Category Archives: Change

We Share This in Common – IC – 101520

Today, we’re already under the influence of a super New Moon that perfects tomorrow in Libra – the sign that rules relationships. This includes legal justice as well as relationships with ourselves, family, friends, community, and Source.

FYI, it’s called “super” because closeness to Earth intensifies its affect.

Be warned, we’re in for another rocky ride. One astrologer foresees “a lot of butting heads.”

Another sees it as a day to “Expand your life!!” Yet another focuses on the higher octave, recommending in the midst of chaos and breakdown, to “BE OPEN To A Higher Love”

Then, of course, there’s Pam Gregory. Followers find her insights immensely helpful. “You are getting me through 2020, Pam. You are my #1 ‘news’ source and I’m infinitely grateful to you.”

She sees two major themes this month. First is “deconstruction of the old order,” establishment clashing with strident demands for equality. Second comes shocking, seismic events: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or political scandals.

Coinciding with this Libra New Moon, the U.S. Senate’s Supreme Court hearings have attracted unusual interest.

Now, I know some object. Astrology is pagan. It’s morally and/or scientifically wrong to pay attention to New Moons.

My answer: “It depends.” Natural Law is an integral (often overlooked) piece of the larger puzzle. Taken out of context, worshiped to the exclusion (or in defiance) of Source, Agreed. Not wise.

However, it’s useful to know about astral energy information for several reasons.

First, over thousands of years, sages have looked to the stars (not just planets) for information. Certainly, they were on to something important. They couldn’t all be wrong.

Second, whether consciously or unconsciously, no matter how immune we like to believe we are, planetary energies have a powerful affect on moods and behavior. It’s a primal thing we share in common, but have woefully forgotten. (Personally, I prefer be forewarned of “disturbances in the force,” the better to adjust and respond compassionately.)

Third, many follow astrology. Predictions shape expectations. Even when they’re silly, many believe them. So be aware of what people are thinking.

Fourth, again, knowledge of the middle, e=energy level of the Life Wheel is neutral. Its value, positive or negative, depends on the motives and skill of the user. Folks with Hitler-like motives are exploiting 2020’s dynamics to further their ends. They count on programmed, head-in-the-sand attitudes to get away with their schemes.

It behooves the spiritual warriors among us to be more skillful than they are, able to redirect and unify fragmented energies.

The I CHING READING

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

ORIGIN is the first answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of now?” It picks up where the last post, Where Do We Come From, left off and carries forward the theme of discovering inner worlds:

All people thirst to know the roots of 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.

Family and tradition represent the outer rim of daily experience; vitality is the middle, energy level of the Life Wheel which links surface with Center.

In 2020, the chief complaint of “not-enoughness” comes from a powerful thirst for deeper knowledge. Relationship conflicts at every level reflect a programmed, socialized disconnect from Source.

For those who avoid narrow thinking, ORIGIN changes twice. On a hopeful note, line three advises, “Let others know what you can do. Opportunities will develop.”

When the advice is followed, the line changes to DANGER:

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

The Book of Change has warned me of Danger many, many times. I’ll have more to say about this a month from now, when it reappears as a stand-alone. Here, the key is to protect against negative emotions.

The advice of the 4th line supports the 3rd. It hints at the way to explore new worlds. “Withdraw from activities long enough to rest and re-energize yourself.” Meditation, however it’s practiced, is an important counterbalance to 2020 conflict.

Heeded, the 4th 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.

This confirms what many of us sense. In 2020’s year of critical mass, situations are coming to a head.

Resources on the surface include family, friends and community. Deeper, they include emotional maturity, mental clarity and steadfast faith in Source.

NOW. When heeded, the changing lines combine to form a familiar outcome. Arrived at in a different way, it’s the same as last time: DEPRESSION:

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

Here there are two keys. First is Inner Strength, which repeats and reinforces the 4th changing line. Second is avoiding negative thoughts, the way to overcome Danger.

Depression too occurs on all levels of the Life Wheel. On the outer rim, it takes economic forms. In the middle, e=energy realm, it manifests as negative emotions. Deeper still, it registers as attachment to false beliefs.

Today’s take-away: rest assured, Depression will pass. In the meantime, benefit from its hidden blessings by exploring inner worlds, the better to return stronger, wiser and prepared to meet whatever may come next.

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.

Where Do We Come From? – IC – 101220

October 12th is Columbus Day, an American holiday viewed by many with mixed emotions.

It marks the official date when, in 1492, the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas.

What he set out to do was open a trade route to Asia. Instead, he discovered a whole New World.

In Journal of the First Voyage, Columbus described the three-month journey prior to landing. Crossing the Atlantic in wooden ships, the Nina, La Pinta and Santa Maria, was a harrowing ordeal:

Here the people could stand it no longer and complained of the long voyage . . .

“The Admiral cheered them as best he could,” he wrote. He also told them “it was useless to complain.” His mind was made up. He was determined, with God’s help, to go forward.

Ironically, on Columbus Day 2020, people of the world are again at sea, in the midst of a frightening journey, facing an unknown future, hardly able to stand it.

Now, here’s today’s problem. Americans once identified with Columbus as a national hero. We loved his vision and courage. But as the shadow side of cruelty came to light, we started to doubt our heritage. . . and ourselves.

Indigenous people got the short-end of Spain’s invasion. Should we therefore reject Columbus . . . and our heritage . . . entirely?

Or with compassion, should we shake our heads, knowing that as a law of nature, “Whatever has a front has a back. The larger the front, the larger the back.” Throughout history, the greater the venture, the greater its shadow-side of tragedy.

In duality, there are two sides to every coin. (Let anyone, on any side, who believes they’re exempt from the rule think twice, and then twice again!)

The I Ching solution is to go deeper within the Life Wheel, where all sides dance together as players in a larger story. In truth, our identities don’t depend on historical events, but on the eternal life we share in common.

Last week’s reading, OVERCOMING, offers a way to transcend illusory differences. Inspired music, art, theater and poetry remind us of a deeper origin, beyond race, gender, or nationality:

The harmonizing arts are useful tools for OVERCOMING the forces which block and separate. Inspired music, drama and art express the common light which guides all.

One example of inspired poetry to illustrate the point is Intimations of Immortality. Written by the 19th century poet William Wordsworth, it resonates powerfully with Einstein’s words. The illusion of separateness is like a prison, from which we must get free:

Similarly, the Tao Te Ching gives poetic life to I Ching wisdom:

In 1492, his crew rebelled against the terrible crossing. Columbus however, full of faith in God, was determined to stay the course. In the end, he discovered a whole New World.

Today, 528 years later, at another crossroads, the immediate future is painfully uncertain. However, those who keep the faith and accept the challenge of shifting gears to a higher octave will prevail. Ahead unknown new worlds are waiting to be discovered. The final frontier is within.

The I Ching Reading

Because The Book of Change isn’t taught in schools, it remains unfamiliar. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. The goal is to make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

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

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

Here, Flow is the extension of BALANCE, the original Fall Equinox reading:

Life flows to establish BALANCE among the basic elements of nature. Opposites clash and find a middle ground. Any imbalance in life will attract the opposite which restores balance. Waste creates want. Selfishness brings bad luck. Therefore, to stay in harmony with nature, remain moderate in all ways. Avoid extremes.

End-stage 2020 is awash in the consequences of extreme imbalance. Extravagant waste of resources — natural, human, and economic — is off-set by increasing poverty. Intensely partisan politics is off-set by escalating murder rates, scary scandals, and illness on every level.

Nature mirrors human imbalance with hurricanes, floods, and raging forest fires.

But resisting hardship makes matters worse. Instead, the I Ching approach to 2020 madness is to accept and adjust.

For those who choose to go with the FLOW, avoiding undue stress, there’s a change. Line 3 warns, “Be firm in separating from weaker elements of the past.”

I take this to mean that the imperialist mentality Columbus brought with him to the New World did not serve anyone well. To move forward into a better future, the separatist illusion of superiority must be left in the past, along with the limited materialist paradigm of empirical science.

Its warning heeded, line three changes to DEPRESSION.

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

I read this in the context of a year when the inevitable consequences of extreme imbalance have reached critical mass. They can’t be avoided. They can, however, be learned from.

For those able to hear, tough times are extending the opportunity to go deep within, discover quantum new worlds of inner strength and light.

Looking forward, DEPRESSION is part of a larger pattern weaving through the rest of 2020. So there’s practical wisdom in choosing to go with the FLOW. Decide right now to make the best of what’s available, turning it to long-term advantage.

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 CSBOC, or extras to give others, click here.

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

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

Gandhi’s Way Out of Madness – IC – 100820

Before going further, rest assured. I’m not a politician. I’m not politically motivated. What follows flows from a profound sense of responsibility.

That being said, here goes.

During 2020’s polarizing time of conflict and loss, the last thing that appeals is the urgently needed counterbalance. People are upset — angry, afraid and worried about the future. No one wants to hear about focus and meditation.

But it’s exactly when things fall apart, when it seems as if “the center does not hold,” that voices of reason telling us to stay calm are most needed.

Practical tools which help us “keep it together” don’t hurt either.

We need ways to cut through the noise of distracting, propaganda news.

We’ve got important decisions to make. As top priority, we need to know what our choices really are — what’s ultimately at stake for the future.

For example: missing the mark by a long mile, BLM’s violent agenda is anti-family, anti-freedom, ultimately anti-survival. Neither positive nor progressive, members fight no-holds-barred to shift public thinking to the extreme far left, dangerously off-center.

It’s a far cry from the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday is celebrated by us in the U.S. as a national holiday.

BLM’s goals are antithetical to King’s. Where MLK would uplift and unify, they polarize and fragment.

Now. Borrowing from You Are Already Enough!, this is what the madness of fragmentation looks like from the Unified Field perspective. The levels of the Life Wheel are thrown off balance. They’re out of synch:

MLK gave the world a remedy. In Pilgrimage to Nonviolence, he wrote:

Nonviolence is both an attitude and a strategy. MLK learned it from Gandhi, who was credited with showing the world “a way out of madness.” Gandhi, in turn, got the idea from the Yoga Sutras of Pantajli.

Yoga philosophy calls it ahimsa: nonviolence in both thought and action. It’s a commitment to not causing pain, mental or physical, to any living being.

Gentleness, the final outcome of today’s reading, is the I Ching equivalent.

It’s important to understand that the middle level of the Life Wheel where Natural Law operates is impartial. Unlike humans, energy doesn’t have values.

Energy simply IS. It doesn’t care who uses it, how or why. Anyone can harness it to any end. Like a docile ox or a red Ferrari, it takes the driver, without question, wherever told. Whether it’s used or abused depends on the driver.

Mao Tse-Tung is a real world example of abuse. He says in On Guerrilla Warfare:

Careful planning is necessary if victory is to be won in guerrilla war, and those who fight without method do not understand the nature of guerrilla action. . . Even in defense, all our efforts must be directed toward a resumption of the attack, for it is only by attack that we can extinguish our enemies and preserve ourselves . . .

With an instinctive understanding of Natural Law, Mao brilliantly outmaneuvered his enemies to become China’s ruler. The strategy was effective. But it was driven by shallow ambition, not love.

BLM street fighters have much in common with Mao. Using his strategy of guerrilla warfare, they’re gaining ground. But their ends are similar.

So at the crossroads of 2020, humanity faces a choice. Which path will it be? MLK’s way of understanding and cooperation? Or Mao’s road to genocide and tyranny? (BTW: Quitting in confusion — being paralyzed into inaction, is also a choice. It too has consequences.)

Think about it. Carefully. What future are we choosing for ourselves, our children and grandchildren?

The I Ching Reading

Because The Book of Change isn’t taught in schools, it remains unfamiliar to most. Like other knowledge arising from the “taboo” inner levels of the Life Wheel, it remains a mystery. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. The goal is to make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

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

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

Spot on!

Right now, it seems virtually everything has been spoiled. The economy, the healthcare system, school schedules, our social lives . . . even the course of the U.S. election.

The prospect of a Fresh Start is a breath of fresh air!

But hold on. Fresh Start may be the original reading, but it changes. It’s not the final outcome. Getting from here to there won’t be instant. Nor is it guaranteed.

Middle steps are involved. Two were introduced on September 28th in At-one-ment. The first is recognizing mistakes: owing up to the ways we miss the mark. Repentance. The second is self-correction: overcoming conflict and shifting gears to the Unified Field paradigm.

A third is Clarity, the final outcome of We’re At Critical Mass. Going forward, we’ve got to be crystal clear about our goals.

With this in mind, the advice of today’s changing 5th line is: “Demonstrate the ability to improve yourself. This will earn respect.”

Good intentions aren’t enough. Follow-through and results are required. The end goal is earning respect. (That would get a thumbs-up from MLK. ☺)

If the warning is heeded, Line 5 changes to GENTLENESS:

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.

Like Gandhi’s nonviolence, Gentleness is both an attitude and a strategy. Again, respect and cooperation resonate with MLK’s goals.

Now, don’t confuse being gentle with being a wimp. Far from being weak, Gentleness is a reflection of deep inner strength.

Gentleness is inspired by love. It blends thoughtful kindness with patience. Unlike Mao’s “attack and extinguish” guerrilla warfare, Gentleness avoids conflict. Instead, it wears down resistance and overcomes misunderstandings, gradually changing conflict into peace.

NB: On a final, hopeful note: today’s Fresh Start is at the beginning. It reappears as a final outcome at the end of 2020. Twice. First on December 21st, date of an exceptionally powerful winter solstice. Then on New Year’s Eve. So keep the faith. There’s a light at the end of 2020’s dark tunnel.

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 CSBOC, or extras to give others, click here.

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

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

Shifting Gears – IC – 100520

Today’s reading begins where last one ended:

At this crossroads, there’s a choice.

Either we can get sucked into the drama. Play out the anger. Drown in despair.

Or . . . we can use the opportunity of chaotic times to shift gears. Take a deep breath. Go within. Shift our minds to a higher level of consciousness. Change the way we think. Get better results.

The key phrase here is “SHIFT OUR MINDS.” What does that mean? How is it done? If there’s a shift, what are we leaving behind? Where are we headed?

Is a shift – a change in the way we think – really necessary?

Einstein thought so: “You cannot solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that created it.”

This needs unpacking. It’s really important.

***

Q. What problem are we talking about?

A. The problem of human survival. Einstein warned it can no longer be taken for granted. At end-stage 2020, we’re talking about conflict, within and without. Internal fear, anger and hatred is driving explosive external violence, tearing the world apart.

***

Q. At what level of consciousness was this conflict created?

A. On the outer m=mass, material rim of the Life Wheel. Conflict is the result of being cut off from the inner levels, separated from Source.

***

Q. At what level can the problem of conflict be solved?

A. At the innermost levels of intuition (Einstein’s good friend) and Creative Power.

***

Q. How do I get from here to there?

A. It starts with a paradigm shift, first personally, then collectively. Problems can’t be solved without a complete and accurate reality map that shows 1) where problems start and 2) the higher levels of consciousness where the Source of solutions resides.

***

As a matter of human survival, we urgently need to shift the way we think from the exclusively materialistic paradigm of empirical science to the Unified Field paradigm pictured below.

So. Here’s another picture worth 10,000 words. It shows that the called-for shift is one of focus, away from the M=Mass material world of drama and the e=energy level the emotions (fear, anger, and hatred). It’s a shift of attention towards the deeper realms where healing, solace and solutions are found.

So. How do I get from here to there?

Early on, my beloved teacher said it was my choice.“You can make it as easy or hard as you like.”

The easy way is to repent (admit mistakes) and atone (change). Increasing self-awareness with introspective tools, including scriptures and/or the Book of Change, helps. Meditation, especially Joe Dispenza’s dogma-free, science-based approach, is a fast track.

In each case, the purpose is to restore original UNITY to our lives. For this, we need to honor all levels of the Life Wheel. They need to be prioritized, aligned and integrated. Like the gears of a finely tuned mechanical clock designed to tell the correct time, they have to be in synch.

That’s the short story. : )

But then . . . . there’s the hard way. Sadly, it’s the path most often traveled – the fractured one of attachment, denial and resistance.

Another OA story makes the point. It starts with a man who sold a mule, guaranteeing it was a hard worker. But the purchaser returned it, disgusted. Wouldn’t do a thing.

No problem. The seller picked up a 2’x4’ and whacked the mule, hard, right on top of the head. Instantly, it perked up and did whatever it was told.

He chided the purchaser, “All you had to do was get its attention.”

It seems to me that, to get our attention, life is whacking the world with a 2’x4’. . . hard.

Since the vast majority has ignored calls to change that could have been answered the easy way, it’s happening now . . . the hard way.

The I CHING READING

Because we’ve never been taught about The Book of Change, it’s unfamiliar. Along with most of what belongs to the “taboo” inner level of e=energy, its ways remain a mystery, its value forfeit. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you. Let these bi-weekly readings serve as an opportunity to make what was unfamiliar more familiar.

The answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” is unusual in this way. For the first time in this series, there are no changing lines. OVERCOMING stands unchanged as the consistent, recommended way to Shift Gears:

The harmonizing arts are useful tools for OVERCOMING the forces which block and separate. Inspired music, drama and art express the common light which guides all. Community celebrations remind participants to cooperate in seeking prosperous peace. Rituals celebrating the changes of life affirm the unity of all beings. Avoid isolation.

The vibrations of music evoke and release emotions. Through resonance, inspired art touches and uplifts the soul.

When we immerse ourselves in any kind of creative work, however humble, the inner levels of our personal life wheels open and align.

Music is said to be the easiest, most joyous path to enlightenment. Sufi Inayat Khan (a master musician) wrote:

The art of music has been especially considered divine, because it is the exact miniature of the law working through the whole universe. . .

Exactly. Einstein most certainly experienced this mystery first-hand. He was a violinist, especially attracted to Mozart. When he got stuck, like Sherlock Holmes, he took out his fiddle. Music relaxed him. And inspiration would flow.

Like the I Ching, sacred art that mirrors “the law working through the whole universe” reminds us of our divine origins. It speaks to the universal truths we share in common, but too often forget. Here are variations on the wheels-within-wheels theme of life:

NB. A pattern is forming here. Today’s post builds on earlier ones, systematically, as if it’s all preplanned. Synchronicity at work. I look forward to finding out where it leads next. I hope you do too.

Collected readings 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 your very own copy of the CSBOC, to answer your unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others, click here.

Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change is a yoga-based version of the Tao Te Ching, the ever popular, poetic and practical expression of IC Natural Law.To order a copy, click here.

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

Einstein’s New Way of Thinking – 100320

In Shifting Gears, I called for a new way of thinking.

It begins with a paradigm shift away from empirical science’s focus on the outer m=mass, material rim of the Life Wheel, towards an inclusive Unified Field paradigm.

What does Einstein have to do with all of this?

More importantly, what does all this mean for our everyday lives? How is this shift in thinking demonstrated as changes in attitudes and actions?

Here’s the long version.

In 2014, I published “Einstein’s New Way of Thinking” as part of Rethinking Survival. It has been public knowledge since then, posted on this website by the same name, rethinkingsurvival.com

I had recognized that the three variables of his famous formula plug into increasingly deeper levels of the archetypal Life Wheel. The result is Einstein’s intuited Unified Field Theory, including the consciousness factor.

I was also familiar with the quote where Einstein describes the urgently needed paradigm shift. Here, I’ve taken the liberty of blocking it as poetry. This format highlights each important piece of the puzzle:

Einstein calls for humanity to adopt the world view of quantum physics. Why? Because each of us is an inseparable part of a larger whole. But we’ve fallen into the illusion that we’re separate from the Universe, nature, and other beings. We have to break out of this restrictive mental prison. As a matter of survival, we need to expand awareness, accept how we fit within Universe, and embrace all life with compassion.

Psychologists have taken up Einstein’s call. When I searched on “quantum psychology,” numerous sites came up. Far too many for today’s purpose.

So I’ll keep it simple. Dr. Joe Dispenza is the expert on meditation and quantum reality the world has come to love and trust. In Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon, he describes the practical benefits everyday people experience in their daily lives as a result of shifting the way they think:

With practice, students produce positive, measurable, tangible effects in their lives simply by shifting the paradigm of their thoughts and feelings.

He explains:

. . . survival emotions such as blame, hate, rage, competition, and retribution have resulted in an endless, unnecessary trail of pain, suffering, oppression, and death. The results have caused humans to live in opposition and conflict rather than in peace and harmony.

But timing is everything:

This is a pivotal moment in the story of humanity where ancient wisdom and modern science are intersecting. . . This is a time in history when we can break that cycle.

How? By changing our internal state of being. The result? A sense of wholeness, connection and unity.

In 2019, I published an edited version of “Einstein’s New Way of Thinking” in You Are Already Enough as this appendix:

APPENDIX I

The following section is lifted whole from Rethinking Survival. It was written in 2014 in the voice of who I was then, quite different from who I’ve now become. It offers another perspective on the same subject. I’ll let it stand on its own because the message remains valid and completes today’s work.

Einstein’s New Way of Thinking

Barring biological deformity, everyone everywhere is born with the ability to Think Like Royalty. Einstein exercised this privilege. Using time-tested methods, with discipline and determination, so can the rest of us. Partaking of our universal inheritance is a matter of individual self-control, not controlling anyone else.

The secret to thinking like a genius has been known for thousands of years. Yogis call it Raja Yoga. “Raja” is the Sanskrit word for “king.” “Yoga” means “link” or “union.”

Modern medical researchers correlate ancient teachings with brain science. Breath control methods balance, harmonize and stimulate the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This links the inward and outgoing qualities of intuition and reason. It unites artistic with mathematical aptitudes. It completes the circle of yin and yang. It makes of a half-brain a whole person. A new Adam.

On rare occasions, it’s possible to get the same results naturally or by accident, without being able to articulate the dynamics that explain one’s good fortune. Both sides of Einstein’s brain, for example, were fully operational.

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

For most of us, however, systematic discipline and interdisciplinary studies accelerate the process. Why is it so important to link the hemispheres of the brain? What’s the ultimate spiritual benefit? It opens up the two-way street of the “highway to heaven.”

As pictured in the Life Wheel model, it links the outer world of daily experience with the inner world of inspiration and guidance. It results in the ability to both hear and do. It makes philosophers of kings, and kings of philosophers. The best of both worlds are combined to achieve Plato’s ideal of a philosopher-king.

This heightened human ability actualizes the scriptural promise, “With God, all things are possible.” The emphasis is on “with.” For lacking Divine Connection, our human existence continues to remain incomplete, an empty shell of unfilled dreams – a mere shadow of who we could and were destined to be.

The ability to think like a genius isn’t a guarantee that life will always be peachy, however. In his wisdom, God the Father doesn’t always gives his kids whatever they want. We can always ask. But we may not like the answers. Nor, from our limited perspective, can we comprehend them.

But the facts of life remain the same: it’s a two-way street. Living on the surface, blocking out conscience and ignoring the center has awful consequences. So does rejecting the world. There’s hell to pay for turning the responsibility for government over to others. Survival depends on balancing and coordinating the hemispheres of the brain, and on linking the levels of creation.

The Life Wheel model pictures the viable, inward way out of endless revolutionary cycles which only replace one set of tyrants with another. Clever social theories and angry rhetoric make matters worse. On the surface of Wheel of Fortune, attempts at qualitative change are futile. The key is missing. It lies within.

Daily experience is often fragmented and noisy to the point of being life-threatening. Those who intend to survive need to step away from the fray to start over with a quiet attitude of truth- seeking. They must arm themselves the courage to follow wherever their conclusions lead.

This requires the ability to ignore distractions. Cultivating mindful quietness is essential. This is one of the benefits of working with the Book of Change as a decision-making tool.

Atheist intellectuals who depend exclusively on reason are at risk. They’ve forfeited their native inheritance. They’re so busy running around inside their heads that they get no deeper.

By blocking out inner levels with denials, they’ve become deaf to the still inner voice of conscience. But survival depends on the ability to LISTEN! Really listen.

There are many ways to meditate. Initially, dwelling on music, pictures or mantras may help settle the noisy mind. But going really deep requires more. It involves summoning up the courage to quiet the physical senses and delve deeper yet.

Use The Life Wheel a Measuring Stick

The Unified Field paradigm offers a contemporary approach to thinking in a holistic, integrated way. Here are a few basics:

No either-ors. A valid worldview satisfies both head and heart, intellect and intuition. If a belief system offends reason, it’s not complete. If it offends the heart, lacks compassion. or is counter-intuitive, that’s also not the comprehensive, positive way.

No more dividing the world into all good or all bad, white collar versus blue collar, jocks versus nerds, saints or sinners. Humans on planet Earth are complicated mixes of contradictory qualities that surface in different ways at different times over the course of a lifetime. No hero-worshiping. No scapegoating. Give the benefit of the doubt. Give people a chance. Hope for the best.

Keep the open mind, not closed. Relax. Take a calm approach. Work for the pinnacle overview. Work for moderation, with respect for all sides.

Step back from the noisy, conflict-generating approach. Truth-seeking is not a fight or a contest. It’s a search for what’s helpful and hopeful.

Look at the world around you with the fresh eyes of a curious child as Einstein did. Connect the dots. Look for underlying similarities. Ask, “How do things work?”

KISS. “Keep it simple, stupid.” Back to the truly basic, with an attitude of humility.

Thou shalt not adulterate. Don’t accept only what’s convenient and reject the challenging. Don’t tamper with the facts or the teachings, and never ever be tempted to spin (i.e., deceive either yourself or others).

At this point in history, the world’s belief systems have become adulterated, distorted and misrepresented. So accept that familiar, comfortable beliefs are inevitably an admix.

They’re approximately thirty percent TRUTH to seventy parts dross. So make it your responsibility to choose wisely. Cleave to the best. Leave the rest. Never, however, be conned into quitting. Don’t throw the precious baby out with the dirty bath water.

Dig deeper than vested ego interests and nationality-turf. Human survival has no patent rights. Don’t act on the false premise that because knowledge is power, it’s okay to hide it, hoard it, and make people pay out of the nose for your version of it.

Depend instead on the truth written in your heart, into your very DNA. The rest will follow.

Let go of intellectual pride. Release the baggage of fanatical attachments to one’s own ways and aversion to everyone else’s. Think deeper than social constructs. Both divine right and class struggle theories are man-made, self-serving static. They distract away from the heart of truth.

Seeing through the filters of fanatical extremes is blinding. They’re generated at gut level, not from head or heart. So settle down. SHUT UP! Think. Really think. Then ask, “Where am I focused?” If in the gut, look higher. GO DEEP. Like truth-explorers, travel to where the right answers are to be found.

No more us-versus-them, aligning with allies (right or wrong) and rejecting outsiders on the basis of national-political affiliation. We’re all at risk on the same endangered planet. If our misguided ship Titanic sinks, we all go down.

The real enemies are Dr. Who’s alien invaders and their agents. They’re embedded in every land, in every organization and every class, clandestinely working to undermine conscience and steer the human species towards extinction.

It takes a quiet focused mind to recognize who’s who. We’re never alone. But both sides are broadcasting. So be sure you’re tuned in to the survival station.

* * *

We’re at a Crossroads – IC – 100120

On the day of 2020’s fiery harvest full moon, the I Ching tells us direct, in its own clear and simple way, what professional astrologers have also been saying.

The initial reading CREATIVE POWER, gives new meaning to the slogan, “Power to the People.”

The first hexagram consists of all straight lines, representing the influence of heaven. It reads:

The source of life is CREATIVE POWER. It gives the clarity, determination and energy to endure over time. The thinker’s greatest ideas, a warrior’s strength and a father’s love are three examples of creative power. Another is the sun, which sheds its light equally over all, bringing seeds to life.

The I Ching’s first reading refers to the Source which abides in the Center of the Life Wheel. It’s the deepest meaning of the word power, lending its influence to expressions at the outer levels.

This image gives you the whole picture. It’s worth 10,000 words. A full book couldn’t begin to do it justice. The time and attention you give it will be the measure of value received.

The last time patterns now in the sky appeared was one of “power to the people.” Earlier, their gift of revolutionary change included giving ordinary people direct access to the Bible. Scripture had been exclusive property of the church. But now, the rest had direct access to knowledge-as-power.

With Martin Luther’s translation, they could read and decide for themselves. Acquiescing to established powerholders as the price of access was no longer necessary.

In 2020, the “power to the people” pattern is widening in scope. Monopolies on knowledge-as-power are being further by-passed. For example, Joe Dispenza is giving the methods and powerful results of meditation — formerly reserved to monasteries – straight to ordinary people like you and me.

Psychologists, notably Marisa Peer, are popularizing rapid, effective methods of self-healing.

We can research medical information online.

Less complicated, more understandable forms of astrology are arising.

Even the I Ching, once regarded as taboo or impossibly esoteric, is becoming available. The Common Sense Book of Change along with a yoga-consistent version of its off-shoot, the world-loved Tao Te Ching, are public-ready.

The reading below is an excellent example of how the CSBOC yields useful information, without the clutter of a symbol-filled zodiac chart.

For starters, here’s what astrologers say. Today’s harvest full moon is in Aires, a martial fire sign. The proof is a world is on fire, in more ways than one. The next four to six weeks will escalate to the dramatic peak of this extraordinarily intense and turbulent year.

WE’RE AT A CROSSROADS.

They see a choice.

Either we can get sucked into the drama. Play out the anger. Drown in despair.

Or . . . we can use the opportunity of chaotic times to shift gears. Take a deep breath. Go within. Shift our minds to a higher level of consciousness. Change the way we think. Get better results. The Wheel above shows the meditative path which can reconnect us with our inalienable, innate power.

Right now, intensely toxic times are surfacing the dark underbelly usually ignored. Astrologist Pam Gregory calls it a time of “deep purging.” The undeniable presence of ugly elephants in the room is challenging us to clean out the emotional, energetic – and political — swamp.

The clearing will happen, astrologers say, whether we choose to do so consciously or prefer to suffer through the process unconsciously.

The following reading shows that it’s possible to arrive at the same conclusion, on your own, using just a simple book written in plain English.

——

FYI. Full moon research took on a life of its own. Reporting at length here would have missed the mark. So I’ve published a spin-off. It lists links to a generous sample of harvest full moon videos along with comments.

The I CHING READING

Because we’ve never been taught about the Book of Change, it’s unfamiliar. Its ways remains a mystery, its value forfeit. As a remedy, I’m bringing the book to you. Accept these bi-weekly readings as an opportunity to make what was unfamiliar now familiar.

CREATIVE POWER, the original answer to the question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” changes twice to produce a second outcome.

The advice and outcomes of the two changing line along with their combined result is so rich in meaning that I’m taking a new approach here. I’ll make only the few points that stand out. Let them serve as a springboard to your imagination.

Advice of the bottom line reads, “Working quietly will bring best results now. Avoid showing off.” Flaunting one’s gifts is a bad idea, especially now.

When the advice is heeded, the line changes to TEMPTATION:

If unethical people or ideas enter the situation, recognize the possible danger of giving in to TEMPTATION at once. Taking a disciplined stand against evil can prevent it from taking over. Not every temptation brings harm, however. Decide whether cooperation would produce creative growth or destructive chaos.

I’m understanding that today’s world is rife with danger. We’re at the crossroads of which astrologers speak. The time to choose between chaos or inner growth is NOW, before it’s too late. Acquiescing to evil is NOT a viable option.

The advice of changing line 4 is, “Choose worthy work that expresses your own abilities and deepest aspirations.” I take this to mean, Remain true to your Self. Don’t squander the blessings of Creative Power. Honor them in all you do.

Heeded, the 4th line changes to 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.

Echoing astrologers, I take this to mean, Engaging in current chaos is futile. Keep your powder dry. Pick your battles wisely. This is a time to focus on inner growth. Wait patiently for the time when your actions can make a difference.

Combined, the changing lines result in GENTLENESS:

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, I’m reminded of a favorite maxim: “Resist not evil. Persist in the good.” Be like the wind. Flow like water.

I’m also reminded of an early post, Rethinking Power. Its Lao Tze quote underscores the importance of GENTLENESS as an antidote to strident conflict. In the end, it’s the most effective power available to ordinary people like you and me, who aren’t rich, powerful or connected on the surface of the Life Wheel:

Nothing under heaven is as soft, receptive and yielding as water. / Its gentleness dissolves the hard, erodes and absorbs the rigid. Thus, those who bend endure long after the unbending have snapped.

Last, I’m reminded of the invitation (veiled threat) repeated in Exodus. “Return unto me and I return unto you.” This is the dynamic, two-way process of the Life Wheel, first returning to Source, then completing the pattern by extending outwards, expressing Creative Source in the world.

Staying stuck on the surface is the first choice foreseen by astrologers. Turning inwards, returning to Creative Power, remembering who we truly are, owning and living it, is the second option open to us at this 2020 crossroads.

Collected readings 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 your very own copy of the CSBOC, to answer your unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others, click here.

Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change is a yoga-based version of the Tao Te Ching, the ever popular, poetic and practical expression of IC Natural Law.To order a copy, click here.

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

Links to 2020 Harvest Full Moon Videos

Research on the Aires harvest full moon took on a life of its own. Reporting at length in the October 1st blog would have missed the mark. So, for those wanting to know more about astrological implications of this crossroads full moon, I’m publishing a separate spin-off listing notable videos on the subject.

This sample of astrologers represents a wide variety of ages, locations, and personal histories. Each offers a unique approach. Even the video titles tell you as much.

British astrologist Pam Gregory is my personal favorite. She balances vast intellect with dignified sincerity, a sparkle of sweetness and deep love of nature. She applies detailed analysis of planetary and asteroid aspects to historical and political events.

A huge Joe Dispenza fan, she urges followers to use astrology as a tool for increasing self-awareness. At this crossroads of an exceptionally turbulent year, she advises listeners not to get caught up in the intense drama. Instead, focus on the better future now in the painful process of being born.

Pam recognizes 2020 as the long-foreseen “deconstruction of the old order.” Patterns repeating in the sky haven’t been seen since times of similar upheavals in Europe during the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

Year-long patterns are being intensified by the presence of transiting Mars challenging slower moving planets in a status quo location. At this turbulent time, we have two options. We can get caught up in the drama and repeat old mistakes — which would perpetuate the past. OR, we can shift to a higher level of consciousness, learn from ways we missed the mark, and create a better future.

She chooses a video title that’s simple and to the point: Full Moon in Aries 1st October 2020.

My next choice is an astrologer who supports ten years of professional practice with a broad background. Acyuta-bhava Dasa is the initiate name of this Bakti Yoga teacher. He was raised in the Midwest as a pastor’s son, though also refers to lessons learned during ayahuasca ceremonies performed in South America. Hhe’s married to a nutritionist and is father of two young girls.

He describes Mars transits in October as the most “monumental” time of a turbulent year.

His approach uses astrology to support yoga practice. Video content combines tech-savvy computer demos with quotes from scriptures both biblical and yogic. There’s even an occasionally mention of the I Ching. (Not my version. ☺)

Here, depth of spiritual conviction is balanced with a keen sense of humor. An impressive breadth of scholarship is off-set by devotion to family and compassion towards students.

 

The rest follow in no particular order.

Angel reader Melanie Beckler calls her reading 5 Things You Need to Know About The FULL MOON October 1st!

Melanie describes the full moon energy as a continuation of dynamics set in motion at the fall equinox of September 22nd. (Traditionally, the first full moon following the change from summer to autumn is called the “harvest” full moon.)

She focuses on the theme of balance, also the subject of my equinox blog, Bringing Balance. Using terms that evoke the Life Wheel structure, her comment reads, “The October 1st Full Moon in Aries energetically offers a key point of coming into balance and alignment with your Core Truth and highest self.”

Sarah Hall offers a Full Harvest Moon Angel Reading from October 1-15, 2020. In the comment section, she summarizes : “This full harvest moon will be ushering in an intense month of heated energy shifts. But, with the right approach, big healing and opportunity is possible!”

American astrologist Kelley Rosano describes the Aries Full Moon on October 1st as The GREAT RESET.

Mexican astrologist Nadiya Shah titles her video THE MOST IMPORTANT WEEK OF THE YEAR + Aries Full Moon Sept 27- Oct 3 2020.

British astrologer and tarot card reader Gregory Scott titles his approach Take control of your life! Full Moon in Aries 1 October 2020.

The header of Molly McCord’s YouTube reading is Oct 1 ♈ Aries Full Moon ~ New Light Codes Support Higher Healing Potentials.

Here’s an excerpt from her comment section:

October begins with a dynamic Aries Full Moon at 9 degrees that brings in new light and awareness to Chiron’s journey in your chart. The Moon is conjunct Chiron [retrograde] in Aries and providing an opening into what you’ve been healing, developing, and understanding about yourself this year.

. . . Mars [retrograde] in Aries is the ruler of this Full Moon, and he is frustrated by his ongoing squares to all three planets in Capricorn – Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn. . . . . The push-pull between what you want and where you have to ‘stay the course’ is real – but new concepts around Self-Leadership are emerging . . .

FYI, in Greek mythology, Chiron was a centaur – half man- half horse, half human-half god. (His father disguised himself as a horse at the time of conception). Apollo, the Sun god, fostered Chiron and taught him about music, lyre, archery, medicine and prophecy. He became a great healer of others.

Ironically, in the end, wounded by Hercules, he was unable to heal himself.

In astrology, Chiron’s name and symbolism is associated with a comet/asteroid discovered in 1977 by Charles Kowal. The symbol for Chiron looks like a key. It’s made up an “O” and a “K”, which stands for “Object Kowal,” the original name assigned to his discovery. It looks like this:

On October 1st, Chiron and the moon will occupy the same position in the sky. In astrology lingo, they’re conjunct. As both Pam Gregory and Molly McCord explain, the blending of these two energies — issues of Chiron and the moon — explain in part the intensity (and opportunities) of this day.

If you want to know more, most of these astrologers offer extensive newsletters, on-line classes, and/or personal readings.

At-one-ment – IC – 092820

Getting ahead of the story again, PEACE is the original outcome of today’s I Ching reading.

It isn’t the peace one usually thinks of, merely the absence of inner conflict or world war.

Far more, it’s the profound joy of wholeness, experienced when we’re deeply at one with ourselves and with the world.

It’s the state of being that arises when the pairs of opposites – yin and yang, heaven and earth, male and female, black and white, mind and body — are harmoniously balanced. This was the vision of seers, described in Hexagram 11:

When the forces of nature

unite in profound harmony,

heavenly PEACE fills the earth.

It’s the perfect message for today . . which “just happens” to be Yom Kippur, the high holy day of atonement. At-one-ment.

Is inner peace actually achievable? If so, how can we reach this blissful state?

Through repentance.

Before you balk, first check out the following definition. By my count, in two brief paragraphs, the key word CHANGE repeats nine times.

Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something. It has to do with the way you think about something. You’ve been thinking one way, but now you think the opposite way. That’s repentance — the changing of the mind.

. . . Repentance is a decisive change in direction. It’s a change of mind that leads to a change of thinking that leads to a change of attitude that leads to a change of feeling that leads to a change of values that leads to a change in the way you live.

Now, this isn’t a theological tract. Nor am I a theologian. Nevertheless, the implications are worth considering.

Given the amount of conflict, pain and suffering going on in the world right now, change doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.

Scientists and psychologists agree that our thoughts and beliefs create our reality. Creating a different, better reality starts with changing how and what we think.

In a world at critical mass, change has become a matter of survival. Einstein put like this:

By definition, atonement involves admitting sins, meaning “mistakes.” Sin is simply missing the mark, being off-target in our thoughts and actions. It’s focusing exclusively on the surface of the Life Wheel, out-of-alignment with the inner levels of experience. It’s being unaware of Source and acting without conscience.

So IF repentance consists of recognizing and correcting mistaken thoughts, words and deeds, THEN the reward of realigning daily experience with the inner levels of the Life Wheel is Wholeness. Unity. Peace, first within, then without.

Hint: working with the Book of Change is an excellent way to start changing the way one thinks. (It certainly was for me!!)

It gives us a practical way to align awareness and actions with the larger reality of the Unified Field.

We’ve not been trained to come to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’m bringing the book to you. Let these bi-weekly readings serve as an opportunity to make the unfamiliar familiar.

The original answer to the question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” is:

Profound peace is the gift of this holy day, Yom Kippur. Heart-felt repentance opens the door to at-one-ment. This option stands in stark contrast to what’s going on in the world right now. The final warning, “avoid disorder,” gives caution to widespread unrest.

Which is probably why today’s Peace doesn’t last; two changing lines result in a very different outcome. In the notebook, the changes look like this:

The changing line in the 3rd place reminds us, “Nothing remains the same.” The familiar world as we knew it, which we mistakenly assumed would last forever, disappeared in 2020. And it’s not coming back.

So we’re warned, “Avoid decay by changing with the time.”

Holding on to familiar beliefs and focusing with regret on what’s been lost is a prescription for suffering.

Our old ways of thinking got us to the point of critical mass. Clearly, familiar beliefs weren’t serving us well. So changing our fundamental beliefs – especially about change itself – is critically important now.

Creating the new, better world we want for ourselves and our children depends, a la Einstein, on improving the way we think.

For those who heed the warning to change with the times, the 3rd line becomes ADVANCE:

Shifting to a complete and accurate paradigm reaps rewards across the board. It’s especially important for leaders to understand this.

Next, the changing line in the 5th position focuses in on leadership. “The way to lead is to serve without pride.”

From long observation, seers knew that leading with ego-driven agendas ends up causing grief for everyone involved. That’s why, in the I Ching world view, leadership is seen in terms of service, not power or control.

For those who adhere to I Ching leadership practices, the 5th line changes to:

Today’s path of repentance and atonement — the one that leads to PEACE — requires clarity, confidence, courage and determination.

Patience is a key virtue in the I Ching armory. Like Peace, it stands in sharp contrast to the fear-and-hate-driven energies tearing the world apart right now. It’s a counterbalance to insanity. Let the practice of calm, kind patience be a healing salve to our gaping wounds.

Finally, the outcome of combining changing lines in the 3rd and 5th places is:

LIMITS brings us full circle back to the blessing of this holy day: At-one-ment: PEACE.

“To find peace within, reduce desires.”

Again, I’m not a theologian. But my first take is that the advice of LIMITS resonates with the teachings of attained seers throughout the ages.

It wouldn’t hurt for you to think through the applications of all this to your own way of thinking, acting, and ultimately, to the feedback you’ve been getting from the Universe.

I’ll be publishing collected readings 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 your very own copy of the CSBOC to work with, to answer your own unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others in need of insight, solace and support, it’s available here. : )

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

Keep It Simple – IC – 092420

I’m going to get ahead of the story by telling you up front: the outcome of today’s reading is WISDOM.

But it’s a very special kind of wisdom. The kind that comes from direct experience.

It’s not about traditional customs. It’s not about the dictates of authority.

It IS about connecting with the inner authority of conscience.

I said as much as early as 1975 in the Introduction to The Common Sense Book of Change:

Those who have become disenchanted with sexist, authoritarian and culture-bound sources of guidance find that The Common Sense Book of Change offers a viable method for getting in touch with the authority of inner conscience.

Between then and now, I’ve discovered a lot about the method in its magic. I intuited the connection between Einstein’s formula and the universal, yogic Life Wheel. This image serves to show how working with the Book of Change links the noisy, everyday mind with its central, eternal Source.

I also became certain that absence of WISDOM is the cause of so much that goes wrong in our lives, despite the best of intentions. We’re never been taught about Natural Law, most especially the Law of Karma. Operating “out of sight, out of mind” in the “taboo,” middle, e = energy level of the Life Wheel, they function as the gatekeeper between ordinary experience and inner conscience.

In Rethinking Survival,” I called this blind spot in public education a “fatal knowledge deficit.” Ignorance of Natural Law has led to the worldwide leadership deficit and related budget deficits.

There are NO comprehensive remedies to 2020’s madness other than returning to Wisdom. You can’t get from here to there except through that middle, energy level of the Life Wheel, the domain of the I Ching.

Since this isn’t the place for detailed explanations, I’ve supplied links to more information.

Before going to today’s reading, however, I will tell you a bit about why I wrote The Common Sense Book of Change and the unique value it offers you.

Countless versions of the I Ching are already out there. However, I had a problem with them. They layer universal laws with cultural agendas. They cloak simple truth in flowery poetic language, esoteric symbolism, and unnecessary sexist assumptions.

To my way of thinking, truly important ideas can and should be expressed with utmost simplicity. Einstein said as much. Occam’s Razor, don’t ya know.

Which isn’t to say the basic book is simple-minded. Quite the opposite. It’s oceans deep. It’s pure science, but in the original meaning of the word, “with knowledge.” Its wisdom is more inclusive than science of the limited, empirical sort.

For example, did you know that the hexagram’s open and closed lines correspond with the lower chakras of the subtle energy body? Or that they preceded calculus and binary-digital computer code?

Or that the Chinese pictogram of the book’s name closely resembles the DNA double helix? In fact, researchers correlate the 64 hexagrams directly with the 64 basic DNA strands.

In combination, these tidbits hint at why the book has had such a powerful affect on human consciousness for eight-thousand years and counting.

But, for most of us, it’s enough just to experience that it works!

So begin with the easy-to-read Common Sense Book of Change. It strips away irrelevant cultural trappings, expressing the essential ideas clearly and simply.

Granted, like other ancient books, it has suffered abuse. Sometimes it’s turned to selfish ends. But it wasn’t meant to be used to get what we want, or find out whether we’ll get it.

It can’t possibly tell us what the future will be. The future hasn’t yet been decided. It can, however, advise on the best ways to prepare for the future, whatever it may hold.

But the basic purpose of the I Ching is to return us to our true selves, to reconnect conscious Awareness with inner Wisdom. It’s pure divination, in the sense of invoking divine presence.

One final thought before proceeding. My teacher long ago warned me. I had a choice. Either write what people want to hear or tell the truth. The first will be popular. The second won’t.

Today, I see a third option. Give readers a user-friendly method for connecting with their own truth. Some will. Others will hear what they want. Either way, the door remains open.

Here’s the progression of the reading. Be warned. Synchronicities abound. : )

With the exception of an additional changing line, today’s reading is IDENTICAL to the 1975 Introduction, where I asked “What does The Common Sense Book of Change have to offer its readers?”

In both cases, the original answer is:

Fascinating!! From the very onset, the CSBOC’s self-introduction included the three variables of the Unified Field Theory: creative source (light), the patterns of natural change (energy) and the end results of linking the levels of the Life Wheel (matter).

The advice of the bottom changing line is, “Narrow-minded self-interest is not enlightened. Broaden your views. Include others.”

I understand it to mean that the universal patterns of nature are eternal. Awareness of them is to be shared; they can’t possibly be the exclusive property of a single group. Hoarding knowledge for personal advantage is a grave mistake. So is denying, defying, distorting or burying it.

The line changes to GAIN, which looks like this:

Now. What’s new to this pattern is an additional changing line in the second position, which results in a different final outcome. The message of the extra changing line reinforces and expands on the first. It reads, “You won’t benefit from using new learning for selfish reasons.”

It changes to:

It highlights the potentially healing effect of the arts in melting selfish resistance and opening hearts to wisdom.

Whereas the 1975 outcome emphasized GAIN, today’s final outcome focuses on the I Ching approach to WISDOM:

In sum: today’s reading reinforces the powerful benefits of increasing AWARENESS. “Human relationships will become smooth.” There will be a flowering of friendships, community, and restored respect for the UNITY of all beings inherent in the Unified Field Theory.

Wisdom honors the unshakable knowledge of inner experience and its gift of compassion.

The potential outcome is PEACE, first within and then without.

Every day the world is becoming more fragmented, chaotic and crazy. More than ever before, we urgently need restore simplicity, wisdom and unity to our lives.

Early in 2021, collected readings will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. What better place to announce this than with a reading on WISDOM?!

If you’d like your very own copy of the CSBOC to work with, to answer your own unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others in need of insight, solace and support, it’s available here. : )

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

A Taste of Sanity – IC – 092220

Last night, I felt like tearing my hair out.

I threw my hands up in despair.

“What’s the use? Why bother? I quit!”

Why?

Because the gift I have to offer the world could make the difference between life and death, human survival or mass extinction.

Yet no matter how often I post blogs, trying to get through to the public, they’re ignored. Or glossed over. No comments, likes or shares. The content is too far outside the comfort zone of the familiar.

Again. Why?

It’s because we’re brainwashed. We wear the blinders of empirical science.

By education and ingrained prejudice, we habitually filter out awareness of the inner levels of the Life Wheel, including the energy level upon which the Book of Change depends.

They’re “ruled out.”

Taboo.

In the context of the Unified Field Theory, the limited and limiting materialist world view looks like this:

Sadly, we’ve been rendered deaf to the inner levels of consciousness.

This explains why the vast majority is fiercely resistant to the Book of Change and its magical synchronicities.

Sadly, it also explains why so many remain blind to the extraordinary opportunities for positive change hidden, latent with today’s challenges.

Most of us forfeit the blessings in disguise inherent in today’s chaos: the I Ching way out of madness.

A la Einstein, whose formula fits so perfectly within the archetypal Life Wheel, expecting a positive result from repeated attempts to solve today’s problems with empirical science is INSANE.

It rules out exactly the sub- and super-rational levels of awareness where problems begin and where creative solutions are ultimately found.

Fortunately, thanks to the work of a growing army of authors (notably Wayne Dyer, Joe Dispenza and Marisa Peer), we’re becoming increasing aware that our immediate experience is the result of our thoughts and inner atunement.

As strange as it may sound, the way to change ourselves and our world for the better is to improve our thoughts and beliefs.

Our best hope for the future is to make ourselves whole again. It’s possible to integrate the full spectrum of inner light and energy with the tangible, measurable experience of daily life. Meditation has the potential to open us up, like magic, to the experience of UNITY. Wholeness.

Then, inner peace arises. Relationships become harmonious. We become extraordinarily resilient and inventive.

We’re not trained to come to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve chosen to bring the book to you in this series of bi-weekly blogs through to the end of 2020. They’ll serve as an introduction, to make the unfamiliar familiar — a first taste of sanity, if you will.

This morning, I queried my departed teacher. (Today would have been his 62nd birthday.) I wrote how much I love him and dearly miss his physical being. Then I asked what I should be aware of NOW.

The answer spoke to the frustration I felt last night. I’m publishing it here because it speaks to all of us whose hopes and dreams are on hold, whether due to social distancing, economic chaos, natural disasters or relationship upheavals.

The original reading was SHADOW:

The reading was dynamic, with three changing lines. In my notebook, it looked like this:v

The bottom line warns, “Only unselfish motives and moderate actions will meet with success.” It changes to BALANCE, the original hexagram of yesterday’s equinox reading. Given that today, the 22nd of September, is the actual equinox date, I’m smiling at this bit of synchronicity. The repeater confirms yesterday’s message. : )

The third line advises, “Build new habits slowly. Remain calm. Develop constant awareness.”

It changes to RETURN, which looks like this:

The top line offers hope. “Problems will fade. New and better times will come soon.” I can live with that. : ) It changes to BEAUTY, which looks like this:

My beloved teacher was telling me not to look back. No matter how beautiful time spent with him was, dwelling on the past isn’t helpful now. Instead, I should focus on building better times ahead – for all of us.

Surely the same applies to anyone focused on regretting what’s passed.

Finally, the combined result of the three changing lines is ADVERSITY, which looks like this:

ADVERSITY can be read in one or many ways at once, as you choose.

For many reasons, I’ve been under a SHADOW for more than a year. It’s due partly to the fact that the Book of Change remains in obscurity, misunderstood and unappreciated.

This fact has resulted in ADVERSITY, not only for me, but for the world at large.

Today I was advised on the best way to adjust. Accept hardship as a test of fortitude. Regard it as an opportunity to strengthen character. It’s incentive to focus on inner strength – an essential survival quality ruled out by empirical science.

Last night I was in despair. This morning, the final warning of ADVERSITY is straight to the point! AVOID DESPAIR.

The same goes for all of us.

The next installment, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 24, will expand on the connection between the Book of Change and the Life Wheel which embodies the Unified Field Theory.

If you’d like your very own copy of the CSBOC to work with, to answer your own unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others in need of insight, solace and support, it’s available here. : )

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

Bringing Balance – IC – Sept. 21, 2020

Today’s reading is a perfect example of timing – synchronicity, if you will. Because BALANCE describes the equinox energy of Friday, the 22nd of September.

Spring and fall equinoxes occur when the sun crosses the equator, making day and night equal in length.

In the northern hemisphere, September’s equinox marks the first day of fall, a momentary crossroads of balance before beginning the gradual decline into winter.

Many meanings are assigned to the change of seasons. On a practical level, autumn is the time of harvest – and storage, preparing for the winter ahead.

Spiritually, the fall equinox is seen as a time for gratitude and internal reflection. The cycle of seasons is associated with the cycle of human life, birth to death, as well as the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

Natural Law recognizes the world as a place of duality. Day opposes night. Summer’s heat and abundance stands in contrast to winter’s cold and hardship. Infinite pairs of similar opposites repeat everywhere, on all levels. Love – hate, peace – war, wealth – poverty, success – failure.

In this context, BALANCE emphasizes the vital importance of knowing when and how to moderate extremes.

Mind you, moderation is NOT non-committal, middle-of-the-road, boring blandness!

It’s disaster prevention.

Sages were keenly aware that, as a law of nature, every extreme changes into its opposite. Extreme passion lapses into disgust and aversion. Extremes of power, whether physical or social, change to impotence. Violent anarchy triggers opposite and equal repression.

They knew for a certainty that in duality, nothing is endless or timeless. So, those close to nature respect the survival implications of the equinox. They live moderately in times of plenty to prevent future times of hardship. Similarly, effective leaders exercise their power wisely to prevent future revolt.

Today’s Book of Change Reading

Whenever working with the Book of Change, to assure protection and attract benevolent guidance, we begin with an invocation. Next, we quiet the mind and focus intention. In fact, to get the most out of today’s dynamic reading, you might want settle the noisy mind a bit before continuing.

BALANCE is the original answer to the question, “What do we need to be aware of now?” But it’s qualified by two changing lines. In combination, these result in a second outcome, DEVELOPMENT.

Here’s the initial hexagram:

Given the intense toxicity of current events, the final warning, “avoid extremes,” is right on point!

For the consequences of polarizing extremes are upon us, full force. We’re reaping the rewards of imbalance — in the economy and in politics. The repercussions of unbalanced attitudes and lifestyles reverberate everywhere around us – starting with our personal relationships and social lives.

But at this pivotal moment, the equinox offers an opportunity to recognize the benefits of bringing balance back into our lives. . . . restoring harmony to our beliefs, actions, and relationships.

Next, the changing lines offer further insight. Heeding them opens possible avenues of change. In the notebook, they’re marked this way:

(If you have questions about changing lines, here’s a helpful link. In particular, see Section 11 – Method and Section 13 – Sample Reading.)

The advice of Line 5 says, “Do not confuse humility with weakness. Act decisively when necessary.”

On a personal level, I take it as a reminder to stand my ground with folks who take advantage of my gentleness. (“Don’t mistake this gentle Leo for a wimp!”)

On a national scale, it resonates with U.S. politics. For example, owning up to past racism isn’t grounds for allowing rioters to destroy inner cities. Two wrongs don’t make things right. Pitting hate against abuse of power doesn’t balance the scales of justice.

Line 5 changes to RESISTANCE. This dynamic repeats through to the end of 2020. I’ll let you decide how it applies to your own experience.

Then, the top line warns, “Take steps to remove flaws in your character. Exercise self-responsibility.”

This advice reflects a basic law of nature. Positive change happens only from the inside out, and one person at a time. Put another way, I can’t expect others to act responsibly towards me unless I first take responsibility for my own attitudes and behavior. That’s why Gandhi told us, “Be the change you want to see.”

This line changes to STILLNESS, another recurrent theme through the end the year:

Again, in perfect synch with the season, STILLNESS plays a central part in equinox celebrations. Practicing meditation is universally recognized as an important step to take towards removing personal flaws.

Also, though STILLNESS is the flip-side of RESISTANCE, both are offshoots of the same rule. Change happens from the inside out, and from smallest to largest.

For this reason, I commented on a video where Pam Gregory describes hellacious astrological influences over the next few months:

. . . after receiving “change” readings from now to year’s end (especially in light of this video’s info), I urge anyone involved in organizing worldwide vigils praying for peace to schedule as many group meditations as possible before the US election.

Rest confident. Even when there’s no physical way to change the world, by stilling the mind and achieving inner peace, we always have the power — individually and collectively — to make a difference.

Finally, when the advice of both changing lines is heeded, the end result is DEVELOPMENT. It looks like this:

In sum: nothing’s going to change over night. There’s no “magic pill.”

Take things one day at a time — consistently, calmly and gently (another recurring theme). Bringing balance back, first inside and then out, is the necessary way out of 2020’s madness.

Again, to repeat from We’re At Critical Mass: During times of polarizing extremes, we need the stabilizing influence of the Book of Change more than ever.

Working with this enduring, time-tested compendium of natural law brings calm reason and measured hope to apparently impossible situations. It shines clarity on current events, restoring perspective during times of painful confusion and doubt.

If you want your very own copy of the Common Sense Book of Change to work with, to answer your own unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others in need of insight, solace and support, it’s available here. : )

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

We’re At Critical Mass – IC Reading – Sept. 17, 2020

When I recently queried the Common Sense Book of Change, its answer clearly wasn’t meant just for me.

I wrote the invocation often used, “Beloved Father in Heaven, thank you for using this book to show me what I need to be aware of now.”

The response was CHANGE. It was qualified by two changing lines which, combined, result in CLARITY.

For those unfamiliar with how and why the magic of synchronicity works, there are plenty of explanations elsewhere. (If you want to know more, however, you’re welcome to comment below. I’ll respond.)

But here, I’m keeping it simple and to the point. Hexagram 49 speaks to the state of planet Earth – its people and ecology– right now. We’re at critical mass.

Worldwide, the pandemic has derailed economies, along with familiar social activities and intimate relationships. In the US, political candidates and supporters hurl accusations and vile insults. Agenda-driven media inflames public fear and outrage. Riots, arson, looting and senseless murders plague major cities.

And nature mirrors this maelstrom. The basic elements of earth, air, fire and water are out of whack too, plummeting countless lives into still further chaos, grief and hardship. On the West coast, forest fires fanned by high winds are charring the land and polluting the atmosphere as far off as the East coast. Along the Southern coastline, incoming hurricanes are flooding the land.

During times of polarizing extremes,

we need the stabilizing influence

of The Book of Change

more than ever.

Working with this enduring, time-tested compendium of natural law brings calm reason and measured hope to apparently impossible situations. It shines clarity on current events, restoring perspective during times of painful confusion and self-doubt.

For example, I Ching Hexagram 49 looks like this:

Even here, a ray of eternal hope remains embedded within dire events. “. . . when degeneration reaches critical mass, regeneration follows.”

Now, between last Easter’s blog and today’s post, it seemed right for me to keep still. But, as my beloved teacher said, “Timing is everything.”

Earlier, in response to the COVID outbreak, I queried what the Book of Change had to tell us about the pandemic. The answer suggested that nothing is what it seems; further, the best response is to focus on the opportunities hidden within immediate challenges – the blessings, however well disguised.

In the interim, much of what was hidden has surfaced. But as US elections approach, we’re reaching critical mass.

Now, the Book of Change reminds us again that even during times like this (which prophets over the centuries have consistently foreseen), a kernel of hope always remains buried within change. Likewise, modern astrologers also predicted 2020’s “deconstruction of the old order.” They see 2021, however, as prelude to positive new beginnings.

According to natural law, like fractals, change repeats on every scale of magnitude, smallest to largest. This means that the same dynamic of chaos experienced by each of us, is also happening at the same time to everyone else, everywhere else. It’s going on globally inside families, small businesses, large corporations, governments at every level, industry and agriculture, the professions of education, health, and law. You name it.

As an example, at the microcosmic level, here’s my unique version of critical mass. Beloved teacher suddenly deceased. After years dedicated to looking after his needs day in and out, I was cast out my home, separated from cared for pets and relocated, friendless, to another city just in time for pandemic isolation. The streets of what used to be a thriving downtown area are deserted. Empty. Feels spooky, like a ghost town.

What’s your version? Your family’s? Your community’s?

I’m not complaining, mind you. It could be much worse. Thankfully I’m safe. There’s enough to eat. But rest assured, knowing that predicted loss arrived right on schedule (although in unexpected forms) doesn’t make it any less devastating.

Ouch. = (

But, being immersed in I Ching wisdom, I know better than to resist, deny or take change personally. Nor do I despair (or should you!) that this dark night of the soul will last forever. A new day will dawn. Always has. Always will.

So, questions which I put to the I Ching remain. What’s next? Where’s this leading? Which choices will lead to the best of possible futures?

Each of us (including leaders at every level) can take hope in this universal law of nature: “. . . after degeneration reaches critical mass, regeneration follows.”

Glimmers of hope . . of regeneration . . are already emerging. For example, prayer groups have been organizing worldwide meditations where members agree to pray together at the same time for peace and healing. Perhaps not coincidentally, peace accords in the Near East have just been brokered by the sitting US president.

Briefly, changing lines in the third and sixth place of this reading support the option of least resistance, building positive community, and being content with doing one’s best. Intentional communities . . . whether online or on the land. . . seem the most likely hope of building a better future.

In this reading, the result of choosing the recommended path of cooperation is #25 CLARITY. In essence, it consists of holding a clear and prescient overview of what has been, what is, and what might be.

I could easily write an entire book on just this one reading. In fact, one on the drawing board — The Phoenix Response: Dying To Be Reborn in the Same Lifetime – will offer much more.

But the purpose of today’s brief blog is simply encourage you. To the extent we can see it, claim it, and work together to bring it into being, there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. To this end, as #49 advises: Welcome the new. Avoid short-sighted fear.

    Timing being everything — the gift of the I Ching that works like a cosmic clock — this post couldn’t be more perfectly timed.

    After deciding to post again after a dry spell, I checked the calendar. Lo! The 17th of September “just happens” to be the date of a super new moon, a time of unusually powerful, fresh new beginnings. It’s in Virgo, the sign of healing and service. If you’re inclined to believe in divine guidance and angelic support, you’ll appreciate Sarah Hall’s inspired description of the potentials now being set in motion.

    BTW, because no training in my early years supported a belief in angels, they used what I was familiar with to make contact. Mercifully, they’re not that picky. It was fine for the Book of Change to serve as my initiation into meditation and experience of angelic guidance. No problem. It doesn’t seem to matter to them whether they receive the credit. : ) So the book continues to serve anyone, anywhere who approaches universal wisdom with an open mind and open heart.

    Also uncoincidentally, Rosh Hashanah follows close behind on September 19th.. It’s the holiday when the shofar is sounded, calling the faithful to unite and shaking those who sleep into awareness. For those who’d like know more about these dynamics, here’s a link to a website that supplies details.

    Bottom line. From now to the end of 2020, as a counterbalance to current chaos, I’ll be posting IC readings every Monday and Thursday.

    If you’d like to know more about me or the IC, here are links to satisfy your curiosity:

    The I Ching and Me

    How the Common Sense Book of Change Came To Be

    If you want your very own copy of the CSBOC to work with, to answer your own unique questions at your own convenience, or want extras to give others in need of insight, solace and support, it’s available here. : )

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

    Unity & Inspiration

    The answer to my morning query (Tuesday, March 31, 2020) was so sweet – and so timely for all of us during this “interesting” time of challenge and hidden opportunities – that I decided to share it.

    I asked, “What should we be aware of now?”

    The first outcome was Number 8, UNITY. Three changing lines resulted in an outcome of Number 58, INSPIRATION. Both resonate with same theme: focus on the goals and deepest desires we share in common. This gives us the courage to continue.

    I’ll give the entire readings from the Common Sense Book of Change. This way, we can each take from them what we personally need to remember right now.

    Unity

    Recognizing within current challenges the time for unified action has the potential to flow into the following outcome:

    Inspiration

    I hope you resonate with them as do I. If so, please like and share to magnify its ripple effect.

    Rethinking Change

    March 24th marks the launch of my YouTube Channel, RETHINKING CHANGE.

    Here, I’m sharing with you the link to the Premier video, as well  as the script which appears below.

    Rethinking Change Banner

    Hello and Welcome to Rethinking Change. I’m Pat West.

    So. Let’s start right in with a riddle. Here’s a list of thought leaders in fields like:

    • Finance – Napoleon Hill. Robert Kiyasaki.
    • Science – Gregg Braden.
    • Healing – Joe Dispenza.
    • Energy Work – Donna Eden, Jeffrey Allen.
    • Hypnosis – Marisa Peer.
    • Martial arts — Bruce Lee
    • . . . . the  list goes on

    But here’s the question. What do they have in common? By the end of this video, you’ll have the answer to that question, as well as an appreciation for the value Rethinking Change has to offer you  and those you care for.

    As a special bonus, at the end, I’ll share with you what the Book of Change has to say about the COVID-19 pandemic. As you’ll come to find out, the I Ching is the foundation of energy medicine and Tai Chi. It’s the missing link we need NOW to survive and thrive in this intense time of extremes. I think you’ll find its message . . very interesting.

    You’re probably wondering by now, who I am to be saying all of this. Well, there’s a long version, because I have plenty of stranger-than-fiction stories to share with you in good time. But here’s the short version.

    I was trained as a musician. I played piano and various string instruments — guitar, a bit of sitar, but primarily violin. I shared this life-saver in common with my man, Einstein, who was also a violinist. It led me to yoga and to the magical, marvelous I Ching, the Book of Change, which maps the laws of nature, the repeating cycles of change which everyone everywhere share in common. For more than 8,000 years, it’s been used as a decision-making tool by leaders in every walk of life, all over the world. It’s used to bypass danger, optimize opportunities and to maintain balance in the midst of change.

    Psychologist Carl Jung wrote an introduction to the Wilhelm/Baynes translation. He taught us to use it as a tool for making the unconscious conscious.

    In 1975, I wrote my own version. It still works for me. My idea was, it shouldn’t be so tough . . and it should be made available to everyone. You can find it on Amazon. It’s called The Common Sense Book of Change.

    I’ve been growing with the book for over 40 years now, taking it with me through every imaginable situation to understand the dynamics that drive human behavior. It’s become a good friend and mentor. More than once, it’s saved my life. If you want to know more, you can check out my website, rethinking survival.com. You’ll find several related posts. One is “The I Ching and Me.” Another is “How the Common Sense Book of Change (CSBOC) Came To Be.”

    In the late 1970s, I earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration. From writing books to fill the shelves that weren’t there when I needed them, I went on to earn the credential to build schools to fill what I call the fatal knowledge gap in what we’re taught in schools.

    Basically, though, what you need to know about me is summed up in my latest book, You Are Already Enough: How Would Your Life CHANGE if you really Believed It? There, I give you my personal Why, How and What.

    Basically, though, what you need to know about me is summed up in my latest book, You Are Already Enough: How Would Your Life CHANGE if you really Believed It? There, I give you my personal Why, How and What.

    My WHY is to pay forward the extraordinary blessings I’ve received over a lifetime. I experience it as a calling. My HOW has been to write books, blog, give an occasional class, and now, to create content for this YouTube channel. My WHAT, the end result I’m aiming for, is to restore sanity to a badly fractured world, one person at a time.

    Okay then. The Book of Change is one self-awareness tool. The second is a spin-off. And here things get even more interesting.

    I came to it by applying yoga sutras to Einstein. Take the archetypal Life Wheel that repeats through all cultures and all times, well known to meditators. Then take the variables of Einstein’s formula – M = mass, E = energy, C = light – and plug them into the increasingly deeper levels of the Life Wheel. The result is the Unified Field Theory – including the elusive “consciousness factor.” Einstein had already received it, but for lack of yoga training, he missed it.

    02a. Unfied Field Theory

    Now. . . . just like the Ching’s repetitive cycle of hexagrams, this quantum pattern of creation also repeats throughout nature, on every scale of magnitude . . . smallest to largest, from atoms to solar systems. It repeats in every cell of our bodies. In Already Enough, I give pictures of this pattern repeating throughout nature and world art.

    But what’s important to emphasize here is that this isn’t just an interesting, abstract idea. The formula e=m2 has powerful applications, for destruction – the atomic bomb – as well as creation. We can personalize the Life Wheel to make it real in our own lives. We can use it to assess how we’re doing, to identify what’s missing, decide what we intend to change, and then to plan how to get from here to there. It’s a powerful tool. It can bring us back from an incomplete, fractured lifestyle into full alignment with our true complete nature, the original design of creation.

    Here’s just one picture of what wheel-work looks like:

    happy face

    And here’s my Why, How and What prioritized inside the Life Wheel structure.

    My Why, How & What

    So. The answer to the riddle I asked at the beginning . . is this. What all those thought leaders share in common is an intuitive fidelity to this basic structure, the quantum reality embodied in the Life Wheel. It explains . . for example. . the effectiveness of Napoleon’s Hill Think and Grow Rich formula. And so on. . . In You Are Already Enough!, I show that, just as Einstein’s formula plugs into the Life Wheel, so do the ideas that get the powerful results each of these thought leaders has achieved.

    Before moving on to the COVID-19 section, I briefly want to tell you this. When I was brainstorming for future video content, the list got huge . . . because the Life Wheel truly meets the Occam’s Razor standard of greatest simplicity with maximum inclusiveness.

    Once you start rethinking change, seeing how the dynamics expand and contract from the inside out, and how the levels of the Life Wheel link up . . the possibilities become infinite. It’s like, anywhere you focus the laser beam, it illumines the field.

    Here’s a short list of potential subjects:

    • The MPI standard – motive, purpose, and intent. (Being aware of what you’re doing and why.)
    • Abundance. Magic. Manifestation. Wealth.
    • Change. Change agents. Affirmative action. Positive Action.
    • Unity. The United States.
    • Conflict. Common sense. The law of Karma. Ethics.
    • Creativity. Intuition. Self-awareness. Self-actualization.
    • Relationships. Empaths and narcissists.
    • Interdependence. Cooperation.
    • Communication. Community. Intentional community.
    • Education. Higher Education. Paradigm shifts. And opportunity.
    • Authority. Inner authority. Conscience.
    • Medicine. Healing. Mindfulness. Meditation.
    • Codes. The Emotion Code. The Healing Code.
    • Stress. The suicide epidemic and its prevention.

    So, if you have any preferences among those topics or other related questions you’d like me to address, please comment below and I’ll do my best to respond. And please do take the time to like, share and subscribe, so we can get this urgently needed information out to a badly fractured world that – for lack of it – is in SUCH deep trouble.

    Now, here’s the COVID-19 bonus I promised you.

    There are many ways to approach the Book of Change. It starts with finding a quiet place and settling down the noisy mind. After deciding on a question, there’s a process for arriving at an answer. I’m saving the technical side for later. Today, I’m going straight to the answer I got on March 14th to this written question: “What advice does the Book of Change have to offer the general public about the COVID-19 pandemic?”

    The initial outcome was 14, SELF-POSSESSION. It looks like this:

    14 Self-Possession

    It seems to me that the general public expects leaders to demonstrate calmness, integrity, and fairness. We want them to give us a clear picture of what’s going on. Deep down, we really want leaders who inspire us.

    However, the initial answer was dynamic. It had two changing lines that offer warnings or advice. These combined to result in a different outcome.

    The advice from line four is “Do not compete with others. Use your skills to build.” It advises restraint and to avoid careless waste. So I would be concerned that precious time is being wasted, that this crisis is being used BY SOME as a political football, and that it’s possible resources being mobilized might to some extent be misdirected.

    The advice from line five reads “When you prove yourself responsible, others will trust you.” The shadow side here is that unless leaders prove themselves trustworthy, people won’t trust them.

    But even when there’s restraint and responsibility, the second outcome remains FRUSTRATION. This makes good sense. We have expectations that aren’t always being met. It’s related to the leadership issue, but just as importantly . . . we need to be aware that there’s a lot going on – hidden – behind the scenes. Things aren’t exactly what they seem.

    Number 9 reads: 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. “

    So it seems to me that right now we’re in for a waiting game. Getting emotionally caught up in the upheavals that have been set in motion would be counter-productive. To the extent that worry is a waste of time, refocusing attention . . . rethinking the change going on all around us . . . is a better option.

    So, the next question that arises is Where should we turn our attention? For one thing, I would look for the opportunities hidden within current dangers, because it’s a rule of Natural Law that in duality, there are two sides to every coin.

    It’s quite possible we’ve been looking in the wrong places for IMPORTANT answers. And that the Book itself is welcoming the pandemic as an opportunity to reintroduce itself as an inspirational way to access the deeper energy and light levels of our Life Wheels for a better understanding what’s truly going on – within ourselves . . . as well as in the world around us.

    NOW this opens WIDE the door to a whole new world. I will continue this thread in my next video, which I’m calling “Blessings in Disguise.”

    So, here’s what you can expect from now on. In each Thursday video, I’ll balance discussion with a hands-on reading from different versions of the Book of Change. The plan is to illumine key issues in terms of the Life Wheel pattern, supported by readings to make the Book of Change increasingly more familiar.

    Again. Please comment below. Like, share and subscribe. Hit the bell to be notified each time I publish a new video. And I’ll see you again next time. Until then, do take good care of yourselves.

    Hope for the Future

    My life quest started with a heart-felt question. A poem, actually.

    Because in early teen years, I felt a growing, uneasy sense of danger. I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong.

    But something sure wasn’t right.

    So I put ink pen to paper and wrote:

    Poem

    Since then, bit by bit, the Universe has answered my soul call.

    I’m moved to share my story because, as the world becomes increasingly more complicated and dangerous, more and more of us are feeling that angst.

    The time is ripe and ready for the answers I was given.

    This book is my way of paying forward what gave me help and peace of mind. If what I’ve been given to share does the same for you, my journey will be fulfilled.

    Long story short, my searchings led to this answer. The world is suffering from a fatal knowledge deficit. The limited and limiting rules of empirical science cut us off from who we truly are. Public education alienates us from our inborn native power.

    No matter how much we feed the illusion of lack with drug, alcohol, food, sex and violence addictions, we’re never satisfied. We can’t be.

    Because we’re looking in the wrong place to fill the deepest, universal needs everyone everywhere shares in common.

    We’re starving for lack of wholeness. Most of us suffer terribly from the illusion of being cut off from Source.

    We’ve been misled into believing that we’re not enough. We’re not smart enough, good enough, rich enough, attractive or lovable enough.

    Nothing on the surface of the Life Wheel can satisfy that gnawing sense of emptiness and loneliness. No amount of external input can help.

    However, given new and better information, negative beliefs can be changed.

    In truth, we’re already okay in a way that can’t be measured or quantified. It’s simply how we were made. We’re inherently whole and complete.

    “God don’t make no junk.”

    Know Where To Look - sized

    When we become aware of who we truly are, always were and always will be, we reconnect with our original, true identity. We come to Really Believe we were born already enough. At our central, unalienable core, we are divinely perfect.

    When we truly believe and act on that inner awareness, then no one can ever again sell us on the lie that we’re not okay, not enough. It’s simply not possible. And our lives change dramatically for the better.

    * * *

    This excerpt comes from the Introduction of You Are Already ENOUGH! How Would Your Life CHANGE If You Really Believed It?

    It’s the perfect gift of hope for the new year and decade. Now available on amazon.com.