Author Archives: Pat West

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About Pat West

Patricia West is author of The Common Sense Book of Change, Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze's Common Sense Way of Change, and The Quantum Solution: What the Ancients Knew About Our POTENTIAL Future.

Miracles We Shouldn’t Take For Granted – IC – 121020

“At times when it seems as if one’s resources are exhausted, care must be taken to soften the harmful effects of DEPRESSION.” Until today, this reading was woven into the fabric of 2020.

But we’ve finally reached a turning point. Not coincidentally, December 10th is the first day of Hanukkah. At the low-ebb of winter darkness, it begins the eight-day holiday which celebrates the miracle of light.

It’s not just an ancient holy day. It tells a timeless story that repeats over and over throughout the cycles of time, December 2020 being one of them. Humanity has been around this curve before. Wisdom traditions serve to put current events in perspective.

In this week, the inner, eternal light which miraculously sustains us during hard times is celebrated. Historically, Judah Maccabee and his group of rebel followers recaptured the stolen Temple of Jerusalem. The story goes that afterwards, when it came time to rekindle the Lamp of Eternal Light – the Menorah – there was only enough oil to last one day. But, miraculously, the flame continued to burn brightly until more arrived – a full eight days later.

The threat of oil running out and the flame going out is the essence of Depression. Resources seemed to be exhausted. But . . . with a little help from friends. . . the light endured, uninterrupted.

But that’s not the only similarity between the past and present. Once again, a center of civilization, in this case the White House, is threatened by a hostile (deeply, darkly covert) take-over. Then as now, the enemies of freedom oppress the practice of religion.

And a small, self-described “rag tag” team of protectors led by Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis and Michael Flynn is valiantly defending the Constitution, giving their all to reclaim their country’s mantle as a beacon of light to the world.

We’re not taught to look to the timeless Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve been bringing the book to you. Through the end of 2020, bi-weekly posts have been intended make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

COMMUNITY is the original but dynamic answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?”

Interestingly, a pattern similar to the last reading which moved from Restraint to Determination repeats today. Again, three lines of the hexagram change, with emphasis on the mental and spiritual levels of the Life Wheel. It begins:

Commitment to COMMUNITY is a necessary part of individual growth. Choose leaders who can express common goals with clarity. They will know how to assign work according to ability so that all prosper. In the harmonious community, Creative Power expresses through the skillful work of individuals. Avoid all selfishness.

The miracle of a harmonious, prosperous community is necessary to human life. Today, divisions are enforced in the name of a health crisis weaponized to political ends. Dangerously, when social distancing and religious suppression take hold, the blessings of community can not be taken for granted.

As traditional social structures continue to fail us on many fronts, it’s natural seek out friends and form groups with common interests. Pastor Joe Fox, for example, speaks of MAGs (Mutual Assistance Groups). At Shofar Mountain, he leads an intentional community.

* * *

Advice of the 3rd line reads, “When motives become unclear, mistrust grows. Restore clarity in time.” When careful thought is given to clarify motives and reestablish trust, this line changes to Clarity:

Cultivate CLARITY. Listen to the pure and childlike voice of your inner being. Even if this results in new and unexpected experiences, you will benefit. Take joy in being true to your Self. Modified by consideration for others, this will give you creative abilities. Avoid fearful attachment to the familiar.

End-stage 2020 is a time to remember our basic values. We’re called to rethink how community is created and sustained.

And, Yes. In this uncertain time, survival will depend on following conscience wherever it leads. Attachment to the past is futile. Trusting in the promising potentials of an unknowable future is the best way to get through current confusions.

* * *

Advice of the 4th line reads, “If you have become isolated, understand why and correct yourself.” When heeded, the line changes to Family:

Inside the FAMILY one learns to play out given roles. This makes later success in roles on the job and in the larger community possible. Clearly defined relationships make communication easy. Respectful cooperation with others earns trust and acceptance from the human family. Avoid roles not suited to your nature.

Taoists and Confucians agree that well-ordered families are the basic building blocks of community. These families need not be nuclear or biology-based. Wherever people come together around common purpose, shared values and love of life, they become family.

* * *

Advice of the 6th, top line reads: “Work for a larger purpose, either alone or with others.” Once an overview of the big picture is careful considered, and purposeful plan of action is chosen, we’re read to get to work in all ways. At that point, the line transforms:

Day and night replace each other in endless cycles of CHANGE. The same Natural Law generates flux in human events. The unprepared see change as a threat, but the well-prepared face the unknown calmly. They know that after degeneration reaches critical mass, regeneration follows. Welcome the new. Avoid short-sighted fear.

Indeed, We’re At Critical Mass, as stated in the first post of this series. But the miracle of regeneration is at hand. The extraordinarily powerful eclipse season we’ve entered begins not only a new 20-year cycle, but also ushers in still longer-range changes (depending on how it’s calculated). Rick Levine, for example, says:

. . . this upcoming conjunction is part of the Great Mutation Cycle, one-quarter of the 800-year Grand Conjunction Cycle.

This is HUGE. It can’t be understated.

Now, as in during Columbus’s exhausting first voyage, there’s no turning back. But for those with the vision and spine to Stay the Course, the risk, wait and work will be worth every bit of of the effort.

* * *

The composite end result of Community’s changing lines is realistic, not rosy. A New Era is struggling to be born. We are at the earliest stage of a process which must be played out, step-by-step. There will be inevitable Problems along the way:

When a new life is struggling to emerge, there will be PROBLEMS in the beginning. Seek help from people whose ideas and methods can help to create inner and outer stability. Take an active part in the growing process. This will help you to define your own identity. Avoid helplessness.

The Idea which I urgently recommend as the foundation for a better future is the Quantum Paradigm imaged in the Life Wheel. It is the complete and accurate reality map upon which sages and scientists can agree. It embodies Einstein’s intuited Unified Field Theory, placing each the three variables of his famous formula at increasingly deeper levels of experience.

The life-altering change of this fundamental paradigm shift will move civilization away from the fragmenting, limiting empirical science, restoring original wholeness.

Change your paradigm. It changes the way you think and the way you see the world. First the shift will change your personal life. Then, on the wings of butterflies, it will affect lives clear across the globe.

In a Unified world view, each of us is inherently okay. No one can take your inborn divinity away. Simply not possible. Nor can anyone take away the God-given okayness of another fellow human being. (The challenge remains, of course, that by abusing the gift of free will, our own bad choices blight the gift of inner light.)

The Method associated with the quantum Idea is working with the Life Wheel to make our scattered lives whole again. In combination, they give us a means to heal fractures, first within, then in the larger world around us. Restoring light to the world in this practical way would be a miracle indeed. The one I live and pray for.

To make the most of this opportunity, may we each accept that we are all children of God, and choose to live our daily lives in that light.

Stay the Course or Face the Consequences – IC – 120720

Resolute Determination to stay the course is the final outcome of today’s dynamic I Ching reading. When so many of us feel lost and at sea, December 2020 is a time to muster our native true grit.

In the October 12th reading, I quoted from Columbus’s Journal of the First Voyage:

Here the people could stand it no longer and complained of the long voyage . . . The Admiral cheered them as best he could. But was useless to complain.

His mind was made up. He was determined, with God’s help, to go forward. That resolute Determination to stay the course is magnified in today’s reading.

Even though much we took for granted is falling away, hope remains. The future remains in our hands. We’re entering the powerful eclipse season long foreseen as the positive beginning of a New Era.

HOWEVER — this decisive energy shift is only an opportunity. The final outcome of 2020 is not fated or cast in stone. It remains undecided, to be shaped by both our decisions and the actions we take during this pivotal time in history.

This is NOT a time to be pessimistic, shrug our shoulders and quit. That would give victory to the regressive, dark-side forces of history.

Just ask yourself, “What if Columbus had given in to nay-sayers and turned back then.”

And now, “What would be the consequences of failing to support President Trump as he stands firm and tall in the face of the criminal, communist-driven attempt to steal his decisive and well-earned victory?”

Columbus was rewarded for his Determination with the discovery of a whole New World. Today’s call for true grit has potential consequences every bit as life-changing for everyone across the globe.

At end-stage 2020, it’s Now or Never.

RESTRAINT is the original answer of today’s question, “What do we need to be aware of NOW?”

Interestingly, the bottom three lines which represent the physical world remain static. However, the top three lines which represent mental and spiritual levels of the Life Wheel each change. So, right now, even if world events seem beyond personal control, our attitudes remain open to change. It begins:

Exercise RESTRAINT in your actions. Seek the company of people who can advise on the best way to use your resources. The skills you have learned earlier can now be used to benefit others. Multiply the benefit of what has already been done by sharing results. Avoid careless waste.

Current events threaten to peak in an explosive outcome. So it’s critically important during this waiting period to exercise self-control. Think carefully about how this advice apply to your personal circumstances.

* * *

The advice of the 4th line is, “Channel your energies constructively. Rewards will be realized later on.” This expands on Restraint. Patience is added to the mix. With that awareness kept in mind, Restraint changes to a higher form as Self-Possession:

Great leaders demonstrate the SELF-POSSESSION to remain true to what they know is right despite all hardships. They act gently but fairly with others. Because they are consciously in harmony with the source of Creative Power, they express ideas brilliantly. Avoid false pride.

Here, the element of leadership is introduced. Conscious awareness, brilliant communication and Divine Connection are supported by consistency, humility and fairness.

* * *

The advice of the 5th changing line reads, “Deal with negative forces indirectly. Open battles are too risky.” This is variation on the theme, “Resist not evil; persist in the good.” That advice being heed, the line changes to warn of Frustration:

External factors you may not even be aware of will cause FRUSTRATION. New projects will not work out now. This cannot be avoided. Arguing will not influence those who could help. Your choice is either to wait patiently or to leave the situation. Pay attention to details. Avoid major commitments.

We’ve seen Frustration already. It supports the view that early December is a time when unknowns are at work behind the scenes. Right now, election outcomes are, for the most part, in the hands of legislators, courts and politicians. Once again, Patience is recommended.

* * *

Advice of the changing line in the top, 6th place reads, “Listen to the voice of conscience. You will be guided.”

“Be still and know, I AM GOD.” Trust that the leaders who have your interests at heart will be guided through the thickets of corruption, as will all who pray for them and hope for the best. With this advice heeded, the outcome is Peace:

When the forces of nature unite in profound harmony, heavenly PEACE fills the earth. Lives blossom. Prosperity increases. Easy communication makes it possible to under-stand one another. This leads to cooperative efforts that will be fruitful. Tranquility follows fulfillment of life goals. Accept life’s blessings gratefully. Avoid disorder.

No matter what immediate earthquakes lie ahead, the hope of Peace remains, first within and perhaps, eventually, in the world.

* * *

The composite of the upper three changing lines of initial Restraint results in Determination, the same virtue demonstrated by Columbus at an equally critical point in history:

If you approach the situation with DETERMINATION, you can now overcome problems that have held you back in the past. First be sure you do not contain the external problem you are working to eliminate within yourself. Then sincerity, cheerfulness and self-confidence will bring success. Avoid solving problems by force.

In other versions, this hexagram is called Resoluteness. It draws on the Inner Strength integral to the last reading. Even though hard to see, in fact December 2020 is a time of rare opportunity. We are challenged to overcome past problems, first by cleaning out our inner swamps and then by mustering the courage to end corruption of the political swamp.

Criminals at every level put their faith in their false assumption of collective cowardice and willful blindness. December 2020 offers the rest of us the golden opportunity to prove them forever WRONG.

They will prevail only if we give in to intimidation and passively surrender, handing over to them the inalienable power which belongs to we the people and, ultimately, to the Source of Creative Power which abides eternal at the center of the Life Wheel within each of us.

Don’t let criminal elements fool us ever again. Now is the time to wake up! Know to whom true power belongs. Be willing to reclaim it and use it responsibly during the all-new twenty-year cycle that begins on December 14th. (Stay tuned!)

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

False Hopes End in Disappointment – IC – 120320

PERMANENCE, the original answer to today’s I Ching reading, offers classic advice. “Don’t hunt for deer in a forest where none dwell.”

On the macro level, we’re being warned that the ever-changing, m=mass surface of the Life Wheel is the wrong place to look for lasting stability. Inevitably, misguided hopes end in bitter disappointment.

Ultimately, the universal craving for truth, unconditional love and safety is satisfied by looking deeper, reconnecting with the unchanging Source within.

On the micro level, this advice applies, once again, to my relationship with Alice — the one who lives in the pure-land boonies. She has a warm heart and good mind. But trusting to a fault, she looks to mainstream media as the authority on currents events.

WRONG. Tragically, she’s being systematically deceived. Brainwashed.

Alice is a proud person. She loudly defends her opinions. Unfortunately, garbage in, garbage out.

Last night she told me her iphone censors “false” information, so isn’t aware of anything outside of what’s allowed. Just as a test, we agreed I’d send her links to alternative news sources. Let’s find out whether her device will read them.

But I woke up at 3:00 a.m. the next morning with more on my mind. Here’s the email I sent:

Hey, Alice. Woke up with the idea to send you the following info.

I premise it by saying I feel a responsibility to prevent friends from being deceived and divided. . . . I know this is a lot to take in. But better now than never.

FIRST, the title “president elect” is empty fluff. Sounds official, BUT it’s a meaningless label pulled out of thin air. It’s a move to preemptively grab power, creating the illusion of a done deal in order get away with stealing an election before anyone can prevent it. Legally and historically, there has NEVER been a “president elect.”

All the posturing and posing is a charade — silly at best, but in the eyes of many, treasonous.

SECOND, only the Electors and finally Congress can decide election results. In claiming to call the race, the AP is usurping power that doesn’t belong to them.

_ _ _

Because media totally censored it, I shared what the President called the most important speech of his life on social media. I’ll share it with you here, along with my comment.

President Trump EXPOSES Voter Fraud: The Most Important Speech of His 1st Term the Media Ignored.

The AP has called the Presidential race for Joe Biden. See more on Google.

Robust safeguards help ensure the integrity of elections and results. Learn more

NB: This is an example of what I said about bad guys pointing the finger away from themselves, accusing the other side of exactly what THEY are doing. They take on the mantle of good guy, when the opposite is the case. They try to confuse the public as to who is who. In fact, Trump is the one risking his life to ensure the integrity of elections. Media and the Biden camp are the ones who are grossly violating that integrity.

It is psychological warfare to flag videos with this AP message, intended to demoralize Americans, get us to feel hopeless and give up. Twitter does similar intimidation stuff. Works against some, maybe. For others, it backfires and has opposite effect.

Media as arm of “big brother” refused to cover most important speech of this presidency, We are not children! It is not us they are protecting with this censorship. You owe it to yourselves and future generations to LISTEN. THINK. and ACT wisely.

PERMANENCE is the original, dynamic answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” It goes through two changes before resolving in the final outcome of ORIGIN, advising return to Source. It begins:

Search for PERMANENCE in the timeless wisdom of all ages. Human events repeat themselves in well-ordered patterns over many generations. Although the actors change, the values they pass on through their examples endure. Nothing of permanent value is ever lost. Live worthy of your heritage. Avoid disrespect for traditions.

Respect applies equally on the macro and micro levels.

Advice of the 4th line reads: “To find what you seek, look in the right place.” The Wilhelm/ Baynes translation phrases it in reverse. “Don’t hunt for deer in a forest where none dwell.”

Permanence of relatively temporary duration, for example, resides in the wisdom teachings handed down over the generations. It resides in the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom — “if you can keep it.”

Advice heeded, it changes to Promotion:

PROMOTION will come from steady, positive improvement over time. Rising to meet new challenges results in emotional maturity. Advancing on the job puts one in the position to serve those who are in need. Quiet, persistent self-discipline wins the confidence of others. Make the most of opportunities. Avoid hesitation.

What are these challenges? To face fears and overcome them? Quiet the noisy mind and become quiet and clear, so are able to enter into the deeper levels of intuition and light?

And what is discipline? The traditional definition indicates love of wisdom and discipleship to truth teachers.

Do our choices serve others?

* * *

Advice of the 5th line reads “Choose methods by purpose. Visionary projects require creativity and courage.” It’s reminiscent of Solomon’s wisdom, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Cleaning out the swamps, first inner and then outer, seems like today’s priority. It’s the only way through to a better future.

Advice heeded, the line changes to Inner Strength:

When difficult situations come to a head, rely on INNER STRENGTH to endure. If it becomes necessary to retreat, do so with courage and self-confidence. Make sure your inner and outer resources are secure. If you must begin a new life, you will have to depend on them. Avoid helplessness.

In early December, 2020, we’re in the eye of the hurricane, awaiting the outcome of contested elections. But we’re also in the midst of a life-changing eclipse season, long foreseen as the reset of the ages. It is a time to go within, reconnect with our inner resources, and demonstrate the calm presence of Inner Strength.

* * *

When the combined advice of two changing lines is heeded, Permanence resolves into the final outcome of ORIGIN.

All people thirst to know the roots their ORIGIN. At one level, learning about family and cultural traditions fills this need. At another level, this quest is satisfied by seeking for deeper knowledge. The vitality of all races flows from a single source which never runs dry. Avoid narrow-mindedness.

At this level, narrow-minded, superficial prejudices fall away. The inherent Unity of the human race emerges.

Again, respect for tradition is indicated. But ultimately, returning to Center is recognized as the enduring source of fulfillment. For the micro application, ask yourself how all this relates to your immediate situation.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

Cleaning Out the Inner Swamp – IC – 113020

NEWS FLASH!

Astrologers agree, the next three weeks are a wide-open window of opportunity. Pam Gregory says, It feels like the Reset of the Ages because it is exactly that. Be aware: during this time, every emotion you feel, positive or negative, will be enormously magnified.

BOOM!

Choices made during this period will launch you on your life path going forward. They’ll also have a ripple effect, influencing the world around you. So, Be careful. Choose wisely.

Glenn Beck say we’re in a holding pattern right now. As we wait for the courts to decide the outcome of U.S. elections, we feel like we’re in the eye of a hurricane. Politically that may be true. But it isn’t just empty space. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go inwards. Rethink beliefs. Reset attitudes, emotions, and intentions for the future.

Pam says:

This is our homework. Don’t just nap and cruise on Netflix. Take time out to meditate. STAY IN YOUR CENTER. Don’t be caught up in the hubbub.

She continues:

. . . through all of this unraveling of the old, there will be a lot of confusion out there. So I would very very VERY much encourage you to ground as often as you can. Be in nature. Play with a pet. Walk bare foot on the grass if weather permits.

Don’t go outwards to the scattering news and drama. Turn inwards. Create coherence. Breathe in and out through your heart — anything you can do to create coherence.

The great reset begins with Cleaning Out the Swamp. The process is essential. It is enormously beneficial. But no one said it would be easy. As OA warned, It’s hard to clean out the swamp when you’re up to your ass in alligators.

Nevertheless, as quantum fact, positive change happens from the inside out, and from smallest to largest. So there’s only one effective and enduring way clean out 2020’s political and institutional swamps. It’s this. Today. Starting right now and going forward, take full responsibility to clean out your own personal inner swamp.

Here’s a good way to begin.

Find a piece of paper and your favorite writing supplies. Settle down in a quiet place. Focus on your breathing until it becomes steady, calm and slow — quiet, deep and even.

Then, on that clean page, draw a vertical line down the center. On the left-hand side, list every negative emotion you’ve been feeling. Self-pity, blame, anger, hatred, fear, insecurity, sadness, envy, jealousy, shame, doubt, despair, confusion . . .whatever. Don’t leave anything out.

On the right-hand side, make a complete list of every positive emotion you’d like to feel in the future. Peace, joy, love, trust, compassion, gratitude, appreciation, patience, confidence, hope, happiness. Whatever you choose.

Next, draw a black line through each of the negative emotions. Then X-out the entire left-side column. After that, pick up your colored pens or pencils. Underscore, circle and draw happy faces around each of the positive feelings. Enjoy the process.

For the next three weeks, return to this list every day. Reinforce your intention to change for the better every morning and again each evening before bed.

During the day, be the observer. Whenever uninvited emotions pop up – annoyance, irritation, impatience, whatever — interrupt them. Snap your fingers to flip a switch in your brain. Turn off dark despair. Turn on the light of a brilliant new day.

Be aware that identifying the next three weeks as a rare opportunity to make positive personal changes is NOT arbitrary. Right on schedule, this Shift of the Ages has long been foreseen. It’s marked by a full moon lunar eclipse on November 30th, followed by a new moon total solar eclipse (the only one of 2020) on December 14th, and finally the winter solstice on December 21st.

Because each of these extraordinary events happens to fall on a Monday, I’ll speak to each in turn as the date arrives. I especially look forward to December 14th, the date of the Electoral College’s decision in the U.S.

DEPRESSION is the unchanging answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” It reads:

At times when it seems as if one’s resources are exhausted, care must be taken to soften the harmful effects of DEPRESSION. Whether the cause of depression is mental, emotional or economic, do not despair. The time will pass. Use hardship to develop inner strength and calm. Avoid negative thoughts.

The advice to avoid negative thoughts resonates with todays theme, cleaning out one’s personal inner swamp.

Especially in times of Depression, a complete and accurate paradigm is a lifeline. It supports awareness of the e=energy middle level of the Life Wheel where emotional alligators lurk, the deeper levels of intuition and light, was well as the Core CENTER. This unchanging Center is the stable bedrock of sanity. It’s our inalienable, enduring Source of prosperity in all things, on every level.

Those brainwashed into a paradigm that rules out the inner levels of quantum reality fall apart when the going gets rough. In contrast, even in the worst of times, timeless wisdom sustains those of faith. When it “SEEMS as if” our resources are exhausted, they’re not fooled by surface illusions. They trust in the Creator as their unfailing source of inner strength and abundance.

In 2020’s hour of extreme suffering, keep in mind the hope at the heart of Job’s story. Even during imaginable loss, Job steadfastly kept the faith. Trusting that alternating cycles of loss and gain are in the Creator’s hands, he repeated: The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Because of his faith, in God’s time, Job was restored to prosperity even greater than before. This is the positive intention to hold in mind during the coming three to four weeks as an unprecedented, powerful eclipse season brings in The Shift of the Ages.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To orderTwo Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

Resist Not Evil. Persist in the Good. – IC – 112620

As a Law of Nature, resistance within ourselves (tension and denial) is mirrored in the what we get back from others. It’s counterproductive, inside and out.

What’s the solution? Think of a Chinese finger trap.

This elegantly simple tube is woven from bamboo. Put one finger from each hand inside. It becomes a trap. The natural instinct is to struggle to get out. But the more you resist, the stucker you get.

The way out is to relax. By eliminating tension, the bamboo eases. You easily slip free.

Resist not evil. Persist in the good. is a great motto. It honors the law, Whatever you focus on, you magnify. That’s why the Bible instructs, Whatsoever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and good report, think on these things. (The flip side: Give zero attention/energy to what you don’t want in your world.) It’s another way of saying, Take the best, leave the rest.

This dynamic is perfectly captured in the Star Wars clash between Luke Skywalker and the Evil Emperor. When the young Jedi comes full force at his enemy in rage, his dark energy feeds the dark lord. “Good, good.” Luke gets free of the emotional trap by relaxing, sheathing the red saber, and escaping.

Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel published Resistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters are Breaking America in the last month of 2019, just in time to set the stage for 2020. Seen through the prophetic lens of Resistance, widespread election fraud and Constitutional crisis look inevitable.

Strassel argues that in its obstruction of President Trump at any cost, all-out Resistance has become dangerously reckless.In their frenzy to oppose the president, Trump haters are undermining our foundations:

From the FBI’s unlawful counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign, to bureaucratic sabotage, to media partisanship, to the character assassination of Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the president’s foes have thrown aside norms, due process and the rule of law.

Book reviews are less neutral:

  • It ties together all the attacks on Trump since before he was even elected. Aided and abetted by a compliant, complicit, lazy media. And bureaucrats and politicians willing to ignore or overturn every rule there is. All with the aim of reversing a valid election by the American people.
  • It’s a book about why we should stop destroying American democracy to achieve partisan revenge.
  • Strassel debunks the junk that the Resistance and the media shouted at us,buzz phrases, blatant lies, attacks on persons,misdirections, etc. all of these that were used in their attempt to unseat D. J. Trump from his legally elected position as president of the U. S. A.
  • The histrionics have been mind blowing. The endless rage unfathomable. Particularly from a party that defines itself as “tolerant” and “inclusive”.
  • Petty party differences and personal animosities toward Trump are moves by short game players. If the DEMS gain power, the stakes are higher than petty dislike of Trump. . . . the RESISTANCE (the alternative to Trump) is worse than if Trump were actually guilty of all DEMS toss at him.
  • Regardless of whether you are a Democrat or Republican, you should be terrified with what’s going on under the cloak of night. It is destroying our nation and our republic.

Resistance ends with a call to action, “the only action that is left to us” – the 2020 election, and all elections after that. It’s a slow process, it will take years, or decades but in the end that’s the only means we have to affect a change for the better.

CAVEAT: Strassel’s olive branch of hope is based on a big IF. If future elections were free of rampant deception, censorship, and vote tampering. . . there would be hope of change for the better.

Fortunately, her view that there’s no other hope is only half-true. On the flip side, whatever the political outcomes on the surface of the Life Wheel, first and foremost, each of us has the option and responsibility to change 1) our beliefs and attitudes, 2) our actions and 3) the quality of our personal relationships. Change happens from the inside out, and one person at a time.

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. Through the end of 2020, these bi-weekly posts are intended make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

COMPLETION is the initial answer to the question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” The CSBOC version reads:

Perfected actions reach COMPLETION. From this balance, however, new elements spring forth which create future imbalance. In this way, the cycles of nature are continued. This is not cause for sadness. Perfection lies in the whole life process, not in the beauty of a single peak moment. Avoid rigid attachment.

We are at end-stage not only of 2020, but of the cycle of American history that began with ratification of the Constitution. Thanksgiving day gives us cause to pause and reflect. Hardships we face at this time of unraveling and reset, though very different from those the pilgrims faced, are just as intense. Yet they found reasons to celebrate and be grateful then. So should we now. As one Strassel reviewer reminds us, Instead of letting hatred define our times, we should thank God we can call America our home.

Yes, everything familiar has fallen away. We have so many losses to grieve. Freedoms. Fortunes. Confidence in leaders. Family. Friends. The American dream is dying if not already dead. Yet resistance, clinging to what is gone, would leave us stuck in the past. Wisdom calls us to focus on opportunities ahead. The future is ours to create.

* * *

In his version, Jack Balkin, a Constitutional Law Professor, lists key words describing Completion: Maintaining equilibrium / Nipping problems in the bud / Preventing deterioration / Watching carefully.

* * *

Advice of the Bottom Line reads, “ Don’t become lax when things go right. Remain constantly aware.”

We arrived at a Constitutional crisis by taking freedom, prosperity and community for granted. We fell asleep at the switch (or maybe were hypnotized).

It’s taking a train wreck to wake us up. The challenge now is to stop blindly taking the extraordinary blessings of life in America for granted. Instead, be profoundly thankful for the protections against fraud and corruption which the Founders, in their wisdom, built into the Constitution. Commit to preserving them at all costs.

* * *

When the warning is heeded, the line changes to Resistance, the subject of Strassel’s book. It reads:

Look within yourself for the cause of RESISTANCE from others. If you are closed, they will not cooperate. The situation will open up when your mind becomes open. Seek the company of people who can help you overcome mental blocks. Do not blame others for your problems. Avoid untimely actions.

Resistance is a consequence of refusing to recognize 2020 as an end-cycle year of completion.

Here, I Ching wisdom points to the quantum reality that all experience is generated from the inside out, and from smallest to largest. To understand political resistance, understand that it starts within the minds of individuals programmed to a fractured paradigm. They’ve been educated into a false reality that rules out the inner levels where emotional intelligence, compassion and conscience reside.

Here’s an added irony for you. Resisting the resistance doubles troubles which are best solved by a meditative approach to problem-solving.

* * *

In Balkin’s book, Resistance is called Obstruction. Key descriptors include: Trouble / Hardship / Looking inward / Self-reflection / Surmounting the obstacles within.

He observes:

When faced with obstacles, we should not lose courage, but remain calm, redirect our attention to our spiritual development, and wait for conditions to improve.

Not coincidentally, in the margin next to this advice I noted: “Resist not evil. Persist in the good.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

Take the Best, Leave the Rest – IC -112320

Unlike any kind of fortune-telling, prophecy, or magic, the I Ching does not tell the future, it can only analyze the present. Its use does not allow one to make forecasts, only diagnoses. If there were a comparison possible with a Western equivalent, it would not be to the crystal ball but to a chess playing computer program that analyzes the current situation in order to choose one of a number of options.

Cyrille Javary’s description of the Book of Change is my favorite. It spells out exactly why, in 2020’s year of challenging choices, the book is so potentially valuable.

Working with it offers a meditative approach to problem-solving. Take a deep breath. Step back from the fray. Be the observer. Instead of getting caught up in one side or another, see how they dance together. Then consciously, carefully choose the best course of action.

That’s far better than getting sucked into conflict, engaging in blame, anger or despair, or being confused to the point of paralysis.

With I Ching wisdom, you won’t be fooled by false either/or choices. You’ll know that in duality, there are two sides to every coin. “Whatever has a front has a back.” Further, “the larger the front, the larger the back.”

Thousands of years experience confirm that nothing is only what it seems. Even more, as a Law of Nature, every extreme changes into its opposite. That’s why sages warn us to avoid extremes; 2020’s year of extremes is painful proof of the Law in action.

In Take the Best, I wrote.

In reading opinion and even “how to” pieces, I recommend the 30/70 principle. With careful attention and a little bit of luck, it’s possible to extract the 30% value from the 70% rubbish in which its embedded.

Ferreting out fact from falsehood takes Sherlock-like attention to detail. It requires conscious discrimination, in the positive sense. It demands active investigation, not passive acceptance of what appears on the front-side of the coin.

So which will it be? Do you want to be a conscious player in the chess-game of life, or simply a pawn moved around the board at the whim of others?

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. Through the end of 2020, bi-weekly posts are intended make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

Today’s reading is the most dynamic and perhaps challenging of 2020. GAIN, the original outcome, changes four times – moving through FAMILY, CLARITY, GROWTH, and PROBLEMS — before arriving at its final outcome, PROSPERITY.

At the beginning of Thanksgiving week, the deeply desired return of Prosperity come only after patiently going through the step-by-step process it takes to get from here to there. And at each step along the way, a consistent theme emerges:

GAIN is the initial answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” It reads:

GAINS can be made after analyzing the situation correctly. When a person’s life goals are kept firmly in mind, no time is wasted. A way can be found to use whatever resources are at hand to serve one’s purpose. Serving others can be compatible with personal gain. Avoid smug self-satisfaction.

During conflict-filled, end-stage 2020, it’s important to step back and take a deep breath. Analyze what’s going on, define our goals and how best to meet them. Accept that personal gain is inseparably connected with showing respect for others needs.

* * *

The advice of Line 3 represents a flip side of today’s theme. It reads, “Sometimes insincere people can help others without meaning to.”

Often selfish people who don’t respect others “coincidentally” fulfill nature’s plan. Ironically, in this season, power abusers have grown so bold that they’ve shown their hand. Pay attention to reap the unintended benefits. When this advice is taken to heart, the 3rd line changes to:

Inside the FAMILY one learns to play out given roles. This makes later success in roles on the job and in the larger community possible. Clearly defined relationships make communication easy. Respectful cooperation with others earns trust and acceptance from the human family. Avoid roles not suited to your nature.

Respect, trust and acceptance are integral to today’s consistent theme.

As for roles, although I greatly respect Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorke, and am profoundly grateful to President Trump’s legal supporters (Rudy Giuliani and Genna Ellis, as well as the noble Sidney Powell), I’m neither by temperament nor training a street fighter.

As they fulfill their destined roles in the human family’s critical war for truth and justice, I accept a modest, complimentary role. My part is fulfilled by adding a book of wisdom to the mix.

It’s my job to urge humans to remember our common humanity. Don’t continue down the divide-and-conquer path of conflict which serves only the dark-side Evil Emperor. Instead of going at each others throats, we must join forces to cut off the head of the snake that plays us against each other — to our mutual destruction.

Similarly, all of us need to step back and decide how as individuals we’re best qualified and able to contribute.

* * *

Repeating the common theme, advice of Line 4 reads, “Conflict between helping yourself and helping others is not necessary.” This advice being thoughtfully applied to one’s own life, the fourth line changes to Clarity:

Cultivate CLARITY. Listen to the pure and childlike voice of your inner being. Even if this results in new and unexpected experiences, you will benefit. Take joy in being true to your Self. Modified by consideration for others, this will give you creative abilities. Avoid fearful attachment to the familiar.

According to theme, consideration for others tempers personal joy and enhances effectiveness.

* * *

Again on theme, advice of Line 5 reads, “Worthwhile goals and practical purposes can be linked. Be sincere.” It reinforces the wisdom of the original reading, Gain. “Serving others can be compatible with personal gain.”

No either/ors! Here’s the shadow side of our theme: Taking advantage of others is a super bad idea. One way or another, it will backfire, big time. When we internalize this advice, putting it into action, the 5th line changes to Growth.

People seek help according to what they need for their own GROWTH. Unless hunger is fed with the right food, no amount of input will satisfy. To understand others, watch how they nourish themselves. Nature provides for all. Leaders promote those who have the ability to serve many. Avoid greed.

The resonant theme repeats: “Nature provides for all.” For thousands of years, the Book of Change has taught what psychologists now say. Humanity is starved for wisdom. Lacking awareness of our inalienable, inborn okayness, people fall prey to every imaginable disease, addiction and vice. Violence, over-eating, drugs and indiscriminate sex don’t feed the real hunger. Wisdom, self-compassion and human kindness do.

***

Advice of the Top Line reads, “Laziness and greed repel people. Don’t take advantage of others.” It’s part of the theme’s flip side. When taken to heart, the line changes to:

When a new life is struggling to emerge, there will be PROBLEMS in the beginning. Seek help from people whose ideas and methods can help to create inner and outer stability. Take an active part in the growing process. This will help you to define your own identity. Avoid helplessness.

This reading reinforces the need for positive, fulfilling Growth. Like it or not, 2020 has been a watershed year of 2020 and of reset. After enduring extremes of loss and chaos, we need to bring ourselves back to balance, redefine ourselves and make a Fresh Start. Again,

Choose to be

an active chess player,

not a passive pawn.

***

After the changing lines are honored, each in turn, in combination they lead to in a final outcome, Prosperity:

Use the time of PROSPERITY as the opportunity to benefit as many as possible. Hoarding wealth of any kind hastens loss. Nature acts to distribute resources equally. Therefore, the way to prevent poverty is to live modestly in the present. Share wisely, without prejudice. This secures continued well-being. Avoid possessiveness.

Prosperity is the end result of mastering the lessons of family, clear thinking, nurturing the best in ourselves and others, and seeking wisdom when faced with problems. True to the consistent theme, it emphasizes the wisdom of acting like nature. Going forward, benefiting as many as possible without prejudice will be the way to secure good fortune.

For most of us, 2020 has been intense and harsh. But it also brought important lessons – blessings in disguise. From now to mid-December, when we’re slated to see major reversals, the wisest use of down time is to sort out the best of 2020. Leave the rest behind as we prepare to enter 2021 with its promise of a new set of interesting challenges/opportunities.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

Thou Shalt Not Adulterate My Language

The Ten Commandments Moses brought down from Mount Horeb tell us, among other things, not to adulterate. It’s seventh in the line-up. But in reviewing the list just now, it was hard not to conclude that the radical left violates them all . . . systematically.

Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t covet what’s not yours. Don’t bear false witness? The year 2020 has seen a pandemic of law breaking, as if virtuosity in brazenly flaunting the law is the latest fad.

In this increasing corrupt world, monuments of the Ten Commandments are banned from public property. Narcissists are giving themselves free rein and encouraging others to openly do what they’ve been doing behind closed doors for centuries. Lie, steal, covet, commit adultery.

But today, I’m focusing on just one glaring sin. Adultery. (As you’ll recall, I earlier defined sin as “mistake.” It’s simply missing the mark.)

And in the Yoga Dictionary, as you’ll also recall, words take on new meanings as one moves up the ladder of energy centers.

At the root chakra, which governs the physical foundations of life, there’s systemic adulteration (pollution, if you will) across the board. Air, water, soil, food. Every element of nature that sustains human life is being poisoned. The problem is so pervasive it can’t be accidental.

And there’s more. In his remarkable book, The 9 Steps to Keep the Doctor Away, Dr. Rashid Buttar shines a laser light on a multitude of health risks.

He also tells the deeply personal story of his pact with the Creator. He promised to give anything in return for learning how to return a beloved son, rendered autistic by toxic vaccinations, back to health. His prayer was answered and the good doctor upheld his end of the bargain . . . this book is the result.

I have to draw from memory in describing it. My personal copy went to the building’s caretaker, who has two autistic sons, both damaged by vaccine poisoning. If you, your family or friends have similar concerns, check out Dr. Buttar’s book. Some find it intense, but with good cause.

But wait, there’s more. The second energy center focuses on sexual concerns and the capacity for empathy. It concerns not only traditional marital fidelity, but matters of reproduction (abortion), gender identity, promiscuous sex and related disease transmission.

The third energy center is related to leadership and control issues. Lust for and abuse of power originate within this center. Contamination of 2020 election results by adulterating valid votes with fraudulent, even computer-altered ones, is lodged here.

The fourth energy center is related to matters of the heart and feelings of compassion. The epidemic of heart disease – caused by poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, oxygen deprivation and/or emotional stress — afflicts this energy center.

The fifth center is related to speech and language. That’s the primary concern I’m focused on here. I’ve called it the Tower of Babel Dilemma. The English language is so badly abused that it’s often not worth talking.

Spencer Klavan calls 2020 an Orwellian Nightmare. He details the ways the Left abuses language to manipulate the culture. They’ve weaponized psychology, loading the language with incendiary trigger-words planted into the subconscious. Say, “racist,” for example, and a programmed mind registers it as a command. “Riot.”

Public figures routinely “plagiarize” meaning “steal” other’s words and ideas to confuse the public. We’re left to sort out who is genuine when speaking of Unity or quotes from the Bible. And who’s a sordid hypocrite.

Dynamics get increasingly more complex. Words can be inverted, perverted or simply misused to the extent that they become meaningless.

Further, in It Was All A Distraction, Max Igan explains, “You’ve been fooled. Everything is a lie.”

. . . the depths of this lie is quite literally, so profound and so all pervasive, that it’s almost impossible for most people to even see because its so big that it covers virtually everything single aspect of our lives.

. . . that’s why it’s so difficult to ever really discover the truth and to wake up the people around us. Most of the information we’ve been researching has been falsified. That is why people are locked into different belief systems, why they continue to argue with each other, and why they continue to perpetuate their divide and conquer programming.

Because he says it so well, I continue to quote. He says, as a starting point:

. . . we have to understand that we’ve been manipulated and controlled, and trained to argue with each other about our differences.

He concludes:

. . . what we need to do is focus on stopping this system in its tracks right now and giving ourselves a chance to regroup, to find out what the truth is. This is not going to happen unless we can put our differences down, stop trolling each other, stop attacking each other, stop spreading mistrust and division . . .

The solution is within. All you have to do is look within and remember yourself.

Igan speaks of a “solution,” in synch with David Icke’s most recent book, The Solution. Both recommend disengaging from a vampiric system. Don’t feed it with your energy. Don’t acquiesce. If enough of us refuse to supply the dark-side with undeserved attention, it’s toast.

How do we get from here to there?

It starts with paying attention, first to what’s going on inside, then to the immediate world around us. From personal experience, I assure you that working with the Book of Change can be an indispensable aid in this effort.

It will lead, as it did me, to replacing the fracturing paradigm of empirical science with the complete and accurate, yoga-compatible quantum paradigm — the one which operates on the variables of Einstein’s unified field formula.

The year 2020 is the time to wake up! Like Lambert the Sheepish Lion, remember who you truly are.

Don’t be fooled. Don’t be distracted or engage in conflict. Trust in God and in yourself. Then find trustworthy friends. Build safe, intentional communities.

And – of course — speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Bottom line: don’t stop half way. For those with ears to hear, there’s massive proof of pervasive election fraud. But take the next step. Political corruption and the media’s double-speak bluff are symptomatic of deeper trouble.

But don’t stop there. Language is just a mental software program. Still deeper, the fundamental paradigm — the operating system itself — has been corrupted and urgently needs a reboot.

End-stage 2020 challenges us to step back, take stock, and prepare to make a Fresh Start. This is, literally, in the I Ching readings for late December. In alignment with the heavens, they promise major shifts in human events.

Half-Brained Is Half-Assed

Have you ever taken the time to think carefully about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s often quoted words of wisdom? If not, it’s worth doing so now:

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.

Here’s the standing joke. Anyone who’s always consistent is consistently wrong half the time. As archers know, if you’re left of center, aim right. When right of center, adjust by aiming left. Otherwise, you miss the mark.

In any case, inspired by Emerson’s words, Henry David Thoreau chose to live like a sage, in seclusion, simply, close to nature, engaging in carpentry and other manual work to survive. He felt the same powerful need we have today . . . to get free of cultural-conditioning which suppresses awareness and full expression of our true nature.

In the year 2000, I outlined a set of essay sketches. This one, to the point of “No Either-Ors,” is a favorite:

Divisions go wide on the surface of the Life Wheel, but also go deep. A common excuse for bureaucratic incompetence is, “The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.” On a personal level, the right brain doesn’t talk to left. Head and heart are out of synch.

We also say, “She’s all in the head, out of touch with her (e=energy level) emotions.” Deeper still, we observe, “He acts without conscience.”

Folks in biblical times lived closer to nature than most do today. That’s why their teachings often mirror the same wisdom found in the Book of Change. For example, according to King Solomon:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Ecclesiastes continues:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.

Sages of every time and place observe this dance of duality. The pairs of opposites sometimes balance and blend, other times clash or separate.

With their wisdom, it’s possible to steer nature’s energies. Sailors, for example, harnessed shifting winds to safely reach their destination.

Today, however, lacking natural common sense, political elites have led the world dangerously adrift. Divided between extremes, all sides clash mindlessly against perceived enemies. Partisans defend group members, right or wrong.

We seem hopelessly polarized. Any superficial excuse will do. Gender. Race. Religion. National origin. Class. Political affiliation. The list expands into trivia. Favorite sports teams. Fashion preferences.

I’ve already told you what I think of this suicidal, genocidal madness. The only one who benefits from unnatural warfare is the Evil Emperor. Hidden in the invisible realms which science tells us don’t exist, this dark-side entity manipulates us like powerless pawns to our mutual destruction.

Now don’t get me wrong. As Solomon said, there IS a time for war. There’s also a time for the breakdown of institutions which no longer serve their intended purpose. The year 2020 is such a time.

But let there be some balance, some common sense, even in the midst of orchestrated chaos.

I have a major problem with people who sit passively on the sidelines, as if they were helpless victims, unable to make a difference in political outcomes.

I admit I was once of them. But OA set me straight.

I believed, thanks to Sunday school, that Jesus was sweet and nice, as I should be too. He loved little girls and boys (and probably puppies). He was exclusively kind and gentle . . . well-mannered, you might say.

WRONG. Jesus fully lived all sides of Natural Law. OA reminded me of the best known example: overturning the money-changers’ tables in front of the Temple at Jerusalem. He had harsh words for hypocrites.

Bottom line: Jesus wasn’t a wimp. Neither were I Ching-savvy Shaolin monks, who protected their monasteries with Kung Fu.

I’ll also confess, I was brainwashed in university to believe in self-righteous non-violence. Taking up arms to defend myself and protect those I care for would be immoral – not to mention impolite. (That’s someone else’s dirty job.)

Now, I’ve already written half of the story in Gandhi’s Way Out of Madness. Here’s the other half.

Yes, non-violence was a brilliant strategy. It mobilized the masses. Natives succeeded in driving the hated British enemy out.

But then it backfired. Indians brothers and sisters turned that same hatred on each other. Muslims battled Hindus in civil war. They split a unified country in two. Relocation took an unspeakable toll in death, pain and suffering.

WHY?

The yogic principle of non-violence (satyagraha) was a great idea in Gandhi’s head. Weaponized, it was a powerful political tool.

BUT – –

Non-violence was only an idea. An empty, pretty thought. It wasn’t understood by the people. Like pawns, they followed instructions. But commitment wasn’t alive in their hearts. It wasn’t internalized at the deeper, e=energy level of the Life Wheel.

So after Gandhi’s mission to oust an external enemy was accomplished, natives didn’t practice non-violence at home. The country exploded.

The blessing hidden within 2020’s hard lessons is the opportunity to fully recognize the horrific consequences of wide-spread, half-assed behavior, along with the option to heal ourselves. Make ourselves and our country whole again. Unified.

Yes, there are significant wars to be fought. The deep and abiding war between good and evil is the best example. HOWEVER, irrelevant distractions — surface-level differences — aren’t among them.

For the sake of human survival, know the real enemy and pick your battles wisely, guys!

To Think Like a Genius, Link the Levels – IC – 111920

Q. Why the interest in genius at this time of chaos and confusion?

A. America’s divisive state is testimony to the crying need for creative problem-solvers.

We need to educate ourselves and then bring up a next generation able to SEE what’s gone so terribly wrong, and what to do about it.

So what is genius? Is creative brilliance a rare gift granted only to a special few?

Or is genius, as I believe, an inborn, God-given potential equally available to everyone. Every-one, that is, willing to do the work and make the sacrifices needed to fulfill their innate potentials.

Q. Okay. If I’m a potential genius, how do I get from here to there?

A. Yogis have long known the way. Breathing is the simple answer.

Breath is the vehicle of the soul, the psyche. It animates us at birth. It’s the single constant always with us right up to our last minute on earth. We can breathe unconsciously. Automatically. Or we can do it consciously, and in the process link the levels of the Life Wheel — mind, body and spirit. Breath unifies the quantum field.

Yoga in a nutshell.

Einstein’s New Way of Thinking explains:

The secret to thinking like a genius has been known for thousands of years. Yogis call it Raja Yoga . . .

Modern medical researchers correlate ancient teachings with brain science. Breath control balances, harmonizes and stimulates both hemispheres of the brain. It unites artistic with mathematical abilities.

Now Einstein was a “natural.”

On rare occasions, it’s possible to get the same results naturally, without needing to understand the dynamics that explain genius. Both sides of Einstein’s brain . . worked together.

He was an accomplished violinist and philosopher as well as a physicist. Pipe smoking probably gave him some of the benefits of deep breathing, though to the best of our knowledge (at least in this lifetime), he never took yoga classes.

Two recent books explain yoga’s magic in the familiar language of science. One is Patrick McKeown’s The Oxygen Advantage: Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques. Even better is James Nestor’s 2020 bestseller, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.

Thinking like a genius, “journalist James Nestor traveled the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.” He says:

There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences.

Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head.

Disturbed breathing and the image of a fragmented Life Wheel go hand-in-glove. Cognitive dissonance, the narcissist’s signature, is the frequent mark of public figures. Their words and actions don’t match. Not even close.

Here’s a basic test of whom to trust. Who is consistent, word and deed? Who is not? I’ll have more to say about this in future posts. Look for Half-Brained Is Half-Assed.

We’re not trained to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. Through the end of 2020, bi-weekly blogs are intended to serve as an introduction, to make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

INSPIRATION is the initial answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of now?” The Common Sense Book of Change version reads:

When minds are moved by INSPIRATION, nothing is impossible. Misunderstandings can be cleared up, problems solved and hardships overcome. Inspired speakers can move others to acts of heroism by well-chosen words. Reminding people of their common goals and deepest desires gives them the courage to continue. Avoid unkindness.

In-spire means to breathe in. When we’re tense and hold the breath, we cut ourselves off from Source. Relaxing and taking a deep breath reconnects us with the Force.

Inspiration is the signature of genius – the crying need — the critically missing piece — in today’s public arena. All sides seem stimulated by conflict. “Game on!”

While engaging in battle for a just cause is vitally important, in equal measure — to keep ourselves and the Union together – we also need to honor the opposite of side of the coin. Take time to pause, reflect and be grateful for the blessings we too often take for granted, which everyone on all sides are risk at risk of losing forever.

***

Constitutional Law Professor Jack Balkin’s version of the I Ching calls Hexagram 58 Joy. These are its key attributes: Giving and receiving / Communication / Integrity/ Inner stability / Inner Peace.

He comments:

When people take joy in each other’s company, they are willing to make sacrifices for each other. Difficulties seem to melt away. Troubles seem smaller and less threatening. When people feel supported and encouraged, they are willing to take on even the most difficult tasks. Thus, joy has enormous power. It brings people together, moves them to do great things and bestows success on their efforts.

***

In the CSBOC, advice of the bottom line reads: “Maintain an attitude of joyful self-confidence. This will attract success.” When the advice is heeded, the line changes to Depression:

At times when it seems as if one’s resources are exhausted, care must be taken to soften the harmful effects of DEPRESSION. Whether the cause of depression is mental, emotional or economic, do not despair. The time will pass. Use hardship to develop inner strength and calm. Avoid negative thoughts.

Stress, fear, and anger disrupt natural breathing, making us sick. And basic breathing practices — in-spiration — are known to heal (drug free) countless diseases, including depression. This relief alone makes economic hardships more tolerable and creative solutions easier to find.

***

Balkin’s version calls Hexagram 47 Oppression. Its key attributes include: Exhaustion / Being restricted / Hardship / Adversity / Inner affliction / Dried up / Impasse.

He comments:

Kun is indeed a difficult hexagram, but the law of change is always in operation. Periods of oppression and exhaustion contain the seeds of regeneration and renewal. At the very darkest moment the light is almost ready to shine again. Even so, it is not easy for people who are in the midst of oppression to understand and believe in this enduring truth. Dealing with oppression is a great test of a person’s character.

It’s almost as if presumptive leaders assume us deplorable Hobbits exist to be oppressed and drained, are so stupid that we’re fooled by the lies they spin, and so weak that we’ll cave under intimidation. But we’re neither stupid nor weak. And by Natural Law, they’ll inevitably reap the ugly consequences of their presumptions.

In sum, at end-stage 2020, those who would survive looming oppression must draw upon the inner resources of latent genius. By intentionally linking the levels of the Life Wheel, we’ll prevail by restoring the common sense which is everyone’s birthright.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

Keep to the Core to Keep It Together – IC – 111620

My relationship with DANGER, today’s unchanging I Ching reading, goes way back. It’s close and familiar.

Here’s one example. Whenever I asked for advice about a former roommate (cruel “Kas”), the book was strangely consistent. Whatever the immediate situation, the lines changed to produce the same outcome: DANGER.

Yes. However physically attractive, she was, beyond a doubt, damaged, self-serving and deeply dangerous.

In Kas, life gifted me with a powerful teacher. To keep my sanity, I was forced to find words for the unspeakably crazy things she did. I had to admit that her cruelty got to me and find out why. In the process, I discovered how to protect myself, both inside and out.

An early article I found listed ways to recognize a narcissist. It said, If your person demonstrates eight or more of twelve listed behaviors, you’re in deep trouble. Kas demonstrated all twelve. Danger!

Making matters worse, her cohorts were narcissists too. One was overt – the abrasive, vulgar and bold-faced type. The other was covert — the sneaky, snake-in-the-grass, two-faced kind.

In combination, I learned from direct experience how energy vampires operate to paralyze and drain their intended victims.

But I also found out I’m not alone. In fact, a psychiatrist who specializes in this disorder warns that the plague of narcissism has grown to pandemic proportions. (An interesting parallel, don’t you think?)

Here’s what I learned about their communication style. The signature of rampant narcissism is COGNITIVE DISSONANCE. Narcissists present a false front to the world. But their Life Wheels are fractured. They’re frauds, and self-deceived ones at that.

Inside, they’re sniveling. insecure cowards driven by demon-spawned negative emotions: fear, anger, hatred, greed, and lust. The Bible-quoting jerks who made my life miserable operated absent any hint of connection with conscience.

From first-hand experience, I can tell you this:

And here are the survival lessons they taught me. At root, these decisions are simply common sense.

Now, why is it important for me to share this with you?

Because the dynamic of DANGER isn’t just about me.

It’s about you, as well as the rest of us.

As a Law of Nature, what I learned up close and personal, the painfully hard way, translates true to form on every increasingly larger scale of magnitude. Because I recognize the dynamics of danger operating on the micro level, I easily recognize them writ large on today’s political canvas.

The reason for detailing the dangers of narcissism is that the same remedies and protections that worked for me at the personal level will work, not only for anyone else in similar trouble, but also for business organizations, government agencies and even whole nations plagued by the worldwide pandemic of narcissism.

Put plain and simple, the solution is this. Let each one of us hold fast to the unifying central core of the Life Wheel, whether you choose to call it God, Source, Conscience, the Creator, Allah, or Nothing at all. It keeps all levels of the Unified Field together – the Light of intuition, Energy of action, and Mass of tangible, measurable results.

The slang advice, “Keep it together” sums the solution up perfectly. When things seem to be falling apart, it’s exactly the time when we most urgently need to keep it together.

  • When dark, painful emotions tear us apart, it’s the time to take a deep breath, stand back, and keep calm distance.
  • When friendships, families and organizations seem to be unraveling, it’s time to demonstrate the wisdom to keep them together.
  • When liars, cheaters and thugs seem to be tearing nations apart, let those with cool heads keep their states together by focusing on the core values humanity share in common, the ones which which transcend time, space. . . and even politics.

NB: For the record, narcissists of every stripe have tried to diminish President Trump by projecting onto him all their own faults. Again, the MAGA-millions who sense and return his love aren’t fooled. The rest of us shouldn’t be either. Though some find his style abrasive, he keeps his promises. His words and actions match. He’s consistent across the board. He’s not the one with a problem. It’s the feeble-minded, fork-tongued, zombie-like pretender along with his handlers and those they’ve fooled who are in deep dark trouble.

We’re not trained to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you in this series of blogs. Through the end of 2020, they serve as an introduction, to make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

DANGER is the single answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of now?” The Common Sense Book of Change version reads:

DANGER is the true test of character. Be as careful of negative emotions which cloud inner clarity as you are of external dangers. Face all challenges with fearless grace. Hold fast to the goals and ideas which guide you. Act according to what you know to be right. Avoid cowardice.

It took me a while to recognize that the greatest danger is the risk of giving in to negative emotions. In the end, it doesn’t matter if other people’s negativity is infectious. Or if economic losses and/or political events are upsetting. Of if. . . you name it.

Ultimately, as Viktor Frankl demonstrated, even in a halocaust world, the option to respond wisely and responsibly remains open. Holding fast to core values — love of life and faith in God — is the enduring anchor which keeps us as individuals and as nations together.

Because the U.S. is in the constitutional crisis of its lifetime, I look to the version of the I Ching published by a Yale Professor of Constitutional Law. Jack Balkin lists these descriptors of DANGER.

He observes:

When faced with danger from without, one can escape unharmed if one maintains an attitude of devotion. To survive through a period of danger, one must preserve faith in one’s self and in the possibility that one will get through.

The Book of Change teaches that even in the times of greatest distress one must never lose hope that one can still turn circumstances to one’s advantage. One must have faith of ultimate success. It is only through having such faith the one can have a chance at ultimate success.

To despair is to fall into the abyss. . . . one must follow one’s heart to ride out a time of danger. To lose heart during such a time means that one does not hold one’s self together. This leads to danger.

In sum, Balkin’s advice confirms mine: Right now we must keep to core to keep it together.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

It’s NOT a Game, Man! – 111520

The focus of today’s post, originally dedicated to a positive super New Moon, has changed, superseded by equally positive political events. It was originally called There’s No Ending Without a New Beginning.

I intended to pick up where I left off in The Choice Ahead. There, the I Ching reading FINISH says just this. Today’s implication: although radical operatives have the gall to claim the presidential race is a over — a done deal, President Trump and team are just getting started.

My second choice for a title was Chutzpah. That’s part of today’s message, but just one piece. (I’ll get back to Camp Biden’s gall in a bit.)

The title I finally settled on comes from one of a several prescient posts. To Tell the Truth describes a game show. It speaks so directly to 2020’s current events that I quote from it verbatim.

The point here: Trump is the current and future President. Biden’s cabal can posture and pretend all they like, but Don’t Be Fooled. With Mike Pompeo, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Sebastian Gorka, Steve Bannon, Dan Bonjino, Charlie Kirk and a whole host of other loyal patriots on high alert, the steal isn’t happening. No way.

Bogus claims . . . remind me of the long-running TV game show, “To Tell the Truth.” In this format, three challengers are introduced to a celebrity panel, each claiming to be the featured guest.

Impostors can lie and pretend to be the central character. Only the real one is sworn to tell the truth. Panelists are challenged to ask penetrating questions, see through deceptions, and correctly identify the truth teller.

In this game reality, the best liars are rewarded. But that’s not how it works in the real world. There’s nothing entertaining or ultimately rewarding about deceiving the public. Yet, at this stage of history, it’s nigh unto impossible for all but the most discriminating (in the positive sense) tell the difference between imitators and the “real deal.” Shameless parodies . . . abound.

Hucksters out to make a quick fortune while basking in their 15-minutes of fame misrepresent both their intentions and abilities. The sure-fire get-rich formula . . . is to tap into people’s deepest desires and fears. . . .

Offer gullible marks whatever it is they want on the one hand, and guarantee protection from the consequences of stupidity on the other.

In a crowded market place full of unscrupulous pretenders, how do messengers of substance and integrity stand out from the noisy crowd? Even screaming isn’t heard over the ruckus. Their only option is to play by the rules – quietly, persistently Tell the Truth.

Further down, it continues:

Still more ridiculous is the assumption that we as individual drops of water can make the tidal waves of history change direction – as if puny humans had the superior wisdom and power to influence the forces of nature and nature’s God. . .

A basic premise of New Age distortions is that superior humans, if they don’t like the current course of history, can just rewrite history, avoiding the consequences of past action. That is not positive change. The attempt is a delusional waste of precious time.

Today’s place in history is the cumulative consequence of thousands of years of poor choices. To continue an earlier thread, keep in mind the Old Testament prophet Daniel. He foresaw an end time followed by a new beginning. There is no short-cut from here to there that by-passes the tough part of the process he envisioned.

Those who intend to survive to partake of that new beginning would be far better off to heed what is written and align themselves with the tides of Titanic times, rather than resisting or presuming to circumvent them.

. . replace the unsustainable, corrupted foundation of false paradigms (feet of clay) with a complete and correct paradigm. Like childbirth, the process isn’t necessarily fun, but the outcome is worth it.

* * *

Daniel 2:44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed . . it shall stand for ever.

Daniel’s vision of this basic truth was written long ago. (Daniel 2:45. . . The dream is certain; and the interpretation thereof sure.) He’s a central character who told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but.

* * *

In combination, the carefully planned, highly organized attempt to steal an election, preemptively set a dispensable traitor up under the false flag of “President Elect,” and self-righteously plagiarize Gorke’s War for the Soul America language, represent a cascading tide of unmitigated gall.

I was hard put to find a word strong enough to describe it, but Chutzpah includes them all.

It comes from the Hebrew word ḥutspâ (חֻצְפָּה), meaning “insolence,” “cheek” or “audacity.”

The superlative form, chutzpadik, means impudent, impertinent, brazen, and not showing due respect. Now, that’s key. Radical operatives have no due respect for the will of the people, not for the will God, nor for law on any level:

  • Divine Law – truth, conscience
  • Natural Law – human nature, timing (evil will be outed & routed)
  • Human Law – constitutional fair election rules

And, consistent to form, insolent dems point the finger at the “Orange Man,” accusing him of exactly the crimes against civilization that they’re in fact perpetrating.

But let not your heart be troubled. In the last post, I shared the Chinese legend of the wise old fox who treads lightly across a frozen lake to safely reach the far side. I laughed long out loud over the orange fox image I found. It suits our President well.

Backed by seasoned advisors, he’s let foreseen corruption play out so Americans can finally see and appreciate what he’s been up against from the beginning. Way over-confident, depending on deplorables’ timidity, dems have brazenly over-stepped the limits of what we’ll ignore and acquiesce to.

Let chutzpadiks be ware. Some things can’t be stolen. As the President knows and depends on, LOVE is one of them.

  • Love of God
  • Love of Life
  • Love of Family and Country.

At end-stage 2020, here’s another basic choice we must face. What is the purpose of language? Is it:

For those who scan through blogs, I’ve created an image to catch your attention. This list is just a hint. Feel free to edit, elaborate and expand on it however you like.

So. I’ve used up my allotted space for today. I’ll conclude by supplying links for those who’d like to see more. A first set includes other prescient posts. A second set includes links to videos describing the alignment of today’s New Moon energies. (BTW, Traditionally new moons are regarded as the best time to release the old and set your intentions for a new beginning.)

NB. For those who by programming dismiss the I Ching and other unfamiliar forms of e=energy information: knowledge is power. Yes. In the hands of Mickey Mouse apprentices, magic has its dangers. But this is no excuse to ban it. In right form, used right way, for the right reasons, it is a way to return power (which elites hoard for themselves) to the people.

RETHINKING SURVIVAL BLOGS

To Tell the Truth

Who Is Qualified to Know What – and How?

Two Out of Three Ain’t Enough

What You See Is What You Get

Let’s Get It Right!

NEW MOON VIDEOS

Pam Gregory. New SuperMoon in Scorpio 14th 15th November 2020

Molly McDord. November 14/15 Scorpio ♏ New Moon – Rising Power And New Commitments

Kelley Rosano. Scorpio New Moon Step Into The New Reality 11.15.20

Roland Legrand ABLAS. The New Moon of November 15, 2020

The Choice Ahead – IC – 111220

At tipping point 2020, the choice ahead for the U.S. and its watchers is profound. Which path prevails will shape the future for generations to come.

There’s a fork in the road ahead. We must choose which direction to take, towards either good or evil. This legal format makes the case clear.

To illustrate the point, I have three stories and a song to share with you. First is a modern myth by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the world-loved trilogy, Lord of the Rings. Then come two jokes, one for dark-side evil-doers, another for the light-workers they falsely believe can be discouraged, defeated and crushed. Last are lyrics to a tune that take on new meaning.

FIRST

Tolkien’s The Silmarillion begins with the story of creation. It describes how evil entered the world and how the war against it resolves. It starts at the level of frequency, with music:

There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Illuvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad.

However, a disruption crept into the great song.

. . . it came into the heart of Melkor to interweave matters of his own imagining that were not in accord with the theme of Illuvatar; for he sought therein to increase the power and glory of the part assigned to himself. . .

Some of these thoughts he now wove into his music, and straightway discord arose about him, and many that sang nigh him grew despondent, and their thought was disturbed and their music faltered . . .

Three times, Illuvatar intervenes to encompass Melkor’s prideful discord, including it as part of a more solemn song.

Here’s the repeating pattern. Temporary chaos is swallowed up and transformed to serve a larger good. Chaos prevails for a short time, but cannot prevail.

We can take comfort in Tolkien’s view that even today, every short-term subversion – albeit in ways beyond our puny comprehension – serves the Creator’s plan.

SECOND

My beloved teacher, OA, taught us how to make God laugh. Do you want to know how? Tell him your plans.

Democrats planned from the day of Trump’s inauguration to destroy him. This fits right in with the UN’s plan to, literally, dehumanize the planet (I kid you not) by the year 2030.

Like Melkor, they can plan all they like.

But you can trust, God always has the last laugh.

THIRD

This next story includes both music and laughter. Beethoven, it is said, couldn’t pay his rent. His landlady threatened to throw him out onto the street.

“Please don’t,” he pleaded, wringing his hands. “I’m going to write a great symphony and become famous. Some day you’ll be proud to have me in your house.”

But she’d have none of it. Slapping her knee, she ridiculed him, “You write a symphony? Ha ha ha Haaa.”

Her cold contempt inspired his most famous symphony, the 5th, catapulting him to greater heights of success:

Funny how, when we know how to change adversity into its opposite extreme, even our enemies, outsmarting themselves, help us achieve our goals.

You know what they say. “He who laugh last laughs best.”

The TUNE

Finally, also to the point of choice, is a Lovin’ Spoonful tune, Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind? You can hum along with the music by clicking here, or just browse the opening lyrics:

Approaching year’s end, the corrupt ways of an entrenched deep state have been outed and exposed as antithetical to the Founders’ intent. The swamp will be cleaned out. As OA told us, “You can make it as easy or as hard as you like.”

Either way, there’s no turning back. Once fallen, Humpty Dumpty can’t ever be put back together. We need to pick up the pieces of our shattered assumptions and “normal” lifestyles, sort them out, keep the best, and leave the rest behind. We have to make up our minds. What direction do we want the future to take?

FINISH is the unchanging outcome of today’s question, “What should we be aware of Now?” The CSBOC version reads:

When the FINISH is near, think about the future. Since nothing ends without a new beginning, prepare for what comes next. Order your life so that you are free to move on. Success in the next cycle will depend on the inner wealth you have stored. Avoid fear of change.

On a personal level, this reading speaks to the end of a relationship, a lifestyle, a job or career, a stage of life, or even life itself. Historically, it indicates the completion of a cycle. For example, 2020 has long been foreseen as a “deconstruction of the old order.” Trump supporters intent on cleaning out the swamp will read this one way, Democrats and UN officials in quite another. Some will see it as referring to The End of The World As We Know It.

It’s fitting that the I Ching version which speaks best to the current constitutional crisis is authored by a Yale University Professor of Constitutional Law.

In Jack Balkin’s The Laws of Change, the 64th and final hexagram is called Before Completion. He lists these descriptors:

The CSBOC observes, Nothing ends without a new beginning. Balkin drills in on that new beginning:

Wei Ji involves a new cycle that begins in chaos. . . it represents a difficult period of confusion that nevertheless has all the elements necessary for success. Its theme is how to bring matters from disharmony to harmony and from chaos to order . . . we are in the middle of things, but with the promise of ultimate success.

He draws on the traditional image of a wise old fox treading lightly across a frozen river. By testing for cracks on the surface, he avoids the danger of crashing into the icy waters beneath.

To bring order to a confusing situation, you must begin methodically . . . Be on the lookout for any signs that your strategy is counterproductive. Be like the old fox navigating the ice – cautious, alert, flexible, surefooted, and willing to change directions at a moment’s notice.

If you can keep your wits about you, you will get across.

In sum, Trump supporters are treading on thin ice. But with great caution, by taking nothing for granted and not getting ahead of themselves, they’ll succeed in transforming an apparent end into a new beginning.

The last word, however, goes to Lao Tze, the I Ching sage whose gentle approach compliments Sun Tze’s way of the warrior.

The historical ebb and flow of revolutionary uprisings spins on the surface of the Life Wheel. Sages, however, like the wise old fox, tread lightly, knowing what lies beneath: the dangerous undercurrent of world domination. Napoleons, Hitlers and their UN counterparts have been seduced by Melkor’s dark music. They’re driven by dark-side forces which hide deep and invisible inside the middle, e=energy level of the Life Wheel.

Thus it is that the choice ahead has implications deeper than deep. In the ancient and ongoing war between good and evil, will the UN’s 2030 plans for world domination be furthered by a usurped presidency?

Or, exposed to the light of truth, will their attempts fail, as Lao assures us they always do.

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right – IC – 110720

Unlike math, where two negatives make a positive, two mistakes only compound a problem, making matters worse.

This bonus blog was inspired by a Dan Bongino post, No More Nice Guy Nonsense.

The title concerned me, but I think he got it right.

Bongino understands election theft from personal experience. He ran for a congressional seat in Maryland. In the evening hours of voting, it seemed he won handily. Come morning, he woke up to find out the election had been stolen over night.

Not wanting to seem a sore loser, he acquiesced to injustice. Looking back, it’s one of his deepest regrets. So he’s determined not to make the same mistake now in this important presidential election.

He starts:

Stand by. Hold the presses. The race is not over. It’s fight time. Fight time is here. It has arrived. And by fight, I don’t mean the leftist definition of fight where we’re beating the crap out of our neighbors and burning things down. That’s a leftist thing. I mean this is a time to do what we’ve always done. Go through the process and get every legal, legal, legal count in.

Then, strangely, he continued, We need to learn how to fight like the left. We need to take lessons from the left.

That stopped me short. Seemed like a contradiction. The last thing Trump supporters need to do is stoop to the left’s level, matching hypocrisy, corruption and violence with more and worse of the same.

Tit for tat? We’re better than that. They aren’t our teachers.

The result would look like dogs chasing each other’s tails, spiraling in downward circles of self-destruction.

Speaking of self-destruction, I was very sorry to see that Steve Bannon shot his mouth off. However passionate and probably correct his sentiments, it gave mainstream media adversaries an opportunity to pounce on – an excuse to ban, block and discredit him.

A Sun-Tzu, I Ching warrior would have exercised restraint, held to the middle path of moderation. Kept his powder dry.

Now Sebastian Gorke (an equally passionate but more even-keeled Bannon cohort) – staunch supporter and advisor to the President – also presents himself as a Sun Tze warrior. Which is fine as far as it goes.

BUT . . . The Art of War is just tip of the iceberg. One can’t understand Sun Tze deeply or implement his strategies wisely without first being aware of the I Ching fundamentals which support them.

I felt called to offer a specific example, asking what the oracle would advise both Bannon and Dr. G. at this time. For, sadly, as Bannon’s regrettable mistake demonstrates, gaining competence in the fundamentals of Natural Law would make a powerful difference.

However much provoked, lapses of Hulk-like outrage undermine long-term effectiveness. They’re a disservice to the cause.

But . . . back to Bonjino’s claim that Trump supporters should learn from the left. Fortunately, in the section that starts at 44:52, he clarifies. Viewers are referred to a piece by David Heinz published by the American Conservative called How the Right Can Organize Like The Left.

The #1 take-way: Learn how to organize like the left.

Interestingly enough, the initial outcome of the I Ching reading below is, in fact, ORGANIZATION.

Usually, I simply ask, “What should we be aware of NOW?” For the sake of Dr. G., Bannon, et. al., however, I wanted a specific question, one which covers the strategy side and the need for justice – for both the wronged and wrong-doers.

So I asked The Common Sense Book of Change, “What is the best way to combat election fraud and secure a just outcome for all involved?”

ORGANIZATION is the initial answer. It changes twice.

Advice of line three is, “If a group excludes you, either befriend its leaders or leave.” It changes to ATTRACTION.

Advice of line four is, “Serving others selflessly will help you to prosper and grow.” It changes to UNITY.

When the advice is heeded, the combined final outcome is RESISTANCE.

The I Ching version best suited to address today’s question is Jack Balkin’s The Laws of Change. Not coincidentally, at the time of publication, he was the Knight Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale Law School. Here’s a sample of his comments:

GATHERING TOGETHER (ORGANIZATION)

Keywords

Gathering

Massing

Joining others

Assembling

Having a common cause

Holding yourself together

Pitching in

Cooperation between leaders and followers

. . [in a large group] the ruler needs assistance from trusted subordinates who put aside selfish considerations and devote themselves to the larger purposes of the group.

. . . Fostering unity takes skill and patience. In order to bring people together, whether in a community, a charitable organization, or a business, you must give them a shared sense of purpose.

MUTUAL INFLUENCE (ATTRACTION)

Keywords

Influence

Reciprocity

Attraction

Courtship

. . . the ability to attract others and sway them to your way of thinking. Good and appropriate influence should not be manipulation of one person by another, but rather mutual influence – in which each person is open to the other and responds to the other.

. . . the more important question to ask is whether you have behaved appropriately and with respect for the other and whether the mutual influence that results from your actions is healthy and beneficial.

UNION (UNITY)

Keywords

Joining with others

Joining in

Rallying around a leader

. . . this applies not only to the relationship of a king to an entire nation, but also a smaller, closer, and more intimate association of people.

. . . Successful unions can help all of their members grow as individuals and prosper. But they also require that people be willing to cooperate and work for each other’s good rather than for their own selfish interests.

. . . Unity is more than coming together; it also requires holding people together over the long run, and dealing with the stresses and strains, the difficulties and disagreements that inevitably arise in any group. Holding people together requires leadership – a central person or figure whom others depend on and around whom they can unite.

OBSTRUCTION (RESISTANCE)

Keywords

Impediment

Trouble

Difficulty

Hardship

Hindrance

Looking inward

Self-reflection

Surmounting obstacles within

“One is between the proverbial rock and a hard place.”

. . . instead of pressing ahead urgently one should hold back and accept the situation for what it is.

[Dems are doing the opposite: pressing forward prematurely to usurp the presidency, creating the illusion of a done deal before their corruption can be fully exposed, undone!]

[The rest of us need to cool our jets while the courts sort things out. “Resist not evil. Persist in the good.”]

. . . the point of detaching yourself from your current struggles is not to give up hope of eventual success. Quite the contrary: You must be absolutely determined to prevail in the long run. Rather, the point is to restore your emotional balance and clear your head.

. . . After you have taken time to reassess the situation, you need to join forces with others. Ask for advice from people you respect and trust, and who understand you and your goals. They may have fresh perspectives.

Caveat. Not without irony, it’s exactly when common sense is most urgently needed that folks want nothing to do with calm reason. Freedom fighters and their opponents are equally drunk on the intense energies of the times. Not the time for talk of the I Ching? But we’ve been challenged. “Are you doing your part?” And this is what I’m called to contribute. The rest is up to the powers that move me.

In any event, the warning remains. The real danger here is civil war. Dark lords of the underworld couldn’t care less which side “wins.” So long as Americans remain at each other’s throats, losing hope and trust in each other, THEY win. Humanity loses.

Let all of us think, choose and act accordingly.

Don’t Be Fooled! – IC – 110920

In duality, every coin has two sides. If you haven’t learned how to harness this dynamic, it can get you into deep, dark trouble. Today’s I Ching reading shows how to change the conflict of this uncertain time into an opportunity.

As a Law of Nature, Whatever has a front has a back. An axiom of the Law is, The larger the front, the larger the back.

The scary tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde captures this simple fact. In duality, rarely if ever is anything on the surface actually what it seems to be.

This is why sages recommend the middle path of balance and moderation. This isn’t milk-toast timidity. It’s wisdom dressed up as street-smarts. They know that every extreme changes into its opposite – an unwelcome outcome best anticipated and avoided.

The two-sides rule explains how con artists get away with deception. Anyone who can’t see through appearances is easy prey. In fact, I recently heard a commentator say politicians depend on P.T. Barnum’s law: “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

That’s why I’ve made it my life work to mainstream wisdom tools which help people think more clearly, see more deeply into the nature of things. We need to raise a generation that can’t be fooled. Human survival may well depend on it.

Proof is in the consequences of today’s wisdom-deficit. In 2020’s year of extremes, waves of backlash have swollen to tsunami proportions. When opposing factions are at each other’s throats, each undoing whatever the other proposes, it’s nearly impossible to steer a steady course.

The yo-yo effect of extremes is the stuff of Greek tragedy, where the hero’s greatest strength is the cause of his downfall. Flash forward. In 2020, President Trump’s outspoken, confident personality has a predictable downside.

It’s hard for folks like my friend Alice to identify with a winner’s outlook. She’s been trained by both church and state to be passive, polite, and (frankly) hypocritical. She’s been taught that wearing a mask (now, ironically, literally) is what it takes to be “good.” She’s been rewarded for owning the mask of conformity.

So, how dare anyone break the unspoken rules by being candid and upfront? Truthful. It’s “bad.” That makes the President a bad person.

Fortunately, many see deeper than surface appearances. President’s Trump’s faith in God and in himself strikes a resonant cord with “we the people.” We sense and return the towering, lion-hearted love which energizes and empowers him.

Deeper than economic policies and peace initiatives, what moves us is his unashamed devotion to purpose. In his presence, we feel energized and encouraged. Hopeful. He supports us in our love of God and country.

Here’s the secret sauce of his success. He’s speaks to the hunger Marisa Peer has so brilliant diagnosed. This world-famous therapist of the rich and famous has put her finger on (and quickly heals) the root of every addiction and ailment.

Every dysfunction starts with the painful feeling of being “not enough.” Church and state have hammered the lie of not-enoughness into our psyches. It keeps us in our place, submissive and easily controlled. (David Icke has a bit to say on the subject!)

The President has picked up that gauntlet and thrown it in the face of the ruling elite that would enslave us. He’s telling downtrodden deplorables we are OKAY. We are enough. In fact, we can and should be GREAT.

We love that message. And we love him for being its messenger.

On the flip side, how can the public possibly relate to a decrepit, deeply corrupted candidate? Do they, like Alice, feel sorry for him? Do they sympathize with having to live behind a mask? Do they identify with his resentment against “smart guys,” feel the pain of being the slowest – but nicest — kid in the class?

Revenge also plays a part. Remember the Eddie Murphy movie, Trading Places? It’s being playing out in politics. Those who choose to see themselves as disenfranchised salivate at the opportunity to symbolically own a failing, old white guy. Use him as a front for their agenda before replacing him entirely? It’s a BLM wet dream.

In this scenario, there’s no compassion. No forgiveness or unity. The oppressed are simply grasping at the opportunity to revere roles, become the oppressors.

N.B. For those who believe it’s too late, the game’s over, nothing and no one can change – that a drab, dark future lies ahead, cast in stone — think again. Here’s what Lao Tze has to say about pessimism:

All that being said, the following I Ching reading offers a way out of madness.

We’re not trained to come to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. Through the end of 2020, these bi-weekly blogs are intended to make what was unfamiliar now familiar.

CONFLICT was the initial answer to October 9th’s question, “What do we need to be aware of NOW?” It reads:

CONFLICT develops when one refuses to see the view-point of others. The way out is to be open to others and willing to meet them half-way. Pushing a disagreement to open conflict would result in separation. This would bring unfortunate results.

In the extreme, there’s potential for civil war. It’s not the wise option.

Advice of the bottom line reads, “Don’t let misunderstandings continue. Make peace with your friends quickly.”

It is a grave mistake for Americans who share much in common to divide as a result of closed-mindedness fueled by incendiary media hype. Better is to remember the love, return to what’s basic.

This advice being heeded, the line changes to:

In stressful situations, your CONDUCT will determine the outcome of your efforts. Do not let negative or unpleasant people affect your own balance. Respond to the demands of others according to the quality of their motives rather than acting impulsively. Play by the rules of the game. Avoid becoming emotional.

Look and think deep. Be part of the solution. Don’t act in ways that make the problem worse.

Advice of the second line reads, “Retreat and regroup. Your opponent is too strong for you.”

At this point, resolution of post-election conflict rests in the hands of political professionals, their lawyers, the courts and just maybe, a handful of honest journalists. In the short-term, it’s best for the rest of us to conserve our energy, preserve our sanity, and pray for the best.

This advice heeded, the second line changes to Standstill:

When opposing forces draw apart, activity comes to a STANDSTILL. Lack of understanding results in mistrust and refusal to cooperate. When weak leaders prevent necessary cooperation, it is best to withdraw from the situation and wait for the times to change. Direct your attention toward inward growth.

When confusion and misunderstandings prevail, don’t react emotionally. Bide your time. Keep your powder dry.

Combining the changing lines results in this final outcome:

Cultivate CLARITY. Listen to the pure and childlike voice of your inner being. Even if this results in new and unexpected experiences, you will benefit. Take joy in being true to your Self. Modified by consideration for others, this will give you creative abilities. Avoid fearful attachment to the familiar.

This says in another way what I concluded in Listen To Your Heart:

The year 2020 has been harsh. Tough. Painful. No doubt. The possibility of emerging stronger and more peaceful than before is its hidden gift.

Add inspired creativity to the list of 2020’s hidden blessings.

Also include the clarity of knowing you are already, inherently enough. You were born that way. Never, ever allow anyone to fool you into believing otherwise.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

To order You Are Already ENOUGH! How Would Your Life CHANGE If You Really Believed It?, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.

Can You Hear Me? – IC – 110520

“Holy crap!” (Excuse my language.) Puzzle pieces were coming together with rapid fire speed!

Early November 30th, the blue moon already in full affect, I sat up knowing I should check out Jack Balkin’s version of SACRIFICE, the final outcome of today’s reading.

When I wrote the Common Sense Book of Change, all the readings came easily. All except one. SACRIFICE. I rethought it for the second edition, and revised it again for the third.

And I’m not the only one who’s had trouble getting it right.

That’s why, when a media celebrity dared psychoanalyze the Bible, I questioned his skewed view of Abraham’s call to sacrifice. In Rethinking Sacrifice, I responded with a more comprehensive, Life Wheel understanding:

[Sacrifice] is the essence of the challenge offered in Exodus. “Return unto me and I return unto you.” It emphasizes travel on the inward path from surface to center of the Life Wheel, releasing attachments to ephemeral possessions, limited opinions/identities, and outgrown lifestyles.

I pointed out that definitions of sacrifice, like virtually every value word in the English language, span the continuum, black to white and everything in-between. The language has been adulterated. I’ve called it The Tower of Babel Effect. The following quote could not be more timely, given current events:

. . . even people with the best of intentions use the same words to mean very different things. They miss each other coming and going, only vaguely aware of the disconnect. . . Instead of being used as a means for unifying human beings, language is often degraded into chaotic paralyzing noise – a weapon for stirring up animosities, division and confusion.

(NB. I’ve expanded on the limitations of good intentions elsewhere. Bottom line: lacking the underpinnings of a complete and accurate paradigm, they easily slide down the slippery slope that leads to the dark side. It’s worth your time to consider.)

To the point here: inverted definitions are used to excuse slave trafficking, pedophilia and worse:

Pagan sacrifice of children and animals is irrelevant to the meaning of Abraham’s test. At issue is the difference between transcending pain for the sake of higher love versus selfishly destroying life (whether with physical, verbal and/or psychological violence) to get what one wants here on earth.

Anyway. As I was saying. It was very early. . . 1:30 a.m. My brain synapses were firing at triple speed. I was remembering that at the time he published The Laws of Change, Jack Balkin was Knight Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale Law School.

Balkin’s hefty, scholarly work is a wonderful resource, one which complements my small, easy-to-read version. No doubt his appreciation of Natural Law profoundly enriches his applications of the Constitution to current events.

In any case, my mind was busy connecting the dots that link Common Sense advocates over time – from Tom Paine’s book, Rudy Giuliani’s website and the Taoist approach to the Book of Change. In short time, I published a bonus blog, What Happened to Common Sense?

On a different note, President Trump spoke in Wisconsin (my home state) on November 2nd. An event within the event resonated with my post, What Happened to Unity, where I wrote:

God and the good angels are broadcasting loud and clear. But it’s hard to get through. The message is being jammed, the signal blocked.

What happened in Kenosha? The podium mike failed. People couldn’t hear. Trump improvised. He joked, turning it into a game. As technicians struggled to get the sound system working, the President shouted to the crowd. “Can you hear me?” “Can you hear me now?” They bantered back and forth til the problem was solved.

The following morning a Mike and the Mechanics tune Silent Running popped into mind. Great song. Prescient. I looked it up on Youtube and found I’m not the only one who thinks so. One comment asked, “Does anyone else feel this song has significance right now?” It got 407 likes and 55 replies. It’s worth a listen and a watch. Here are the lyrics:

Balkin’s perspective is Confucian, meaning he’s primarily interested in human behavior and social order as it manifests on the surface of the Life Wheel. In contrast, a very different version, The Taoist I Ching translated by Thomas Cleary, focuses on yogic practices associated with the middle, e=energy level.

So, for today, I though you’d find it interesting see three versions – just a taste — set side-by-side. With U.S. election results up for grabs, this is the reading for October 5, 2020.

TRAVEL is the initial answer to the question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” It appeared last time as a changing component of the November 2nd reading. In part, the CSBOC version reads:

In dealing with strangers exercise careful self-control. Talk little. Listen much. Learn from everyone who has information to share. Avoid dangerous exposure.

(Before sacrificing much of today’s original content, I initially had a paragraph here about the the famous saying, “Keep your powder dry.”)

In the Balkin version, TRAVEL is called The Wanderer. He comments:

You are in a period of transition. Things are not yet certain, and it is not yet clear how you fit into them or what your identity is supposed to be. The text compares your situation to that of a wanderer who is traveling through a strange land.

Cleary says of Travel:

You should not remain attached to the realm you pass through. If you are concerned with externals, you forget the inward; by pursuing ramifications you abandon the root.

The changing line in the second place advises, “Moderate careful behavior will win the respect of your leaders.” When advice is heeded, it changes to a second outcome, which in the CSBOC reads:

A balanced relationship between the individual and the whole is achieved through service in the spirit of SACRIFICE. Changing selfishness to compassion and acts of kindness builds bridges of mutual trust. Unselfish giving benefits everyone involved, helping the community to overcome obstacles and dangers. Avoid twin dangers: selfishness and self-denial.

The Balkin version calls it The Caldron, or Ding. Descriptive terms include:

He comments:

A Ding is a sacred vessel, normally made of bronze, in which ritual foods were prepared and cooked during religious ceremonies.. . Through this ritual, people purified themselves and rededicated themselves to spiritual ends.. . Ding teaches that you can transform yourself and your world IF you do so not for selfish ends but in pursuit of something valuable.

The Cleary version calls it The Cauldron:

The comment:

Producing illumination through following an initiatory process, the mind becomes daily more humble while illumination increases. . . When empty and illumined, that enlightenment illumines all, and the mind cannot be moved by the vagaries of wealth and status.

The classic Wilhelm/Baynes translation uses the word Ting. It hints of secret teachings:

There is in man likewise a fate that lends power to his life. And if he succeeds in assigning the right place to life and to fate, thus bringing the two into harmony, he puts his fate on a firm footing.These words contain hints about fostering of life as handed on by oral tradition in the secret teachings of Chinese yoga.

This image, suggestive of the “initiatory process,” supports hints of yogic meaning. It associates the material cooking vessel with the lower energetic center (dan tien), the place where basic materials are combined, transformed and then circulated throughout the system. Markings, front and back are changing I Ching hexagrams.

In sum, today seems to be a time of transition, best used to digest, assimilate and transform raw elements to a higher purpose.

Let this be food for thought to those with ears to hear.