outer realities are constantly in motion ... This time, half of the lines are old and dying and these changes will bring the outer Fire towards the Seeking Sky of Creativity and inner Water towards the Unmoving, ancient Mountain ... The Sky, even though it stretches from horizon to horizon, has no choice but to back away, retreat and yield to the Unmoving substance of Mountain, a reminder that when one is faced with a cold sleep on a cold step at the foot of a locked door that stepping back, taking a breath and curling up (ragomitolando come un gatto) like a cat may be the best thing to do, even if you are only ten years old ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

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http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
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http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,675 - 2010 1206

Day 21,675 - 2010 1206
Belov-ED Days - 4,586
Monday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 63: Splitting, Peeling Off, Deteriorating, Flaying
01 -------- Mountain (Tower, Wall, Ledge, Pass, Building)
02 --- --- Hand
04 --- --- The Unmoving, The Restrful, The Protection, The Obstacle

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Plains, Cavern)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

changing towards

Fu Hsi 61: Contemplation, Watching
01 -------- Wind (Spirt, Trees, Wood, Forest, Breath)
02 -------- Thighs
04 --- --- The Gentle, The Pentrating, The Spiritual, The Inspiration

08 --- --- Earth (Ground, Soil, Cavern, Valley, Desert, Plain)
16 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
32 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

Day 26,670 - Images from the I Ching: Mountain [The Unmoving] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 63 - Peeling) --> changing towards [line 5] --> Wind [The Gentle] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 61 - Watching) ... The inner Earth lingers on from yesterday with its centering force still intact ... but ... the outer reality has shifted to Mountain, The Unmoving, The Restful ... Earth gives birth to Mountain through the pains of rupture, like a mother gives birth to a new child ... Regardless of how high the Mountain grows it will ultimately erode, slowly sloughing off layer upon layer of crumbling stone as wind, rain, glaciers and streams seek the source of life: Earth ... Even the tallest and most ancient of mountains are resigned to this process ... Perhaps this is why sages and others seeking the wisdom of ages seek the ledges, the high mountain valleys and peaks, places in which the Breath, the Sky, the Wind and even the clarity of the Eye can observe, contemplate and appreciate the totality of the Universe, for the Mountains have seen much of the mechanics of history ... From this point of centering within the inner Earth, we can place our hands upon and within the soil that embraces our feet and feel the pulse of the Mountain, peeling, sliding and splitting as it yields to the call of Earth ...

There is one changing Yin(Embracing) line that is dying and yielding to the presence of a new, young Yang(seeking) line within the outer reality ... Mountain is sliding into the Wind, where the breath reigns, where the spirit traverses the earth and takes in the activities of life upon the Earth ... This outer Wind also is aware of our own inner Earth and observes our navigation within it ... It speaks to us through the limbs and leaves of trees, through a window slightly ajar and even through the rustle of a dried sasola* shrub rolling across the desert floor ... It has many voices with which to whisper wisdom to us, should we be willing to hear ...

[* tumbleweed]

As a child in Tuba City, Arizona I felt the substance of the wind in a way I have rarely felt since ... It spoke to me as I walked towards the horizon into the painted desert and approached a cluster of rocks out of sight from all others ... A small canyon wriggled its way into the sandstone and igneous formations ... The wind sang ... The sand stung my hands and the mushroom-shaped pillars outside gave testimony to the millenia in which the wind carved graceful curves in their mica-studded waists ... I called it "Wonderland" ... Il Matto ...

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http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,674 - 2010 1205

Day 21,674 - 2010 1205
Belov-ED Days - 4,585
Sunday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 44: Release, Relief, Liberation
01 -------- Earth (Ground, Vally, Canyon, Plains, Desert, Cavern)
02 -------- Foot
04 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Electricity, The Catalyst

08 -------- Earth (Ground, Cavern, Desert, Canyon, Valley)
16 -------- Ear
32 -------- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

No changing lines

Day 26,674 - Images from the I Ching: Earth [The Embracing] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 64 - Nature) --> no changing lines ... It's an Earth day! ... A time for centering, grounding and finding comfort in oneself, exactly as the Earth has given birth to us, without modification, without pretense, without expectations beyond who we are ... The Universe is complex and ever-changing ... We are continuously in a state of change, but the changes need to follow a natural order, a natural sequence. To do otherwise places us in places and circumstances in which we are incapable of functioning. But first we need to have some sense of what _is_ natural for _ourselves_, which will be different than what is natural for everyone else. Our culture, our religions and our institutions want to believe, and to enforce, some notion of uniformity that is (in their mind) "correct", regardless of whether it is natural for us. This results in pressure to conform and _be_ whatever that _correct_ thing is. How we respond to that pressure is significant for our own centeredness, our own sense of who we are, our own awareness of the physical and emotional state in which we were born. Until we are grounded in ourselves, in our _natural_ selves, we cannot listen to our bodies, our spirits or the Earth, much less the Universe ... Earth is creation for us, for all of us, for all that humanity creates and its terrains are all mapped within us: valleys, caverns, canyons, deserts, plains ... Within those terrains are places that speak to us and in which we feel at home and feel in _self_ ... Find those natural places ... Like the Earth, they will embrace us and sustain us ... Listen to the Earth, not to those who have forgotten the Earth ...

There are no changing lines today and Earth holds us close, especially in the aftermath of Thunder and Water, storms, unrest and upheaval, as was the case in yesterdays images ... Return the Embrace of the Earth ... Il Matto ...


http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,673 - 2010 1204

Day 21,673 - 2010 1204
Belov-ED Days - 4,584
Saturday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 44: Release, Relief, Liberation
01 --- --- Thunder (Lightning, Electricity, Viper, Rattlesnake)
02 --- --- Foot
04 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Electricity, The Catalyst

08 --- --- Water (Stream, Mud, Fog, Mist, Rain)
16 -------- Ear
32 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

No changing lines

Day 26,670 - Images from the I Ching: Thunder [The Arousal] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 44 - Release) --> no changing lines ... The electric Thunder dominates the outer reality here while the abyss of Water rises up in its own dark way within ... This situation of potential depression internally while the fireworks flash in the world around us can be overwhelming ... How can we get up in the morning in a time of vulnerability when there there is so much happening around us ... How can we prepare for the tasks that need to be done when there is so much competition, catching up or high expectation ... We are always facing competition from those who are younger, stronger and faster ... There are always those who are richer, smarter and more powerful ... This would be true regardless of how young or wealthy we might be ... So the real question is, how can we channel this Water that appears in the form of Rain, fog or steam, uncontrolled, mysterious, obscure ... After all, it is this same water that seeps into the ground to feed plants, rises up in refreshing springs or even powers englines with steam ...

Fog, like nightime and deep caverns bring fear, but it also hides great potential that we would never know about unless we venture into the fog, the depts of moist caverns or out in a driving storm ... The world, the outer reality, is full of Thunder's shock and awe and we can be dazzled, intimidated or inspired by that ... This inner Water could, instead, be nourishing our thoughts and refreshing our bodies, preparing us for that venture into the obscure ... There are no chaning lines here, so this circumstance may linger ... Don't let the unknown rob you of time, energy and potential ... Just be prepared for the viper that may be lying nearby in the grass ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com

Day 21,672 - 2010 1203

Day 21,672 - 2010 1203
Belov-ED Days - 4,583
Friday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 38: Well, Source, Replenishing
01 --- --- Water (Mist, Fog, Rain, Storms, Floods, Mud)
02 -------- Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

08 --------x Wind (Spirit, Breath, Wood, Trees, Forest)
16 -------- Thighs
32 --- ---x The Gentle, The Penetrating, The Inspiration, The Spiritual

changing towards

Fu Hsi 14: Restraint, Limitation, Restricting, Moderation
01 --- --- Water (Fog, Mist, Rain, Sleet, Clouds)
02 -------- Ear
04 --- --- The Abyss, The Danger, The Mystery, The Nourishment

08 --- --- Lake (Sea, River, Stream, Bay, Pond, Dolphin)
16 -------- Mouth
32 -------- The Joyous, The Happiness, The Expression, The Language

Day 26,670 - Images from the I Ching: Water [The Abyss] over Wind [The Gentle] (Hexagram 38 - Well) --> changing towards [lines 1,3] --> Water [The Abyss] over Lake [The Joyous] (Hexagram 14 - Restraint) ... The initial image of Water over Wind can be thought of as moisture and wind intertwined, as would be the case in a well shaft, where the water from the well and the swirling Wind are joined in a kind of mysterious nourishment ... Water nourishes and it mystifies, hiding that which would be completely present, visible and understood in the clarifying light of the sun (Fire), but this is not the case ... If one passes a well shaft there are mysterious echoing sighs and haunting moans from the curious Wind ... We need the well and therefore need to enter this potentially confusing and obfuscating context, but we have no choice ... We must approach and we must drop the bucket and we must draw the liquid nourishment that our bodies demand ... So we enter the dark realm of water and Wind in the Well and we may even shudder as we draw the bucket close to us, before taking it into the house, but we will drink with the nagging thoughts of just exactly what lingers in the obscurity within the Well, the Water and and the Wind ... However, the puzzling journey may offer us more than a cool drink to slake our thirst ...

The two changing, dying lines [1,3] will affect our inner reality and bring us to the Joyful Lake ... Often this is seen and experienced as a desireable change, but this inner joy is overshadowed by the foggy and misty depths of the humid well we have just left and we find little solace in the Lake, much less joy ... The dark currents of the our Water's reality, uncontrolled, unknown and uncomfortable results in a misunderstood stress ... We feel it but have no sense of its origin, its duration or its path ... Throughout life we long for some kind of crystal ball that will reveal the correct path to follow, but the Universe has little intention of relieving us of this feeling of perplexity ... It wants us to feel our way through the fog and find a means through which we can drink of the depths that surround us ... This may be a good time to realign our path, explore new directions and be prepared to feel the terrain directly with our hands ... The light is dim, the road is flooded and the moon is about the rise above the surface of the Lake and speak to us with the fuzzy language of eternity ... Will we be listening? ... Il Matto ...

http://ichingreflections.blogspot.com/

http://www.KindleBlog.josjr.com
http://www.IlMattoblog.josjr.com
http://www.LifeBlog.josjr.com
http://www.PerlBlog.josjr.com
http://www.WritingBlog.josjr.com

http://Addewid.blogspot.com
http://CyberPoetPlace.blogspot.com
http://IlMattoVero.blogspot.com
http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
http://CyberKindle.blogspot.com

http://www.CyberPoet.com
www.addewid.com
www.fracturedparadise.com
www.roseannlloyd.com
www.cyberkindle.com
www.perlcatalyst.com
www.ciriad.com