Category Archives: Change

A Pivotal Time

GONG!!!!! 

Today, March 20th, 2023, strikes a gong of new beginnings on increasingly larger scales of magnitude.  

  • First, it’s a New Moon, the first day of a 28-day lunar cycle.  
  • Second, within four hours, it enters the spring equinox, regarded by astrologers as the first day of the zodiacal New Year. 
  • Third, within three days, Pluto, planet of transformation, changes sign, entering Aquarius, regarded as the abode of inspiration, innovation and upheaval. In sum, its duration lasts some 284 years. 

The New Moon is located at one degree of Aires, the first sign of the zodiac. The Sun and Moon lead an impressive line-up of planets and asteroids in the same sign, adding up to a powerful alignment of Mars-ruled energies. In the higher octave, it’s a great time for courage, initiative and vigorous, positive action. In the lower octave, look for irritability, belligerence and outright conflict. 

In the higher octave, in the northern hemisphere, the entry of spring bodes a season of renewal and hope after a dreary winter. In the lower, we’re in for lots of rain, mud and windy bluster. 

With Pluto entering Aquarius, we can expect, though not necessarily over night, radical social, economic and political change. Astrologers, for example, point to the French and American revolutions, which occurred early on during Pluto’s last stay in Aquarius. In the higher octave, it supported the overthrow of oppressive rule by monarchs in favor of individual rights and freedom. In the lower octave, it witnessed cruel bloodbaths, massive dislocations and widespread suffering.  

Compounding the affect, the United States is currently going through its Pluto return. It’s a time of massive rethinking. In this case, being in the second house related to values both social and economic values, great shifts in how the nation sees itself and intends to evolve are already in the works. 

It’s a momentous, pivotal moment in time, either for better or worse. How will YOU use it? 

My greatest fear is that, as a nation, the US might fail to learn from the lessons of history and simply mindlessly repeat the same old mistakes, yet again. For example, the revolution in France gradually devolved back into tyranny. Napoleon, who at first was welcomed as a hero, eventually crowned himself emperor — tyranny dressed in new clothes. 

Similarly, in the United States, the values enshrined in the Bill of Rights have devolved and are currently under siege. Cloaked in liberal rhetoric, the oppressive influence of socialism has undermined its institutions — from education and healthcare to the government and military, dangerously undermining the values for which the founders fought. 

My dearest hope is that we will learn from the lessons of history and do the Pluto thing better this time around the astrological block. Much better. 

This time, let’s seek freedom from the inside out, rather than the other way around. Let’s do it more mindfully. Less violently. 

Words matter. A lot. And freedom in particular is a powerful word, much used, less often understood.   

In the year 2000, I wrote a collection of 64 essays based on the premise that, over time, the value words of the English language have devolved to mean both one thing and its opposite. The Tower of Babel Dilemma. All too often, we miss each other coming going, using the same words, but meaning very different things, sadly unaware of the disconnect.  

From the I Ching, the Chinese Book of Change, comes the awareness that in duality, there are two sides to every coin. Thus, for each of the value words explored, one section was called “The Front,” while a contrasting section was called “The Back.”  

Here’s part of the exploration of FREEDOM, which we would do well to revisit at this powerful, pivotal time of change: 

THE FRONT 

Freedom is the state or quality of being free, implying exemption or liberation from the control of other people or arbitrary powers. It means liberty and independence.  

It implies exemption from arbitrary restriction or a specified civil right.  

It can mean exemption or release from imprisonment, or being able to act, move or use without hindrance or restraint.  

It means being able of itself to choose or determine action freely, at will, implying ease of movement performance or facility. It means being free from the usual rules or patterns.  

It can also mean irresponsibility, easiness of manner, or sometimes an excessive frankness and familiarity. 

Most people fail to recognize that, like peace, love and unity, freedom is attained first on the inside as a state of mind and being, only then authentically reflected in external circumstances.  

In I Ching context, freedom is a state of in-dependence, depending primarily on inner resources – rather than undependable, imperfect mortals — for guidance, protection and peace.  

The freedom sages seek is the cessation of negative, involuntary patterns of behavior. Breaking the chains of destructive cause and effect is a function of deliberate self-awareness, forgiveness and atonement (at-one-ment). 

Those secure in themselves dedicate their lives to extending the freedom they value for themselves to others without prejudice. Abraham Lincoln, for example, had the soul of a sage. He intuitively knew the basics of magic, and recognized the difference between black and white rules. He wrote, “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master.” 

In any case, while human laws might change outer appearances, they cannot change the underlying attitudes and beliefs that drive slavery. Nor is saying and doing whatever one wants as a puppet of blind impulse true freedom. Seeing through negative filters of fear, pride, or hatred is as limiting as literal bondage.  

When its people are disconnected from inner wisdom and out of touch with nature, though a society may call itself democratic, it isn’t truly free. 

THE BACK 

The opposite of freedom is imprisonment or slavery. This includes not only external, physical incarceration, but internal, programmed or self-imposed limitations. Ignorance and bad attitudes, along with negative emotions and self-destructive habits can be as addicting as tobacco, alcohol or drugs, undermining personal freedom. 

Recklessness and heedlessness are perversions of freedom. If a mistrusted authority says not to drink, smoke or drive too fast, for example, the first thing a rebellious teen will do to assert “freedom” is disobey, regardless of the consequences. Sadly, this is the hard way to learn the connection between foolishness and disaster. 

This time around the repeating cycles of history, let’s be mindful that we have free will, and use this pivotal time of new beginnings as the opportunity to choose wisely. Let’s learn to live in the higher octave, and get better results for ourselves, our loved ones and for the collective community. 

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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HEADS UP! 

Planet Earth has arrived at a powerful, critical point of change.  

Some will experience it as a time of beneficial, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities; others as an intensely painful, disruptive time, loaded with challenges to the familiar status quo. Whether seen as opportunity or challenge will, of course, depend on the eye of the beholder. 

In astrological terms, starting now through mid-August, astral energies are forming an extraordinarily rare triple conjunction with long-lasting effects.  It includes: 

Uranus, futuristic planet of vision and invention,  

the North Node, a point that defines collective human destiny, and  

Mars, the planet of initiative and action.  

It occurs in Taurus, the down-to-earth sign of wealth, commerce, agriculture and food-supply issues. An abbreviated Sabian symbol tells you the precise location’s significance in plain English: 

18° Taurus: DETOXIFICATION. Using cleansing techniques to rid the subconscious of toxic, negative residues from the past. 

The last time this exact combo occurred was 2,300 years ago. Then, it was marked by the world-changing conquests of Alexander the Great. As a by-product of his consolidations, trade routes between East and West were opened. Resulting cross-culture exchanges stimulated major shifts in awareness.  

Perhaps, just perhaps, once again, it’s time for a collective paradigm shift. 

Now I know astrology talk is foreign, even alien, to many. Which is unfortunate. For even predating written history, as a matter of survival, those who lived close to nature watched the sky, observed changes in the weather, and lived in harmony with cyclical seasonal change.   

Why is it so useful?  

Because those who read the signs know to prepare for shocks, storms and earthquakes — be they geographic, social, economic, or political. They’ll be the ones who ride the waves of change, balanced like agile surfers, harnessing the currents of dangerous times to reach a far shore safely. 

Whereas those who are caught unawares run the risk of being crushed by tsunamis of massive change, dragged down and under.  

Which option do you prefer? 

If you’re unclear about the place of astrology in the larger scheme of things, let me reintroduce the Quantum Paradigm. It images the Unified Field Theory which Einstein already had, but for lack of yoga training, missed. Plugged into the archetypal Life Wheel found throughout time, in every culture, it looks like this:  

The Quantum Paradigm is exquisitely simple, satisfying the standard of Occam’s razor — optimal inclusion, optimal brevity. Like a laser, it illumines the field wherever it’s pointed. Since today I’m looking at an astrological pattern, I’ll describe where astrology – whether solar, lunar or literally star-based – fits within the Life Wheel, defining both what it is and what it is not.  

Astrology fits exclusively within the middle, e=energy level of the Quantum Life Wheel. Along with similar ancient sciences of change, including the preeminent Chinese Book of Change, it uses symbolic language to map the dynamics of Natural Law. 

Natural Law (in case no one taught you this in school), is an extension of Divine Law. It’s distinct, neither a substitute for nor a threat to inner light. We experience its influence on the m=mass surface of the Life Wheel as continuous flux.  

For this reason, aware-ones intentionally link the m=mass material level of their personal Life Wheels with the Center. They anchor in the eternal which abides deeper than change to remain stable from within no matter how challenging life on the surface becomes. 

As subtle astral energies radiate outwards to influence the physical, manifested world, applications branch in many directions. For example, leaders in every walk of life query to see the big picture, make wiser decisions and get better results. Therapists read charts to understand personality dynamics and improve relationships. Financial traders analyze transits to anticipate fluctuations in the stock market. Farmers observe the natural dynamics to predict weather patterns. They plant and harvest their crops accordingly to achieve higher yields. 

Then there’s medical astrology. Again, it’s nothing new. Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, regarded it as basic science (a term whose pristine definition is simply “with knowledge”). The ability to read natal charts is essential to correct diagnosis. A quick glance allows the competent physician to recognize the difference between discomforts which are “transit-ory” and those which are chronic, life-long concerns.  

Would you be interested to know, BTW, that COVID came in right on schedule, along with the upheavals resulting from lockdowns and social distancing? Or that the U.S. natal chart reveals what’s called a Pluto return – a “breakdown to breakthrough time” likely to spark revolutionary rethinkings of the nation’s purpose and values? 

Looking ahead, I’ll give you another heads up. Globally, through 2022, everyone everywhere is at the midpoint of massive political challenges. Corruption that’s been going on for a very very long time is increasingly being exposed like never before, the better to be purged and replaced by healthier options. Astrologers who’ve long foreseen this period of purification are rejoicing. Sadly however, many caught unawares are left disillusioned and in shock.  

And according to astrologer Pam Gregory, “We’re just getting started.” She likens the triple conjunction to eclipses, which are also pivot points of change. Eclipses usually come in threes, moving direct, retrograde and then direct again. The most dynamic set of the year completes exactly on November 8.  Uranus, the planet of sudden surprises of all kinds, is a direct hit.  

In the U.S., it just so happens to fall precisely on Election Day.  

So let’s take a collective deep breath and center ourselves. It’s time to put on our observer hats, expect the unexpected, and set the intention to make the best of our “interesting” times.  

——— 

Patricia West’s B.A. is from Oberlin College; the M.A. and Ph.D. are from UW-Madison. 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, offering a magical antidote to post-COVID trauma and alarming increase in suicide rates. 

The QUANTUM SOLUTION

Two days ago, in early-morning dream-state, five thought-strands came together, weaving a symmetrically patterned design: the pattern of an urgent dilemma and its quantum solution. 

Here, I’ll identify the strands, then show you how they fit together, forming a single, coherent picture. 

First, I’d been rereading Harry Potter books, especially The Order of the Phoenix. In light of current events, it’s prophetic, equally dark and hopeful.  

Second, since Elon Musk dominated public conversation with his Twitter takeover, I’ve been watching past interviews. Musk, to me, resembles a Harry Potter-like hero, lonely in the muggle world of clueless humans. In a 2012 commencement speech, Elon compares leading-edge technologies to magic. He concludes:  

You guys are the magicians of the 21st century. Don’t let anything hold you back. Imagination is the limit. Go out there and create some magic. 

A patriot in his own unique way, Elon isn’t interested in buying out Twitter for financial gain. He sees it as an international public forum. Freedom of speech is at stake, and with it the future of civilization. 

The third dream-thread centers around another, equally unique patriot, Patrick Byrne, CEO of The America Project. He’s dedicated his life, fortune and sacred honor to sorting  out the unprecedented events of the last few years. Speaking at a Reawaken America Tour event, he outlines the classic, four-stage psy-op Model of Regime Change we’re now going through: 

  1. Demoralization. (politicians exploiting COVID, including lockdowns, masking and social distancing)  
  1. Disorientation. (lawlessness: defund police movements, antifa getting away with violence, intimidation and destruction of property; criminal lawfare) 
  1. Crisis. (election fraud; massive deception) 
  1. Normalization. (censorship, coverup, media whitewash) 

Though not always welcomed by fellow patriots on his locals site, I’ve felt compelled to add my voice. (That’s the final, fifth thread. More on this below.) 

The fourth, inclusive dream-thread is astrology, a core subject essential to Harry Potter’s magic school curriculum. It explains the timeliness of Musk’s appearance on the world stage, as well as the dynamics of exposing systemic corruption in which Dr. Byrne is engaged.  

Different popular astrologers look at various aspects of current events through their individual lenses. None is more comprehensive and strikingly accurate than the preeminent, visionary Pam Gregory. She sees the years spanning 2020 to 2024 as a period when corruption of the old order is exposed, expunged and replaced. In 2022, we’re halfway through this intensely dynamic breakdown as well as simultaneous breakthrough to an emerging new and better future.  

The death and replacement of corrupt institutions across the board has long been foreseen by astrologers. They unanimously agree that governments and their agencies, along with systems of healthcare, law, religion and education are slated for fundamental rethinking. This dynamic is ancient and cyclical. It’s the magical, mystical Phoenix Response of dying to the old in order to be reborn new and fresh. 

OVERVIEW 

The overarching dilemma, as Dr. Byrne sees it, is the looming threat of civil war. He’s adamant to forestall a mutually destructive clash between disillusioned, betrayed citizens erupting in outrage as hidden facts surface, facing off against entrenched powerholders clinging to the remnants of abused authority with the savagery of cornered animals. He’s found in history a successful policy of reconciliation and recommends it as a peaceful way to prevent no-win, self-destructive violence. 

The QUANTUM SOLUTION 

The fifth strand of my early morning musings is my take on the either/or options patriots perceive. My edited responses to the ongoing debate are quoted below: 

At best this [reconciliation] trade-off seems to be the surface of a well-rationalized strategy to buy us time, keep hard core evil-doers from pulling the plug in desperation while patriot goals are achieved, systems put in place. In the short-term, deals may seem expedient . . . the best option among many evils. 

However, in the long-term, because the root problem is neither recognized nor addressed, it will continue to mutate, metastacize . . . take on different forms with new faces . . . until the time when it’s finally correctly identified and rooted out . . healed. 

* * * * * * * * * *

I’m rethinking the “hill to die on” issue. Folks have different takes on what that is. Some want consequences for wrong-doers: justice, even retribution, assuming that would serve to prevent future repeats of current corruption. Whereas others call for a deal. Reconciliation for the sake of preventing civil war.  

The deep state and wall street are named as the corrupt bad actors who must be called to account. To repeat, from my point of view, they — along corporate and political “leaders” — are symptoms (puppets, products) of a more fundamental influence . . . namely flawed education systems, both secular and religious.  

Since no one (excluding mafia and/or cartel dons, perhaps) comes to positions of “power” except through the filters of educational institutions, the current selection processes rule out anyone capable of meeting the standard recognized in the Declaration of Independence: one intellectually & functionally capable of spanning the three interrelated levels of law: the laws of man, of nature and nature’s God. 

My ongoing concern remains that even if elections were pristine going forward, few political candidates or institutional leaders other than those who are products of the educational system that produces corruption (“turtles all the way down”) are available. 

Punishment/retaliation and reconciliation are two sides of the same dualistic coin. Both address surface symptoms, not deeper, root causes. What’s needed . . . in the long term. . . is a cultural, world-wide shift of awareness towards a higher octave of consciousness: a quantum solution.  

To restore Unity, first within and then without, we must first make the quantum shift to a complete and accurate Paradigm of reality. Conversely, so long as we as individuals and as a nation remain fractured from within, unity isn’t possible. Unless one is integrated — mind, body and spirit — and consistent in thought, speech, and action, any hope for true freedom is but an illusion.

It’s not necessarily different schools that are called for, but rather a shift away from the limited and limiting (fracturing) paradigm taught therein. It’s the prevailing knowledge (epistemological) paradigm which is corrupt. And corrupting. 

Further, leaders (educators in particular) urgently need to take into account the influx of (often uneducated) immigrants who are unfamiliar with the nation’s values, who lack respect for its history and have no commitment to its future.  

The face of American (and European) populations is going through major changes. Education must shift/change/evolve to include/serve the entirety of changing populations. The challenge isn’t impossible. Seen as an opportunity, it may, in fact, be a foreordained, astrologically foreseen blessing in disguise. But only if it’s taken into account. After restoring freedom of speech with the help of patriots like Elon Musk in tandem with securing election integrity thanks to the hard work of patriots like Dr. Byrne, that’s the mountain looming behind “the hill to die on.” 

The virtue of the Quantum Paradigm embodied in the Unified Field’s life wheel is that it includes, links and prioritizes the three levels of law acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence. Its elegant simplicity satisfies the standard of Occam’s Razor. It encompasses the heart of all world religions — the basics common to both the perennial philosophy and modern science. It is impartially inclusive of all nationalities, accepting without exception the common humanity of immigrants now flooding across borders all over the world, reshaping the face of the planet Earth. 

Bottom line: to have a United States existing within a peaceful world, we must first shift to a collective awareness and functional understanding of the inclusive, quantum Unified Field Theory which encompasses all humanity, free of unnatural borders. We must come to share a complete and accurate, universal paradigm which respects diversity on the outer, material level of the Life Wheel, exquisitely balanced and held together by a common core at the unchanging, eternal center of Source.

The challenge (opportunity) now opening to us as world citizens — our collective responsibility, not only to ourselves but to future generations – is, one person at a time, NOT to self-suicide, but instead choose the magical, mystical Phoenix Response of death to the old in order to emerge new and changed for the better . . . in the same lifetime. 

The Qualification That Matters

In Timing Is Everything, I made a request:

For those new to my work, just for now, please give me the benefit of the doubt. Let the ideas stand on their merit. I’ll post another blog soon giving you good reason to trust the validity of what I say.

Here, I keep that promise. 

I start with a quote from Already Enough:

By now, you’re probably asking yourself, “Who is she to say all these things?” In fact, I earlier thought there are others doing related work who are far better qualified in terms of public recognition to offer the Unified Field Theory to the world. Dr. Joe Dispenza, Gregg Braden and Bruce Lipton, for example.

Gregg Braden, in particular, seemed a likely candidate. He left a military complex career motivated by the same dread of nuclear war that drove Einstein. He asked out loud for the one thing which would persuade the world that life is far too precious to destroy in war. And I answered him that the Life Wheel with all its implications is that one thing he’d asked for. No response.

In another video, Braden described physicists having a problem in their search for the Unified Field Theory because they’re unwilling to include the “consciousness factor.” Again, I contacted him. The Quantum Paradim does just that, I said. It includes the consciousness factor and embodies that elusive Unified Field Theory. No response.

So it boils down to the story of The Little Red Hen. Remember Diane Muldrow’s classic children’s story? The little red hen calls for help in planting her seeds. After no one comes forward, she goes ahead and does the work herself. Just so, I decided. I have to plant these seed ideas myself.

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. from Oberlin College. M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.) I’ve published books. Early years are described in Who I Am To Say.

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.

* * *

OA’S CALLING CARD 

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

Yet never once did I consider earning a living as a violin teacher. The ones I worked with were way too narrow. They trained wrist and fingers. 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 didn’t major in music. Instead, 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. 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 the local pub.

* * *

All that changed when I committed to spiritual practice. Music had become an addiction. To grow further, I had to release it. Go cold turkey.

But by the time I met Old Avatar, I’d reached the end of my rope. I put out a call to the Universe. “Why am I here? If you want me to stay, let me know why!” I was ready. He appeared.

Being a worthy student quickly became the center around which I organized my life. OA had no use for a space cadet on board. I needed grounding. Temporary jobs got me out into the community, where I picked up a broad range of practical business skills to help build a new business.

As a hobby, I took the Book of Change with me wherever I went. I consulted it to think about how the organizations I moved through were run and how things could be done better.

Later, I took a permanent job working the overnight shift at the Wisconsin State Relay Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. In effect, it gave me over three years to read, think and pray during the long, quiet nights.

There was more than a little irony in serving the deaf community. The world at large, it seemed, was just as deaf to so much that’s going on.

And truth is way stranger than fiction. OA is, in fact, a Universal Avatar. This is just one of his universes. From my point of view, in meeting him, I’d won the lottery of life.

Lao Tze describes his influence. “The presence of true masters is only suspected.” His Universal Mind permeates the field. Those open to his magic respond and all is done.

For example, when he needed a better, faster computer, his design spontaneously appeared on the market. Popular movies mirrored his life story. Meditation teachers echoed his MPI standard: “Be AWARE of what you’re doing and why.”

* * *

OA’s way of showing affection was to gently tap the center of my forehead. This blessing always made me smile, received as a kindly reminder to focus. “Get smart.” “Remember who you are.”

When we spoke of commitment, he tapped my heart. His formula was Head + Heart = YES.

Which isn’t to say everything was always peachy-keen easy. Magical times were off-set by opposite and equal challenges. The Relay Center lost its contract. Staff was abruptly laid off. I retired to work with OA full time.

He was absent journeying through “Other Where” more often than he was fully here. It took a toll on his health. After a serious scare, he decided to move from Madison to a rural location. By that time, becaring him was my 24/7 calling.

* * *

The evening before Old Avatar returned home, he lovingly said good-night. Early the next morning, I sat up suddenly in bed, knowing I should retrieve a jewelry case long since entrusted to my safe-keeping.

Later, while roommates panicked after finding him cold, I quietly retreated to open the case. He’d foreseen and prepared for that moment. It was his parting blessing and inheritance.

Among other things, it held a solid gold ring, set with diamond and sapphire chips, engraved with his initials. As things got increasingly tough, I started wearing it on a chain close to my heart to get me through.

Now he speaks to me through all I read. The story of Anita Moorjani’s near death experience confirmed OA’s NDE. At age eleven, he choked on a fish bone and died. During eleven minutes of clinical death, he recovered billions of years of personal memories, as well as the vision of his future purpose.

From Dying To Be Me, Anita’s book, I took comfort in her deceased father’s assurance that his infinite presence is “here, there and everywhere.” Yes. Just so, OA’s presence continues to permeate the field.

Since his departure on June 1, 2019, every day fills, even without planning. I know to go here and there, find this and do that. But it is becoming increasingly clear that it’s time to organize my next Life Wheel.

In reading a Marisa Peer book, I took a hint from the story of Buckminster Fuller being at the end of his rope, just as I was right before meeting OA. Bucky had a mystical experience that pulled him back from the brink of suicide. A voice said to him:

You do not have the right to eliminate yourself. You do not belong to you. You belong to the Universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experiences to the highest advantage of others.

Through Bucky’s story, OA was instructing me to structure my next Life Wheel around converting my experiences to serve the higher good.

He was winking at me from the far side again this afternoon, as I had a hunch to look into Buckminster Fuller’s life and connection with Einstein.

I had to laugh when I came across this quote, “We have to work under incredible faith in the Integrity of our Universe.”

And again, “There is quite clearly the manifest of an extraordinary Intellectual Integrity operating in Universe. . .”

Yup. That’s my Universal Avatar, saying “Hello.”

I followed Bucky’s search for Universe’s basic structures and natural patterns, intuitively close to the pattern of concentric circles in the e = mc2 Life Wheel that repeats throughout nature and art:

. . . as we begin to get a little closer to nature, which unquestionably means getting considerably happier, we’re going to find ourselves getting considerably more efficient. And I just wanted you to be aware of that as I talk, and I talk about the biggest kinds of patterns.

Then I found this:

I am gradually exposing to you grand strategies of Nature’s way of solving problems showing you that she has principles that are operating in Universe.

Yes indeed. Bucky was intuiting (perhaps retrieving from the akashic library) the existence of the Laws of Nature encoded in the sadly misunderstood and underrated Book of Change which has served me so well as good friend and advisor.

So, yes, Dear Reader. Please be aware that OA is winking at you through the pages of this humble book.

It’s his calling card, his way of using me as an instrument of hope to bring the world back from the brink . . . one person at a time . . . starting with YOU.

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.

My Dream – 020421

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The starting point of the reading is:

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Path of Reason – 012821

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Path 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.

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.

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.

Choose Wisely, My Friend

THE EXISTENTIAL ISSUE

It is widely held that knowledge is power.

It’s also widely known that power corrupts.

This begs the important questions, What is power? Where does it come from?

For example, Eckart Tolle tells us about The Source of True Power. Consistent with the Quantum Paradigm, he speaks of an inner light that dispels the darkness of ignorance and human suffering.

In Life Wheel context, power takes on new meanings at each, increasingly deeper level. Energy, vitality, emotional maturity, self-mastery and spiritual wisdom are all pieces of the larger power puzzle.

However, in the empirical science paradigm, only the m=mass surface of the Life Wheel exists. The inner levels of e=energy and c=light are ruled out. In this world view, power is exclusively a matter of physical strength, ownership and control. All things — including human beings and other life forms — are simply objects to be owned, dominated and controlled.

From this limited perspective, world-domination wannabes continue to make the same mistake. Like the song, Everybody Wants To Rule the World, emperors of ancient China assumed their country was the Center of the world. Outsiders were mere barbarians to be subordinated.

Not to be outdone, in the name of Christianity, Europeans later conquered “natives” in the Americas, India, China and Japan.

Coming back circle, the CCP now seeks revenge, upping the ante of the vicious circle in spades. Trading on general ignorance of Natural Law, human nature and methods of self-mastery, they play on lust, greed, pride and fear to seduce, compromise and control their enemies.

What misguided rulers everywhere overlook is that civilizations are ephemeral. They come and go on the surface of the Life Wheel while the timeless Source of power abides deep within at the Center.

Real Genius, the 1985 science fiction comedy film starring Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret captures the contrast. These heroes not only think like a genius. They ACT like geniuses. Set in competition against each other by greedy professors and military leaders, they join forces instead. Rather than creating a nuclear weapon, they organize a hilarious, world-class prank.

True to the Life Wheel, lyrics of the movie’s background music capture the essence of this story. “Nothing lasts for ever. Turning our backs on mother nature backfires. Creating weapons of nuclear war reflects lack of vision.”

* * *

THE ULTIMATE CHOICE

Since knowledge as power has been abused to selfish, destructive ends throughout history, wisdom traditions must be continuously be repaired and re-visioned to overcome distortions.

The age-old power question remains. Which side are you on? Do you operate from the belief that Might Makes Right? Or from the understanding that Right Makes Might?

As end-stage 2020 is at risk of erupting into orchestrated civil war, the following image and pair of verses clarify the choice before us:

CHOOSE WISELY, MY FRIEND!

In fact, it’s okay – not only possible but wise, to make both America AND China great again, each in their own way. Greatness isn’t an either/or choice.

But believing any country could ever be the Center of the world is a different subject. It’s simply stupid. Obsolete. To place any country or person above others is a mistake that cannot stand. Not possible. Depending on the seriousness and size of that false claim, it ranges from silly to deeply dangerous.

One of countless variations on that mistake is saying, “God is great,” meaning “only my religion’s concept of God is great. Death to all who follow any religion other than mine.”

To repeat: God at the Center abides without prejudice within each and every one of us. The Center of the Life Wheel is the Source of greatness for any and all who hear and honor the voice of conscience.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Why are truth traditions, including the I Ching, out of fashion? In part, because knowledge is power, a commodity rulers want to hide and hoard to themselves. In pristine form, made widely available, access to Source made possible through wisdom traditions gives power to the people. For example, in the last cycle, Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible, giving it to the people to read for themselves for the first time, was a major leap forward.

At end-stage 2020, truth at every level is being systematically distorted, ridiculed and suppressed to keep ordinary Hobbit deplorables in the dark. Material facts as well as religious freedom are being ruthlessly suppressed.

But two wrongs don’t make a right. Because the venerable I Ching has been forsaken by the Chinese doesn’t mean Westerners should follow suit, imitating disrespect, tit for tat.

Correctly used, the I Ching, serves as a means for reconnecting the ordinary mind with inner guidance and conscience. Too often, people use it to figure out how to get whatever it is they want. Dilutions are endless. For example, The Art of War uses the dynamics of Natural Law to win in conflict. Whether your goal is to protect innocents from harm or to destroy them is irrelevant.

Many corruptions apply I Ching principles to winning in business . . at all costs. For example, Number 10 of The 36 Stratagems is called either Hide a Knife in a Smile, Conceal a Knife Behind a Smile, or Use Kindness to Hide Cruelty. Here’s how it’s done:

Act as if you are harmless or a friend in order to get close. Then suddenly attack.

Give gifts and send formal delegations of friendship. Sign treaties. Host sumptuous parties. Show every sign of respect and concern for them until they trust you completely (or at least enough for you to achieve your goals).

Make friends with their key officials who have important information. Make these more loyal to you (or otherwise bribe or blackmail them) so they will betray their employers.

Plot your moves in deepest secret and unleash them at speed so there is no chance for reprisals, counter-attack or other ways of defending.

Sound familiar?!!!

In such perversions, deceit, back-stabbing and betrayal come highly recommended as “fair game.” In reviewing Strategy 10, it seems the CCP isn’t the only one borrowing from the book to undermine elections. Either Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and media elites have been infiltrated and become weaponized tools of anti-American censorship by communist enemies, or else they’ve voluntarily schooled themselves in the corrupt, business-as-war mentality.

American patriots at end-stage 2020 who have been targeted by exactly this kind of dark-side warfare keep good company with Julius Caesar and even Christ.

How do we protect ourselves and those we care for? Is there a remedy? Of course. Cultivate self-awareness, deeper than deep. Read your Bible. Follow the Ten Commandments. Seek refuge in truth traditions in their pristine form. They trump superficial perversions every time. In the words of General Michael Flynn spoken to the crowd gathered in Washington D.C. on 12-12-20:

We will win the spiritual battle for the heart and soul of the nation. We are in a crucible moment. The Truth will prevail. We fight with faith and courage. We will knock down the Jericho walls of the deep state with light and truth. Truth will always triumph over lies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

This is HUGE. It can’t be understated.

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay the Course or Face the Consequences – IC – 120720

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At end-stage 2020, it’s Now or Never.

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

False Hopes End in Disappointment – IC – 120320

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

_ _ _

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respect applies equally on the macro and micro levels.

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

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

Advice heeded, it changes to Promotion:

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

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

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

Do our choices serve others?

* * *

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

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

Advice heeded, the line changes to Inner Strength:

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book reviews are less neutral:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

* * *

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

He observes:

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

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

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

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

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

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