Category Archives: 2021

What You Seek . . . 021221

The flame of will to write seemed out.

I turned my attention elsewhere. Humans are too distracted by chaos; media conspires to ramp up fear, censor truth and hope. Voices like mine just get lost in the noise.

Yet messages wanting an outlet sneak in under the radar, bringing me back to my calling.

I wanted to know more about the akasha – the stuff of the fifth element yogis call ether. They say there’s an akashic library where every thought ever thought is recorded. Your past and the paths forward towards every potential future are all there for those who know how to look.

I became interested because these records hold answers to questions about life purpose. And lately, I’ve been wondering why I’m still here, even after my beloved teacher returned home to keep company with his “drinking buddies,” the archangels.

Until recently, this whimsical quote from Richard Bach’s Illusions satisfied me:

Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished.

If you’re alive, it isn’t.

But now it’s not enough.

Old Avatar instantly retrieved whatever information he needed — seemingly out of thin air. Students thought he was a genius, assuming he’d memorized books read in the past. But I knew from what OA told me, he accessed the akashic records. At the time, it didn’t occur to me to ask how. Now I wished I had.

Watching videos, I learned that the akash is compared to the internet. Except, in this case, all the information of the Universe is out there, beyond time, in the quantum field. It’s available to anyone with the basic equipment and skills.

There are countless methods for attuning the human radio-mind to this wave length. Most involve meditation practices.

Over night, I tried listening to a sleep meditation, Access the Akashic Records to Learn Your Soul Name and Purpose Hypnosis.

Though well done and intriguing, it reinforced an unintended lesson. “Be careful what you wish for.” Before treading in potentially treacherous waters, have a carefully defined intention. DON’T mess carelessly with this vast field. You could get lost and not come back. I woke up remembering a painfully distressing dream – something about a rescue dog begging for help. But I couldn’t save it. It was definitely an experience I don’t care to repeat.

But further thought led to another Aha! I realized that as a meditative method — asking specific questions and tapping into intuitive answers — working with the Book of Change is perfectly suited to accessing the akasha. I’d been already doing it all along.

Even better, this method and its benefits are available to you as well.

Here’s what I learned from this exploration that needs to be shared: What you seek is already within. Think carefully on this. The meaning will expand and grow on you, I promise.

I did the following reading on February 11th. At the time, its message of prosperity, sharing and community made zero sense to me, living in isolation as I currently do, under strict COVID restrictions. Only after researching the akasha and possibility of future potentials does its meaning hold hope. You’re welcome to decide what you make of it for yourself.

PROSPERITY is the initial, dynamic answer to the question, “What should I intend for the future at this New Moon in Aquarius?” It reads:

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.

At first take, it seems ironic to think of the current time as one of Prosperity. At best, it feels like the calm before a coming storm. But keep in mind OA’s warning, “Never challenge worse.” Were the grid to go down — for any reason, human or natural — and the internet were to become a faint memory, humans would again have to rely directly on the akash and inner knowing instead of man-made imitations for access to the quantum field.

Today, most of us still have sufficient food and adequate shelter. Even in Wisconsin’s sub-zero temperatures, I’m not suffering over much. But were depopulation plans of one-world order folks allowed to mature, many will starve and meet horrible ends. It’s best to appreciate and protect the blessings at hand.

In my case, the wealth I have to share is my experience with the Book of Change. Thinking no one wants it is a form of prejudice, I suppose. Moving forward, I’ll do my best and leave the results to those who know better than I.

* * *

Advice of the fifth line reads, “Seek out the best advice available. Follow it. Much benefit.”

In my particular case, with zero direct human contact, the Book of Change is my one source of good advice. Today, sharing its usefulness as a portal into the akashic records seems to be the path open both to me and others. When advice is heeded, it turns into Change:

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.

In today’s context, Change reinforces deep foreboding. We’re in the calm before a great storm whose the outcome cannot be foreseen. Our attitudes, whether positive or negative, will determine which of alternative possible futures materializes.

* * *

Advice of the top, sixth line reads, “Share with others. Holding back unwisely ends in lonely isolation.”

This reinforces the thread of sharing. If I don’t hold back, through writing I can connect with others, even if not in obvious, direct ways. When the advice is heeded, it changes to Energy, which reads:

By harmonizing the different aspects of one’s internal life, family relationships and job responsibilities, one can make the best use of intrinsic ENERGY. Organizing various inner energies makes it possible to act creatively and dynamically in the external world. Harness energy to worthy goals and projects. Avoid conflict and waste.

I have a hunch as to how this applies to me, but I’ll leave it to you to sort out the ways in which it applies to your immediate situation.

* * *

When the advice of both changing lines is heeded, their combined, final outcome is Community, which reads:

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.

Here we come full circle, with generosity being linked to the intent for future Prosperity, whether the community be in the physical, through the internet, or the quantum field.

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. Take care, all.

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My Dream – 020421

Late Saturday night, the final day of January, I woke up from a vivid dream that asked to be remembered. I picked up the mini-recorder at my bedside to capture the memory, still fresh.

The original dream triggered a flow of thoughts. I kept recording.

The following day, I transcribed the entire flow. There was enough for several posts, even a little book along the lines of What Is the Freedom You Want? or Be Careful What You Dream Of.

For today, I’ll just tell you about that late night dream and my conclusion. I get back to the steps leading from point A to Z later.

In the dream, I had an urgent message for multi-talented, multi-millionaire Patrick Byrne. His well-known mentors include Warren Buffet and Milton Friedman, proponent of school choice — close cousin to the alternative school I credentialed myself to create.

In contrast, we knew my hidden but vastly more attained teacher as, simply, “Old Avatar.”

In the dream, I was sent to warn Patrick of things OA taught me probably outside his teachers’ range of experience. I urged him to understand that good intentions, a steel-trap mind and even a martial arts black belt aren’t enough. Bad guys are broadcasting from the invisible e=energy level of the Life Wheel (called the bardo, dream field, or subconscious) – affecting the masses at an unconscious level. Accordingly, psychic shielding is essential to spiritual warfare.

Unfortunately, schools don’t teach from a paradigm that includes energy dynamics, much less their abuse. Bad guys exploit this blind spot. To prevail, good guys must become more aware and skillful in the full-spectrum of quantum potentials.

My conclusion: 21st century institutional resets across the board all depend upon first restoring the complete, accurate Quantum Paradigm to common public knowledge. All else follows.

Today I’ll ask the Book of Change for feedback on this preliminary paradigm shift. Supporting details will follow in future posts.

PERMANENCE is the original, dynamic answer to today’s basic question, “What is the I Ching’s view of building future institutions consistent with the Quantum Paradigm?”

First I thought, I’ve seen this answer before. Recently. When I checked my notes, all the variables appear in the last two readings, repeating yet again from earlier 2020 posts. But their placements are different, making the immediate answer unique to this question.

In fact, at first the question was more detailed. “Institutions” was qualified to include governments, military, media, schools and healthcare, as well as legal and economic systems. The paradigm was qualified as one which balances reason and compassion with faith.

The starting point of the reading is:

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.

My first thought: at the start this shift, we need to recognize there’s no necessary conflict between the Quantum Paradigm and traditional teachings. It’s not an either/or choice. To the extent that Truth is eternal and unchanging, by definition its expressions old and new will confirm and reinforce each other. Only to the extent that they aren’t consistent are choices required.

Here’s an example. The Shema is a three-part Torah command intoned by Jews in synagogue: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

It’s echoed in the triad of the Lord’s Prayer taught by Christ. As I repeat every night, Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.

The same triad repeats as energy centers in Chinese and Sanskrit yogas. In turn, they’re compatible with the variables of Einstein’s formula and with the levels of the archetypal Life Wheel. (Later on, I’ll give you a simple picture to help visualize this unifying theme.)

* * *

Advice of the fourth line reads, “To find what you seek, look in the right place.” This is the converse of poetic I Ching wisdom, “Don’t hunt for deer in a forest where none dwell”

In my dream, I warned Patrick that tangible results on the material 3D surface of the Life Wheel cannot be not changed at the same level. Surface events flow from and are effectively improved upon only from deeper levels of 4D and 5D quantum reality.

As Einstein put it, problems cannot be solved on the same level at which they occur. To expect they could be is a form of insanity.

Put another way, corrupt political/economic practices on the surface, material plane of the Life Wheel are symptoms. The root cause and cure cannot be found except by going deeper. The paradigm which economists like Buffet and Friedman represent does not speak to 1) the e=energy, subconscious level where corruption festers; or 2) still deeper, the c=light, superconscious level from which creative innovations arise.

When advice is heeded and a complete, correct approach to creating institutional structures is accepted, the line changes to Promotion, which reads:

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.

Forward motion toward a positive shift will not succeed over night, but is well-worth our consistent, positive action towards this goal.

* * *

Advice of the fifth line reads, “Choose methods by purpose. Visionary projects require creativity and courage.” Quantum theory is not enough. We also need awareness methods and tools for invoking direct experience. Meditation and working with the I Ching are premier practices to this end.

When advice is heeded and balance achieved, the line changes to Inner Strength, which reads:

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 geometry, a triangle is the most stable form. This strength is compounded by the intersection of opposite, complimentary strengths.

In the short term, however beneficial the outcome of simplification, it won’t happen quickly or easily. Resistance to the new by entrenched power holders will predictably be fierce and merciless. The courage and strength of solar system, “hara,” lower tan tien . . “true grit”. . . is required in full measure to see us through to the positive results of this blessed paradigm shift.

* * *

When the advice of the changing lines is heeded, Origin is their combined outcome. It reads:

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.

Right now, the majority are stuck on the narrow-minded surface of the Life Wheel. The prevailing false paradigm prevents humanity from accessing the deepest level for which we all thirst.

It’s like the patient’s picture in Jung’s Alchemical Studies. A bird stands before a closed door in the trunk of a large tree and weeps. The tree is the Tree of Life. The bird is the human spirit. Its soul weeps because it cannot enter.

The quest for fulfillment at deeper levels of the Life Wheel is stuff of the archetypal hero’s journey. Odysseus adventures to find his way home. The prodigal son returns to the father.

As we each repeat the pattern, one person at a time, the larger civilization as a whole will begin to reflect the sum of our individual achievements.

The Path of Reason – 012821

Today’s I Ching answer totally surprised me, though in retrospect it makes perfect sense. I expected consequences of not choosing the Path of Love to be catastrophic. But the Tao is merciful. Eventually, all paths (however different, difficult and long) reunite, meeting at the same mountain top.

In hindsight, I recognized that the outcome of either choice is similar (though the process is not). Why? It goes back to the Great Reconciliation described earlier. Faith leads to knowledge. Knowledge leads to faith. Apparently opposite approaches to experience are linked in an infinite loop. It looks like this:

Yesterday’s complimentary post, The Path of Love, focused on today’s full moon in Leo. But for folks closed by education and/or prejudice to the e=energy, middle level of the Life Wheel, that message rings false. They’re too reasonable, logical and intelligent to take stock of such nonsense. Operating on the empirical science paradigm which rules out anything which can’t be measured and quantified, all too many are stuck on the slow, round-about way to wisdom.

The good news for those who sincerely seek truth is that they’ll (eventually) find their way home. For, as it has wisely been said, “That which you seek seeks you.” Love will find a way to get through to the noisy mind, opening even the most hardened heart.

So long as we keep moving, the infinite path will take us home. Hearts closed for whatever reason – be it pride, disappointment, or abuse – can heal. Because it’s a two-way street, facts and faith will eventually align. In God’s time, each leads to the other.

I Ching wisdom confirms that when skillfully balanced, opposite approaches to fulfillment complement and complete each other:

OPPOSITES attract. When they are skillfully balanced, they unite to form a heart with a common center. When they clash, the conflict is destructive. Blending opposites is not easy. Rely on the unity beneath all diversity to bridge the gap. The result will be a creative flowering.

The open, receptive Path of Love is pure yin. In Taoist shorthand, it’s represented by an upward-pointing triangle. The grounded, masculine Path of Reason is pure yang, represented by a downward-pointing triangle. When merged, they form the biblical Star of David, the Hindu Shri Yantra. This particular image appeals to me because the center encompasses its parts.

Without exception, the hexagrams appearing in today’s reading are already familiar from The Lessons of 2020. ORIGIN is the original but dynamic answer to the question, “What is the consequence of failing to choose the higher path?” It reads:

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.

The starting point of this reading is narrow-mindedness. Often people, though committed to finding truth, are stuck at the level of cultural conditioning. But looking for wisdom on the surface of the Life Wheel is futile. It’s like“hunting for deer in a forest where none dwell.” What’s needed is to shift gears, broaden the paradigm and look deeper, approaching that single source which everyone everywhere shares in common.

* * *

Advice of the fifth line reads, “If you refuse to serve others, your gifts are wasted.” The situation is still one of narrow-minded selfishness. That approach leads to failure and must be released. When advice is heeded and one’s gifts are recognized as being integral to the welfare of the whole, the line changes to Promotion, which reads:

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.

Here self-discipline, emotional maturity and service enter the picture and are rewarded with recognition.

* * *

Building on the fifth line’s theme, advice of the top, sixth line reads, “Sharing your gifts will bring blessings and prosperity to many.” Here the benefits of promotion are multiplied to bless others as well as oneself. When the promise of the sixth line is fulfilled, it changes to Gentleness, which reads:

As the wind moves clouds, shapes mountains and stirs the trees, so GENTLENESS has a powerful influence. Quiet, steady gradual actions win respect and cooperation. Find out what concerns the people you work with and speak in those terms. In this way, you can reach their minds. Avoid noisy conflict.

Here, leadership evolves from one who is laughed at, then feared, then adored by the people to the deepest, broadest influence: broadcasting to every mind receptive at the quantum level.

* * *

The final, combined outcome of Origin is Fresh Start, which reads:

Even when it seems that all has been spoiled, it is possible to make a FRESH START. Be willing to face your faults. Find out how to correct them. The situation will gradually improve if you are sincere and work hard. Be sure you know what you want. Avoid delay.

Here, the noisy mind starts at the surface level of drama, conflict and scattered confusion. It takes determined effort to tame and discipline that mind. But if the intention to do so is sincere, clear and focused, gradually emerging from the swamp of chaotic emotions, hurtful relationships and destructive circumstances will most certainly follow.

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 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.

The Path of Love – 012721

Overriding Love of Life as well as the lesser loves of liberty, family and country are values shared in common across the board. They’re not exclusive to any time, place or people. While focus on lesser loves changes, fundamental Love of Life supports them all.

On January 28th of 2021 we have a full moon in Leo, seat of heart energy, sign of leadership, courage and creativity. It sets the tone for year. Astrologers agree that we’re being given the choice (and responsibility) to focus on the heart as we continue to swim through oceans of conflict creating profound changes on every level — personal, social and economic.

Today, I’m focusing on Pam Gregory’s powerful message. While the technical analysis is complicated, her conclusions are easy to understand. I can’t put them any better, so I’m offering the highlights here with all credit to her.

In sum, the influence of full moons affect us a few days prior and post. They serve to shine a light on what we haven’t known before, bringing emotions to a head, along with feelings of culmination or closure.

The broadest pattern continuing through 2024 is the deconstruction of old systems. There will “breakdowns in order to breakthrough” in government as well as the professions of law, healthcare and education.

In 2021, we can expect to experience layered realities with two broad choices (she calls them “trajectories” or “timelines”). In the lower octave, there will be chaos: drama, polarity and negativity, shocks, high speed twists and turns of events, including social unrest. In the higher octave, there’s an extraordinary opportunity to upgrade consciousness.

At the 3D level, it’s going to get very confusing. We will wonder, “What true? What’s not? What can we trust, what not?” For this reason, its more important than ever to cultivate mental clarity balanced by kindness. If you get a challenge, take a step back. Ask, “What would LOVE do?” Let that be your mantra. “What would LOVE do?”

My own conclusion is that nations across the board have become separated both from their own cultural roots and from a fundamental awareness of humanity’s common ORIGIN, where all meet at the center on the higher road, the path of unity which Pam recommends.

For today’s reading, I asked about the I Ching’s view on choosing the higher path, returning to the path of love. I also asked about the consequences of failing to choose this path. See the following post for the answer to that second question.

PERMANENCE is the original, dynamic answer to the question, “What is the consequence of choosing the higher path?” It reads:

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.

Love as a timeless value is the starting point of this dynamic reading. For example, Patrick Byrne senses and returns the enduring love of life which pervades the philosophy of the Tao and its underlying I Ching wisdom. It’s written (despite a relatively recent communist overlay) into the very DNA of China’s people. Despite a similar communist overlay, that same love, though with a shift of focus towards liberty, is inherent in America’s genes.

* * *

Alternating lines in the first, third and fifth places all change. Advice of the bottom, first line reads “Great works require long growing time. Patience is worth it.” I’m understanding that both China and the U.S. are works in progress. The jury isn’t out on the fate of either country. However bleak the immediate present, hope remains that love of life will prevail in the long run.

When the advice is heeded and patience preserved, it changes to Responsibility, which reads:

The RESPONSIBILITY which comes with holding a powerful position is an important test. You can use authority over others to benefit them or to feed selfish pride. In either case, you will experience the results of your actions later on. Exercise responsibility with thoughtful correctness and restraint. Avoid inconsiderate behavior.

Impending consequences of selfishly abusing political power are fearful to behold and close at hand, a lesson to future generations.

* * *

Advice of the third line reads “Indecision and lack of consistency will ruin whatever you attempt.” This is not a time for sitting on the fence. When this warning is heeded by cultivating decisiveness and consistency, it changes to Forgiveness, which reads:

Through FORGIVENESS, old debts are canceled and harmony is restored. Free yourself from outgrown habits. Don’t be afraid to let go of the past. Releasing tensions will produce health. Mental blocks will be resolved. New clarity of vision will lead to important decisions. Peace of mind will follow. Avoid anxiousness.

This is the potential reward of choosing to return to the path of love and unity.

* * *

Advice of the fifth line reads, “Choose methods by purpose. Visionary projects require creativity and courage.” Breakthroughs throughout the service professions call for a small army of innovators to come forward. When the advice is heeded it changes to Inner Strength, which reads:

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.

Inner and outer resources include practical skills and life lessons learned as well as the wisdom traditions internalized through consistent practice.

* * *

When advice of the three changing lines is heeded, the combined final result is Inspiration, which 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 the immediate context, the courage and creativity of heart-centered love is the source of inspiration that will see us through immediate hardships. It has been said that “Love heals all.” We’ve also been taught that “With God, all things are possible.”

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 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.

The GREAT RECONCILIATION – 012121

Before sharing the story of Abelard, Heloise, and the Great Reconciliation, let me give you a definition. Though often used carelessly, in fact, Reconciliation is an extraordinarily powerful word. It appears throughout the Bible. It’s infused with quantum implications. The Greek root means CHANGE or EXCHANGE.

We are told, Reconciliation involves a change in the relationship between God and humanity or between humans. After a breakdown in relationship, there is now a change from a state of enmity and fragmentation to one of harmony and fellowship.

Another source says, Reconciliation is bringing again into unity, harmony, or agreement what has been alienated.

Going forward, the Quantum Paradigm which embodies Einstein’s intuited Unified Field Theory is the potential vehicle of the next Great Reconciliation.

In the annals of European history, Abelard and Heloise are remembered, like Romeo and Juliet, as star-crossed lovers.

Historians are well-familiar with the highlights of their story. Abelard, a man of the cloth, was Heloise’s tutor. They became lovers. She got pregnant; their affair was outed. Her uncle exacted poetic justice. Abelard was attacked in the dark of night and castrated. The lovers later exchanged letters, but were never reunited.

The low lights of their story are usually overlooked. In fact, Abelard married Heloise. But to protect his reputation as a cleric, kept it secret. He urged her to take monastic vows. She did so, but only under protest. She felt no calling and made it clear she thought having to live a cloistered life was most unfair.

Their sad history is relevant to the ongoing discussion about the Rules of the Knowledge Game because Abelard went on to distinguish himself as one of the participants in “the Great Debate of the Middle Ages.”

That Great Debate was presented with style and passion in a way that remains indelibly imprinted in my mind. During my Freshman year at Oberlin College, Professor Barry McGill — a tall, pencil thin, bespectacled professor of European History — made a lasting impression.He drilled us on the effect pendulum swings between extremes have had on history.

He emphasized dramatically that ideas have great power to alter the course of people’s lives. Philosophers have a profound effect on the forms governments take and how leaders treat their people.

Long before Hegel wrote about dialectics, which in turn influenced Marx, a triad of medieval scholars – St. Augustine, Abelard and St. Aquinas– completed the classic example of contrasting philosophies regarding what can be known, by whom, and how. (The fancy philosophical word is “epistemology.”)

The importance of this debate cannot be over-stated. When the variables of the formula get too far out of synch, dire historical consequences follow. See: History Repeats Itself – Renaissance or Another Dark Ages?

In the middle ages, St. Augustine sat on one extreme of the philosophical see-saw. Abelard sat at the other. The intellectual world was at odds until St. Aquinas came up with the balancing fulcrum. Professor McGill virtually beamed his approval of the solution to the either/or conflict between science and religion. Historians, he told us, called it The Great Reconciliation.

St. Augustine depended exclusively on his belief in God. In his worldview, knowledge is the result of divine grace. His credo: “I believe that I may know.” Faith in God is prior and necessary to human understanding.

In Life Wheel context, Augustine’s primary reality rested at the center of the Wheel and extended outwards from it to encompass the surface of the physical, manifested world.

Abelard took the opposite approach. Man, he held, depends on observable things and direct experience to acquire knowledge. This approach, taken to the extreme, results in the exclusively materialistic paradigm of research science.

Abelard, however, never denied the existence of God. He believed that experience of the world leads the thoughtful man to deduce the necessary existence of God. In Quantum Paradigm context, he started at the Wheel’s surface and pushed inwards to complete the circuit.

It took St. Aquinas to complete the loop. He concluded there is no significant conflict between the two approaches. Knowing is a two-way street. No matter where you start, each position leads to and completes the other. The center and surface are connected in an infinite loop.

Aquinas said, in essence, “It works both ways. Observing the world leads to faith. Faith leads to effective understanding of the world.”

Allow me to point out a relevant conclusion from the sad story of Abelard and Heloise. Today’s exclusively rational philosophers are as sterile as was he. And Heloise’s feminist counterparts, isolated and cloistered, are equally unfulfilled. Just as yin and yang yearn for unity and the fulfillment of creative balance, so also faith and reason depend upon one another for completion.

As Einstein put it, Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.

At the 11th hour of human history, few people have time to learn much less apply the lessons of history. For the sake of simplicity and immediately useful implementation, the Great Debate’s outcome has been summed up in and illustrated in the form of the multi-dimensional Life Wheel.

Here’s why it is critically important to reconnect the surface with the center of the Life Wheel in an infinite two-way loop, joining the material surface with its innermost source:

The renaissance at the end of the middle ages, first in Italy and later in England represented by Elizabeth I’s Shakespeare, were times of paradigm shifts. The origin of universities took place during this time. The rules were in flux. It was fair game to access both sides of the coin. There was no perceived conflict between faith and reason. The result was a time of creative flowering in both the arts and sciences.

Human survival will depend on whether or not there’s a similar paradigm shift now . . . another reconciliation and reawakening to the full spectrum of human potentials, along with the flowering of creative problem-solving in the face of extraordinarily challenging times.

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 at the end of January, 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.

The Path to Reconciliation – 012021

During today’s quiet morning time, the idea for this post clicked into mind. It started with remembering Patrick Byrne’s vision of merging the values of East and West. It moved to looking forward, thinking about how to make it happen.

I revisited my recurring dream of organizing a School Without Walls. Basically, it would serve to link self-responsible students with a qualified mentor. Together, they would design a unique degree program around a personal goal. This would give the next generation what I found missing from my own education.

In You Are Already Enough, I described my personal solution:

As a young adult, my Life Wheel was centered around the goal of becoming a worthy musician. I organized every sector of my life around this single purpose.

Never once did I consider earning a living as a violin teacher. The ones I worked with were way too narrow. They knew about fingering the notes written on sheet music, but the heart and soul of sound wasn’t their department.

I had to design my own course of learning. I chose Oberlin College because it allowed me to balance a top-notch liberal arts program with a world-class music school. I studied violin privately as an “amateur” (a music lover), but majored in world literature and intellectual history.

I wanted to understand the ideas that drove great composers and their patrons. I had to delve into scriptures to feel the devotion that inspired Bach and Mozart.

I needed to know about the physics of sound vibration. I haunted the workshop of a local violin maker to watch how he built and maintained his instruments.

To me, the physical body was a resonant instrument. Tuning it was essential to my calling. Yogic breathing, exercise and personal self-maintenance were integral to my overall vision.

The musicians I performed with in ensembles and orchestras were my friends and family in spirit. We went to concerts together and socialized afterwards at local pubs.

On a related topic, I revisited my intended doctoral dissertation on the Origins and Future of the University. In the repeating cycles of history, I foresaw a looming choice ahead between either a renaissance or another dark ages. In my early morning state, I even dared hope to collaborate with Patrick, an acknowledged renaissance man, to tip the balance in favor of renaissance.

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’m bringing the book to you.

Today’s reading comes in two parts. First I asked, “What role does education have to play in the path of reconciliation?” PROMOTION was the unchanging answer. It reads:

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.

My first take was confusion. This didn’t answer my real question. Then I realized I’d asked it in a wrong way. I wasn’t looking for the end result, but rather the process through which the goal is achieved. I got a static answer because I asked a static question about education’s role.

Improvement, emotional maturity, and service all speak to outcomes, not the process. I needed to frame a better question asking for advice on how we get from here to there.

So I asked, “How could education evolve to serve the goal of reconciliation going forward?” This answer was dynamic (again reconfiguring dynamics familiar from 2020 readings). It started with STANDSTILL, which reads:

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.

This original answer represents the immediate situation in need of remedy. Other names for this hexagram include Negative, Withdrawing, Stagnation or Separation.

* * *

Advice of the second line reads, “Don’t compromise your principles. Protect yourself calmly. Struggle won’t help.” Advice heeded, the line changes changes to Conflict, which further defines Standstill. It reads in part:

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.

* * *

Advice of the fifth line reads, “Paralysis is cured by joining elements meant to work together.” Paralysis – Standstill — is overcome by merging the best of apparently opposite energies. These include the values of social responsibility versus personal freedom; protective (classically male) versus nurturing (classical female) qualities, as well as an outgoing, practical/intellectual approach to life versus an inward/intuitive, contemplative approach to experience.

When advice is heeded, the line changes to Improvement, which reads:

IMPROVEMENT is now possible if you are willing to follow the example of worthy teachers. If you have absorbed negative suggestions in the past which prevent you from expressing your higher self freely, use this time to break away from bad habits. Seek the inspiration of positive influences.

* * *

When the entire process is honored, the combined final outcome is Finish, which 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.

Right now, humanity is entering the beginning of a new series of cycles. The new year, 2021, begins a twenty-year astrological cycle of Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions in air rather than earth signs. It’s embedded within a 200 year cycle, within a 2,000 year cycle that roughly corresponds with the beginnings of the Christian era. (That’s just an interesting side note, FYI. This isn’t the time/place to elaborate, but you can take my word for it.)

Here, inner wealth includes the sum of life lessons learned, and/or wisdom traditions actualized/assimilated through practice.

And fear of change is primarily a function of programmed ignorance. Means for overcoming fear include not only native courage, but also faith and wisdom. To this end, mastering Natural Law encoded in the Book of Change is the beginning of white magic. Then, with I Ching insight, “everything serves to further.”

P.S. In the the Cycles of History, I mention The Great Reconciliation. Because that information was posted elsewhere, I’m now republishing it to this site. It’s especially relevant now and well-worth your thoughtful attention.

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 at the end of January, 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.

Choose LOVE – 011621

We have a shared vision, Patrick Byrne and I. Who is he? Why do I say this? What is the vision? And what does the Chinese Book of Change have to say to the world about this vision?

I’ll let Patrick, widely recognized as a modern day renaissance man, tell you in his own words. Here’s a quote from an interview with Dave Rubin:

I’m a great admirer of the Chinese. Yeah. I’ve loved China. I’m an old China hand. I grew up loving China. If I had a historical role in the world, it was going to be to somehow to build . . (here he made his point with a hand gesture):

I think the best thing that could happen for the world is some sort of merger of the U.S. and Chinese principles that actually could create healthy perpetual peace for the world. . . We have a lot to learn from the Chinese. They do some things very well.

What is merger Patrick has in mind?

Their family, their traditions, their focus on education and on building human capital. All kinds of things I saw in China and I thought, “Boy. This is what we need to see more of here.”

But what I love about our system is freedom. And there needs to be some sort of merger of those interests.

Perpetual peace? Though I personally can’t see that far and wide, it’s certainly a noble ideal. For starters, I’d be quite content if a merger served to support the goal of human survival, which Einstein warned us, can no longer be taken for granted.

What I have to contribute to Patrick’s version of the vision is the reality map of the Life Wheel, the embodiment of Einstein’s intuited Unified Field Theory. It serves as the foundation of genuine UNITY – not of just of the States of America, but humanity as a whole. It embodies the underlying wisdom of the timeless (not merely “ancient”) Book of Change. It supports, not as philosophic theory, but as scientific fact the quantum reality which en-compass humans everywhere throughout all time:

The archetypal Life Wheel is easily adapted to show freedom and individuality on the surface, compatible with enduring commitments to family and country at a deeper level, both sustained by fidelity to Conscience at the eternal, unchanging Center (alternatively called Source, Creator, God, or simply nothing at all).

I really wanted to know what the I Ching – China’s enduring heritage (though currently censored by the anti-life CCP) — has to say to the world about this shared vision. So that’s what I asked in the reading which follows.

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’m bringing the book to you.

DECLINE is the original but dynamic answer to the question, “What does the Book of Change want to tell the world about the vision of merging U.S. and Chinese values to create healthy, perpetual peace for the world?” It reads:

Economy of means is required by DECLINE. The cycle of time is entering a period of decreasing resources. Make necessary adjustments with patience and strength. Be ready to accept changes of lifestyle cheerfully. A return to simple living is for the best. Resistance would only make things worse. Avoid bitterness.

The initial reading describes our immediate starting point. Unavoidably, things are going to get even rougher before they get better. But just as there were opportunities hidden within 2020’s COVID crisis, the hidden blessing of 2021 may well be the (necessary) return to simplicity and grace (not coincidentally, the subject of Paul Selig’s next series.) To quote Patrick:

Really, the way to handle [pressures on large organizations] is just keep everything simple. Keep the Truth the Truth and keep the rules simple. Simple rules for a complex world.

* * *

Advice of the bottom line reads, “Be balanced in giving and receiving. Think through your priorities.”

Each culture has much to offer the other. Each fills in a blind spot in the other. These compliments have the potential to make both whole. A balanced, respectful exchange of values and ideas, neither side claiming superiority, would be immensely beneficial across the board. The priority? Human survival may well be at stake.

When the advice is heeded, it changes to Immaturity, which reads:

Problems experienced now may stem from IMMATURITY rather than from any basic fault. Decide what you need to learn and seek out unselfish people who can help you gain experience. If your mind is open, you will not be denied. If you are a teacher, look for sincerity. Avoid arrogance.

Immaturity here may be one of ignorance, best repaired by education. To quote Patrick, who was chosen by Milton Friedman as his successor:

Milton thought that the way you save the nation was with school choice. He used to say that our current government school system – our socialist school system — is gonna teach socialist values. A free market system would teach freedom. He saw that’s how we save the country in the long-term.

This is another, related vision Patrick and I share in common. I endured the painful process of earning a Ph.D. in Educational Administration for the sake of the credential required to build an alternative “School Without Walls.”

* * *

Advice of the second line reads, “Effective relationships depend on knowing how to time your actions.” When the advice is heeded, when we choose to grow up, outgrowing immature beliefs and ways, it changes to Growth, which reads:

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.

Above all, people everywhere crave love and acceptance within human family. In balance, they also hunger for truth, freedom, independence and self-respect. These values must be merged and harmonized. Making them an either/or choice is a death-trap.

* * *

Advice of the third line reads, “Single people attract companions while groups of three break down.” Being alone, as if the only star in the sky, is isolating and invites the complement which completes it. When the advice is heeded, it changes to Restraint which reads:

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.

Exactly. Seek out the company of advisors (including The Book of Change) to assist in this cultural cross-fertilization. Sharing the best of what each has to offer (and sometimes have forgotten) multiplies benefits across the board.

* * *

Advice of the fourth line reads, “Hold yourself to high standards, but be patient with others.” The thoughtful assimilation of and transition to the Quantum Paradigm will not occur over night. Patient forbearance is required. When the advice is heeded, it changes to Opposites which reads:

OPPOSITES attract. When they are skillfully balanced, they unite to form a heart with a common center. When they clash, the conflict is destructive. Blending opposites is not easy. Rely on the unity beneath all diversity to bridge the gap. The result will be a creative flowering. Avoid stubborn resistance.

In immediate context, the apparent opposites with the potential to either merge or fatally clash are the values of the U.S. versus those of China. Parse each book-worthy sentence as if gold. In combination, they offer the way out of current madness.

A famous quote from The Ballad of East and West, a 19th century poem by British author Rudard Kipling, keeps coming back into mind. It speaks to the historic clash but potential transcendence of paradigms, obsolete and future. The message holds true despite sexist assumptions, and even though East and West in this case are China and the U.S., not India and England. It starts:

It continues:

* * *

When the advice of each line is heeded, the combined, final outcome is Travel, which reads:

When you have outgrown a situation, it is time to TRAVEL on. Staying longer would prevent attainment of important goals. Commitments made now probably would not work out. In dealing with strangers exercise careful self-control. Talk little. Listen much. Learn from everyone who has information to share. Avoid dangerous exposure.

In the immediate circumstance, what has been outgrown is false paradigm of fracture, conflict, competition, and fear-driven dominance and control. While turning away from obsolete ways of governance in hopes of a better future, don’t, however, underestimate the vindictive backlash of old paradigm power-holders. They’re dangerously motivated by the fear of their impending extinction. Act accordingly.

In sum, as during the biblical times of Exodus, the Creator is giving humanity a choice with dire consequences. “Choose Life or choose death.” I know what mine is. I choose Love of Life. What is yours?

In conclusion, Dave Rubin commented, “I think you’re gonna help us navigate the freaking nasty, really rough waters we’re about to go through.” He asked Patrick, “Is there something we should be thinking about?”

His answer? The same one I’ve repeatedly offered in past posts. Keep the faith. I do not think we’re gonna lose this. I actually think that we’re gonna win. KEEP THE FAITH.

Look for the map of the next four years in The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future, available on amazon at the end of January 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.

A Solemn Message for Dangerous Times – IC – 0113221

Today, taking the form of new followers, the Universe steered me back on course. Discouraged by current events and thinking (perhaps due to unfriendly algorthythms) no one is listening, I had decided against posting this I Ching reading. But to my pleasant surprise, folks are starting to show interest. So, I thank you friends, both new and continuing. I will not disappoint you.

Today’s message was conceived in a mood of pessimism. As world events peak at critical mass over the coming week, what can we expect?

The timing of this responsive reading has a long arc. The pattern created by its changing lines could take up to four years to see completion.

It reminds me of earlier work about the nature of democratic institutions, personal responsibility, and the consequences of failing to change with the times. Here are a few snippets:

Approaching Natural Law and social organizations from the deeper understanding of the ancients could inspire a more humane and effective approach to international relations now, one based on energy dynamics which the human community shares in common.

. . . Just as freedom wasn’t guaranteed forever when Americans won the Revolutionary War, slavery wasn’t totally abolished when the North defeated the South in the Civil War.

Freedom isn’t a static achievement that can be passed on unchanged from one generation to the next. Democracy must renewed and earned again, one individual at a time, each generation at a time, continuously redefined in the context of immediate circumstances.

From the statistical findings my 1978 doctoral thesis, I unintentionally proved with highly significant results that Democracy is a Myth. Even that far back, I concluded:

. . . the American dream of a democratic, meaningful choice in leadership is but an illusion. In an informal process that proceeds the formal one, candidates are pre-selected and effectively owned by insiders. The sorry absence of innovative, effective leadership is explained by the documented filtering process which for the most part excludes creative, natural leaders.

What are the long-term survival consequences? To our detriment, the Western linear progressive theory of history puts in-bred leaders operating on dysfunctional paradigms at a loss to foresee cyclical down-turns in order to prepare for them in time.

I lamented:

Egypt’s Pharaoh had his Joseph to interpret warning dreams and oversee the timely storage of grain during seasons of plenty to off-set famine during seasons of drought. Who prepares or listens to such boundary-spanning advisors now? Who warns against the disastrous consequences of short-sighted politics?

Here’s the picture of teeter-tottering adversaries engrossed in murderous enmity, oblivious to the live grenade beneath them, threatening all sides with extinction.

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’m bringing the book to you.

PROBLEMS is the original answer to the question, “What should we be aware of today, with a powerful New Moon in Capricorn conjunct transformative Pluto?” It reads:

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 major reset of the next four years, the off-shoot of Lessons Learned in 2020, is one foreseen in biblical and astrological teachings. It has nothing to do with the globalist schemes of world economic elites. The fragmenting, limited paradigm of empirical science will be augmented and replaced by the Quantum Paradigm of wholeness, one upon which sages and scientists worldwide can agree.

Yes. Individuals can and miraculously do change “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

But positive social/political change does not come quick or easy. The passing, obsolete order with its vested interests in monopolistic power — fearing logical retribution for unspeakable crimes against humanity — will use every resource available to censor, resist, obstruct and prevent positive change. Though deadly in the short-term (think inquisitions in Spain), they cannot prevail today. They never have. They never will.

* * *

All three of the top lines of today’s hexagram change, starting with the fourth, which reads, “Develop a sense of inner timing. Know when to act.” In the meantime, keep you powder dry. Those who stand and wait also serve. When the advice is heeded, the line changes to Flow:

Follow the natural FLOW of daily events. Swimming against the tide would exhaust your energies and accomplish little. Be realistic about changes which have taken place. Adapt to the present situation. Let others take the lead now. Assist them if possible. Live a quiet and simple life. Avoid stress.

This reflects a major 2020 lesson: “Resist not evil. Persist in the good.”

* * *

Advice of the fifth line reads, “Limit yourself to small projects now. Know when to stop.” Over-reaching is tempting, but counterproductive. “Never hurry. Never rest.” When advice is heeded, the line changes to Return.

After a period of frustration, you now RETURN to begin a new cycle. Remain thoughtful. Use the time of return to free yourself from old patterns of behavior which have brought failure in the past. New paths for growth will open up. Enjoy each stage of the cycle. Avoid impatience.

“Slow and steady wins the race that matters.”

* * *

Advice of the sixth line reads, “Today no actions will work out. Stay home. Keep still.” From personal history, I can speak to the power of this advice. Once I had a bad feeling about going to a job interview. Friends ridiculed this and said to go out in the snow. So I did. My car slid into a ditch. In the process of towing me, they punctured the radiator. Not going anywhere that day. Bottom line: Listen to your hunches.

When the advice is heeded, paradoxically, the line changes to GAIN.

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.

There’s wisdom in staying out of trouble, surviving to fight and prevail on another, better day.
“Sheltering in place” takes on new meaning in the context of the Passover in Exodus, when the Angel of Death was set loose upon the land, sparing only the protected faithful.

* * *

BREAKTHROUGH is the final hexagram formed when the changes of the top three lines are combined. It reads:

Further progress will not come about without a major BREAKTHROUGH. Get free of binding tensions. If you find the present situation paralyzing, get out of it. Be fearless. Act energetically. You can rebuild later using the aspects of your life that prove themselves to be worth saving. Avoid backing down.

Progress referred to here is not of the tainted, “progressive” sort, but closer to forward movement in a genuinely positive direction. Again, this will take time. It is a process not necessarily quick or easy, but well worth your commitment and effort.

The four apocalyptic horsemen, Plague, Famine, War and Death are bearing down upon upon the world. Is that what it will take to finally get our attention, motivate us as a matter of survival to change the way we think and act?

Make no mistake. Escalating COVID, food shortages, civil and global wars are looming. Barring inspired leadership and loyal support from worthy followers, we’re in far deeper trouble than most of us could have imagined a year ago.

If this serves to give you perspective and hope, please help me help others by sharing this information with your friends.

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.

The Tao Is Indifferent, But I Am Not — 010621

Early this morning, on the day historians are calling the Warterloo moment of the United States, I queried the I Ching three times.

I asked, “What should we know about Biden, radical dems and the CCP?” Next, “What should we know about President Trump?” Finally, I asked for myself, “What should I be aware of NOW?”

In sum, from its universal perspective, the Book of Change doesn’t seem to care which leader prevails. It endures, either way. Its ends will be accomplished, no matter how far humans stray from the law. The Tao is all-inclusive. It encompasses and (in the end) brings us all home.

HOWEVER, from my mortal perspective, I care deeply. I woke up today feeling heartsick and afraid, overwhelmed by the magnitude of events. To me, the gravity of immanent danger in combination with the corruption and/or cowardice of entrenched upper classes is beyond appalling.

The danger is very real to me. During WW II, my maternal grandmother’s Viennese relatives were exterminated in German death camps. As relatives who died in Stalin’s concentration camps or Mao’s equivalent all know: fated to fail as they always are, in the short-term, lustful fantasies of world domination come at a tragically high price.

First I’ll share relevant passages from the Tao Te Ching which express a sage-like overview on today’s events. Then, in the reading section, thinking it may resonate with you as well, I’ll share the answer to my personal question.

In poetic versions of Lao Tze’s Tao Te Ching, the fifth passage begins, “Heaven and Earth are heartless / treating creatures like straw dogs”.

Here, heartless doesn’t necessarily mean cruel so much as detached or indifferent. “Straw dogs” were ceremonial dolls usually discarded after their use.

Here’s how the meaning came through for me:

The first two verses of the following Passage are also to the point:

Yet, though the Tao is impartial, you can take heart from this (and have a caution):

FAMILY is the original answer to today’s personal question, “What should I be aware of NOW?” it reads”

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.

In my case, within the human family, I don’t have a lot to contribute to today’s DC confrontation. As much as I wish participants well, I dread crowds. I’m not suited by nature to be either an event organizer, a politician, attorney or news commentator.

So I contribute as I can, doing what I love to do . . . writing. In the long-term, there’s an underlying false paradigm driving today’s event. My eventual contribution – when folks calm down enough to wean themselves off of stimulating conflicts – may be to advocate adoption and dissemination of the correct, compete and accurate Quantum Paradigm which will correct the mistakes driving today’s chaos and eventually create a better future.

What are you suited by nature and skills to contribute? Are you actually doing it? If not, why?

* * *

Advice of the 4th Line reads, “Any attempt to serve will benefit leaders and followers equally.”

This line confirms not only that my efforts will benefit others, but that in the long-term, it’s a blessing, not a drain, for me to keep writing.

Advice heeded, the line changes to Community:

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.

Community is built on the foundation of Family. Again, the issue of roles arises. And, again, I invoke Creative Power to suffuse my work with wisdom in a way others will find beneficial.

* * *

Advice of the 6th, Top Line reads: “Rise above worldly concerns. Create good work of lasting value.” This gets my personal YES!! Financial compensation would be nice, but it doesn’t motivate me. God always, miraculously, if not a moment too soon, provides. I will somehow continue to get by.

What really floats my boat is the hope that the creative work which flows through me will be found valuable in the long-term. Ever since 1977, when a School Board Association mentor made the comment, I’ve been told I’m ahead of the times. So be it. In the meantime, it’s my job to be sure what’s needed is ready and available for when the times are finally ready for me.

Advice heeded, the line changes to Completion:

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.

Who knows? Cycles large and small are nested, wheels-within-wheels. Certainly 2020 saw the end of a major cycle. The year 2021 marks the beginning of a new one. Will I survive to see its completion? So long as the work endures, it doesn’t matter.

Do you plan on surviving? If so, how and why?

* * *

Advice heeded, the composite of changing lines results in the final outcome of Change.

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.

This hexagram is the outcome of the first post, We’re At Critical Mass, in The Lessons of 2020. The year 2020 saw a culture building to a constitutional crisis. The Waterloo moment of January 6, 2021 marks its culmination.

Whatever the outcome of the election controversy, it is best to Avoid short-sighted fear.

Welcoming Change doesn’t necessarily mean liking it. It’s enough to remain open, rather than resisting whatever may come. Accepting the future brings, giving it space to evolve, leaves me open to recognize and make the best of new opportunities.

I hope you choose to remain courageously, confidently open to the opportunities in your future. May 2021 be kind to you all.

Look for The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future later 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.

What Should We Be Aware of in the Year 2021? IC – 010421

I thought I was done with I Ching blogs. But the muse calls, so here I am, still yet.

I should have known. Sage astrologers with an overview of heavenly timing agree that, though very different from 2020, this new year promises to be its logical extension.

My query to the Book of Change confirms this view. I asked, “What should we be aware of in the year 2021?” Though placements are different, the readings are all familiar from 2020.

January looks to be an intensely volatile month. As I cautioned in the final post of 2020:

The year 2021 promises to be rough, though different from 2020. The process of exposing the corruption of the old order will continue. But the clash between paradigms will intensify, imposing new hardships. Positive change doesn’t come easy. As Kuhn wrote in his classic work on paradigm shifts, entrenched power-holders with vested interests in obsolete ways will fight change however they can.

In particular, January of 2021 promises to be fraught with geographical and political events of explosive intensity. A heads up: astrological markings of January 20th, inauguration day, are strikingly similar to the date of the catastrophic 1916 San Francisco earthquake.

In sum, the year-of-our-Lord 2021 promises to be a roller-coaster ride. So buckle up. There’s no turning back. The only way out is through.

As the American constitutional crisis intensifies, the contrast between opposing paradigms is becoming increasingly clear, deepening into the most basic of all conflicts: the war between good and evil. At the beginning of this “Waterloo week” in American history, Steve Bannon and Archbishop Vigano have spelled out for the world the ultimate choice of 2021. What’s at stake is the outcome of the war between children of light versus children of darkness.

Have you chosen sides yet? (Remember. Failing to choose is also a choice.)

Before continuing to today’s I Ching reading, let me first answer Steve Bannon’s reminder of Martin Luther King’s words: “Courage is the first of all the virtues, because it supports the all others.”

Sounds good.

But when I sat down with my notebook just now, this came through. “TRUST is the root and support of all the other virtues. With Faith, all things follow – courage included.”

I will confess, what I wrote in my notes was a warning. “Use it or lose it.” Don’t ignore the voice of conscience. Forget the powerful hunches and calls to action for too long, and adversity follows. The angelic hosts will lose interest in you. They’ll quit calling, stop guiding. Their protection will cease.

From ignorance and fear – compounded by lack of trust in Self and faith in the Creator – far too many of us earth-dwellers are forfeiting inborn Divine Connection. Which is why, when in doubt, working with the Book of Change is a life-saver.

Though subject to change, at the moment I have no schedule for posting future blogs. It was my intention to shift focus. I’m planning to complete and then publish The Lessons of 2020. Following that, The Phoenix Response and How To Create Positive Change are waiting in line.

Nevertheless, reinforcing the benefits of working with the Book of Change in meeting 2021’s challenges is my central contribution to the “interesting” year ahead.

In 2020, you saw each of today’s Common Sense Book of Change readings. So, as the constitutional crisis peaks, I once again to defer to The Laws of Change published by Jack Balkin, a Yale University Professor of Constitutional Law. His comments are powerful and wise, as well as extraordinarily prescient.

ORIGIN is the original answer to the immediate question, “What Should we be aware of in the Year 2021?” Keep in mind. The answer works as advice for the immediate moment on a personal level. At the same time, it also serves as an overview for the entire year. It works for each of us individually, but collectively as well.

Balkin calls ORIGIN The Well. Keywords include: Human potential; Human resources; Replenishing; Renewal; Nourishing others; and The unchanging.

He comments:

The well is an inexhaustible source of nourishment . . . Jing teaches that people replenish themselves through replenishing others. They grow strong and happy not by trying to keep everything for themselves, but through helping each other and growing together. The human need for love and mutual support is as basic as the drive for self-preservation.

* * *

Advice of Line 3 reads, “Let others know what you can do. Opportunities will develop.”

On a personal level, I’m being advised to let you know about future publications. Similarly, each of us is being advised to contribute what we can to serve the whole. Balkin suggests, “If you find a way to make a contribution, everyone would benefit.”

When this advice is taken to heart and acted upon, the line changes to DANGER. Balkin calls it The Abyss. Keywords include: Water; Darkness; Danger; Despair; Courage and devotion; Maintaining faith; and Getting through to the other side.

He comments:

The world is testing you. Maintain your patience and your devotion. Take things one day at a time. Just make sure that you keep going and do not lose heart.

The enemy you confront is more than a set of forces in the outside world. The enemy is pessimism and lack of faith in yourself. This is the abyss that is the subject of the hexagram. It is not a physical abyss but a spiritual one. To give up and give in is the worst possible thing you could do.

Keep the faith.

* * *

Advice of the fourth line reads, “Withdraw from activities long enough to rest and re-energize yourself.” Balkin comments:

It is time to take stock and put your life in order. Rethink your strategies and reevaluate your priorities and pay attention to your self-development.

When this advice is heeded, the line changes to INNER STRENGTH. Balkin calls it Greatness in Excess. Keywords include: Too much; Overload; Critical mass; Taking a stand; setting priorities; and Making choices.

He comments:

The hexagram symbolizes a condition that cannot last. Something must be done, or else misfortune is likely to result.

One you have decided what the problem is, you must act quickly but with gentleness and composure. The time calls for extraordinary measures, but the transition to a new situation must be peaceful and nonviolent.

Recognize the need for change. Carry it out gently and swiftly, without fear or anxiety.

* * *

The composite final outcome is ADVERSITY. Balkin calls it Oppression. Keywords include: Exhaustion; Being restricted; Hardship; Adversity; Inner affliction; Dried up; and 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.

If you maintain your equanimity and your patience, you will endure, and become a stronger, better person in the process.

To defeat [negativity] maintain your faith, your emotional balance, and your self-confidence. If you can win this inner victory, no outside foe can stand against you.

The challenges of 2021 promise to be enormous. The rewards of overcoming them have the potential to be great in equal measure.

Look for The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future 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.