Category Archives: Book of Change

Why This, Why Me, and Why NOW? 

Much to my surprise, The Way of the Sage went its own way.  

Much of what I originally intended to say was left unsaid.  

For example, I planned to follow through on my earlier invitation to Sage Robbins.  

In an Open Letter to Tony Robbins, I observed that the not-coincidental pun on his wife’s name nominates her as the logical and ideal person to try out and report back to him on the validity and benefits associated with this ancient, tried and true, universal method of decision-making – the book accurately described The Ultimate Personal Survival Guide. 

I intended to tell her that the Common Sense Book of Change is intentionally free of the usual elitist and gender assumptions (“the superior man”). No one is excluded from the opportunity to be truly noble, genuinely wise. 

I wanted to tell her that this small book makes timeless wisdom available to truth seekers — whomever, wherever — free of distortions. There’s no overlay of cultural bias. For this ancient wisdom treasure is, in its essence, timeless. Universal.  

I intended to appeal to her natural, maternal instinct to educate and protect our children, now and into the future. I would have invited her to join me in giving this small book to the world as living proof that women too have the potential to become peaceful warriors as well as sages. 

But, as I said, The Way of the Sage took a detour. Immediately after publishing it, however, I became aware that it was just the first installment.  

Overnight, I received the content of a second installment. Again, it didn’t include the originally outlined facts and details. Instead, something else, equally unexpected, emerged.  

This time, I was called to explain these Three Whys.  

  • Why this subject?  
  • Why me? Why am I the right person to address it? And  
  • Why this subject and me NOW?  

The Three Why’s aren’t necessarily separate. They seem to blend and interact. I’ll do my best, as briefly as possible, to sort it out for you. 

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WHY THIS? 

As stated earlier: 

What I’ve been given in trust to share with the world is a re-vision of timeless wisdom, clear and simple in form, suited to the needs of the times.  

The form is two-part, consisting of a mutually reinforcing map and a manual. One is an overview, a snapshot of quantum reality. The other, with good reason, has been called The Ultimate Personal Survival Guide.   

For many reasons, some explained below, the future ahead is going to be majorly unfamiliar. However positive pending changes will ultimately prove to be, at the onset they’ll be perceived by most to be fearful and threatening.  

In that context, the Sage’s Way of Wisdom – embodied in the combo of the quantum Life Wheel and the Book of Change, are going to be the resources we can turn to and depend upon. They’ll guide those open to change, helping them travel safely through the challenges of a global shift, one day and one situation at a time, so they don’t crash and burn, don’t fall victim to cultural shock.  

These wisdom tools offer the option to see changing times as the rare and precious opportunity they are to practice the Phoenix Response to change: to die to the old in order to be reborn into something new and better in the same lifetime. 

In combination, this map and manual hold the answers to humanity’s collective prayers for: 

  • Truth.  
  • Freedom, first within, then without.  
  • Peace, first within, then without.   
  • Harmony and health.   
  • Loving, supportive relationships at home, in the community, and in the world.   
  • An end to confusion, conflict and corruption.  
  • An understanding of how the world really works.  
  • A return to simplicity and goodness.   

And there’s more. So much more. Even the legendary Confucius, accomplished as he was, wished for an additional 75 years of life in order to study and increase his understanding of this endlessly profound science. 

Among many other things, the I Ching works like a cosmic clock. It forewarns of danger and nurtures the inner strength to cope with and outlast inevitable shocks and adversity. 

Supporting commentary could easily be supplied, but this short post isn’t the place. For now, Trust me. It’s true. It’s all true.   

As for the complimentary quantum Life Wheel, although apparently simple, it satisfies the inclusive standard of Occam’s Razor. Its implications are universal. Its applications are endless. Here’s just one suggestive example: 

————————————————————— 

WHY ME? 

Long story short, my life has been a wandering path that has, over time, seeming miraculously, as if all were preordained, given me access to the broad range of information that had to be integrated. I’ve been uniquely called to collect the mosaic pieces of various wisdom traditions and intuitively known how they fit together, forming the unified picture presented here.  

Again, this isn’t the place to go into scholarly detail. For now, please trust me.  

But why the physical me? So many reasons, it couldn’t have been anyone else. It’s not just my name which, like Sage’s, nominates me for the role. It had to be West. I’ve been cautioned not to lose myself in eastern traditions, but rather to serve as a bridge, to integrate them into western civilization.  

And it had to be my gender. Women are the ones for whom the system works least. They’re the ones most qualified to address its blind spots and serve as change agents — of necessity, to be “the early adaptive.” More importantly, my gentle yin nature — my persona – speaks to the crying need to restore respect for the receptive, nurturing yin qualities of human nature, lacking which our civilization has degenerated into its current condition of critical mass. 

As for scholarly qualifications, I spoke to this in The Qualification That Matters. 

On the one hand, does it really matter who the messenger is? It’s the message that counts. If the truth of what I say resonates and the results work for you, the message speaks for itself. It stands on its own merit.  

On the other hand, if you really believe that the messenger matters, then truth be told, the best of what I know comes from personal experience.  

Which isn’t to say I haven’t paid my dues. I’ve earned the traditional academic credentials to string behind my name. (B.A. in history and philosophy from Oberlin College. M.A. in English and Ph.D.in Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.)   

But in this light, they don’t much matter. In fact, most of what I learned in schools later had to be unlearned. 

The qualification that genuinely matters here is that I have a good teacher. A really, really good teacher. And that we have your best interests at heart. 

The one we called Old Avatar was a uniquely advanced soul. Lao Tze best describes his vast, but subtle influence. “The presence of true masters is only suspected.” His Universal Mind permeates the quantum field. Those open to his magic respond and all is done. Truth seekers automatically tune in to him, broadcasting from the far side — Tony Robbins included. 

Tony Robbins and I are connected through OA.  It works both ways. I was attracted to Tony’s Awaken the Giant Within. This website was, in fact, inspired by his challenge. Conversely, much of what Tony teaches reflects how well he’s tuned into OA. For example, OA’s MPI standard permeates his work.  

—————————————- 

WHY NOW? 

Long story short, astrologically, the times are ripe and ready. Without going into technical detail, suffice it to say that planet Earth is approaching a time of massive change. Where before, things weren’t possible, they’re quickly becoming inevitable. 

As described in Wheels Within Wheels, we’re in the midst of an extraordinarily rare triple conjunction that last occurred 2,300 years ago. It was marked by the massive economic and cultural shifts that followed from the conquests of Alexander the Great. It’s that huge. 

We’re at critical mass. I, along with others born for such a time as this (including General Michael Flynn and Patrick Byrne), are doing our best to avert a destructive civil war intentionally being provoked by dark side minions. Were they to prevail, it would take civilization back to the dark ages.  

We’ve long been forewarned. Astrologically, the ongoing Saturn-Uranus square [exacerbated by the conflict-creating Pluto-Eris square] culminates in the weeks approaching U.S. mid-term elections. This escalating tension is scheduled to be topped off by a kinetic full moon lunar eclipse that occurs – I kid you not — exactly on that date – November 8, 2022.  

Using this foresight in combination with wisdom tools, we can steer our planning and behavior. We have the ability, potential, opportunity — actually a divine calling — to collectively tip the balance in favor of world peace.  

Let’s choose life. Let’s choose the Way of the Sage: respecting all of life and practicing peace, first within, then without.  

So much to say. So little time. So little space.  

But for now, until the next time, be well. All best.  

Patricia West is author of The Common Sense Book of Change and Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change. She’s currently working on The Phoenix Response: Dying To Be Reborn – in the Same Lifetime. 

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Open Letter to Tony Robbins 

Dear Tony, 

During the past week, something unpleasantly strange and highly unusual happened on your Tony Robbins YouTube channel. 

In this open letter, I’ll tell you what happened, why it upset me so much, and – most importantly — the reasons why not only you but your followers really need to know about it. 

It started on Monday, August 1st, when I watched your interview with Ray Dalio on the Changing World Order, how countries rise and fall, and what the cycles of history can teach us now. The description box included your words,  

“Power comes to those that can recognize patterns.” 

Now, I’ve been saying exactly this for a very long time. The subject is dear to my heart. Naturally, I immediately wanted to know your point of view. 

As I listened, I was on fire. I paused to enter one, two, three, four and then five comments.  

Next began a sequence of events. First, all but one of the five comments disappeared. Then, a message with your name on it, in your channel, was pinned to my one remaining comment. 

 In a nutshell, (though it took a day to recognize it), a punitive hacker with ulterior motives is policing your channel.  

The pinned reply with your name – Tony Robbins – gave a phone number for me to call.  

What appeared in my email looked like this: Pinned Tony Robbin十l{7O7}86IO5l4 replied to Pat West’s comment.   

Pinned Tony Robbin十l{7O7}86IO5l4  

msg me directly,⤴️ 

My first response was to be Thrilled!!! 

OMG. Tony Robbins is interested in my comments. He wants to know more!!! This is a dream come true, and with perfect timing.  

Naturally, I quickly responded to what I naively believed was an invitation from Tony himself. The texted conversation, still in my phone, looks like this: 

(Monday, August 1.  7:49 p.m.) 

Me: Hello Tony. This is Pat West. I’m responding to your pinned message. What would you like to speak about? 

X: Hello Pat, nice to have you here. 

Me: Likewise 

X: Before that I’d like to know how long you have been following my channel? 

Me: You’ve been a major influence for many years. My website was based on reading your Giants within. Have been following you ever sense.  

X: Let’s text on my business signal messenger. I have alot I’d like to share with you. You can download signal messenger it’s a private messenger That’s my business line (817) 385-7454. Let me know when you do. 

That’s when things turned south. There was no such app on my phone. I dropped my plans for the next day, intent on getting that app and continuing the conversation. I emailed a friend, explaining the “opportunity” and asking for her help: 

Hi Terry, A most wonderful and amazing opportunity has knocked on my humble door. But it would sure help if you have the time to be of assistance. 

I just remembered the quote I used to conclude a book I wrote. Turns out to be very true: “You can rest assured that if you devote your time and attention to the highest advantage of others, the Universe will support you, always and only in the nick of time.” R. Buckminster Fuller   . . . . And it really is just in the nick. 
 

. . . tonight — which happens to be the exact date of the most powerful energy in 2,300 years — [Tony] pinned an answer to my comment saying to text him. We had a brief exchange. He seemed to like my responses and wants me to continue the conversation in a message app that I do NOT have on my phone and don’t know how to install. 
 

I didn’t hear from her right away. Impatient, I called Quintin, the tech I work with at the Computer Doctors. He wasn’t available. The next morning, not to be defeated, I took a cab to U.S. Cellular. The agent there was helpful, but dubious. Some message apps mess phones up, he warned.  

When I finally heard from Quintin, he showered cold water on my hopes. He sees this kind of scam frequently. It set off all his alarm bells. 

So, once inside the app, I challenged the pseudo-Tony. “Are you for real? I’ve been warned this is a scam. Give me something of substance, or I will delete the app.” 

Silence. App deleted. 

I went from soaring with hope and joy to crashing in embarrassment, disappointment and bewilderment. Why? Why? 

How and WHY would someone hack the Tony Robbins channel? Why would anyone go to the trouble of deleting my comments? Why would an imposter represent himself as Tony and pin a reply to my comment? And why, oh why, would anyone, playing on my dearest hope of connecting with Tony, lure me into loading an app apparently designed to mess up my phone? 

Where’s the method in apparent madness? It took me a while to calm down and sort it out.  

No doubt, it had to do with the substance of my comments.  

Fortunately, I saved them. The one allowed to stand, apparently the one regarded as least offensive, was this: 

The venerable, Chinese I Ching, the Book of Change, has mapped the patterns of Natural Law that influence cycles of human life, organizations and civilizations for thousands of years. This scratches the mere surface of what sages have known for eons. Why not return to the basics? 

[BTW. Had it been the real Tony, I would have pointed out that the not-coincidental pun on his wife’s name, SAGE, makes her the ideal person to try out and report back to him on the validity and benefits associated with this ancient, tried and true, universal method of decision-making – the book accurately described The Ultimate Personal Survival Guide.] 

 

Here’s one of the deleted comments: 

Astrologers have much to say about historical and economic changes. We’ve reached a critical point that’s now occurring for the first time in 2,300 years, the time of Alexander the Great.  See  rethinkingsurvival.com/2022/07/16/heads-up/   

Another was this: 

Tony, you’re asking the right questions of the wrong person. Correctly seen, paradigm shifts are not about 10-year economic trends, but about major shifts in belief systems. Martin Luther, for example. Or Christ. 

As for the China issue, in the future, we must persuade them to return to their roots, their heritage in the I Ching, and a world view where everyone everywhere shares a divine center in common. I will have to write you a post on this. Please look for it on my website, rethinkingsurvival.com. I’ll call it Wheels Within Wheels. 

These last two, however, were probably the seriously offending ones.  

Good Lord, Tony. What’s going on is a paradigm shift, as Kuhn well knew. Powerholders with a vested interest in a dying order are, predictably, defending the deep state like animals backed into a corner. Patriots want peace, not war. It’s the deep state that’s desperately engineering civil war, provoking patriots beyond measure, hoping for excuses to inter them in Nazi-like FEMA camps, exterminate opponents as if to prevent the wave of the future. (The fate of Jan 6 political prisoners is a warning example intended to intimidate/discourage freedom seekers.) 

Contrary to the media version of Jan. 6 events, evidence is mounting that it was a diversionary tactic staged by Pelosi et.al. It prevented a timely investigation into election fraud that, had it been allowed to proceed in an orderly fashion as intended, could have prevented what has proven to be a disastrous Biden administration.  

Most importantly, wars cannot be correctly analyzed without a wheels-within-wheels, correct and accurate Quantum Paradigm. The wars we see on the public stage reflect the deeper war going on between good and evil.  

And finally this:  

Tony, for a correct perspective on what’s going on politically in the U.S. you urgently need to get in contact with, follow AND support the work of The America Project. It’s founded by Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. His CEO is Patrick Byrne, former founder/CEO of Overstock.com.  See https://americaproject.com/ 

Bottom line: Here’s proof that the same thought police at work throughout social media, banning truth tellers and shutting down sites that challenge the prevailing false narrative, are also infiltrating channels and altering content! 

Now, once I recognized the scam, and called it out, the pinned message disappeared, and one (only one) of the deleted comments reappeared. Which tells me that the hacker continues to surveil and manipulate comments to your channel. 

Not good! 

So I decided this rare, unique time is too precious to waste. I’m going to turn this disappointment around, change it into a genuine “opportunity.”  The fact that my words had sufficient truth to signal forces of the dark side to retaliate is evidence that I’m on the right track. My ideas DO deserve the attention of Tony, Ray AND their followers.

In fact, the messages deleted might well be exactly the ones the world most needs!

Therefore, my message to you and Ray Dalio stands.  

Further, I need to ask. Do either of you have attorneys on board, charged with protecting your intellectual property? If so, I urge you to have them track down the two phone numbers I was given, first to text, then to message. These thought police are criminals! They need to be outed and dealt with appropriately. 

Patricia West is author of The Common Sense Book of Change and Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change. She’s currently working on The Phoenix Response: Dying To Be Reborn – in the Same Lifetime. 

Master the Field. Claim the Pearl. 

In my last post, Rethinking Nature in an Unnatural World, I began by saying that the essential Chinese I Ching, the Book of Change, reveals a priceless treasure, “akin to the biblical pearl without price.” 

Overnight, it came to me that I owe you a further explanation of what I mean. I’ve written about Natural Law and the Book of Change from many different angles. So today I revisited past blogs and made excerpts to offer you a more in-depth view of my meaning. 

Before I delve into that, however, let me first mention why the subject is extraordinarily timely. Astrologically, the United States is experiencing its Pluto return. It’s a big deal. Many astrologers are giving it attention. Because it affects not only the U.S. but the world, British astrologer Pam Gregory dedicated an entire video to the subject. 

This return means that, as a nation, Americans are being obliged to rethink who we are, what we truly value, and what we want our next cycle of history to look like. Upsetting political events are obliging citizens to revisit the Constitution and decide whether it’s worth upholding – not just giving it lip-service, but actually enforcing it – going forward. 

It’s time to revisit and welcome the “opportunity” to upgrade the beliefs of the founders. In the Common Sense Book of Change, I wrote: 

 THREE LEVELS OF LAW 

America’s Declaration of Independence names three kinds of law: the laws of man, of nature and nature’s God. The Book of Change is based on the laws of natural change. They emanate from and depend on divine law and serve as the rightful foundation of civil law.  

Clearly, laws legislated in ignorance of or in opposition to natural and divine law are not likely to work out well. Policy makers at all levels would do well to give this point careful thought. 

In Common Sense, Thomas Paine wrote about the relationship of divine, natural and human law in a way that inspired readers at the time of the American Revolution to fight for freedom from tyranny. Approaching natural law from the deeper understanding of the ancients could inspire a reinvention of democracy now. 

Sages say that freedom from tyranny begins with dispelling ignorance and overcoming toxic, negative emotions. Inalienable freedom starts with the self-awareness and self-mastery which can be gained by diligent use of the I Ching. 

Restoring common awareness of and effectiveness in harnessing/expressing the e=energy level of human potential would give a whole new meaning to the slogan “Power to the People.”

With that in mind, here are excerpts which explain the importance I place on the ancient understanding of Natural Law within the context of the quantum Life Wheel. Included is a more detailed description of the e=energy level that’s correlated with Natural Law. 

It’s worth your careful attention. 

From The Ultimate Gatekeeper: 

. . . . [The Book of Change] is a book that truly belongs to the world. It transcends, in its essence, the limitations of time and space. Used correctly, as intended, it leads the ordinary mind towards experiences of self-awareness and transformative transcendence.  

Over the years, I’ve grown absolutely certain that the worldwide leadership deficit (and related budget deficits) is explained by an underlying knowledge deficit. For lack of what The Book of Change has to offer, people everywhere remain perplexed as to how and why so much continues to go so horribly wrong, despite the best of intentions.  

Making this compendium of Natural Law — the premier leadership training and decision-making manual in China for thousands of years — widely accessible now is necessary in order to fill in this fatal knowledge gap.  

Mainstreaming this vitally important information is the first, necessary step towards the positive change which many call for, but remain unable to achieve. 

—- 

The extraordinary value of the I Ching is that it reveals the secrets of dynamic Natural Law. Working with its changes opens up personal access to the middle level of the Life Wheel, the “e = energy” layer of Einstein’s Unified Field Theory. 

This middle level of Natural Law serves as mediating, two-directional gatekeeper between the ever-changing surface rim and the universal, timeless center.

You can’t get from here to there and back again, except through the middle “energy” layer which, in Western thinking, is effectively taboo, buried deep within the inaccessible “unconscious.”  

To the extent that the Natural Law of energy dynamics remains a blind spot in the prevailing, linear and exclusively empirical paradigm, we are left powerless to move beyond the surface level of experience. 

To compound the loss, when stuck on the surface, the realm of light and conscience which rests beyond, on the far side of the dynamic energy level, remains functionally inaccessible.  

Only by becoming intelligently competent in managing the subtle energies of the middle level does it become possible for one to travel further inwards for the direct personal experience of not only Light but, even deeper still, its very Source.  

Unfortunately, the middle level is too often clogged with painful memories, negative emotions and repressed, socially taboo urges. It becomes a barrier to deeper knowing. 

For eight thousand years and counting, the Book of Change has served as an indispensable tool for resolving this dilemma. Used as intended, it can restore the unnecessarily “unconscious” to conscious awareness, reopening the levels of human potential so they can be aligned and unified.  

In this context, genuine survivors fit to prevail in today’s increasingly dangerous times aren’t those with the most material wealth, possessions or political power. They’re the ones who’ve successfully navigated the middle realm, reached the far shore of enlightenment and returned to the surface with their new information intact. 

Those who succeed in linking the levels of experience are genius-leaders in whatever fields they choose to engage. They’re the fortunate ones who have acquired the inner wealth necessary to both hear the still voice of conscience and act effectively on the guidance they receive. 

From The Middle E=Energy Level of the Life Wheel 

The middle level is the realm of less tangible but still measurable states of energy, including electricity. More subtly, it is the chi, ki or prana described by Chinese, Japanese and Indian traditions as the life force which animates all living beings. In Greek and Christian traditions it’s known as breath, the psyche. 

These subtle energies influence internal psychological states. As emotions, they drive external human behavior, which in turn affects social/political relationships. Knowledge of these dynamics is essential to personal survival. 

Effective leadership and the quality of life within organizations hinges on the quality of awareness brought to dynamics at this level. Some leaders understand energy dynamics at a gut level as a matter of common sense. However, systematic education would significantly improve results of the decision-making process. 

—— 

When sufficiently purified and mastered, disciplined and intelligently harnessed to positive goals, the middle level fuels what Anthony Robbins calls “unlimited power.”  

These subtle energies explain the possibility of seemingly impossible feats, including the miracles attributed to Moses and Jesus. 

——

In Life Wheel context, the “subtle” energy realm exists between the outer, surface level of matter and the deepest center of unchanging stillness.

As the functional link between extremes, both on the out-going and the in-going paths, it serves as the gatekeeper and mediator between the two.  

“You can’t get from here to there,” except through this middle level of experience.  Cluttering or denying access to it make connection with the Center difficult, at best. 

Historically, Asian cultures are more comfortable with this middle level. Asian healing practices including chi kung, tai chi and hatha yoga use exercise to intentionally circulate, balance, harness and direct subtle energies through the physical body. 

—- 

The middle level is also the repository of karmic information, where the history of past actions is kept, along with a record of debts to be repaid. It’s the repository of short and long-term memories. The composite of emotions — fears, desires and repressed tendencies — are stored here in what Western psychologies call the “unconscious.” It is the stuff of dreams — inspired visions, nightmares and everything in-between. 

The bardo, where (according to The Tibetan Book of the Dead) recently departed souls travel, is located within this level. Spirits, ghosts, leprechauns, demons or jinn acknowledged by various mystic traditions also reside there. From here, unseen hands from the “dark side of the force” reach out to derange the minds of power-hungry rulers and undermine political affairs. (It’s for this reason that disciplines for “cleaning out the swamp” precede introduction to advanced yogic practices.) 

So long as invisible energetic influences remain unaccounted for, the failings and depravities of human leaders remain mystifying. Conspiracy theorists can track the complicated networks of human crime on the surface. But to trace world domination plots back to their lair, one must look deeper. St. Paul described it in his letter to the Ephesians: 

6:12. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

—- 

When cluttered and undisciplined, the middle energy level is like a swamp full of alligators. 

Once the swamp is cleared out and the alligators are tamed, however, energetic potentials can be harnessed to worthy goals. They’re like the gas that fuels the car engine, or the pair of black and white horses that pulled Plato’s heaven-bound chariot.  

But easier said than done. The Quantum Paradigm validates experiences which report a dark side to the subtle realm, which the life traveler must be prepared to encounter and survive. Some describe it as “Chapel Perilous” or “the Hero’s Journey.” 

— 

Religionists, moralists and even poets like Edgar Alan Poe warn against exploring the middle realm, portraying it as dangerous, fearful or unclean. However, inhibiting awareness of the energy level cripples efforts to attain self-knowledge. In effect, it slams the lid on libido, the motivating life force.  

Doing so doesn’t avoid dangers. It just banishes this level from conscious awareness. Relegated to the “unconscious” and rendered inaccessible, this part of inner experience festers, more dangerous than ever. Taboos on energy awareness backfires, resulting in mental illness, socially aberrant behavior, addictions and personal tragedy.  

Here are important questions to ponder. Why ban access to the levels of energy and light? Who stands to benefit? Who stands to lose?  

Jung’s observation bears repeating: 

Our time has committed a fatal error; we believe we can criticize the facts of religion intellectually. . . The gods have become diseases; Zeus no longer rules Olympus but rather the solar plexus, and produces curious specimens for the doctor’s consulting room, or disorders the brains of politicians and journalists who unwittingly let loose psychic epidemics on the world. 

Chinese sages, who trod lightly but surely in that middle realm, used the I Ching as their instruction manual. Recently, it’s been correctly called a “spiritual GPS.” Jung understood the potential good that could come from introducing this wisdom to the Western world, where it could be used as an instrument for making the unconscious again conscious, restoring intelligent competence at this level. 

From Paradigms Are a Matter of Life or Death 

Jordan B. Peterson has said, “The most important work that can be done is establishing the relationship between belief systems and the outcomes they generate.” 

I agree. 

It’s useless to tell people to follow their dreams, to be the best they can be, or that nothing is impossible when, in fact, they live in society that enforces a false, limiting paradigm. It’s like paddling upstream without oars in a leaky canoe. 

The only way out of this madness is to restore a complete and accurate paradigm, one that acknowledges the multi-dimensional quality of life – the inherent pattern of perfection – which is everyone’s inalienable birthright.  

— 

People who live in the poverty of a flattened, empirical science belief system are being told by their parents, educators and political leaders, in effect, that they don’t (and shouldn’t) fully exist. That only their physical appearance, social status and material possessions matter.

Wonder why suicide rates are so high? Or that marriages so often end in divorce, that respect for authority is at an all-time low, that government corruption is rampant, or that crime rates are through the roof? (Surely you can add to the list.) 

—- 

The biblical King David exemplifies acting from a complete and accurate paradigm. He acted fearlessly in trust that “God is with me.” With a single shot to the giant’s forehead (not coincidentally seat of the third eye), he brought the monster down.  

David “knew” exactly where to aim. His vision was clearly focused on his target (light). He had the vigor (energy) and physical strength (mass) as well as coordination (unity) to overcome the fearsome obstacle that threatened to annihilate him and enslave his people.  

Other biblical figures at critical points in their hero’s journey are helpful role models. Noah anticipated the flood. Joseph foresaw and prepared for a time of famine.  Moses protected the homes of the faithful when the Angel of Death swept over the Land of Egypt.  

Job is the example of steadfast faith, enduring to the end and being restored, even better than before. Here’s the secret to be gleaned from his story, illumined by the infinity symbol that links the levels of the Life Wheel.  

Job says, “The Lord giventh.” This is the outward, materializing movement from Center to surface of the Wheel.  

“And The Lord taketh away.” This is the receding path of return to Center.  

In all, “Blessed be the NAME of the Lord.” The Logos.  

—— 

Conclusion 

Resolving conflict necessarily occurs one person at a time, and from the inside out. For this reason, however complex and overwhelming world problems may seem, we each have the option and responsibility to improve that which is closest to home: ourselves. By reducing internal conflict within, each of us has the potential, if only in modest ways, to reduce the conflict without. . . . 

Patricia West is author of The Common Sense Book of Change and Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change. She’s currently working on The Phoenix Response: Dying To Be Reborn – in the Same Lifetime. 

Rethinking Nature in an Unnatural World 

It has long been a mystery to me that the venerable I Ching, the Chinese Book of Change, remains so undervalued and misunderstood. For me, releasing its essence from the weight of culture baggage and prejudice revealed a priceless treasure, akin to the biblical pearl without price. 

As psychologist Carl Jung recognized, this compendium of Natural Law is a premier tool used in the quest to make the unconscious conscious. Whereas European philosophers and American thinkers (including the venerable Zach Bush) romanticize nature, assign it a gender and a role (“mother nature”), and speculate all sorts of (excuse me) nonsense from the heart, the ancients understood the dynamics of nature with the accuracy of a detached, scientific eye. 

This science has been refined over thousands of years by those who observe the patterns of cyclical change in weather, in nature’s seasons, the seasons of human life, the dynamics of human relationships, and in the rise and fall of civilizations.  

Sadly, at one point I gave up. City dwellers who’ve never seen a night sky free of neon interference, who’ve never lived around livestock, or walked down country trails in the blaze of autumn colors simply can’t relate. In the process of being cut off from nature, they’ve been cut off from their inner lives as well. They seem not to suspect the existence of what they’re missing. 

So I let it go. That is, until a few days ago, when I came across a remastered Manly P. Hall lecture called The Healing Power of Nature. 

The springboard of his talk was Thoreau’s Walden, a book which describes the experiment he called “back to nature.”  In Hall’s analysis, I found a very different answer to my earlier question: “How can those who’ve never experienced life in a natural setting relate to Natural Law?”  

His conclusion: Even for those raised in an unnatural urban environment, “There are small ways, yet powerful, to ground yourself in Nature’s Way.” 

Quite to the contrary of my earlier conclusion, it’s not a lost cause. Far from being irrelevant to those who live in an unnatural world, the Book of Change is actually more vitally important than ever before.  

For no environment, however unnatural, can cancel out our essential inner nature. It continues to abide, whether or not we’re consciously aware of its influence.

Working with this book helps reconnect us with that sleeping part of ourselves that’s urgently crying out for attention.  

It holds a key to restoring inner awareness, first of the emotional energies that rule us (often tragically) from the unconscious, and then, deeper still, the unchanging source of those dynamics.  

Hall says: 

The theme of a return to nature is strong in many. In a healthy degree, is present in most. Therefore the story [Walden] continues to intrigue us, although it becomes more and more a utopian vision.  

To Thoreau, the story of back to nature is identical with the concept of back to self. 

But somewhere, some way, each individual must experience his existence in a true world, a world not fashioned by his own imagery, a world that is not the result of the interlocking of concepts, but a world which has a closeness to the earth, a world of values that are direct, natural, simple and inevitable. 

And here’s the conclusion that grabbed my attention: 

 If we cannot therefore go to this world from our own abodes, then we must bring this world to ourselves.  

We must discover it by a code of conduct or a series of internal revelations, so that if nature around us is denied us, nature can still live within us and become the basis of a normalcy and a vitality which can carry us over the doubts and problems of the years. 

Yes!!! 

The code Hall calls for is embodied in the I Ching. Working with it triggers internal revelations just waiting to surface, begging for our attention. 

Let me give you just a hint of what’s in store for those who take Hall’s advice. 

Here’s an example. In my introduction to The Common Sense Book of Change, I followed Jung’s example. In his introduction to the classic Wilhelm/Baynes translation of the I Ching from German to English, he asked the book to introduce itself. He asked what it wanted readers to know, and then elaborated on its response. 

So I queried, “What does the Common Sense Book of Change have to offer its readers?” The answer looks like this: 

I rest my case. 

— — —

Patricia West is author of The Common Sense Book of Change and Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change. She’s currently working on The Phoenix Response: Dying To Be Reborn – In the Same Lifetime. 

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.

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 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.

The Only Way Out Is Through – IC – 123120

On December 30th, year-of-our-Lord 2020, I listened to WarRoom Pandemic host Stephen K. Bannon and guest Roger Kimball opine on the late Andrew Breitbart’s words: “Culture is downstream from politics.”

WOW. I must differ.

They may be correct – as far as it goes. But, importantly, there’s more. Interacting culture and politics both vary with the flux and flow of events on the ephemeral surface of the Life Wheel. Together, they’re offshoots of something deeper – a fundamental paradigm.

Deeper still, archetypal ideas emanate from the Center of the Life Wheel. They depend on the silent Source from which ideas arise and civilizations then follow.

It’s a jigsaw puzzle of interlocking wheels-within-wheels, with a center piece that holds the entire picture together.

Steve introduced Roger as (among others things) President of Encounter Books, publisher of books on immanent threats throughout the world. Again, there’s more.

The greatest threat – the one which drives economic/political conflict – is the limited, fragmenting, nihilistic paradigm of empirical science. So long as the underlying paradigm is corrupt and corrupting, operating invisible and uncorrected, efforts to improve matters on the surface are futile.

Yes, in the case of America, restoring fidelity to the Constitution and rule of human law is NECESSARY. But it’s not sufficient. Deeper still, we have to restore a living, breathing understanding of Natural Law and, deeper still of Divine Law. After all, the Founders saw human law in the context of the laws of nature and nature’s God.

As an unfortunate fact of history, wisdom traditions, both East and West, are subject to entropy. Over time, the religious institutions of Judaeo-Christian culture – however noble at the core – have been infiltrated and egregiously abused to political ends.

For example, Elsworth Carlson, a family friend and my professor of Asian history at Oberlin College, wrote about his experience as a missionary in Shansi, China. Stranded there during War II, he came to appreciate the nobility of their culture. The one-sided attitude of his peers appalled him. They assumed Western culture was the only correct one. They therefore had a duty to impose it on a distant land which they neither understood nor appreciated.

No wonder Westerners were hated by the ruling classes. They despised not so much the culture, mind you, but the heavy-handed, violent way in which it was superimposed on countries across the globe. Today, from some combination of pride and revenge, Asian political leaders are following historical example, intent on turning the tables.

Fortunately, political-cultural warfare is superficial. Deeper than deep, people worldwide are waking up to the values they share in common – freedom, love of life, of family, of God. And that is bringing the best of us together. A shared, complete and correct paradigm will speed the process of cooperative agreements.

In Rethinking Survival, I quoted comparative religion legend Joseph Campbell:

We don’t have a mythology for people recognizing the humanity of a person on the other side of the hemisphere. I’ve often wondered if some of the notions coming out of quantum physics, quantum interconnectedness, don’t express that.

The Quantum Paradigm answers that call. It is:

. . . an inclusive reality map, one people worldwide can easily comprehend and agree upon. It is equally compatible with scriptures and science, bridging the gap between them. It fulfills Einstein’s intuited search for the Unified Field Theory, picturing how all parts of creation are related, interwoven and interdependent.

Truth by definition is universal — eternally One and the same. All wisdom traditions are cultural expressions of the same, eternal Core, whether you call it Creator, Source, God, Great Father, Tao, Allah. . . or nothing at all.

Cultures are “great” to the extent they’re in alignment with the Center, the Source of greatness. Its expressions differ over time and by place. Their limitations are a function of (perhaps) inevitable corruption.

Fortunately, 2021 is offering humanity the opportunity to go deeper than surface differences. Today’s Fresh Start I Ching reading is perfectly timed for the New Year. It’s the beginning of the great Reset foreseen by those who watch the heavens (a term which the dark side can’t get away with co-opting in a futile attempt to bend the positive arc of history).

So. Yes, We’re in for a global Reset. It won’t happen overnight. Or in month. Or even year. A generation is more like it. But it starts NOW, with each of us, one person at a time, and from the inside out. The energies of the times are changing. We are becoming more aware. Not just of the political-cultural scene, but of the inner landscape which drives it.

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.

Take comfort in this. Come what may, those supported by wisdom traditions will meet our new set of challenges with the Phoenix Response, dying to be reborn better than before in the same lifetime.

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change, the compendium of Natural Law, for answers. That’s why I’ve brought the book to you. Through the end of 2020, bi-weekly posts were intended make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

TRAVEL is the initial answer to the question, “What should we be aware of on New Year’s Eve as we enter 2021?” It 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.

Most of us are glad to be done with a painfully challenging year. No looking back. However, it will be important to stay on high alert. More challenges lie ahead.

* * *

Advice of the fourth line reads, “Enjoy the process of growing day by day. Don’t rush.”

The future promises to be full of surprising twists and turns. Rather than try to second guess, don’t get ahead of yourself. Make the best of each day as it comes. Remain flexible.

When this advice is heeded the line changes to Stillness:

Peace within and harmony without come from STILLNESS. When immediate answers to important questions cannot be found, sometimes keeping still is the best way out. Burning desires produce chaotic thinking. This only clouds the issue and makes life painful. Meditation is a valuable method for finding stillness. Avoid useless activity.

During times of conflict and tension, inner balance must be restored with periods of quiet self-care. Conserve energy. Maintain inner focus and mental clarity. Don’t be distracted from purpose.

* * *

Advice of line five reads, “In a new situation, find the right way to make introductions.”

As we continue to forward into unknown territory, it’s important to continuously assess the situation and adjust quickly. Remember General Flynn’s comments. The Founders knew this country was an experiment. Of necessity, it must evolve. So keep an open mind. Look for new ways to accomplish worthy goals.

When this advice is heeded, it changes to Retreat:

RETREAT from negative forces which will begin to arise. Withdraw gracefully if possible. By doing this you can avoid embarrassment and thus pave the way for a safe and easy return when the time is right. Make careful arrangements to protect yourself from harm. Avoid becoming caught in hopeless situations.

Again, explosive events and hardships lie ahead. To the extent possible, stay out of harms way. Don’t provoke danger unnecessarily. Don’t engage in losing battles.

* * *

Following the advice of the original reading (avoid dangerous exposure) along with the advice of both changing lines (avoid useless activity; don’t get caught in hopeless situations) leads to the final, composite result — a Fresh Start. It 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.

This final reading of 2020 reinforces the earlier theme of correcting mistakes and at-one-ment. No one said it would be easy. But keep the faith. It’s worth it.

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. Take care, all.

The Pinnacle of Peace – IC – 122820

In the wake of Christmas 2020, approaching a New Year, with civil war brewing in the midst of an unprecedented constitutional crisis, I listened for a second time to the second part of Jan Jekielek’s Epoch Times interview with Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. It’s called Will the American Republic Survive?

I urge you to listen to and carefully ponder General Flynn’s comments on the future of this country. He’s a truly honorable man of wisdom, uncommon good sense, and integrity. Here’s a direct quote, transcribed from the beginning:

What we have to understand in this country is, that this country is an experiment. Empires come and go. Nation-states fail. Are we still growing as the beacon of hope for the rest of the world? I still believe that in my heart.

But I know that there is a dimension of our experiment that is sort of in our face right now. . . We the people — the American public — have to decide what is it that they want. Because we will not last forever.

General Flynn elaborated on the degeneration of the three branches of government that each treated him with “brutal” injustice. Here, I couldn’t resist typing in a comment:

Keep perspective, Gen. Flynn. Remember the work of Kuhn on Paradigm Shifts. The dying order sees you [along with our President] — the voices of the future — as an existential threat to their survival. Temporary “power holders” with vested interest in the past historically resist change with all their might. The extent of their brutality towards you is exactly in proportion to the greatness of your light shining to expose their darkness.

Now, why is it called a paradigm shift? Technically it’s not a shift to something new. Actually, it’s a return to the perennial philosophy which wisdom traditions East and West share in common.

The honorable General is in synch with that wisdom. As he says, having read enough history, he recognizes that there are repeating cycles of history. He also recognizes the existence of levels of law and the importance of their being in alignment. The shift he represents is a return from out-of-alignment, secular fragmentation back to one of Unity. It looks like this:

General Flynn also speaks of the danger to the Republic when “so-called leaders” act as if they were above human law. He anticipates a higher accounting for those who aren’t held accountable in human law courts. Lawless officials, driven by ambition and selfish self-interests rather than being motivated by service, act as if the pinnacle of achievement were a matter of ephemeral control and dominance on the surface of the Life Wheel.

Here’s a picture worth of a book of words to show you what I mean:

For lack of space, I offer you a few bullet points. Each qualifies General Flynn’s observations:

  • Asked what might steer us in the direction of preserving the Republic, he emphasizes the importance of upgrading education, especially in civics and history. I would add, of paradigms. I would also restore the pristine definition of education, which means to lead from darkness to light.
  • Across the centuries, limited leaders repeatedly fall into the same mistake: a false paradigm which assumes that the pinnacle of power resides in a human hierarchy with a few leaders at the top, the majority beneath them at the bottom base. To correct this mistake, we need a complete and accurate paradigm, common to all, not reserved exclusively to hermits living in monastaries, caves or mountain tops.
  • The General speaks of the Bible as being foundational to the Constitution and written into America’s very DNA. I would add that 8,000 plus years of I Ching wisdom is written into the DNA of China’s culture. Just as some would rip ancestral wisdom out of America’s DNA, some have sought to rip the wisdom out of China’s DNA. It needs similar restoration. Were each culture to restore its own traditions and honor the underlying, universal truth shared in common, everyone worldwide would benefit.
  • General Flynn says All this town [DC] has done is get us and keep us in wars. He asks, What’s the aberration. Is peace the aberration or is war the aberration? In response, here are two suggestive paragraphs from Rethinking Peace:

In I Ching context, peace is an inward state of calm that manifests as outward poise. External conditions will always be in flux. Therefore, looking for peace in the world is an exercise in futility. Internal states, however, are subject to self-governance. . . .

The sage takes responsibility for attaining inner peace. Inner quiet begets the attitude of confidence, which in turn generates acts of compassion, courage and generosity. World organizations which would impose military peace upon warring nations comprised of individuals each at war internally have no hope of success.

Respecting the constitutional crisis at hand, I defer to The Laws of Change published by Jack Balkin, a Yale professor of constitutional law. Striking relevance to immediate concerns will be self-evident.

BREAKTHROUGH is the initial answer to the question, “What should we be aware of today at the current stage of the ongoing constitutional crisis?”

Balkin calls the hexagram Biting Through. Keywords he lists include: Reform, Acting decisively, Administering punishments, and Doing justice. He comments:

The obstruction represents an obstruction to harmony or unity, and a corresponding need for justice or reform. Faced with obstruction, we must proceed with energy and clarity to remedy the problem immediately.

He continues:

This is not a time to be meek and pliant. Attack the problem with energy and determination. If you do not act quickly and decisively, the problems will not go away, and it may only become worse. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you should be reckless. Prompt and efficient action is necessary, but your action should be based on clear thinking rather than emotion. And it should be the result of careful planning rather than blind instinct. The best approach now is one that is firm but reasonable, fair but resolute.

* * *

After evolving through permutations of the third and fourth lines, the final outcome is SHADOW. Balkin calls this hexagram Darkening of the Light. Key words include Eclipse, Brilliance injured, Censorship, Keeping a low profile, and Hiding your feelings. He comments:

Here an inferior person is in control. An upright minister must keep in the background and hide his brilliance during a time of darkness and adversity.

He continues:

Hostile circumstances require you to accept the situation outwardly for the time being. But you must never surrender. Hold fast to your enduring values and to your ultimate goals. Remember who you are and what you stand for. . .

When the sun descends below the horizon, is does not disappear forever. It merely goes into hiding for a time. Anyone who thinks that the sun will never rise again has lost touch with reality. The same is true in your situation. Things will eventually improve.

Deceptive, censoring, complicit corporate media giants notwithstanding, it’s not over.

Born For Such A Time As This – IC – 122420

It is said we each choose the time of our birth. We come here for a purpose with a mission to fulfill. In the Bible, for example, Queen Esther’s courageous defense of her people, risking her life to rescue them from destruction, was inspired by sage advice. “. . . who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

A brilliant commentary on this passage expands on her uncle’s words, making them relevant to each one of us, here and now:

So why did you choose to be here for 2020’s challenges? What is your mission at Christmas time’s blessed reminder of hope, overshadowed by a crisis that threatens everything George Washington and his soldiers fought for as they crossed the Delaware River in the shadow of night on Christmas Eve.

Why am I still here? In Be An Instrument of Light, I offered the answer that works for me. It started with choosing to spend every last cent in my pocket to purchase a small lamp that seemed meant for me:

I liked the guitar motif, but didn’t get the hidden message for quite a while. Then, Click! I should have known. Being a string player, it was tailor-meant for me.

During my musician-yoga years, I’d actually outlined a book, The Body as Instrument: How To Tune It. Did you know that string instruments are modeled on human anatomy? They vibrate the same way we do, which explains our resonance with music. . .

In essence, my guitar lamp was an answer to unspoken doubts about writing, confirming the call to “be an instrument of light.”

Now, let’s look further. Why do you suppose Donald J. Trump, our duly elected President, is in place right now? In a recent interview, the honorable Lin Wood describes the immediate constitutional crisis in exactly the words I’ve used to describe 2020. The nation is fragmented. We’re being “torn apart.” We’re at a crossroads. Wood believes our President is the God-appointed leader qualified to meet the challenge, born for such a time as this.

Putting things in perspective, in the repeating cycles of time, this is not the first time around the historical clock. In the introduction to Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, I wrote:

In Passage 18, Lao Tze echoes the Bhagavad Gita’s premise, confirming the widely-held belief that from time to time, at the nadir of historical cycles, God incarnates in varying places and in different forms, for the instruction and deliverance of troubled truth seekers:

On a smaller scale, closer to home, each of us has the potential to be a hero in some respect, if only by becoming victorious over one’s own negative emotions, overcoming one’s doubts and finding the courage to do what is right.

In accord with timeless wisdom traditions, our President is demonstrating the courage to choose moderation over civil war. He’s shown the wisdom to forgive unjustly harassed citizens at this blessed time of year. Lao Tze had words for such leadership:

On Christmas Eve 2020, the night celebrated as the birth of humanity’s renewed hope, let’s draw the lines clearly. In the US, it’s not about Democrats versus Republicans, nor is it about Americans versus Chinese, Russians, or any of their allies. It’s between freedom and slavery, between lovers of Truth versus treacherous slaves of the dark side. It’s between the Republic and what it stands for versus global communism and all it represents.

President Trump, who honors and serves Christ, is behaving like an epic Taoist master. Walking the tense tightrope of moderation, he’s doing what’s right to both preserve the Republic and avert the bloody, self-destructive civil war our enemies would salivate to oversee.

Wayne Allyn Root has just published a book of praise called Trump Rules: Learn the Trump Rules and Tools of Mega Success and Wealth From the Greatest Warrior and Winner in History! It’s an excellent idea — as far as it goes. But our President’s greatness goes far deeper.

For example, celebrated constitutional scholar John Yoo argues persuasively that the President, with the insight of an historian, is the Constitution’s Defender in Chief.

Yes, he’s fighting to win, but with the fewest physical casualties possible. He’s steering a steady course with the hope of preserving peace and unity, not grasping for personal power. He’s a genius, allowing true patriots come forward and take a stand, while giving sell-out cowards time to show their hands.

FORGIVENESS is the original answer to the question, “What should we be aware of on Christmas Eve of 2020?” It 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.

Each sentence of this reading is a gem, worthy of a self-standing blog. It applies perfectly to the Christmas message, to 2020’s crisis as an opportunity release past mistakes, and to our hope for a better New Year.

* * *

Advice of Line 5 reads, “Respect from others must be earned. Right actions give self-confidence.”

Neither a bully nor a victim be. Others respect us when we demonstrate the self-respect to stand our ground. This applies equally to personal and political situations. However intimidating terrorist threats may be, acting in spite of fear and choosing to do what is right is the ultimate confidence builder.

When our actions demonstrate that we honor this advice, the line changes to:

ADVERSITY is a test of fortitude. When it cannot be prevented, the wisest response is acceptance. Use times of hardship as opportunities to strengthen character and focus on inner resources. Misunderstandings are likely to occur. Remain calm, take care of yourself and support those who depend on you. Avoid despair.

Again, each line is worthy of careful attention. In sum, the darkest depths of winter is a time of reversals. “Sages know that when critical mass is reached, regeneration is possible.” A light in the night sky appears.

But redemption is not instant. Christ was born when the priesthood of the temple was deeply corrupted. We are again at such a point in time. The potential of restoration has appeared. Perhaps we have been born in such a time as this to fulfill its promise.

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.