When I awoke this morning, a low wail of despair echoed in my ears. A silent, piercing scream.

What is this about?

When I thought on it, I recognized it wasn’t my angst.

The low pitched, agonizing argg-ggg that disturbed my resting state flowed in from the world round me.

I recognized that the I Ching reading I’d done over night wasn’t for me alone. It spoke to humanity at large.

Earlier, at 2:00 a.m. on the 30th, (late night of the powerful New Moon solar eclipse in Aires, early morning of the ingress of Neptune into Aires), in black ink I wrote into my journal, “Agitated. Urgent sense of crisis and need to sedate, though meds would be counterproductive. Is this astrologically induced? What’s going on with me? What’s the best way to to adjust? Please advise. With humble thanks.”

The answer came back, Hexagram 64, FINISH, with changing lines in the second and fifth places, resulting in the outcome of Hexagram 12, STANDSTILL, with the notations in my well-worn book, “withdraw,” “observer,” and “keep distance”.

Hexagram 64 looks like this:

That would make perfect sense. Planets are exiting the last degrees of Pisces, the 12th house ruled by the water-sign, Neptune. They’re now set to begin a new cycle in the radically different first house of the Mars-ruled fire-sign, Aires.

Neptune is the sign of spirituality, inspiration and creativity in the higher octave, as well as addiction, delusion and deception in the lower octave. It’s moving into Aires, where in the higher octave it will produce a generation of spiritual warriors, but in the lower, those susceptible to fanaticism, violence and self-undoing.

A massive shift is being initiated and magnified by this extraordinarily powerful New Moon eclipse with Sun and Moon conjunct in Aires. Humanity as a whole is experiencing this massive change as traumatic.

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The advice of the changing line in the second place reads, “You may be ready before others are. Adjust your speed.” When the advice is heeded, it results in Hexagram 35, IMPROVEMENT, which warns “Avoid pessimism.”

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The advice of the changing line in the fifth place reads, “Be a bright light to others. Encourage and inspire them.” When heeded, it changes to Hexagram 6, CONFLICT. In this context, I understand that serving as an instrument of light has the potential to help resolve polarizing conflicts.

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Combined, the changing lines result in the final outcome of Hexagram 12, which looks like this:

This outcome further emphasizes the current dynamic of polarization and conflict, with the warning not to engage, but rather to focus inwards (and upwards) for the duration, while waiting for the time pass.

Similarly, astrologer Pam Gregory often recommends distancing from the effects of both the astral transits themselves and the often unconscious, chaotic human reactions thereto. She tells her viewers to “stay on your eagle’s perch.”

For today, I went to my black, spiral-bound sketchbook and at the top of a fresh page in all caps in red ink, wrote, SCREAM.

Then, in black ink, I drew a line down the center of the page, with branches stemming out from both sides, labeling familiar stress-filled conflicts along its path.

At the top right, I labeled a branch, “Corruption exposed.” Opposite, a line labeled “Fraud and Waste.” (And in parens, “DOGE to the rescue.”) Those on one side of the coin are experiencing stress caused by new awareness of corruption. On the opposite side of the coin are the thousands of former government employees and their dependents, in despair after massive firings, facing an uncertain future.

On another branch, I noted “Medical malpractice, food poisoning, increased disease” modified by “skyrocketing cases of autism, vaccine injuries, cancer, diabetes, depression and suicide.” (And in parens, “MAHA to the rescue.”)

And on it went. Massive deportation of illegals, with trauma experienced by sanctuary city supporters, victims of illegals’ crimes, deportees, and law enforcers alike. Wars — Russia vs. Ukraine, Israel vs. Hamas & Iran. Not to mention massive earthquakes, like the one in Baghdad, where more than 400 people were killed in Iran when a magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolted the country,

So many kinds of conflict being broadcast into the airwaves around the globe.

In case you’re interested, I’ll share here my go-to practice for shielding from negative vibrations poisoning the air: It comes from kabbalah practices: meditating on Archangel Metatron’s cube, visualized as a personal Merkabah of protection, encircled by layers of Christ Consciousness, mirrored shielding and angelic abundance.

Next I looked further for personal healing solutions to this outcry of distress. Following the I Ching‘s advice to look higher, transcending conflict, I looked to the angels who, when one keeps still, are found to be ever-present, hovering around humanity, guiding, strengthening and consoling all who choose to pay attention.

In this case, I chose three cards from Kyle Gray’s The 22 Archangels Oracle deck. to answer my query as to how best adjust to massive endings and shift to radically new beginnings. I modified the conflict-tree by adding their messages in green ink, contrasting with the black.

The three cards that came out were equally relevant. First was Archangel Azrael: Transcendence. “His energy is like that of the phoenix. He helps us rise out of the ashes of our challenges to be reborn and renewed. . . You may be faced with fear and uncertainty, not knowing what the next stage is, but there are plenty of doors opening and opportunities being presented to you. Trust in yourself and your higher powers.”

So in this case, Hexagram 64, FINISH, signifies the end of a cycle. It’s not extinction, but rather an upgrade.

The second card drawn was Daniel: Divine Discernment. “When you take the first step, the next step will become more apparent. Step by step, the divine is guiding you, so trust in your ability to to assess the situation and make a judgment. The angels are helping you with it now.”

The third, Archangel Raphael: Clarity of Vision. “Be willing to see things differently to initiate healing and experience wholeness. . . . Trust in the divine plan that is unfolding before you. If you have health concerns at this time, the angels are guiding you to be more open to information, feedback and support.”

There it is: the way out of madness. Keep still. Rise above conflict: seek and follow ever-available angelic guidance.

In turquoise ink, beneath the conflict-tree, I wrote, “The world is being shaken by re-birth pains. The old is disappearing. However awful it now seems, the new will eventually be much better. The familiar is mourned. The unknown is feared. But life seems darkest just before the dawn of a new day.

In fact, as astrologers and philosophers assure us: a New Earth.