Posts Tagged With: Yin Yang

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Oct. 8: 38: Diverging Interests

Posted on October 8, 2012 by anastasiamarcelle

38: Diverging Interests

An image of estrangement is indicated here. One example used in ancient Chinese texts is how when brothers and sisters marry, they grow apart, since their allegiances now lie with new family groups. Though they will remain close enough to successfully deal with problems and share minor interests, they will be unable to undertake anything big together. Simply put, when people grow apart — even for the most natural of reasons — their points of view, values and interests start to diverge.

Diverging interests bring opposition into the world of human affairs. And when differences morph into alienation and enmity, no good results. But when opposition takes the form of healthy competition, or when contrasting energies or positions are seen as part of the natural order of things, good fortune is still possible.

Even when diverging energies make a situation seem stagnant or futile, there are always creative possibilities inherent in polarities. One is reminded of the yin-yang interplay that is fundamental to the creation of life itself. But when opposition arises from issues of principle, you must hold to your integrity and individuality. And avoid becoming involved with vulgar or base people who do not share your values. With both people and companies, one measure of stature is the quality of the competition.

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The Living Rede

Posted on August 10, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

The Living Rede

A lifetime of learning I’ve set to these pages, Some learned from fools, and some learned from sages.

This tome contains musings: some wisdom, some rant. Some will find truth here, some won’t and some can’t.

If your eyes fall upon this page, it’s meant for you, For the Universe offers what you’re meant to do.

The Secret of Magic quite often astounds: There isn’t a Secret! Just look all around!

The Trees teach you lessons – the Willow that bends. The challenge for you: learn the message it sends.

By Example and Symbol the Universe speaks. It may happen quickly or take many weeks.

Be aware what you notice – it needs your attention If you’re going to hear what it’s trying to mention.

For the Universe rarely speaks loudly and clearly, But it speaks all the time if you listen sincerely.

You’re here for a reason – to heal, teach and learn. The better you listen, the more growth you’ll earn.

The goal, it would seem, is reunion with Spirit. Learn lessons while here, don’t run from, don’t fear it.

Though we travel our own paths, our lives interlace. We must all grow together – this isn’t a race.

So be mindful of others, and help when you can, A bird, tree or pebble, a woman or man.

Material, Ether and Astral involved, Work them correctly, your problems be solved.

Magic is simple, has rules, like Mundane, Push or pull with your Heart and direct with your Brain.

The Emotions you raise will determine its power. The more you project, that much sooner its hour.

The Thoughts that you hold in your mind as you cast Tell the power its job – where to go and its task.

If your thoughts falter or change while you work, Your focus is lessened – your power will fork.

Dual aspects to work with, the God and the Goddess, Called Yang and called Yin – the names matter not, honest!

Yang feels like anger – you feel in your chest. It jumps to the hand and for quick work is best.

Yin is much softer – it’s felt at the womb. The power of Love and the peace of a tomb.

Yang is aggressive – Male “Get It Done Now!” If you’re in a hurry, Yang does it, and how!

Yin is more subtle, for delicate tasks. If you’re working with love, it’s the one you should ask.

All genders have both, their intensities varied, And strong you will be with both energies married.

Be Humble and True, though, whatever your power. Sometimes you’re the lightning, sometimes you’re The Tower.

The Cards hold no magic, the Runes have no secret That’s not found within you – if only you’ll seek it.

Negative or Positive? Sometimes you must give. The Antelope dies so the Lion may live.

Remember, when tragedy breaks down your door: Whatever you lose, you will gain so much more.

I know it sounds hard, when loss brings pain and sorrow, But you will know joy again – next year, or tomorrow.

One thing that I’ve found, and I hope you will heed: Ask not what you want from life. Ask what you need.

Ask what you want and it may come to you, But ask what you need: What you came here to do.

This far through my Rede you have stayed and have read. Down paths much like mine you are likely to tread.

I welcome you, joyful, a companion to walk, For someone to listen to, someone to talk.

These pages are yours to accept or critique. May your road straight to Spirit unfold at your feet.

Stay if you will, here, or leave if you must. Blessed Be, One and All. Perfect Love. Perfect Trust.

- Brian Gallagher – author of this rede

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Today’s I Ching Hexagram for June 27 is 31: Mutual Attraction

Posted on June 27, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

31: Mutual Attraction

 

Hexagram 31

General Meaning: The attraction of yin and yang is the powerful and fundamental force. The image of this hexagram is that of the attraction between a man and a woman in the courtship stage. In response to the magnetic attraction between them, the masculine principle (the creative, outgoing) seizes the initiative and submits to the feminine (the receptive, sensitive). When the assertive is able to defer to the receptive, and when the receptive accepts responsibility and exercises quiet leadership, an exciting and profitable union is the result. This brings good fortune, for all success depends upon the magnetic effect of mutual attraction.

Consistency is important in matters of mutual attraction, for this is what separates courtship from seduction.

If you are by nature an instigator, it is good to take the initiative. But you need to remain sensitive, and highly principled, and avoid the temptation to be manipulative. Let the power of mutual attraction pull you along. If you are the receptive one, keep your mind innocent and free of pride, so that you may remain open to good advice or helpful assistance. When your influence arises from innocence, an even more powerful magnetic force is at work for you.

Remaining open to the forces of attraction brings good fortune. Closing yourself to them heralds the dying of the soul. Learn to yield to the natural tugs and pulls of the heart.

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Today’s I Ching Hexagram for June 19 is 45: Coming Together

Posted on June 19, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

45: Coming Together

 

Hexagram 45

 

General Meaning:  The power of gathering together is represented by a rally, where each individual’s strength is magnified by the power of their community. History has shown that mass movements can bring about stable, ordered and durable conditions for the better. This hexagram may be pointing to an auspicious time for large undertakings. But the guiding force of your shared vision is essential to hold the forces of unity together, and keep them advancing toward a common goals and values.
Another image for this situation is that of a lake filling with water. Just as the fullness of the lake can bring good fortune to all in its sphere, it can also overflow, leading to calamity. Thus in a time of gathering together it is essential that precautions against excesses be considered along with efforts to advance along a clearly-charted course. Much of human misfortune comes from unexpected events for which we are ill prepared; when gathered together with others, we are both more powerful and, in some ways, also more vulnerable.
Any time of unified coming together is a time of great potential. But the potential can be both positive and negative. Everything is magnified when people unite around a central shared purpose. When many people unite behind a single goal or strong vision, it is wise to take personal precautions to protect your own reasonable self-interests, because these can easily be lost in the crowd.

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Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Posted on June 9, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

 

 

Author: Ryan Hatcher

How often, as energy workers, are we told that negative energy is ‘bad’? “Cleanse it of all negative energy!” “It’s been tainted by negative energy.” “I can feel a lot of negativity here” and so on. Personally I feel this use of the word ‘negative’ to be wrong.

Let’s look at the word negative, and then you might see what I’m getting at. The word negative is the opposite of the word positive. In terms of physics, negativity is a description of a charge, such as positively charged particles and negatively charged particles (protons and electrons respectively) . The poles of a battery are labeled + and – or positive and negative. However, as energy workers we generally consider ‘negative’ to mean ‘bad’, ‘harmful’ and, in an extreme, ‘evil’.

Does this mean that half of a battery is evil? Or since electricity is a flow of electrons and so has a negative charge, does that mean electricity is inherently evil? Well…no, if we think about it, they’re not inherently bad, harmful or evil, although electricity can be harmful if it is misused, like any other energy.

If we look to the Far East, we can look at the ideas of positive and negative from a more spiritual perspective. What I refer to is the concept of Yin and Yang from Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine. Yang, roughly meaning Sun, is positive, masculine overt and open in Chinese. In the Taijitu (the typical Yin-Yang symbol) , Yang is represented by the white section. The concept of Yang energy is that of active, dynamic, masculine aspects, the sun and fire are forces associated with Yang as well as the God principle. Yang is the positive side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine the Yang part of our body is the right side of our body. There are also Yang organs in the body, associated with active and energizing attributes. Yang is the energy within us that drives us forward, is our passion, and keeps us energized. But if we have too much Yang in our lives, we can end up feeling hyperactive, aggressive, suffer insomnia and eventually burn ourselves out.

Yin is roughly translated as shade, moon, feminine, negative, lunar and hidden in Chinese. In the Taijitu, the black section represents Yin. The concept of Yin energy is that of the passive, stillness and the feminine. The moon and water are forces associated with Yin, as well as emotions, intuition and the Goddess principle. Yin is the negative side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine, the Yin part of our body is the left side of our body and, as with Yang, there are Yin organs in the body associated with passive, fluid attributes. It is the serenity within us that keeps us calm, allows us to sit and just observe the world around us, are the deep waters of our mind and keep us grounded. However, too much Yin in our lives leaves us feeling lethargic, depressed, lonely and alienated, suffering from hypersomnia and getting nowhere in life.

A balance between the two is imperative to be able to experience life to the fullest and to feel as present in the now as is possible for us as human beings at that moment. The Yin and Yang, together in the Taijitu, are inseparably linked, entwined together to form the whole, the perfect and infinite circle. One cannot exist without the other, just as a shadow cannot exist without a source of light. Also, if we look at the Taijitu we can see that the individual Yin and Yang parts contain a part of the opposite. This shows that opposites exist within everything and the importance of a balanced polarity.

There, polarity, that is the point I’m trying to aim for. Is it possible, looking at the Yin-Yang model to see negative as inherently bad as we have done for so long? If we did, it would mean that everything feminine, including the Goddess, would be bad, harmful and possibly inherently evil. I’m sure no one has any intention of doing that any time soon.

Positive and negative, light and dark. They are just opposites in the balance of polarity and have no sense of moral right or wrong, any more than do the poles of the aforementioned battery or the north and south poles of a compass, or even the earth. They’re just opposites of the same force.

So what do I propose we use instead of the word negative? Personally, I use the words ‘impure’, ‘unclean’ and ‘harmful’ when it comes to describing unwanted energy because that is really what we’re talking about isn’t it? Unwanted energy. Unwanted because it is harmful, impure and unclean. It is the energy that taints our work and our tools, whereas simply ‘negative’ energy could in fact be beneficial, providing a feminine aspect to our tools and working, and thus providing that balance of polarity which is what paganism and ‘the great work’ is supposed to be all about: unifying opposites to create a balanced whole.

Sometimes I feel that, though we understand thoughts and words have power, we still need to choose our thoughts and words more carefully when working directly with the energies of the universe. We need to make sure we know exactly what it is we are asking and that the words we use match our intention and directed will. The universe has a cruel, and sometimes ironic sense of humor (for a non-corporeal, non-specific entity anyway) , and sometimes you get what you’ve asked for, and if you’ve asked using the wrong words, then you’re likely to get a nasty surprise!

So from this moment I ask that we are all more mindful of the words we choose to use, both in our day-to-day lives as well as in our magical lives. Doing so we may just find things flow in the way we want them to and we can each live a happier, more peaceful existence.

Blessed be

Footnotes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu

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Today’s I Ching Hexagram for June 2 is 38: Diverging Interests

Posted on June 2, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

38: Diverging Interests

Hexagram 38

General Meaning: An image of estrangement is indicated here. One example used in ancient Chinese texts is how when brothers and sisters marry, they grow apart, since their allegiances now lie with new family groups. Though they will remain close enough to successfully deal with problems and share minor interests, they will be unable to undertake anything big together. Simply put, when people grow apart — even for the most natural of reasons — their points of view, values and interests start to diverge.

Diverging interests bring opposition into the world of human affairs. And when differences morph into alienation and enmity, no good results. But when opposition takes the form of healthy competition, or when contrasting energies or positions are seen as part of the natural order of things, good fortune is still possible.

Even when diverging energies make a situation seem stagnant or futile, there are always creative possibilities inherent in polarities. One is reminded of the yin-yang interplay that is fundamental to the creation of life itself. But when opposition arises from issues of principle, you must hold to your integrity and individuality. And avoid becoming involved with vulgar or base people who do not share your values. With both people and companies, one measure of stature is the quality of the competition.

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Love the Earth With Feng Shui

Posted on April 21, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

by Erica Sofrina

By Erica Sofrina,Founder of Earth Spirit Adventure Travel

In celebration of Earth day I thought I would talk about how important this element is a part of the ancient teaching of Feng Shui and give you some ways to celebrate this energy by bringing it into your home and life.

Every summer I take a group of people to the Big Island of Hawaii on what is called my Five Elements Immersion Retreat. It is a way for people who yearn to experience their earth connection to spend 10 days opening to a deep and personal experience of water, earth, fire, metal and wood by being being taken into a powerful experience of them with some incredible teachers. One of my favorite parts is our earth adventure where we climb deep into an ancient Lava tube where we drum and open to the sounds of the earth. Our Hawaiian guide sings a hauntingly beautiful Hawaiian chant, and we begin to hear the voices of the ancestors. With each experience I gain a deeper understanding of our connection to mother earth and the wisdom she has to impart. Being in the earth like this and hearing the heart-beat of the drum , seems to awaken something deep within me that is beyond the limitation of words. I understand how we came from and go back to the earth and feel deeply appreciative that she continues to sustain us in spite of how we have abused her gifts to us.

In Feng Shui the Earth is represented by the TAI CHI (Yin and Yang) symbol and relates to our Spiritual, physical and emotional stability. It is about balancing the opposite forces in our lives and remaining grounded and centered. The Earth is a nurturing and stable energy and the hub around which all the areas of our life evolve.

Earth is the base and considered the most stable of the Five Elements, the rest of which are fire, metal, water and wood.

The places we live and work are built from earthly materials such as wood, clay, brick, and stone. The foods we eat that nourish our bodies come from the earth.

When we want to get centered in our lives the best thing we can do is to get out into nature. No matter how we feel our energy field often comes back into balance by just spending 10 minutes in a beautiful natural setting.

When we can’t be in nature, wherever we are we can do a grounding exercise to connect us to the earth (found at the end of this article) When I do, my sense of stability is restored and what ever is going on in my life comes into perspective.

The energy of earth is downward as well as a gathering inward motion like the energy of the soil which holds things in place, making them more solid. It’s effect is one of nurturing, providing a sense of peacefulness and stillness.

Whenever we are feeling scattered in our lives we can also bring the Earth element into our homes. This is a part of the Five Elements practice that comes out of Chinese medicine and is at the heart of Feng Shui.

We can do this by adding squares and cubes, long flat horizontal surfaces and heavier objects. The colors would be the more ‘toasty’ versions of yellows, gold’s and earth tones. The materials that are more earthy would be materials that come from the earth such as tile, stucco, brick and ceramics.

The heavier the object looks, the stronger the Earth vibration. Cushy fabrics such as velvets, chenille and corduroy in earthy colors as well as earth-toned area rugs and carpeting will create a more earthy atmosphere.

Low ceilings will hold the energy in and give the room a calmer feeling as opposed to vaulted high ceilings that will life the energy upwards and energize it. We can visually lower the ceiling with fixtures and objects hung around the room at the same level, creating a ‘line between heaven and earth’. This will bring the energy back down into the space rather than sending it upwards as in a cathedral.

Bedrooms, Living Rooms, Dining Rooms, Family Rooms and Bathrooms are room that would benefit from having the calming influence of the Earth elements. Add colors and objects in earth tones and made of earth along with more muted lighting. Our earthy spaces should feel like we want to curl up by a fire with blanket, a hot cup of tea and just chill.

The Earth is at the center of the Bagua which is the map used in certain schools of Feng Shui to chart the energy centers of the home. The center of our home should feel solid, yet be open and uncluttered enough to allow the energy to flow easily around it.

For my readers who would like more information about the Bagua and how to apply it to your home floor plan click here for your own free Color copy with instructions.

I invite you all to spend some time this week connecting deeply to the earth. Walk barefoot on her, go for a hike, lay on your back and meditate on all of the bounties that she so graciously brings to us each day. Express your gratefulness for how abundantly provides for all of her children.

Grounding Exercise:

  • Take off your shoes and sit on the ground or floor in lotus position or on a chair with both feet planted solidly on the earth.
  • Envision a chord, like the roots of a tree, moving downwards from the base of the spine and/or from the bottom of the feet, deep into the earth. Spend some time envisioning them as they move through the earth pushing it aside and reaching deep into the center. Breath slowly and deeply in and out as you do so.
  • Once you feel your connection deep in the center you may want to envision wrapping them around a huge boulder for stability.
  • Feel the loamy rich brown earth energy coming back up from the center of the earth and entering your body through the base of the spine and/or the bottom of your feet.
  • Bring this energy slowly up into your body and feel it anchor in the heart area and move it around your body, feeling the healing energy stabilizing and connecting you.
  • Do this exercise for five or ten minutes whenever you feel scattered and disconnected in your life and see the difference it makes!

Erica Sofrina is the Founder of Earth Spirit Adventure Travel which takes people to powerful places like Bali and Hawaii to experience their Earth/Spirit connection. To find out more about Erica Sofrina’s Earth Spirit Adventure Travel Retreats click here.

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Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Posted on March 8, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Author: Ryan Hatcher

How often, as energy workers, are we told that negative energy is ‘bad’? “Cleanse it of all negative energy!” “It’s been tainted by negative energy.” “I can feel a lot of negativity here” and so on. Personally I feel this use of the word ‘negative’ to be wrong.

Let’s look at the word negative, and then you might see what I’m getting at. The word negative is the opposite of the word positive. In terms of physics, negativity is a description of a charge, such as positively charged particles and negatively charged particles (protons and electrons respectively) . The poles of a battery are labeled + and – or positive and negative. However, as energy workers we generally consider ‘negative’ to mean ‘bad’, ‘harmful’ and, in an extreme, ‘evil’.

Does this mean that half of a battery is evil? Or since electricity is a flow of electrons and so has a negative charge, does that mean electricity is inherently evil? Well…no, if we think about it, they’re not inherently bad, harmful or evil, although electricity can be harmful if it is misused, like any other energy.

If we look to the Far East, we can look at the ideas of positive and negative from a more spiritual perspective. What I refer to is the concept of Yin and Yang from Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine. Yang, roughly meaning Sun, is positive, masculine overt and open in Chinese. In the Taijitu (the typical Yin-Yang symbol) , Yang is represented by the white section. The concept of Yang energy is that of active, dynamic, masculine aspects, the sun and fire are forces associated with Yang as well as the God principle. Yang is the positive side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine the Yang part of our body is the right side of our body. There are also Yang organs in the body, associated with active and energizing attributes. Yang is the energy within us that drives us forward, is our passion, and keeps us energized. But if we have too much Yang in our lives, we can end up feeling hyperactive, aggressive, suffer insomnia and eventually burn ourselves out.

Yin is roughly translated as shade, moon, feminine, negative, lunar and hidden in Chinese. In the Taijitu, the black section represents Yin. The concept of Yin energy is that of the passive, stillness and the feminine. The moon and water are forces associated with Yin, as well as emotions, intuition and the Goddess principle. Yin is the negative side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine, the Yin part of our body is the left side of our body and, as with Yang, there are Yin organs in the body associated with passive, fluid attributes. It is the serenity within us that keeps us calm, allows us to sit and just observe the world around us, are the deep waters of our mind and keep us grounded. However, too much Yin in our lives leaves us feeling lethargic, depressed, lonely and alienated, suffering from hypersomnia and getting nowhere in life.

A balance between the two is imperative to be able to experience life to the fullest and to feel as present in the now as is possible for us as human beings at that moment. The Yin and Yang, together in the Taijitu, are inseparably linked, entwined together to form the whole, the perfect and infinite circle. One cannot exist without the other, just as a shadow cannot exist without a source of light. Also, if we look at the Taijitu we can see that the individual Yin and Yang parts contain a part of the opposite. This shows that opposites exist within everything and the importance of a balanced polarity.

There, polarity, that is the point I’m trying to aim for. Is it possible, looking at the Yin-Yang model to see negative as inherently bad as we have done for so long? If we did, it would mean that everything feminine, including the Goddess, would be bad, harmful and possibly inherently evil. I’m sure no one has any intention of doing that any time soon.

Positive and negative, light and dark. They are just opposites in the balance of polarity and have no sense of moral right or wrong, any more than do the poles of the aforementioned battery or the north and south poles of a compass, or even the earth. They’re just opposites of the same force.

So what do I propose we use instead of the word negative? Personally, I use the words ‘impure’, ‘unclean’ and ‘harmful’ when it comes to describing unwanted energy because that is really what we’re talking about isn’t it? Unwanted energy. Unwanted because it is harmful, impure and unclean. It is the energy that taints our work and our tools, whereas simply ‘negative’ energy could in fact be beneficial, providing a feminine aspect to our tools and working, and thus providing that balance of polarity which is what paganism and ‘the great work’ is supposed to be all about: unifying opposites to create a balanced whole.

Sometimes I feel that, though we understand thoughts and words have power, we still need to choose our thoughts and words more carefully when working directly with the energies of the universe. We need to make sure we know exactly what it is we are asking and that the words we use match our intention and directed will. The universe has a cruel, and sometimes ironic sense of humor (for a non-corporeal, non-specific entity anyway) , and sometimes you get what you’ve asked for, and if you’ve asked using the wrong words, then you’re likely to get a nasty surprise!

So from this moment I ask that we are all more mindful of the words we choose to use, both in our day-to-day lives as well as in our magical lives. Doing so we may just find things flow in the way we want them to and we can each live a happier, more peaceful existence.

Blessed be

Footnotes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu

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