Category Archives: I Ching

The Choice Ahead – IC – 111220

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

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

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

FIRST

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

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

However, a disruption crept into the great song.

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

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

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

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

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

SECOND

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

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

Like Melkor, they can plan all they like.

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

THIRD

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

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

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

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

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

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

The TUNE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He starts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ORGANIZATION is the initial answer. It changes twice.

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

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

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

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

GATHERING TOGETHER (ORGANIZATION)

Keywords

Gathering

Massing

Joining others

Assembling

Having a common cause

Holding yourself together

Pitching in

Cooperation between leaders and followers

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

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

MUTUAL INFLUENCE (ATTRACTION)

Keywords

Influence

Reciprocity

Attraction

Courtship

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

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

UNION (UNITY)

Keywords

Joining with others

Joining in

Rallying around a leader

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

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

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

OBSTRUCTION (RESISTANCE)

Keywords

Impediment

Trouble

Difficulty

Hardship

Hindrance

Looking inward

Self-reflection

Surmounting obstacles within

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let all of us think, choose and act accordingly.

Don’t Be Fooled! – IC – 110920

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This advice being heeded, the line changes to:

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

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

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

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

This advice heeded, the second line changes to Standstill:

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

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

Combining the changing lines results in this final outcome:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can You Hear Me? – IC – 110520

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cleary says of Travel:

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

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

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

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

He comments:

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

The Cleary version calls it The Cauldron:

The comment:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Listen To Your Heart – IC – 110220

The camp song I’ve been humming all morning divides into rounds. The first verse starts, “Listen, listen, listen to my heart’s song.” As the first group of singers continued, “I will never forget you. I will never forsake you,” the second joined in with harmony, “Listen, Listen, Listen.”

Finding the right title for today’s I Ching reading wasn’t easy. First I called it, “For God’s Sake, Pay Attention!” That was too harsh. So I softened it: “Listen To Your Soul.” But that didn’t work either.

Here’s the problem with both titles. For those operating on a paradigm which rules out the existence of God and denies the possibility of having a soul, they simply don’t compute. They’re outside the hearing range of the programmed masses.

But . . . even those who’re tuned-out to two-thirds of the Life Wheel still experience love. We are all moved — even if unconsciously — by the call of the heart.

If it weren’t tragic, the contradiction would be funny. Earlier, I described a conversation with my deep-boonies friend, Alice. When I urged her to pray before deciding which way to vote, she objected: “The clergy are just as bad.” They’re split too.

The option I intended didn’t register. I meant, “Listen to your heart of hearts. Listen to your soul, deeper than deep.”

Why the disconnect? Alice goes to church. At the same time she believes in science. From both sides, she’s been programmed to trust “experts” — not herself.

She can’t quite put her finger on it. Alice believes in Christ, who said he and the father are One. He told his followers, “Ye must be perfect like your Father in Heaven.” Whole. Complete. Unified.

But she’s unfamiliar with the paradigm which allows us to know and be true to ourselves. The Life Wheel pictures the way Christ is at One with the Creator, how we can be too, and why the timeless essence of Christ neither forgets nor forsakes any of us. Not possible.

Now, even without the benefit of astrology, former CIA operative, politics savvy and intentional community founder Pastor Joe Fox foresees extreme violence around the Nov. 3 election date. His advice: “bug out” of cities and suburbs. Take refuge in rural locations.

Certainly there’s practical wisdom in his advice. But . . . getting the hell out of Dodge isn’t enough. Ultimately, conflict is a matter of mind, not location. As the reading below suggests, long-term improvement depends on emotional stability and inner peace.

Living a rural life doesn’t guarantee enlightenment. Sadly, Alice’s fist in my face is proof.

The I CHING READING

IMPROVEMENT is the initial answer to the question, “What do we need to be aware of now?” It changes twice before ending with STILLNESS, the essence of meditation.

With only brief comments on the progression of changes, I leave it to you to listen to your heart. Decide how they apply to your immediate situation and needs.

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

We want our lives to improve! What would that look like? In the context this post, the worthy example to follow is Christ. Negative suggestions which prevent free expression of your higher self, come from the limiting empirical science paradigm. Especially when there’s no encouragement from others, look for inspiration from books of wisdom, including the Book of Change and Tao Te Ching.

The advice of line three reads, “The time is right for improvements. Others will assist you.”

Where in the Life Wheel are improvements most needed? Lifestyle? Finances? Location? Attitudes? All of the above? You decide.

Accepting available assistance, the 3rd line changes to:

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

This is probably what Pastor Joe Fox was getting at. Avoid physical danger. Stay out of harms way. When times are volatile, tempers are hot and risks high, keep unwelcome opinions to yourself. Keep your emotions under careful self-control. Adopt the attitude of a meditative observer.

The advice of line four reinforces line three. “ Strong action triggers strong reaction. For better results, pace yourself.” In the 2020 year of extremes, the pinnacle blue moon Halloween weekend tops the charts. Adjust accordingly.

This done, the 4th line changes to:

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

The weeks following the Halloween blue moon, US elections and contentious results are, inevitably, an unavoidable test. So the refuge Pastor recommends includes inner retreat. Take care of yourself and those closest to you. Don’t despair when crazy times peak. They will pass. Your choice is whether to emerge the better for enduring them, or . . .

With the choice to keep mental distance and remain calm, the combined outcome that begins with IMPROVEMENT culminates in meditative awareness:

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

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

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.

What Happened to Unity? – IC – 102920

After weeks of silence, I just had a call from “Alice.” A pleasant surprise. She lives deep in the pure-land boonies. In her neck of the woods, internet connection is – at best — intermittent.

We were cut off four times before giving up.

Though we don’t always see eye-to-eye, she’s one of my soul family:

Alice groused over the poor connection: “We pay much higher taxes out here. But we don’t get the same internet service you do in town. It’s not fair!”

What can I say? That it’s part of the UN plan? As a matter of fact, their 2030 goal is to drive people off the land. Everyone’s being crowded into densely packed cities where they can be tightly monitored and controlled by . . . .

I thought, but didn’t say, “Honey, there’s method to the madness of your high taxes and zero service. They’re meant to force your out of your home.” The big picture isn’t her subject. She resists what’s unfamiliar. So I let it pass.

The conversation turned to the election. She’s adamant it makes no difference who’s elected. Nothing will change, either way. There, I couldn’t disagree more.

She mistrusts the President because he’s uneducated. Huh? Street-smarts don’t count? Lack of higher degrees could well be an asset. On my part, much of what was learned at university later had to be unlearned.

Alice says she’ll depend on SCIENCE to decide. ARG!! The empirical science paradigm is exactly what’s blinding the world to the inner dynamics of what going on!!!

How can there be effective communication, internally much less between friends, when your operating paradigm rules out two-thirds of existence?

How can there be unity or comm-unity when the very paradigm that would support them is disallowed?

The biased, censored “news” that filters through shows us only what’s going on at surface level: political claims and counter-claims.

The incomplete, misleading paradigm of empirical science leaves us vulnerable to propaganda. Without wisdom tools to guide us — help us see through through the maze of misinformation — we’re easy prey.

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

I asked what Alice meant by science. It boiled down to self-interest. What’s in it for me? Whose personality is relatable.

I urged her, before deciding, to pray. I meant, “Be still. Listen to your heart.” But she misunderstood. “The clergy are just as bad,” she countered. True, though sadly, not to the point.

But she doesn’t have time for my posts. Right now she’s too busy. Looks forward to reading later, when things quiet down.

Honey, your later isn’t going to happen.

Today’s reading speaks equally to me, to Alice, and the rest of us.

Two components of Back To What’s Basic reappear here. Today’s reading begins where that one ended, with FAMILY. DEVELOPMENT returns, again from a changing line.

It bears repeating:

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

Without a complete, accurate paradigm, the family unit (along with its benefits) is collateral damage. No wonder BLM calls for its destruction. That would serve UN goals just fine. But it would end all hope of human survival — life on planet Earth as we know it.

With intriguing symmetry, the bottom and top lines of Family both change. The bottom line is associated with the root chakra, the foundation of physical form. The top line is associated with the crown chakra, the human link with divine guidance.

The bottom line advises, “Clear rules and guidelines should be established from the beginning.”

My take: The foundations of a positive future must be based on a complete and accurate paradigm where all levels are included, aligned, harmonized and prioritized. The family unit (the basic building block of society) depends on this bedrock.

With the foundation established, the line changes:

Completion is the result of gradual, step-by-step DEVELOPMENT. A calm attitude and gentle actions will bring steady progress leading to success. The only way to establish yourself now is to let things develop naturally. Giving in to strong feelings and acting on impulse would defeat your purpose. Avoid hesitation. Avoid haste.

Establishing a viable foundation is just the beginning. Thought requires action. Beliefs have to integrated into daily life and expressed consistently in all we do.

Next, we shift attention to the top line. It advises, “Rise above worldly concerns. Create good work of lasting value.” There’s more than immediate personal self-interest involved. The future is at stake.

This heeded, the first word of the bottom line’s change, “Completion,” comes to fruition. The top line changes to:

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

Just as the American revolution could not freeze the Founder’s values forever in our hearts, the faith and freedom they fought for cannot be taken for granted. They must be earned and redefined by each generation.

Accepting the responsibility to reinvent and revitalize our heritage, the combined outcome is:

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

Resistance occurs on every level of the Life Wheel. Physical tension. Political subversion. Emotional shut down. Mental denial. As a major 2020 theme, it appeared earlier. It comes back later.

Understandably, among us mere mortals, resistance to perceived threats is virtually universal. Sanctions against truth-bearers are horrific. (Ask Plato. Christ.) Though, on the other hand, it’s said that speaking and living truth has its rewards.

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.

Once in a Blue Moon OPPORTUNITY

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Once in a blue moon.” Technically, when a second full moon happens inside of one month, it’s called a blue moon. Usually, when people use the phrase, they mean “a special, rare event.”

As if Halloween on the Saturday before U.S. elections doesn’t add enough chaos to this crazy month, October 31st is also a blue moon. And NOT just any, ordinary blue moon.

Astrologers are raving about the 31st’s once-in-64-years connection of a hyper-emotional moon (said to represent the people) with rebel Uranus. Worse are eruptive asteroid energies, not to mention challenging squares of Mars and Mercury to the Capricorn trio which has plagued 2020.

They foresee family strife, neighbors at each others throats, and street riots. That’s why I decided to publish early. Days before the actual date, this explosive energy is already in affect. And it will be felt days afterwards.

So be forewarned. “Step back.” Don’t get sucked into the astral maelstrom. It will pass.

I know most disregard astrology. This works to the advantage of those who use it to manipulate us towards self-destruction.

This morning, I woke up with a follow-up to the DM sent to Steve Bannon:

STEVE: Pay attention. Harris & Biden are expendables; must ask “Who is using them, to what long-term end?” A multi-level chess game is in play. To succeed, look deeper, see whole picture.

This one went to Sebastian Gorka, a long-time co-worker:

Dr. G. Right/Left being played against each other, all expendable. Sun Tze manipulators operate on multi-level chess board. UN 2030 plans are advanced by Left/BLM exploding against Trump, obliging martial law.

When I watch Dr. G videos, I smile at the Sun Tze license plate behind him. I don’t know whether he knows, but The Art of War is a spin-off of the I Ching. So is Lao Tze’s Tao Te Ching. In my last post, I recommended balancing yang, disruptor energy with yin love for family. Today, I urge balancing Art of War strategy with Tao Te Ching wisdom.

Passage 60 sums up the longer response to today’s I Ching question, ““How can leaders successfully counter Left and Right factions being played against each other?”

Now, in the dark-side scheme of things, anyone you see on the news is small fry. This includes politicians, fake news and social media giants, as well as BLM.. They’re the ones whom Lao Tze would forgive. They’re puppets who know not what they do, blinded-sided as are the rest of us, by a false paradigm that rules out two-thirds of life.

To the higher ups who hide, invisible, inside the Life Wheel, it doesn’t matter a fig who wins the election. They win either way. They welcome political discord and violence in the streets. It leads to what they want: martial law and, eventually, world domination.

Why, then, do I call this blue moon an opportunity?

Because it offers a fork in the road, We have a choice. The low-level 3D option — intense drama — serves the dark lords. Shocking news. Secrets being revealed. Confusing claims and counter-claims. Anger and rebellion.

The 5D road, however, leads to transformation. Where lower-octave of Uranus is disruptive, in the higher octave, Uranus is linked with Truth. It’s the piercing sword of clarity. Dark strategies are being exposed to the light of day, where the people now can see them clearly.

We are being offered a higher road: the Phoenix response. We have the option to rise out of the ashes of a world in disarray to be reborn, better than before.

For reasons astrologers explain in detail, the gift of this blue moon is a rare opportunity to shift gears, entering a higher level of awareness, one of WISDOM with its many facets: love, joy, mercy, compassion, gratitude, and above all, forgiveness.

I would LOVE to give dark-side schemers a huge Halloween surprise. Instead giving them what they expect — returning violence with even worse of the same — let leaders opt for the wisdom strategy. Let them act wisely, with moderation and restraint, to bring all sides into balance, restoring Unity to the United States.

It’s a long shot, I know. But the reading below suggests it’s possible.

The I CHING READING

Today, for the most part, I’m letting the message stand on its own, leaving you to understand its meaning.

BALANCE, often translated as Moderation, is the initial answer to today’s question, ““How can leaders successfully counter Left and Right factions being played against each other?”

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.

This is an unusually dynamic reading with changing lines in the first, second, third and fifth places. In sum, I’m understanding that tit-for-tat, reactive exchanges of anger would make things worse and fuel dark-side goals.

Commitment to a long-term process wins in the end. Each changing line reinforces the call for moderation: restricting use of force to bare minimum. Avoid extremes. Over-kill would be disastrous.

—

The bottom line advises, “Go about your work quietly. Modest action accomplishes much.” It changes to Shadow:

Like the sun covered over by clouds, your hopes may fall under a SHADOW for awhile. You may feel cut off from others, who will not show sympathy for what you have to say. Even when it is best to remain silent, do not give up your ideals. Avoid anger.

Keeping a low profile when misunderstood is the lesser of many evils. Avoid anger. Quietly stay the course.

—

Advice of line two reads, “Moderate, persistent activity is required for a successful outcome now.” It changes to:

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

Again, when political opponents rage, throwing tantrums, don’t waiver. Earn public respect by holding fast to the high ground.

—

Advice of line three reads, “Finishing what has been started wins the respect of others.” This may include protecting the Constitution, keeping to the Founders’ vision. Again, this earns public respect. Heeded, line three changes to:

OPENNESS completes Creative Power. Just as the mother gives birth to the child of the father’s seed, remaining open makes it possible to create new forms from pure idea. Remain in harmony with nature. In this frame of mind, much can be accomplished easily. Avoid holding on to rigid beliefs.

Keep a clear mind in the midst of 3D chaos. Open minds to all levels of the quantum paradigm. Replace the false paradigm which rules out two-thirds of experience.

—

Advice of line five reads, “Do not confuse humility with weakness. Act decisively when necessary.”

No wimps allowed. Decisiveness is also required to earn respect. However:

The 5th line changes to:

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

People’s minds are closed because the limited, limiting paradigm of empirical science rules out two-thirds of experience. Overcoming mental blocks [OPENNESS] starts with restoring a complete and accurate paradigm.

—

The final outcome is the reading that results from four changing lines:

To get work done, put LIMITS on the way time and energy are used. To find peace within, reduce desires. To get along with others, do not make unrealistic demands. Pruning plants helps them to grow. In the same way, defining boundaries creates needed order in life. Avoid frustrating restrictions.

Again, there’s practical wisdom as well as compassion in forgiving those who know not what they do. Save your wrath for those who intentionally undermine humanity. And leave judgment, inevitable and sure, to the Creator from whom no one can hide.

—

Unfortunately, this has been hastily written, the sooner to get it out to you. Let it serve to trigger wisdom within. May it protect you from the worst of possible outcomes during yet another peak crescendo in the dark music of 2020 chaos.

Back to What’s Basic – IC – 102620

An unseasonal storm crashed through the area overnight. Violent thunder and lightening interrupted my plans to watch the final presidential debate. I had to turn off the computer.

Echoing a recent post on DISTURBANCE in the Force, the Universe was sending a message. What was it?

The crash bang storm was on the mark. But the reading on the drawing board for today begins with its opposite, GENTLENESS.

Then, preparing breakfast, I stopped in my tracks. “That’s it!”

Leaving food untouched, I turned the computer back on. Looked up Steve Bannon at Citizens of the American Republic and sent a direct Twitter message.

Now, why the interest in Bannon? Steve is attuned to the wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy-truer-than-fact. He’s shouldered the Hobbit role of faithful Sam, loyal friend of Frodo, the ring wearer – a/k/a President Trump.

They’re emerging as the heroes foreseen by the Tao Te Ching. Passage 18 describes the critical mass humanity has arrived at . . . yet again.

Without asking why, I did as I knew I should, writing:

STEVE: Pay attention. Harris & Biden are expendables; must ask “Who is using them, to what long-term end?” A multi-level chess game is in play. To succeed, look deeper, see whole picture. All best.

Since plans for this morning were shot, I checked out his website. The term “disruptor” caught my attention.

What’s that? The internet tells me disruptors bring innovations to technology or how service is delivered. Computers replaced typewriters, etc.

Trump defenders see themselves as disruptors of the entrenched swamp’s corruption. Back to the basics upon which our Republic was founded. Integrity. Decency. Faith.

My job? Emphasize that their disruptions go far deeper than political misconduct. They’re throwing a wrench in the UN’s goal of world-domination. Still deeper, they pose a threat to the dark forces driving 2030 plans to dehumanize the planet.

Point out the problem with their strategy. While their extreme-yang warrior approach is vitally necessary, it’s not sufficient. It exposes but cannot heal 2020 madness. The facts of systemic corruption are just that. Mere facts.

To a culturally conditioned public (politicians and media included), ugly acts simply don’t compute. Nor is it enough simply to get rid of ignorant puppets who know not what they do.

In the long-term, what needs replacing is the underlying, false paradigm that drives corruption. The operating system, if you will.

The significant change, shifting gears, is a return to the timeless basics represented in the Unified Field Theory, to the archetypal Life Wheel which embodies a paradigm equally consistent with enduring religions and quantum physics.

It maps the deeper levels of the chess game which underpin the war for human survival, the fight to which Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Sebastian Gorka et. al. have, in essence, pledged their fortunes and sacred honor. They know they’re fighting for more than just for a presidency, or even a way of life. Our very souls are on the line.

To win this war, defenders must focus on what ultimately matters. Remind the world not only of what’s wrong, but of what’s really at stake. Above all, urge followers to listen to their hearts. Remember the love on every level. Love of God, of family and of country.

Point to the proof. Huge crowds roar out their LOVE for President Trump, while Harris-Biden events are duds. We sense, deeper than deep, that he loves the U.S.. They don’t, and we the delorables, the Hobbits in the trenches, sense that too.

First and foremost, we must restore a complete and accurate paradigm – one that gives us permission to know and be true to who we truly are. Were we to continue operating on a false paradigm that rules out inner levels of the Life Wheel, we’d remain at the mercy of the destructive, dark and hidden agents driving politics and human destiny.

And that cannot be.

The I CHING READING

GENTLENESS is the initial answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” We’ve already seen it twice as a final outcome. In essence, it confirms the importance of appealing to people’s hearts as the healing yin balance to combative, yang disruption.

The bottom line’s warning is, “Don’t act without a clear purpose. Make a decision. Stick to it.” With fidelity to purpose, the line changes to FRUSTRATION, another theme that repeats throughout 2020. It reads in part:

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.

This reflects the interference of invisible players lurking beneath the surface of the multi-level chess board.

Appropriately, the second line’s warning reads, “Examine your situation most carefully. Be aware of hidden motives.” Know that major players with destructive intentions – like the Evil Emperor in Star Wars — are manipulating behind the scenes, hidden from public view.

This line changes with another confirmation that the way out of 2020 madness is NOT by matching conflict with more of the same, but instead with calm, gentle action:

Completion is the result of gradual, step-by-step DEVELOPMENT. A calm attitude and gentle actions will bring steady progress leading to success. The only way to establish yourself now is to let things develop naturally. Giving in to strong feelings and acting on impulse would defeat your purpose. Avoid hesitation. Avoid haste.

The combined outcome is FAMILY, with its emphasis on respect and cooperation –yet another 2020 theme:

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

The end goal is harmonious relationship with the entire human family. This reading is so value-rich that, to do it justice, I had to publish a self-standing bonus blog, Family, Community and Organization.

Bottom line: There’s intense pressure – coming from all levels – to destroy core unity. It starts with internal consciousness and extends outwards to breakdown the family unit and then social organization. What’s the consequence of this breakdown? Who wants it?

Do you? If not, what are you willing to do about it? When?

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.

Disturbance in the Force – IC – 102220

Where do we draw the line between fact and fiction? Who’s to say?

With the rise of empirical science, much of what we intuitively experienced as fact had to be disguised. The only way to sneak them under the radar of cultural censorship was to pretend inner energy and light levels of the Life Wheel were fantasy. “Science fiction.”

That’s why Star Wars and Harry Potter films were so hugely popular. When the ongoing war between good and evil had to be relegated to storyland — long, long ago and far, far away — so-called fantasy fed a gaping, hungry hole in the collective psyche.

We could have our cake and eat it too — satisfy inner cravings while denying what we’ve been forbidden to know. “This doesn’t really have anything to do with us today. Not here. Not right now. No way.”

But quantum physics together with stunning research findings is lifting the veil. They’re revealing that what was dismissed as impossible fiction is not only highly possible but very, very close to home. In Becoming Supernatural, for example, Dr. Joe Dispenza documents the way “common people” are being trained to do the “uncommon.”

Chinese sages spoke of the Tao. Biblical prophets deferred to God. For modern day skeptics who write off the ancients, universal wisdom was updated. Star Wars heroes like Yoda, Obe-Wan Kenobe and Luke Skywalker revered the Force.

No difference. They all speak to the same all-powerful, central Source from which energy flows and life emerges.

Yoda tells Luke:

Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? You should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.

Petty villains and charlatans, of course, deny its existence. Early on, Han Solo tells Luke:

Kid, I’ve flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe there’s one all-powerful Force controlling everything. There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.

Since he hasn’t “seen” them, the Center of the Life Wheel and middle, e=energy level couldn’t exist.

In contrast, when evil agents intentionally mess with the Force, destroying an entire planet, sensitives are instantly aware. In the original Star Wars movie, Obi-Wan describes a horrible premonition of disaster:

I felt a great disturbance in the Force…as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Science fiction serves to keep imagination alive, reminding the world of what the archetypal Life Wheel tells us simple and direct. There are levels to life, deeper than most feel free to acknowledge.

Being kept ignorance of Natural Law and operations of energy puts individuals at great disadvantage, the civilization at terrible risk. It’s too much to include here. So I’ve published a bonus blog on The E=Energy Level of the Life Wheel which all of us should have learned about in school.

Bottom line: in 2020, we urgently need to train and equip a generation of spiritual warriors – a small but effective army of Jedi knights, of Arjunas – to prevent an impending disturbance in the force . . . the disappearance of Planet Earth from among the heavens.

Do you not feel it? Politics are but the surface tip of the iceberg. It wouldn’t be the first time in our solar system. Look for the empty space between remaining planets for your proof.

The I CHING READING

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

My comments on Star Wars were triggered by ENERGY, the stand-alone answer to today’s question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” It reads:

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

The entire quantum paradigm is built into this single reading. If you’re just skimming, it’s all too easy to miss. But it’s vitally important to recognize that the entire outer level of relationships and responsibilities is driven by intrinsic inner energies. If we want to be effective, even successful in life, we must know how (like Jedi knights) to master, harmonize and then harness our energies to serve worthy goals. This, in turn, depends upon underlying allegiance to Source. The Force. CREATIVE POWER.

One caveat here. Energy healers often repeat, “Energy is everything.” On the surface, this may appear to be so. Yes, every THING is spun from energy. BUT this does not mean energy is all there IS. Energy emanates from the deeper level of Light and, deeper still, from the Source of Light.

Nikola Tesla is often quoted to support their misleading claim: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

However, this famous quote is listed as 27th among 47 found here. Taken in larger context, you’ll find that Tesla believed in God and recognized energy’s middle place within the larger Life Wheel pattern.

Compare Einstein with Tesla. You’ll find they’re on the same page. Albert said:

A human being is part of the whole called “‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest . . .

This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.

Nikola said:

What we now want is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and communities all over the earth, and the elimination of egoism and pride which is always prone to plunge the world into primeval barbarism and strife…

Tesla puts the limited and limiting empirical science paradigm in perspective within the larger context of reemerging Natural Law and the quantum paradigm. He wrote:

The history of science shows that theories are perishable. With every new truth that is revealed we get a better understanding of Nature and our conceptions and views are modified.

In other words, it’s not enough to scan the Book of Change for answers to personal questions. To survive 2020 challenges the better for having endured them, it’s essential to restore awareness of energy dynamics. Further, we have to recognize the place of Energy within the larger context of the quantum paradigm’s Life Wheel pattern.

Honor universal wisdom deeper than scientific fact still alive and well in Star Wars fiction.

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.

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.

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.