Day 22,065 - I Ching: Lake/Fire[..xx..] to Water/Thunder

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Day 22,065  - 2011 1231
Belov-ED Days - 4976
Saturday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi Sequence
Hexagram 18: Revolution, Uprising, Renovation, Abolishing the Old
01 ---  ---  Lake (River, Lake, Well, Pond, sea, Ocean)
02 --------  Mouth
04 --------X The Joyful, Expression, Language, Gossip, Praise, Insults

08 --------X Fire (Sun, Lightning, Hearth)
16 ---  ---  Eyes
32 --------  The Clinging Fire, Clarity, Divination, Warmth, Burning

changing towards

Hexagram 30: Difficulty, Beginning
01 ---  ---  Lake (River, Pond, Sea, Ocean, Marsh, Swamp, Well)
02 --------  Mouth
04 ---  ---  The Joyfull, Expression, Language

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

Day 22,060 - Images from the I Ching: Lake [The Joyful] over Fire [The Clarity] (Hexagram 18 - Revolution, Uprising, Renovation, Abolishing the Old) changing towards [..xx..] Water [The Abyss] over Thunder [The Arousing] (Hexagram 30 - Difficulty, Beginning) -- The Joyful Lake over the Clinging Fire is a recipe for turmoil ... Water can douse a Fire ... Fire can boil away Water ... They are opposites and equal in power and in their capacity to transform. This transformation can manifest itself in ways that are centering as wells as unsettling ... balance and unbalance ... comfort and discomfortable ... Without Water there would be no life that serves as the fuel for Fire ... Without Fire/Sun/Heat there would be no evaporation to fill clouds that release rain to nourish and sustain life ... The tension that arrives from this clash of opposing, but equal, forces is a revolutionary activity and it is through such dynamic powers that we encounter the most profound of changes.

This is the last day of this year ... Although the end and the beginning of a year are somewhat arbitrary, there is a very real point in which the Earth completes one rotation and begins another. We as humans have chosen the cycle of the Sun as our historical marker of time ... An interval we call a year ... In the same way we have chosen the Moon as a way to segment the Year ... Our languages, our bodies, our cities, our rituals and much of our personal behavior (and the Earth's behavior) are influenced by and calibrated with these two celestial entities. Water (the Moon) and Fire (the Sun) are the two mission critical elements in our life-sustaining ecosystems. Earth, Sky, Thunder, Wind, Mountain and Lake form the raw materials and contexts that Water and Fire act upon. Lakes (rivers, ponds, streams, seas, oceans, etcetera) contain and channel the force of Water and carve out the shape of everything thing we see. When we look across the Earth towards the horizon we are seeing the result of all this "revolution", "turmoil" and "imbalance" in our lives.

It is tempting to interpret such "change" and "disruption" as destructive, evil, catastrophic and the handiwork of some kind of evil/good dualism ... but I don't see the usefulness in this perspective ... To attribute an event we like as "good" implies that an event we don't like is "evil" ... Being human we want to believe that this "evil" and "good" activity is the byproduct of some action taken by some entity greater than us ... But if we look at all events in the Universe as simply an oscillation between balance and imbalance ... comfort and discomfort ... fruitful and unfruitful ... it is easier to look at all changes in the Universe as possessing both balance and imbalance ... depending on the context. A flood can be seen as destructive, but it is also nurturing and enriching to the soil, the Earth. Earthquakes and volcanoes can also be seen as destructive, but it is from this same activity within the Earth that we see the birth of Mountains. As a species, humans want to think that their work is "permanent" and "good" and think that anything that disrupts what they have created is "bad". But to the Universe we are hardly a spec in the sands of time or even a drop in the sea of life.

As we await the arrival of spring, now that the Sun(Fire) is rising once more, with the beginning of a new revolution it may be helpful to understand the origin of the word "revolution", with is simply a new beginning.

Within this image of Lake over Fire, there are two aging lines that will shift polarity ... This time they are both Yang/Seeking lines. One changing line takes the outer Lake in the direction of Water, the Abyss. The Other changing line shifts the Fire in the direction of Thunder ... This is Water over Thunder. It is the Abyss, danger and nourishment of outer Water over the Catalytic, Arousing force of the inner Thunder ... This image of Lake over Water moving in the direction of Water over Thunder is a most appripriate set of images for this transition from what _was_ to what _will be_ ... Revolution launches us into a new beginning, an encore year. We can celebrate this New Year because the Universe has allowed us to embark on it. The difficulty will be (as always) in the living of it. New paradigms. New Relationships. New skills. New words. New challenges. Not to mention maintaining all that is still there, unchanged.

For some reason, for me, I think that this coming year of adapting to decresing vision, problematic finances (no job), uncertain health care and many changes in how I procede with my "encore" life is somehow "worse" or more challenging than any year before. But a close inspection of my life would reveal that it has never been guaranteed that any particular year would be "balanced", "fruitful" or "enjoyable". So we find ourselves back in the mode of seeing the balance and imbalance that all of life flows through in the course of every year, every day, every second. We can't spend all of our time in the Past or we will fail to appreciate the present or prepare for the Future. We can't spend all of our time in the Present or we will forget the lessons of the Past as we Prepare for the Future. And we can't spend all of our time in the Future because the Future will depend on how well we have learned from the past and how we apply that learing in the Present.

So reflect on the year just passed, and all of the years before that. Celebrate the act of waking up and breathing this morning, in the Present. Then, breath deeply of the air that surrounds us and look towards the horizon where the Rain (Water) and Thunder are creating some serious havoc ... When the storm passes, there will be a freshness to the air (Sky) and a moist richness within the Earth that will fill our nostrils, frolic within our ears and inspire our souls ... il matto ...

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Day 22,059 - Ching Reflections: Water over Lake[xx....]>>>Mountain over Lake

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Day 22,059  - 2011 1225
Belov-ED Days - 4970
Sunday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi Sequence
Hexagram 14: Restraint, Limitation, Restricting, Moderation
01 ---  ---X Water (Fog, Rain, Mist, Haze, Floods)
02 --------X Ears
04 ---  ---  The Abyss, Danger, Confusion

08 ---  ---  Lake (River, Stream, Sea, Ocean, Pond, Marsh, Swamp, Well)
16 --------  Mouth
32 --------  The Joyful, Expression, Language

changing towards

Hexagram 15: Decline, Loss, Reduction, Decreasing
01 --------  Mountain (Cliff, Tower, Building)
02 ---  ---  Hand
04 ---  ---  The Keeping Still, Shelter, Barrier, Antiquity

08 ---  ---  Lake (River, Stream, Sea, Ocean, Pond, Marsh, Swamp, Well)
16 --------  Mouth
32 --------  The Joyful, The Expression, The Language

Day 22,059 - Images from the I Ching: Water [The Abyss] over Lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 14 - Restraint, Limitation, Restricting, Moderation) changing towards [xx....] Mountain [The Keeping Still] over Lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 15 - Decline, Loss, Reduction, Decreasing) -- Water over Lake places the external Abyss over the internal joy. This is a context where our inner happiness, expression and language can be muffled, limited or drowned by the overwhelming presence of uncontrolled Water in the form of floods, rain, mists, fog and other confusing, dark mystical phenomena. For me, the imposed seriousness, the expectation for some kind of joy and the drive for fulfillment of some desire are all pressures that can destroy the genuine joy and happiness that may well be lying within that inner Lake.

I think it is important to focus on the joy that lies within and ignore the complexity of demands swirling around us. There is very little that I resent more than to be _told_ to do something that I would have otherwise done on my own. It is almost as if many want to claim the "joy" that they try to command out of us. The entire end-of-year madness is full of this kind of confusing powerplay from relatives, churches and the culture at large. This might be the best time for some personal time. Or if there are activities it may be important to _not_ feel like we need to be the life of the party. We all have joy needing to be express. Don't let the fog and confusion of Water destroy it.

I have often contemplated why Water in the cosmology of the I Ching is associated with the Ears, and then when I think about how we tend to complicate our lives when we try to take action (Thunder) or say something (Lake) in a dangerous or confusing context I realize that perhaps in times such as this it is better to sit back, be reflective and _listen_ (Ears). When confused and uncertain, observe and listen ... don't act!.

The two changing lines in this image of Water over Lake doesn't remove or even reduce the stress evident within these images, it actually sustains and perhaps even amplifies the stress, for the following image of Mountain over Lake highlights the potential for reduction, loss of energy and a decline of opportunity, or at least the potential for decreasing accomplishments. The great Mountain is being worn away by the depths of the Lake at its base. Even the Mountain needs to be aware of its own impermanence. However, as always, no one element in the Universe is everlasting, yet all elements in the Universe will be continually present forever, if in different form. The Mountain becomes topsoil from which life grows within the Earth and new Mountains will rise.

With aging, I am continually reminded of my own decline. In this time of economic stress, the abrupt ending of my career, the loss of my eyesight, and the loss of many relationships over the years I feel I have become intimately familiar with the Mountain dissolving, slipping, cascading into the depths of the Lake. The inevitability of it is palpable. I am continually, increasingly, drammatically aware that each and every word I write could be my last. This, of course, puts a great deal of pressure on each decision on which word to write, which person to visit, which step to make, which course to take. At times I yearn for that youthful indifference to the presence of time. In my youth I actually embraced time, wanting it to flow past at a feverish pace to get beyond wherever I was at the time. But now my Mountain doesn't seem so vast and longlasting.

So, does that mean that we should stop writing words, taking steps, making new friends, visiting old friends and thinking new thoughts that could lead to new projects? Whithin the Universe, there is no shortage of phenomena that last for only a pico second. There are species of animals that live for only a few hours. It occurs to me, that the real value of life is that we actually live it, for ourselves and all that is around us, regardless of how short or significant that life is.

An Italian journalist and writer Tiziano Terzani ( http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiziano_Terzani ), who died of cancer in 2004 and who I have come to appreciate with each passing second of my own life, continued to write with a flourish right up to the moment of his death. For many years he embraced many elements of eastern philosophy. In an interview, his son Folco Terzani was asked (about his father Tiziano) what was his father's greatest teaching. Folco said "That your life is yours, and it is up to you to live it. The rest is a side dish: you are alone." («La tua vita è tua, e sta a te farla. Il resto è contorno: tu sei solo.»)

I guess I have come to understand that until that last grain of soil within my Mountain dissolves in the waters of the Lake, I will continue to write, I will continue to fill the Caffettiera with coffee grounds and bring a hot cup to the Contessa and I continue to tap my way around street signs on the sidewalk ... il matto ...

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www.ciriad.com

Day 22,058 - I Ching Reflections: Mountain over Lake[x…..]->Earth over Lake

Day 22,058  - 2011 1224
Belov-ED Days - 4969
Saturday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi Sequence
Hexagram 15: Decline, Loss, Reduction, Decreasing
01 --------X Mountain (Cliff, Building, Tower)
02 ---  ---  Hand
04 ---  ---  The Keeping Still, Barrier, Protection

08 ---  ---  Lake (River, Stream, Sea, Ocean, Pond, Marsh, Swamp, Well)
16 --------  Mouth
32 --------  The Joyful, Expression, Language

changing towards

Hexagram 16: Approach, Promotion, Approaching, The Forest
01 ---  ---  Earth (Valley, Canyon, Prairie, Desert)
02 ---  ---  Belly, Solar Plexus
04 ---  ---  The Creation, Substance, Foundation

08 ---  ---  Lake (River, Stream, Sea, Ocean, Pond, Marsh, Swamp, Well)
16 --------  Mouth
32 --------  The Joyful, The Expression, The Language

Day 22,040 - Images from the I Ching: Mountain [The Keeping Still] over Lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 15 - Decline, Loss, Reduction, Decreasing) changing towards [x.....] Earth [The Creation] over Lake [The Joyful] (Hexagram 16 - Approach, Promotion, Approaching) -- Mountain over Lake is an image of greatness, or success, or that which is considered "permanent" under stress. Its strength is being drained by the depths of Lake. On December 24 we are all brought into a time of reflection, regardless of whether the images are that of the Solstice, with the sun's three day journey into death and resurrection, or the symbolic start of the historical/mythical journey of Jesus. It is the beginning of winter in the northern Hemisphere and the time of darkness, loss of light and often depression. Whatever we each thought 2011 was going to be, we are brought into thoughts about what it, in fact, became.

Rarely is a year, in the end, exactly what we expected, so we need to take stock of how we feel about what actually happened and learn from it. There is always something that we can hopefully apply in the coming year. But we can't do that unless we have some sense of what adjustments could be made, need to be made or that we would like to make.

I started the year realizing that I was probably not going to have another job as I had known it in the past. My forty one years of work (from 1969) starting to shift dramatically. Survival was going to require some new strategies with my eyesight significantly weaker. But at this time last year, I wasn't totally convinced that my career as a software developer was completely over. I still held out some hope that I could perhaps do something with software professionally. But my post-surgery hopes of at least a vision profile as good as before the cataract has pretty much disappeared. Now I have to spend a significant amount of time learning how to accomplish what I want and need to do with vision that does not provide the accuity needed to do what I have been doing for thirty five years, that is, writing software.

I have found that I can still do some programming, design ebooks, publish ebooks and write (but at a speed significantly reduced) with the help of many tools (epaper devices such as the Kindle, in particular). So the mountain of skills that I have accumulated over the past forty years has started to collapse with my vision into the depths of my glaucoma Lake. It is from the depths of this Lake that I will need to rise up into some new reality. I had no idea how dependent we are on our vision for most of what we do. The new pathways with compromised vision are significantly different and require new attention, new skills, new energy and new strategies. This was a very different year than the year I expected and I am turning to the new with a cautious optimism that I am moving in a useful direction, as long as I can avoid running into too many sign posts or stepping in front of a car.

I remind myself that a Mountain can be seen as a protection as well as a Barrier. There is still the mountain of my creativity and the agility of the rest of my body which is starting to step up and compensate for the loss of my eyesight, and my creativity will be central to my efforts in writing. So working from home, writing, digital publishing and ebook design will become my focus for this year. I like to think that although there will always be mountains, there will also be passes through those mountains.

Within the Mountain over Lake image of the I Ching, there is one changing line, in the sixth position, which will move the image to Earth over Lake. This brings to mind the image of an underground Lake breaking the surface of the Earth, becoming visible, accessible and nourishing. I like to think that this new reality of my unvision is erupting into new flows of creative and productive energy in this time of Solstice, Advent and a new Year. I do indeed plan to drink from this new Mountain-over-Lake spring ... il matto ...

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http://josjr69.blogspot.com
http://PerlCatalyst.blogspot.com
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Day 22,040: Lake/Water[2,5]->Thunder/Earth

Day 22,040 - 2011 1202
Belov-ED Days - 4951
Monday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Hexagram 42: Adversity, Oppression, Weariness, Exhaustion
01 ---  ---  Lake (Stream, River, Sea, Ocean, Well, Marsh)
02 --------X Mouth
04 --------  The Joyful, Expression, Language

08 ---  ---  Water (Fog, Rain, Flood, Mist, Steam, Moon)
16 --------X Ears
32 ---  ---  The Abyss, Danger, Nourishment

changing towards

Hexagram 60: Repose, Harmony, Enthusiasm, Delight
01 ---  ---  Thunder (Earthquake, Tsunami, Hurricane)
02 ---  ---  Feet
04 --------  The Arousing, The Moving, The Catalyst, The Shock, The Surprise

08 ---  ---  Earth (Valley, Canyon, Prairie, Desert)
16 ---  ---  Belly, Solar Plexus
32 ---  ---  The Creation, The Womb, The Substance


Day 22,040 - Images from the I Ching: Lake [The Joyful] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 42 - Adversity, Oppression, Weariness, Exhaustion) changing towards Thunder [The Arousal, The Shock] over Earth [The Creation, The Womb, Substance, Foundation] (Hexagram 60 - Repose, Harmony, Enthusiasm, Delight) -- Normally, the presence of the joyful, expressive Lake is an image in which we can find comfort. It is from the Lake that we find our voice, our language, our ability to express ourselves. In the context of the external Lake over the internal Water, however, we find ourselves surrounded by the joyful and expressive. There may be a positive and festive mood in the world, in the culture or locally in the neighborhood. It could be an approaching holiday or a series of birthdays for well loved and appreciated relatives or friends. However, inside, within our spirit we may be feeling discouraged and depressed. We may have just lost a friend or relative, or we may have lost a job, been denied a raise or simply been feeling the effects of some virus. Whatever the circumstances, this image is associated with dissonance between what we feel inside and what is unfolding in the world around us. The joy that we may normally feel given the way things are going in our life externally is being drained, from below, inside of our core. Something substantive may be threatened and we are simply too weak or emotionally distraught to overcome the sadness, the melancholy, the adversity.

These are times when we need whatever resources we have stored away for use in the midst of the sure-to-come rainy day. We are all going to experience these times, so pretending that every day is going to go smoothly and quickly is simply inconsistent with the impartial manner in which the Universe plays out. Yes, the sun will rise, and, yes, rain is important for the growth of crops and, yes, even snow is anxiously awaited by the outdoor winter sports enthusiast, but each of us individually vacillate across the full spectrum of emotion and we all react differently to all types of news.

So, it is important to understand up front that just because the world looks great outside does not mean that it is necessary for us to feel exuberant inside. We often feel, and are told by the culture at large, that all we need to do is "buck up", "stand tall" and "smile", as though good feelings and positive perspectives are simply a matter of flipping a switch and all will be all right. That is simply not how the Universe developed us. When the internal Abyss is draining our reserves from below it is a time to rest and avoid over-extending ourselves. All of life in the Universe comes under stress, both plants and animals, and all of life needs to take time to step back, recuperate and build reserves, whether it is for a draught, a flood, extreme cold, deep snows, hurricanes, earthquakes, war, pressures at work or bullies at school. We will never be able to overcome the internal abyss by simply pretending to be happy and proceeding as though everything is normal.

The external Lake is there, and it is joyful, but it also has depths that we need to be aware of, and when the Abyss of water is added to the mix anything we do will add to the weariness, exhaustion and oppression. Taking care of ourselves becomes the priority. After rest and a rebuilding of reserves we will be able to more effectively take advantage of those times when we are ready to be in unison with the joyful Lake around us.

Fortunately, the Universe is a Universe of changes and there are changes in the image of Lake over Water. These changes take place in the second, middle (core) line of each Trigram, moving the external Lake to external Thunder (Catalist, Movement, Shock) and the internal Abyss to internal Earth (Creation, Substance, Foundation).

Thunder over Earth is a sign of Repose, Harmony, Enthusiasm and Delight. The Catalyst of Thunder serves as an image of action, of moving to another level, possibly a reaction to something. Without the motivation of the archetypal Thunder in the Universe, nothing would get done. We would simply stay in one place and ponder the possible. But with Thunder we actually realize our ideas and our desires and carry out those plans that we have so meticulously drawn up. In this case, the external Thunder is an indication that the world around us is moving in some new direction, changing the landscape of our lives. This, of course, can be disorienting, but it can also be invigorating.

Thunder over the Earth brings to mind a storm that has just past and and we can still hear the rumble on the horizon as it moves away. But the air left behind is fresh and there is an electric flair in our nostrils. Our muscles are charged with anticipation, but the internal Earth moves more circumspectfully than the shock-and-awe of Thunder, so we remember to pause for a moment before we move. The storm has brought nutrition to the greenworld and there is much that needs to be done, but keeping the Earth in mind, what is the most harmonious way to proceed? That is the path that will bring delight, especially in the aftermath of the despair we may have experienced in Lake over Water ... il matto ...

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I Ching Reflection: Day 22,036 - Fire/Sky->Thunder/Wind

Day 22,036 - 2011 1202
Belov-ED Days - 4,947
Friday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.

http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Hexagram 03: Wealth, Great Possessions, Great Harvest, Sovereignty
01 --------  Fire (Sun, Hearth, Vision, Lightning)
02 ---  ---  Eye
04 --------  The Clinging Fire, Clarity, Visions, Divination, Knowledge

08 --------  Sky (Birds, Planets)
16 --------  Head
32 --------  Creative Energy, Strength

changing towards

Hexagram 36: Endurance, Continuance, Long Lasting, Duration, Constancy
01 ---  ---  Thunder (Viper)
02 ---  ---  Feet
04 --------  The Arousing, The Moving, The Catalyst, The Shock, The Surprise

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


Day 22,036 - Images from the I Ching: Fire [The Clinging, The Clarity] over Sky [The Creative, The Strong] (Hexagram 03 - Wealth, Great Possessions, Great Harvest, Sovereignty) changing towards Thunder [The Arousal, The Shock] over Wind [The Gentle, The Penetrating] (Hexagram 36 - Endurance, Continuance, Long Lasting, Duration, Constancy) -- In this image of Fire over Sky we have the ability to see clearly that which surrounds us ... It can be a time to make progress where the going has been sluggish. It may not be at all obvious, or logical, but the fact that we suddenly are able to accurately and deeply understand the context in which we find ourselves should not become a stumblying block for us. Don't question it. Appreciate it and work with it. The time to act may be short. If we are able to see, we should simply act. There will be time to analyze later. As the saying goes, "make hay while the sun shines." In this image, the sun is high in the sky and there are no clouds. This may mean that there will be minimal confusion. Our work could, at least for the moment, become suddenly smooth and free of obstacles. This may be the ideal time to take advantage of some unexpected help or ideal conditions. This will not always be the case, and may even be the last clear path for the foreseeable future, so take a few steps with confidence and push forward your long-desired plans.

How many times have we been frustrated with circumstances, people and the lack of resources standing in the way of our goals. The Universe provides many pockets of opportunities if we are open to see them. We often miss them because we are not looking, or because we have limited or closed our perspctive, leaving us unaware of our opportunities. Often we find out only after it is too late. Even if we do recognize the opportunity, we may be caught off guard, unable to act when there are ideal conditions. This is a reminder to think through, in advance, our strategies and put in place the resources we will need in the presence of those opportunities.

The sign of Fire over Sky brings together the Clarity of the outer Clinging Fire and the strength of the inner Sky. Keep your eyes (Fire) open and move with the strength (Sky) available. Timing and efficiency are important here, for the window of opportunity may be tight.

Since There are two changing lines present in this image [6,1], there is movement toward Thunder over Wind ... This is also a strong image that holds a great deal of promise. External Thunder, with its inherent movement and direction is an effective follow-on to the external Fire. The Clarity of Fire, that allows us to _see_ the path opening up, combined with the Catalyst of the Outer Thunder, reprenting the motivation to actually act is a context for change. The inner, powerful, creative Sky is moving towards the inner Penetrating Wind, fueled by breath, spirit, and strong thighs ... All together, these elements give us momentum for a sustained, productive effort. If the tasks ahead are complex, exhausting or spread out among a myriad of obstacles, this image of Thunder over Wind could very easily pick up that which was started in the context of Fire over Sky and carry it to a satisfying, productive result.

We often long for times like that illustrated within these images. Are we prepared to act on them?

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Day 22,035 (2011 1201): I Ching: Fire/Wind[no changes]

Day 22,035 - 2011 1201
Belov-ED Days - 4,946
Thursday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Hexagram 35: Cauldron, Sacrificial Vessel, Establishing the New, Cosmic Order
01 --------  Fire (Sun, Hearth, Vision, Lightning)
02 ---  ---  Eye
04 --------  The Clinging Fire, Clarity, Visions, Divination, Knowledge

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

no changes


Day 22,035 - Images from the I Ching: Fire [Clinging, Clarity] over Wind [The Gentle, The Penetrating] (Hexagram 35 - Cauldron, Sacrificial Vessel, Establishing the New, Cosmic Order) - The image of Fire over Wind brings to mind a cauldron boiling with the substance of roots, meat, vegetables and spices ... materials that will bring new life, energy, warmth and hope to those invited to the table. Beneath the cauldron, wood (Wind) is burning (Fire), fanned by the Wind (breath, spirit) ... This is an interactive, participatory process ... The act of eating requires energy at all levels: digestion, harvesting, preparation. Wood and food needs to be cultivated, gathered and prepared for the cooking and the consumption. The complete cycle requires the presence of community and the assimilation of many facets of the environment in which a person lives ...

None of us, as individuals, are in a position to do it all ... physics, biology, culture and community ensures that the rains will fall, seeds will germinate, plants will grow, animals will flourish, food will be harvested, distributed, prepared and cooked. We need insects, seasons and weather cycles to provide the raw materials we use to build the cauldron, the hearth and the building in which we install the hearth. We need community to gather, harvest, organize, build and prepare the structures we live and eat within and the plants and flesh we place within the cauldron.

The cauldron is the culmination of all our preparations and the center our communities. It is over the cauldron that we learn to communicate with others and share what we have learned individually and collectively. The cauldron represents the order that we, as a species, weave into our existance and our relationship to the universe. It is around the cauldron that we tell our stories, grow our mytholodies and envision our potentialities. It is around the cauldron that we discover the wealth of our experience and our spirituality. And it is around the cauldron that we discover perspectives, tools and relationships. Whatever is new was conceived around the cauldron. This is because we cannot go for long without the cauldron. We are tethered to it like the air we breath (that fans the flame of the cauldron) and the water we drink, that absorbs, simmers and steams the contents of the cauldron.

For each new leg in our individual and collective journey's we need to ensure that we have partaken heartily from the cauldron, in preparation for that which lies ahead, in new adventures, new relatioships and new perspectives.

Because there are no aging/changing lines in the corresponding hexagram, this could be a period of stability. Take advantage of moments like this to reflect on the paths we have walked and prepare for the paths yet taken. So stir the cauldron well and take the next step when the belly is full, the legs are rested and the head is clear.

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Day 22,034 (2011 1130): I Ching - Mountain/Water

Day 22,034 - 2011 1130
Belov-ED Days - 4,945
Wednesday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/
http://ichingreflections.com/

I Ching images

Hexagram 47: Immaturity, Ignorance, Inexperience, Childhood
01 --------  Mountain (Cliff, Building, Tower, Pass)
02 ---  ---  Hand
04 ---  ---  The Keeping Still, Stability, Stagnation, Protection, Barrier

08 ---  ---  Water (Fog, Mist, Haze, Rain, Snow, Sleet, Moon)
16 --------X Ear
32 ---  ---  The Abyss, Mystery, Confusion, Nourishment

changing towards

Fu Hsi 63: Splitting, Peeling Off, Deteriorating, Flaying
01 --------  Mountain (Cliff, Building, Tower, Pass)
02 ---  ---  The Hand
04 ---  ---  The Keeping Still, Stability, Stagnation, Protection, Barrier

08 ---  ---  Earth (Canyan, Desert, Plains, Cavern, Valley)
16 ---  ---  Belly, Solar Plexus, Womb
32 ---  ---  The Embracing, Yielding, Receptive, Creation

Day 22,034 - Images from the I Ching: Mountain [The Keeping Still] over Water [The Abyss] (Hexagram 47 - Immaturity, Innocence, Childhood, Ignorance) --> changing towards [line 2] --> Mountain [The Keeping Still] over Earth [The Embracing] (Hexagram 63 - Splitting, Peeling Off) ... From the I Ching stalks rises the image of the external Mountain over the Internal Water ... Externally, one observes and feels the inspiration _and_ the intimidation of that which looms above, towering. As a child this would be adults, in addition to buildings, mountains, towers and even trees. All that supercedes us physically, mentally, emotional or spiritually can be protection, barrier, inspiration or danger ...

Regardless of who we are and what our status is there is always something or someone better, larger, faster or more capable than we are ... so much so that it is easy for us to feel that we are simply not in a position to offer anything useful in the presence of such size, power or capability ... But in general, a Mountain represents something that is immovable, permanent, something that we cannot ignore ... Life is full of such imposing entities and there is nothing we can do to remove them. Ultimately, our ability to survive (and flourish) in the world is related to our ability to work with, circumvent or even use these "mountenous" objects that surround us ... What are the best ways to climb, work around or use them?

Climbing a mountain could give us a new perspective from on high. Finding available paths through, over or around them can yield knowledge that we could find useful. Remaining in the shadow of a mountain chould protect us from storms or other dangers. In the image of Mountain over Water we can see the fog that wraps the foot of the mountain. It obscures the vision of those wandering within it, perhaps even hiding the fact that the mountain is there, leaving us unprepared to encounter the challenges that lie ahead. As a child we are inexperienced. As adults we could just be naive.

As my vision desintegrates I am finding that my experience of being a sighted person is less helpful, illustrating that learning and experience need to continually adapt. We need to be constantly aware that the universe at large is every bit as organic and mutable as our memories, experiences and insight ... Even Mountains disappear over time and new mountains, different mountains, rise up.

In this image of Mountain over Water there is one changing, aging line ... the second line in the core of our inner Water/Abyss, which will move water towards Earth ... the substance, foundation and even the womb of all that lives ... the Embracing earth . When the inner Earth is seen at the foot of the Mountain we are reminded that even the mountain will crumble and assimilate into the earth ... becoming ... ultimately a part of new mountains, new creatures and new shapes within the landscape .. Even the "Keeping Still" will mutate.

From the inexperience and naiveté represented by Mountain over Water the images give way to Mountain over Earth. There is nothing about us that is permanent and nothing in our existence that allows us the luxury of assuming that our anonymity, our insignificance, our power, our fame or our creations will last any more than the current instance of our present awareness, so why do we expend so much effort in the futile attempt to create some kind of legacy ... Wouldn't our time, our consciousness and our awareness be much better spent just appreciating those who are present in our lives and sharing all that we know and experience right now? ... Before the next shift of the mountain side ... before the next storm ... before the next loss of someone we sat next to on the bus, in class or in a spiritual community.

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Day 21,710 - 2011 0110

Day 21,710 - 2011 0110
Belov-ED Days - 4,621
Monday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

Fu Hsi 24: Darkening, Injury, Repression, Brilliance Injured, Censorship
01 --- --- Earth (Ground, Soil, Earthworms, Caverns, Valleys)
02 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

08 -------- Fire (Sun, Hearth, Warmth, Campfire, Flames)
16 --- --- Eye
32 -------- The Clinging, The Clarity, The Divination, The Vision

no changing lines


Day 26,710 - Images from the I Ching: Earth [The Embracing] over Fire [The Clinging] (Hexagram 28 - Shock) --> no changing lines ... The outer reality is dominated by the Embracing, Covering, Smothering, Protecting Earth ... The inner reality is under the influence of the Clinging, Clarifying, Purifying, Singing, Raging Fire ... This is a fascinating image because they seem to be at odds with each other ... Earth, although it can be a protective, affirming and sustaining force, it can also smother, bury and destroy ... Fire, which is usually associated with the warmth of the Sun, the clarifying power of the attentive eye and the insight that can come from divinatory exploration, can also be destructive, blinding and overwhelming ... In this image, the clarifying nature of Fire is being held down, covered, smothered and contained by the outer Earth ... We have all been held back by events, circumstances and relationships that we encounter in the world around us ... These kinds of scenarios are frustrating and drain us of or life force ... It is easy to give up, be self-critical and pessimistic when we are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles ...

What we need to be careful of is the volcano response ... Fire held within Earth can build up pressure that, if not handled correctly, can explode in dangerous and destructive ways ... If we spend many years, a lot of money or a lot of effort to accomplishing something we are frustrated when that work is not appreciated, kept from view or criticised ... This frustration could become the building magma of the vocano that could rupture the Earth at some point and bring unintended and undesirable repercussions into our life and the lives of others ... Let the Fire burn, but don't repress it ... Channel it ... Allow it to forge results that we, personally, enjoy and appreciate, regardless of whether or not others see it and appreciate it ... Within there Earth, there are many caverns to explore ... You never know, one of them may have treasures you never immaged and offer experiences that we never would have otherwise experienced ... Continue your journey, even in the darkness, anonimity and confusion of the dark times, obscure places and unknown passageways.

There are no aging lines here, so the path underground may be long and difficult, one thing is for sure, the sunlit exit will never be found by simply giving up and sitting in a dark corner of the cavern ... Il Matto ...

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Day 21,708 - 2011 0108

Day 21,708 - 2011 0108
Belov-ED Days - 4,619
Saturday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

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

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

No changes

Day 26,708 - Images from the I Ching: Thunder [The Arousal] over Thunder [The Arousal] (Hexagram 28 - Shock) --> no changes ... This is the first working of the I Ching stalks this year for me ... It was a relief to feel the bamboo skewers between my fingers (sharp tips cut off, of course) ... Setting aside the first stalk, representing the Tai Chi ... Sifting through the four seasons across time ... Watching the images unfold ...

Alfred Huang (noted Taoist and I Ching interpreter) describes the process this way:
The number of the Great Expansion is fifty,
Of which forty-nine are used.
Divide them into two, symbolizing the two primary forces.
Suspend one, symbolizing the three supreme powers.
Manipulate by four; symbolizing the four seasons.
Return the remainder, symbolizing the intercalary month.
In five years there is another intercalation.
Afterward the process is repeated.
Therefore four operations produce a change,
And eighteen changes yield a gua.

This first I Ching image is quite definitely a continuation of the last image worked out from the image of December 31, which was Thunder over Thunder changing towards Earth over Thunder ... Today, Thunder over Thunder is not only present, but is made up of all young lines, none of them changing ... With Thunder within both the inner and outer realities this lack of change could hardly represent stagnation, but rather a call for sustained action ... Thunder is an image of electrictity, catalyst, surprise ... I feel this image (as I have stated previously) as the presence of a viper, in particular a rattlesnake, that strikes quickly, without warning ... Even the rattlesnake that is issuing a warning that it knows you are there, is not going to let you know when or if it will strike ... There are accounts of the mongoose from India, which is a skilled killer of cobras, is totally confused by the surprising speed and agility of the rattlesnake ... As a result it is killed quickly ... Like the rattlesnake, lightning strikes powerfully and decisively, stunning those who are objects affected by this energy ...

So much of life has this quality of surprise, shock and unexpected presence ... We are fooled by our governments, religions and traditions into believing that we are somehow entitled to have a certain amount of wealth, longevity of life and good health ... But Thunder is always there with its intense power unleashed in moments that we least expect it ... Even if we are warned and expecting something to happen the actual occurrence of the expect event has its own unexpected consequences ... sideffects ... greater impact ... strange curves ... aftershocks ... This presence of Thunder both inside and all around us makes us feel like something either needs to be done or that something will happen, and if we are not carefull we can become paranoid and terrified of stepping out of the house ... But life has always been this way and to avoid the reality of what is out there will also prevent us from partaking of all that is rich, beautiful and pleasurable out there ... The universe is full experiences that we welcome and those that we fear, and often those things we fear turn out to be wonderful ... Onc thing is certain is that if we don't venture out with whatever abilities we have, we will never experience those things that can bring us joy, happiness and pleasure ... And sitting still has its own price, for we become an easy target ... Get out ... Move around ... Explore! ... Thunder within us ... Thunder around us ... Act, but be aware ... Il Matto ...

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Day 21,700 - 2010 1231

Day 21,700 - 2010 1231
Belov-ED Days - 4,611
Friday
James Oliver Smith, Jr.
http://josjr.com/

I Ching images

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

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

changing towards

Fu Hsi 32: Returning, Repeating, Turning Back
01 --- --- Earth (Ground, Valley, Canyon, Earthworm, Desert)
02 --- --- Belly, Solar Plexus
04 --- --- The Embracing, The Creation, The Yielding, The Centering

08 --- --- Thunder (Lightning, Viper, Drums, Rattlesnake, Electricity)
16 --- --- Foor
32 -------- The Arousal, The Movement, The Catalyst, The Shock

Day 26,696 - Images from the I Ching: Thunder [The Arousal] over Thunder [The Arousal] (Hexagram 28 - Shock) --> changing towards [lines 4] --> Earth [The Embracing] over Thunder [The Arousal] (Hexagram 32 - Returning) ... I have been looking at these images since the last day of 2010, contemplating them as I participated in a number of events taking place to celebrate the arrival of a new year and the arrival of yet another 60th birthday for the Contessa ... I was fascinated with the presence of the double Thunder image on the last day of a rather shocking year ... There are always surprising events taking place in the course of any year, although often these events are infrequent, mild or benign ... This year, however, has been truly filled with traumatic events for me, so the double Thunder feels quite appropriate ... After the events of this year I will probably never work in a full-time permanent, full-benefits job again, my post-surgery vision profile is simply too compromised for me to work in the same way again, and my experiences at the various celebrations brought home to me and The Contessa just exactly how compromised my vision has become.

Meeting with a poet, performance artist friend this past week at Sebastian Joe's another poet and performance artist friend, one who is well known and quite visually distinctive in presence came in and greeted me. I stared at him in total confusion, not recognizing him. I had to ask who was greeting me and was totally surprised at how completely incapable I was of recognizing him. At another party last night another friend came into the room entirely undetected by me. Suddenly, she appeared as though Scotty had just transported her into the middle of the room, a phenomenon I have had to become accostomed to.

With a lot of tools, techniques and many years of experience I have been finding ways to work with my computers, web sites and Kindles. Fortunately, the Kindle allows me to read and study. But the double Thunder wasn't satisfied with just taking my vision into the realm of impressionist art. It determined that my job should also disappear in much the same manner that the loss of my stereoscopic vision, my acuity and my ability to dilate my one functioning eye has made the world around me disappear, reappear, morph and pixelate ... But the inner and outer Thunder, despite its clammer and shock and awe is not all about high winds, lightning strikes, floods and driving rain, it is also about a heightened awareness of the world, the physical world, the world that we walk on, touch and hear as it churns through its cyclic paths in time and space ... In spite of how much we like to _see_ the world, and tend not to believe the world until we can see it, we do have bodies that are moving our heads, eyes, legs and hands through physical space ... We have lungs that breath in very physical air and we drink very physical water to lubricate everything we do.

The double Thunder has, in some ways/way, electrified, activated and set in motion a more visceral process of connecting with that which co-occupies my world, without the precarious visual burden of evaluating the world and all that is in it _before_ I touch it, taste it, smell it or even hear it ... I have become increasingly aware of how our prejudices are triggered by our _visual_ response to the world around us and all that is in it ... If you can't _see_ something, how can you react to its color, its shape or its movement? We actually have to engage the world when vision is not present of compromised. With sight we make judgements on whether or not we _want_ to interact with something or someone _before_ we get close enough to do so.

When I was in high school and still enthralled with the idea of being a herpetologist (one who studies reptiles and amphibians) I encountered a rattlesnake den at the foot of a cliff in Washington state. The rattlesnakes where hidden deep in the volcanic rubble beneath my feet, so I couldn't see them, but I could hear them quite clearly. Every step I took gave rise to more rattlers sounding off. Terror rippled within every muscle in my body. I was caught by the need to make a decision to either move quickly or stand still ... Within the I Ching, Thunder is movement, a catalyst, an electrically charged context. Ultimately, I moved. I moved quickly. Because of this experience I think of that rattlesnake den everytime I see Thunder forming within the I Ching stalks.

There is one changing line in this image. It is moving the outer Thunder to Earth. This new image is exactly at the midpoint of the 64 permutations within the I Ching sequence. This is a sign if returning, starting over. The end of the year is the beginning of another year. This is also the time when the sun starts its journey back into the sky. Within the outer Earth there is a centering, stabilising and centering force that enters the world around us, yet the catalyst of Thunder is still pulsing within, rumbling, impatient to act, but this time tempered by the presence of Earth.

Although I am fully aware that there are always more earthquakes, storms and floods that the Universe can (and will) bring my way, I find comfort in this substantive presence of the Earth embracing me, offering its valleys, canyons and even deserts to reveal new paths to explore ... Another year, new paths, new visions ... buon capodanno a tutti! ... Il Matto ...

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